Until Alex - J. Nathan Page 0,32

each reporting the same story. Victor had been murdered. Beaten to death by a minor in an alley. The minor’s name had been withheld from the articles. But he had been sentenced to ten months in a juvenile detention center for involuntary manslaughter.

Ten months for taking a man’s life seemed awfully lenient.

I sat back and drew a breath. Could Hayden be the minor? Had he been detained for ten months for manslaughter? Is that what my aunt had been reluctant to tell me?

I knew Hayden harbored secrets. And while he was a lot of things, a murderer just didn’t seem like one of them.

CHAPTER TEN

ALEX

“There must be a mistake,” I whispered.

Taylor’s eyes were about to pop from her head. But when she turned toward me, she plastered on a full-blown, mega-watt smile. I’d never seen anything more fake in my life. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll get this fixed before the others even see it.”

I followed her through the deserted halls of the theater arts building. The rapid clicking of her heels did nothing to ease the impermeable silence between us. We’d arrived so much earlier than the rest of the students, if she shoved me into a broom closet and locked the door, no one would find me for hours, possibly days.

Taylor stopped abruptly at a door with Gail Smith on the gold nameplate. She pounded on it like a woman possessed.

Then we waited.

Silently.

There was no shuffle inside Professor’s Smith’s office and no click of the lock signifying occupancy. So, without a word, Taylor turned on her heels and headed down the hallway to the professors’ lounge. Again she pounded on the door. This time a shuffling behind the door ensued.

Thank God.

The door swung open. Professor Smith, a portly woman with gray hair and dark eyes, appeared. Once she spotted us, her grin slipped from her face. “Before you say anything…” She stepped out and joined us in the hallway. Her eyes focused on Taylor. “This decision took me a long time to make. But in the end, I felt some fresh blood could help rejuvenate the competition.”

You could’ve heard a pin drop as we both stared at Professor Smith.

“You were there. We had amazing freshmen audition, and some great transfers, like Alex.”

I closed my gaping mouth and pled to her good senses. “But I don’t even want to be in the competition. Let Taylor. I never would’ve auditioned if I thought it would’ve affected her—”

Professor Smith’s erect palm silenced me. “I’ve made my decision.” She looked into Taylor’s angry eyes. “I’m sorry if you don’t like it. But with our stellar line up, you should feel lucky you’re our alternate.” She turned on her flats and walked back into the lounge, leaving us standing alone in the empty hallway.

Fear seized my tongue. Visions of a vicious cat fight flooded my frazzled brain.

When I finally worked up the courage to peek at Taylor, a grin pulled at her lips. “Oh well, I guess these things happen.”

I turned my entire body toward her, desperate not to lose one of my only friends. “I don’t want to be in the competition. I’m sure if we give her time to reconsider, she’ll let us switch. I only auditioned because you asked me to. I’m serious. I not gonna do it.”

Taylor nodded. “Yes, you are. You won the spot fair and square. If I can’t win the competition, you damn well better.”

I wanted to cry. Sure, over the past month and a half I’d cried enough for a lifetime, but the tears sat at the ready. I’d only been in school for two weeks, and I’d already ruined everything.

Wait a minute.

I didn’t sign up for the competition.

“I’ve gotta go.” I gave Taylor no time to respond. I spun on my heels and bolted out of the building.

I threw open the doors to the coffee shop, my eyes scanning the busy room. Of course, Hayden wasn’t there. That wouldn’t deter me. I took a seat at the front window. It provided a perfect view of the entire quad. From there, I’d see him before he saw me. What I planned to say warranted a face-to-face, no-holds-barred conversation. One that should have happened two weeks ago.

The two good-looking guys I’d seen Hayden with on the first day walked in and sauntered to the register. They spent a few minutes flirting with the barista then grabbed their coffees and headed to the door. When they noticed me, they shot me looks of pity. Did they really think