My palms instinctively covered my ears and I ducked slightly.įire alarm, Ms. His eyebrows drew together behind his black-rimmed glasses in a puzzled expression.Ī thunderous siren erupted from the overhead speakers. Kota twisted in his chair again, facing me for longer this time. What choice did I have, but to check if one of them sent me a text? Maybe Kota would let Victor know he shouldn’t do that during school unless it was an emergency. It was Victor’s fault anyway for texting during class time about something so trivial. Kota’s head bent down and, from the angle, I could tell he was checking my phone. I crossed my fingers the boys wouldn’t get into trouble for fooling around. Johnson was sitting at her desk, hunched over a collection of paperwork, making notes. I slowly raised my eyes to check on the teacher. When it came to the boys, there was little I could get away with. His eyes were intent on my phone tucked between Kota’s hands. I glanced over to find a smug Gabriel, half leaning over his desk. How’d he know?Ī motion in my peripheral vision caught my attention. Kota didn’t approve of using a phone in class and was trying to prevent my getting into trouble. Kota snagged the phone from me before I could get it under the desk. I jumped, startled that he’d noticed, and tried to tuck my phone in my lap. Kota shifted in front of me, twisting in his chair. My fingers hovered over the illuminated keyboard. Victor: Isn’t your birthday this week? What do you want for your birthday? I slipped the phone out of the cup of my bra and used Kota’s back as a shield just in case I drew attention from Ms. They wouldn’t send a text during class unless it was an emergency. I didn’t like having my phone out in class, but the only people who had my number were Academy guys. I wasn’t sure what Luke was doing behind me, but since he wasn’t messing with my hair and he hadn’t nudged me in a while, he must actually have been reading, or maybe he was wrapped up in another daydream. I was afraid to glance at Gabriel in case I was going to distract him.

Kota was bent over his desk in front of me and didn’t appear to notice. My head shot up from the English textbook we were supposed to be reading. Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental.

Drop of Doubt by C.L. Stone