Laughter bubbled up and would have broken free if we hadn’t rounded the corner. Sitting on an outcropping of several large, sandy-colored rocks were the gruesome twosome. Taking a deep breath, I slipped away from Hayden and ignored the urge to run in the opposite direction.

Gabriel spared Hayden a wave, but when he turned to me, his smile faded. I was sure he was picturing me flying back through the goal post.

Phoebe sat on a rock beside him, her hands balled into tight fists. “Hi,” she managed.

Considering that was the first time she’d said a word to me, I thought she could do better.

Hayden elbowed me.

I exhaled slowly and glanced around. Tall grass covered whatever lay beyond the rocks. I sat down on a relatively flat surface. “Hey.”

“Sometimes we eat out here,” Hayden explained, “when the weather is nice.”

“Or at the diner across the street,” Gabe interjected. “Or wherever. Sometimes we go home for lunch. We don’t always come back. Did you used to eat the cafeteria in your school? Like the rest of the Norms?”

“Norms?”

“Normals,” Hayden sighed.

“Yeah, we weren’t allowed outside.” I placed my plate in my lap, ignoring the fact Hayden chose to sit on my rock.

“Neither are we,” Phoebe said, her voice cold. “But it doesn’t stop us.”

They were talking to me only because they had to, I realized. Hayden had probably made them, but there wasn’t an ounce of civility in their tone.

Hayden took a bite of his pizza. “Things were different at her old school, Phoebe.”

Staring down at her nails, she shrugged. “Whatever.” She nudged Gabe’s arm and whispered something.

I nibbled on my pizza, keeping my eyes on the patchy field grass, trying not to show how uncomfortable I was with them.

“So what’s it like to have the touch-of-death gift?” Gabe rolled up a wrapper and shoved it in a fast food bag.

“She’s not gifted,” Phoebe snapped before I could respond. “Not like us.”

“Phoebe,” Hayden warned.

“What? I’m just stating the truth. She died. We all know that. She wasn’t born with a gift.”

Between Gabe’s question and Phoebe’s obvious bitchiness, I lost the ability to speak.

“She’s just like us, Phoebe. It doesn’t matter how she got her gift,” Hayden said. “Give it a rest.”

Phoebe flicked her hair over her shoulder. “The only reason she’s here is because of his failure. He’s obsessed, like you. Do you think that’s fair to any of us?”

Finally, I found my voice. “Whose failure? And how is it unfair to you?”

Phoebe wouldn’t look at me. “None of us want her here, Hayden. Do you understand that? She’s going to screw everything up—ruin everything.”

Hayden’s eyes snapped fire. “Phoebe, just shut up.”

“Ruin what?” I asked, but no one was listening to me.

“Don’t. Tell. Me. To. Shut up! You’re the only one who wants her here!” She paused, finally looking at me. “Kurt should’ve wiped her.”

Wiped me like he’d wiped Adam. Pure rage blasted through me. I shot to my feet. The moment her cockiness dried up and fear took over, a wild, vindictive smile spread across my face.