Infernal Revelation : Collected Episodes 1-4 (9781311980007) Read Free Page B

brick facade.
     
    ***
     
    "They're
staring."
    "You're the most beautiful girl in school."
Derek smiled. "I got used to guys staring at you a long time
ago."
    "It's not like that," Lily said. "It's
like... do you remember kindergarten?"
    "Barely."
    "Do you remember when I started?"
    "Of course."
    "Yeah, I got a lot of attention then,
too."
    "You were a cute kid. And funny. And
smart."
    "And black."
    "Lily."
    "It's true, Derek. Don't pretend it's not.
I'm the only black girl... the only black person in town. First one
most of you ever met. Still the only one most of you know."
    "Nobody thinks of you that way," Derek said.
"You're not 'the black girl.' You're Lily Baker, track star and
valedictorian."
    Lily wrinkled her nose. "Salutatorian. Lucas
is valedictorian."
    Derek slammed a fist into his palm. "Year's
not over yet, Lil."
    She laughed and hugged him, nestling into
his side as they entered the building. Derek was right, it wasn't
the same thing, not really. She might not have the luxury of ever
really forgetting she was the only African-American in Laton, but
the rest of the town seemed to have gotten used to it. They still
made a big deal about it in small ways -- it was really
uncomfortable how often gazes turned towards her in civics class
every February -- but Laton was a good town, with a progressive
church, and tolerant people.
    This attention was different, though. She
could feel the stares, stares at her, stares at the girl who had
survived unharmed while one of her friends had ended up dead, and
the other seriously injured. She could almost hear the whispers,
the rumors spreading like a cancer, eating away at her
reputation.
    "Do you know what happened?" she asked.
    He didn't need to ask her what she was
talking about. "I was in Boston."
    "Have you heard anything?"
    "Nobody's said much." He stopped and turned
towards her. "Nobody's blaming you for anything, Lily."
    "Maybe they should. Maybe it was my
fault."
    "It was an accident."
    A spark of anxiety welled up inside her.
"You don't know that. Nobody knows that. Nobody knows what
happened, and I don't remember."
    "Lily..."
    She shook her head, clenching her eyes shut.
"I'm sorry."
    "For what?"
    "How was Boston?"
    Derek paused, leaning against the bank of
lockers to their side. "Boston was... okay, I guess. I was worried
about you. Came home as soon as I could."
    "Are you going to go?"
    "I don't know," Derek said. "It's on my
list. We talked about this."
    "I remember." She stepped
away and turned towards him. "We need to really talk about it. About
us."
    Derek nodded. "Yeah. But that can wait."
    "Derek--"
    He raised his hands. "Until you're feeling
better. I don't want to add more stress to what you're feeling,
okay? So... let's just let it be."
    Lily bit her lip. "Just for now."
    "Just for now."
    "Okay." She gave him a quick hug. "I should
get to class."
    Derek checked his phone. "We have a few
minutes."
    "Yeah, but I need to get the notes and
assignments I missed." She cringed inwardly as the lame excuse
slipped from her lips.
    "Okay. I love you."
    "Love you," Lily said, squeezing him
again.
    She walked with swift steps down the hall,
not turning her head to look at the classmates watching her. Lily
held her head high, but it was all she could do to keep from
breaking into a run before reaching the corner, to force herself to
slow her brisk pace. She felt hot, flushed, her arms and legs
tingling, the panic threatening to rise up from her quivering
stomach. It was too much on her plate, too fast. Her father had
told her to pace herself her first day back. Why hadn't she
listened?
    She hadn't meant to bring up Boston. Again.
That was one of the last things she remembered talking about before
the accident. A conversation with her boyfriend over the phone, or
rather an anti-conversation, where both parties touched on but
didn't discuss the prospect that one of them was going to go, go to
school thousands of miles away, almost literally as far as one
could travel