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  Grayson hated that laughter. Most especially, Cori’s. It wasn’t because it was ugly. No, it was lovely. More so than her voice. Grayson hated it because…because…because he wasn’t the one making her do it.

  And just why did that matter to him?

  On the way to his next class, he stopped by the bathroom to wash his face and gulp some more H2O. The bathroom was empty until Aiken slipped in. He stood in front of the door as if to block it.

  “Whew! You stink, man. How old are you anyway?”

  Grayson regarded the zombie with exaggerated patience. Truly, he had none. “I’m barely nineteen.”

  “In zombie years? Seriously?”

  “Nineteen years from rising.”

  “Wow. You better rein in your temper or you’ll never make it to a hundred. And drink more water, dude.”

  Grayson didn’t want to do what the guy said, but he was feeling a little dry. When he’d finished drinking, the stranger was still there.

  “What do you want,” Grayson snapped.

  “I could ask you the same question but I probably wouldn’t get an answer. So, I’ll ask another. What’s the deal with you and Cori?”

  Grayson ground his teeth together. “There’s no deal. It’s nothing.”

  “Really. Doesn’t seem that way.” He hesitated. “You like her?”

  “Like her? No.” Liar.

  Aiken smirked. Crossed his too-big arms over his chest. “Good. ’Cause I do. And since she’s nothing to you, I’m taking her out tonight.”

  If Grayson had blood instead of the watered down crap in his veins, it would have boiled. Taking her out? Over his already-dead dead body.

  He took a fighter’s stance, arms loose, legs apart. “You’re not taking her out,” he growled low.

  Aiken stepped up, clearly ready to do some damage. “Says who?”

  “I do. I’ll kill you right here and now before I let you take her anywhere.” He didn’t trust the guy. Not an inch.

  The other zombie’s nostrils flared but his gaze was calculating.

  “You would kill a fellow riser for a simple human girl?”

  “She’s not simple.” Oh, so now you admit it.

  “Fine, I take the challenge.” Aiken’s easy manner had changed into something cruel. “But first, you tell me, who should I deliver your body to? Because you will die today.”

  Grayson showed his teeth. “I’m not afraid of dying. I’m already dead, remember?” With that, he stepped up and threw the first punch. It landed squarely on Aiken’s jaw, knocking his head back against the tiled wall. The hit was good, but the zombie seemed annoyingly unaffected.

  And then he was furious.

  He came at Grayson with a vengeance. A kick to the gut, followed by a righteous uppercut, sent him flying into one of the stalls. He scrambled to his feet, only to be met by more of Aiken’s fists. But he did manage to kick the guy’s feet out from under him, which gave him the upper hand.

  For about five seconds.

  He took advantage of it by pummeling Aiken’s face until watery brown sludge started to leak from his wounds.

  Then the roles were switched again and Grayson found himself flat on his back. Aiken was straddling him, the look of death upon his once-appealing face. Time seemed to stand still as Grayson realized a blade was being held to his neck. Of course, the only way to really kill a zombie…

  But then he got a look at where the handle peeked out from Aiken’s grip and he went limp. He felt his eyes turn and the color leach out of his surroundings once again.

  “You’re a Reaper,” he hissed vehemently. A Reaper was trying to get close to innocent Cori…he really would die before he let that happen. Reapers were dangerous to humans, especially those who might find out about the zombie race. They were the law enforcers for the Dead Walking.

  Strength came from somewhere, and he shoved Aiken off, ready to take him out. But he had barely enough time to stand before he was being pushed into the wall face first. Tiles rattled at the impact. And then the blade was pushed against his neck again—this time in the back.

  “I won’t let you touch her. Do you understand me? I’ll return from the grave all over again if I have to.” Grayson didn’t know how, but he would find a way.

  “Why? I thought you didn’t care about her?” The Reaper’s voice was distorted slightly as he tried to come down from his own rage. Grayson’s was coming out in the same garbled manner.

  “She’s…she’s my Save.”

  Instantly, the knife was gone and instead of being face-plastered to the wall, he found himself being spun around. Hate-filled eyes beamed into his, but the murderous glint was mysteriously gone.

  “Your Save?”

  Grayson nodded.

  “Cori is your Save?” His tone was skeptical. Grayson knew how the guy felt. As far as Saves go, she was terribly unassuming.

  “Yes. So either kill me or let me go. Your breath stinks.”

  Immediately he was released, but Aiken didn’t step back and he wasn’t done with the questions.

  “If she’s your Save, why…why are you just ignoring her? Why’d you tell me…?”

  Grayson didn’t want to have this conversation with a Reaper. Or anybody really. But if it would make the guy stay away from Cori then maybe it was worth it.

  “You’ve seen her. She can’t possibly help me. So why would I talk to her? Why would I risk her ever knowing about zombies?” His next words were so close to a growl. “So someone like you could come along later and kill her?”

  Aiken looked puzzled. “We don’t kill humans. Ever.”

  “Yeah, right.” The world was still shades of brown even though he was trying to level out. Breathe, breathe.

  Aiken shook his head. “What do you mean, she can’t help you?”

  Grayson rolled his eyes. “Does she look like the type who could deal with our world? She can’t save me, even if I knew how to make it work.”

  Aiken narrowed his gaze. “You’re giving up on your Save because she doesn’t look like she can help you?”

  “Oh, please. Have you ever seen a Save like her?”

  He smirked. “She has some pretty amazing qualities if you ask me. Want me to name them?”

  “Don’t say that. Don’t talk about her like that.” Grayson hated the gleam in his eyes.

  “What? You don’t appreciate her, so I can’t either. That it?”

  Grayson glared at him.

  “Well, too bad. Your loss,” he said as he went over to the sink and drank from the faucet. Grayson wanted to bash the guy’s head into the basin, but he needed water himself so he drank too.

  When they were finished and their faces no longer looked like wet misshapen clay, he faced the Reaper once more. “So, you’ll stay away from her.” He wasn’t asking. He was telling.

  Aiken peered at him. “I won’t take her out tonight. That’s all I’m promising.”

  It wasn’t enough.

  “Reaper, stay away from Cori.”

  Aiken was already at the door. “First of all, my name is not ‘Reaper.’ Second, did you ever consider she might not want me to stay away from her?” He smirked and walked out, leaving Grayson staring after him with his mouth hanging open.

  Chapter 8

  Push Back Harder

  CORI WAS THE FIRST TO CLASS after lunch so she picked a seat in the back corner, farthest from the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when the seats around her filled up and none of the people in them were Grayson. Maybe she’d actually be able to focus in this class.

  Aiken walked in just before the last bell, Grayson right behind him. Neither of them had a smile on their face.

  Another class with him, with both of them. That made three.

  She thought a lot about the incident between her and Grayson and could come up with only one explanation for what she’d seen: he was suffering from an illness. Possibly something terminal. It explained so much. Why he was always angry. Why he distanced himself from people. She wonde
red if any of the teachers knew.

  Her heart went out to him. What if he was dying? What a burden to carry. And too young. And with no friends to be there for him. Family? Surely he had family. Still, he needed someone, a friend. He could use somebody…like her.

  But he was so cold. He pushed people away so hard. She’d been on the receiving end of that push twice already. And it sucked. But maybe she’d just have to try harder. Maybe if she pushed back.

  The next day, she sat in front of him again in first period. Shoring up her courage, she turned in her seat to talk to him before class started.

  “Hey,” she said. He glanced at her and then back at his notebook where he was scribbling randomly on the cover. Push back, she thought. “Are you feeling better today?”

  “Fine.”

  She could do this, she could. Just keep making conversation…“So…did you finish last night’s homework?”

  “Yeah.”

  Oookayyy. “Good. Me too.” Uncomfortable silence, except for the thunder outside. Thunder. Rain! “Do you like the rain?” Dumb question but she couldn’t think of anything else.

  “Yeah.”

  That surprised her. Did he actually like rain, or was he just trying to get her to shut up?

  “Really? You do?”

  “Yep.”

  Okay, so he wanted her to shut up. Well, too bad. “I don’t. I mean, a little bit is okay, but it’s like a rainforest here. But without the heat. I might never get to wear flip-flops again. And that would be sad because I have this great shade of red nail polish I’ve been dying to use. But like, what’s the point if I can’t wear sandals? You know?”

  He stopped doodling and grudgingly looked at her. “I wouldn’t know.”

  His disregard for her made her want to keep going—if only to irritate him. “Well, that’s true. I mean it’s not like you paint your toenails or anything. Unless…” Good, he was still staring at her. “No? No, I didn’t think so. But you can never really tell now, can you? Anyway, I guess I could use the red stuff on my fingers. But I usually avoid anything that bold above the waist.” She pretended to be interested in examining her fingernails. When she glanced back up at him, she was surprised he was still watching her. With a totally careless expression, but still.

  When she was about to continue babbling just to see where it would lead, Aiken strolled through the door. With a coolness that was in no way exaggerated, he came to sit in the seat next to her.

  “Mornin’.” He smiled that million-watt grin, and she returned it with one of her own.

  “Hi.” Now why couldn’t Grayson be easy like this? She glanced at him again and noticed he was still looking at her. “Grayson and I were just discussing nail polish,” she blurted.

  Aiken cocked a perfect eyebrow. “Uh…” Then he gave Grayson a strange look.

  “She was talking about nail polish. I was forced to listen.”

  She ignored the jab because at least he hadn’t gone back to doodling. Time for a subject change.

  “So, how come you eat lunch by yourself?”

  Annnnddd…back to the doodling.

  “Come on, answer me.”

  He didn’t.

  She didn’t know what made her do it. Stupidity, probably. But she reached over and swiped the pencil from his hand.

  He looked at her, part shock and part glare.

  “Pencil’s loud I guess. You probably couldn’t hear me. How come you eat lunch by yourself?”

  “I heard you just fine.” His eyes were narrowed in an expression that was threatening, but she didn’t dare look away.

  “Hmm. Then I guess you’re just rude.” This wasn’t like her. Being confrontational felt like wearing an itchy sweater. Totally uncomfortable.

  Grayson smiled, but it was all shark-like, cruel. “Bingo. Someone give the girl a prize.”

  Like this, she could see that his eyes were spectacular—greenish brown, like moss. Not like they had been yesterday, more yellow.

  She leaned closer so she could whisper. “You really shouldn’t push people away just because you don’t like what’s happening to you.” His eyes widened just slightly as she laid the pencil down on his notebook and turned to face front just in time for the teacher to take attendance.

  She was horrified that she was shaking but didn’t think anyone else noticed. It was more like she was shaking on the inside. Cori was never bold like that. Never. And even if it was uncomfortable, it felt…nice. Scratchy sweaters were still warm.

  She risked a glance at Aiken. His brow furrowed, but he remained quiet as he opened his English book.

  She didn’t try to talk to Grayson in second period. Her stomach was still quaking from the first time. But she was determined to try again later.

  At lunch, she sat with Peg and Rex again. Aiken joined them, much to the dismay of an obviously popular group of girls a few tables over. Cori couldn’t help thinking that it was a little strange that a guy like him was interested in her and her new friends. Not that he shouldn’t be, of course. They were awesome. It was just that he seemed out of place.

  Unable to help it, her eyes were drawn to where Grayson was approaching an empty table with his usual bottle of water.

  Rex sighed. “Doll, you might as well give that one up. He is insufferable.”

  “Agreed,” Peg added.

  “What? Oh.” She’d been caught.

  Aiken was peering over his shoulder at Grayson. “Nah, you can do better than that, Cori.”

  “No, it’s…not like that. He just…I think he’s sick,” she sputtered. Surely her face was an embarrassing shade of crimson.

  “Oh, indeed,” Rex agreed. “The illness is called ‘badattitude-itis.’” He swigged his bottle of Coke, completely satisfied with himself.

  Peg giggled. “No, I think it’s called ‘Grouch-akemia.’”

  “Or maybe ‘Hater-itis.’”

  “No, got it. ‘Don’t-get-in-my-way-or-I’ll-bite-your-head-off-itis.’”

  Cori knew they were just trying to be funny, but she still didn’t like it.

  “I’m serious, you guys.”

  Peg blinked. Rex sipped his Coke. Aiken cleared his throat.

  “You think he’s sick?” Peg finally asked, her look incredulous.

  Cori nodded.

  “I doubt it, hon. He’s been this way as long as I can remember.”

  “What way? Moody? Edgy? Hateful?”

  “All of the above,” Rex muttered.

  Cori stared at Grayson. His face was like stone, giving away nothing. He fingered the label on his water bottle. There was something up with him. The bathroom incident was enough of an indication.

  “Do you know why my mom and I moved to Asher?” she asked absently.

  No one said a thing.

  “My dad died. Suddenly. Car accident. Do you know what I was like afterward?”

  Still they were silent.

  “I was mean. Horrible. To my mom, to my friends. I was angry and I didn’t want to talk to anyone or see anyone or be near anyone. Asia, my best friend, I was even mean to her. But she was the only one who would put up with me. She just let me be angry.” Cori pulled her eyes from the brooding Grayson and faced her friends. “I’m telling you guys, there’s something wrong with Grayson. And I’m gonna figure out what it is.”

  They were all quiet for a moment before Peg spoke, concern layering her voice. “Maybe you’re right. Just try not to get hurt in the process.”

  Rex nodded solemnly. Aiken was quiet.

  She looked at Grayson again. Oh, she probably would get hurt. Scratch that—it was a sure thing. But then, she was already a great big ball of pain. A little more wouldn’t make a difference. And at least trying to win him over would give her something to keep her mind busy.

  When Cori arrived in class, Grayson and Aiken were already seated. There was just enough time before the bell rang for her to try talking to Grayson again. Before she could though, Aiken dropped a bomb.

  “Hey, you wan
na go see a movie or something tonight? We could check out what this Tinker-town has to offer?”

  “Uh…okay. Should we ask Peg and Rex?”

  His gaze became personal. “I think it would be more fun just the two of us.”

  She was confused. “Just the two of us?”

  He leaned closer to her. “Yeah. You know, you and me. Spending time…alone.”

  Her jaw was hanging open. She could feel it, but she couldn’t seem to do anything about it. He wanted to go out with her? Like on a date? Well, she’d never been asked before. So…

  Before she could answer, a pencil rolled off the desk behind her—Grayson’s desk—and landed on the floor by her feet. She bent over to retrieve it and handed it back to him.

  “Thanks,” he muttered.

  It was such a little thing, but it shocked her as if she’d touched a live wire. She met his eyes and a grin spread across her face.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Their eyes stayed locked like that until Mrs. Wan starting speaking in Spanish and flailing her hands as if that would help them understand what she was teaching.

  A crap ton of verb conjugations later, Aiken cleared his throat. “So, about tonight—”

  “I spend lunch alone because there’s no one else interesting enough to spend it with.” Grayson forced the words out as if it pained him to let go of them. As if sharing the info cost him something. Maybe it did.

  But her foot was in the door. Now she just had to nudge it further open.

  “Hmm. How do you know? Have you tried?”

  “Tried what?”

  “Tried spending it with someone.”

  He stared at her, and for so long that she wasn’t sure if he was going to answer.

  “No,” he said in a gruff way.

  “Well, maybe you should.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  She shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “Your loss.” And then she turned back to Aiken who was patiently awaiting her answer. “About tonight—”

  “What’s so great about having lunch with someone?” Grayson interrupted.

  “What’s so great about being alone?” she countered.