Read Charcoal Tears for Free Online Page B

paused. I looked up and spotted Tariq across the cafeteria, shooting me confused glances. I stood, feeling that the stares were worse now, but I forced my head up. It was easier to ignore them this time. I crossed to Tariq and handed him the rest of the wrap. Pink rose high in his cheeks, but he accepted it without protest.
    “Hey, Seraph,” one of his friends said, smiling at me.
    I shot a questioning look at Tariq and he shrugged, seeming almost guilty.
    “Hey,” I replied.
    “Harry,” he provided.
    “Right.” I paused. “Bye, Tariq. Bye, Harry.”
    I started to turn away, but someone grabbed my arm. Across the room Noah rose from his seat. I turned to face a redheaded boy. He had a cheeky smile in place.
    He said, “You forgot me.”
    “I have no idea who you are.”
    He feigned a hurt expression and Tariq kicked him under the table. “Stop flirting with my sister, Reggie.”
    Reggie slid his hand down to my wrist. “What if she likes it?”
    “She doesn’t,” Noah said, suddenly beside me.
    Reggie released me immediately, his eyes flashing with what I recognised as fear. He edged further down his booth seat, away from me. “Hey, no problem, I was just messing around.”
    Noah grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the table. Tariq stared at us until I was forced to turn so that I didn’t trip over trying to walk backwards. I sat down again between Cabe and Noah, and Cabe started prompting people back into conversation, drawing their attention away from me.
    I sat there numbly, and I was sure that I wasn’t even blinking. It took too long for me to regain control of my faculties.
    Who are you ? I thought as I stared at the side of Noah’s profile. What do you want with me?
    Instead, I said, “That wasn’t necessary. Please don’t do it again.”
     
     

3

     
    Call Me Daddy
     
     
    Noah rolled an apple into my lap halfway through lunch and I accepted it without complaint, despite the fact that he had merely grunted at my reprimand earlier. I munched slowly as people talked around me, my thoughts occupied. Noah was as quiet as I was, but at least he didn’t look as bored as he had the day before. When the bell rang, they walked with me to art class, and I froze before my easel, something niggling at me. Yesterday I had rolled up my last painting and put it in my bag, but I hadn’t seen it since. I pulled my bag into my lap and searched it just in case, but it was really gone. Frowning, I grabbed a pencil and started to scribble. I didn’t pay attention to what I was drawing, as my mind was simply too caught up on other things, but when I smelled the blend of wooded citrus and something airy that was unique to Quillan, I tensed and pulled back. I had drawn the stairs to my house, leading to the bedrooms on the second landing, except that these stairs were twisted with frightening shadows, the balustrades curved with menacing intent. The base of the stairs was littered with money, colourless outlines scattered into haphazard piles of coins and scrunched-up notes. At the top stood a shadowy figure, broad shoulders hunched.
    As Quillan looked on from behind me I reached up and tore away the paper. I started again and he walked away silently.
    My last class for the day was music and I was hunched over the piano bench, pressing keys idly as Mrs. Reynolds tried to decide which group to put Cabe and Noah in, since they had only just transferred to the class and we had already paired off for our projects. I wasn’t surprised when they came over to my piano. I was the only one without a partner. Mrs. Reynolds had given me the option of being in a group of three or being by myself. No doubt, Cabe had used his silver-tongued charm on her to reverse my decision.
    “Do you play?” Cabe asked, sitting on the stool beside me.
    “Nope,” I said, pressing a few more keys.
    He laughed. “You picked the wrong instrument then. What do you play?”
    “Nothing,” I admitted. “I just like the