Intrinsical - Lani Woodland [82]
Chapter 14
The next day, students were slushing through the melting snow, trying to make the most of it. Brent was watching the crowd carefully. I followed his gaze and found my eyes resting on Thomas, in Brent’s body, playing ball with Brent’s friends.
“So how does he go from piloting your body to controlling the mist? He was in the mist fighting when it attacked.”
“I’m guessing he has to leave his . . . my body to do it.”
I bounced on the tips of my toes. “That means the next time it attacks, you should search for your body while I—”
“Not going to happen,” Brent said through gritted teeth. “I’m not risking you to help myself.”
“But I . . .” I let my sentence trail off when I caught the fury in Brent’s eyes. “Okay. Okay. It was just an idea.”
“I don’t ever want you to take a chance like that.” Brent seethed, still watching Thomas, who winked in our direction tossing a football to Travis. For the briefest of moments, Thomas’s green eyes flashed inside Brent’s brown ones.
“Was that wink meant for us?” I asked Brent, who was eyeing Thomas carefully.
“Yes,” Brent said as he folded his arms. Finally he turned and looked back at me. “How can everyone think he’s me?”
“Maybe because he is literally inside your body?”
Brent looked at me, exasperated. “Obviously there is that. But that’s not what I mean.”
“What is it?”
Brent dismissed the conversation with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t matter.” Brent studied Thomas with disgust. “All of those girls are around, some of my buddies are with him. Can’t they tell it isn’t me?”
“They probably know something’s up. The girls just think you’re cute,” I said, ignoring the pleasure in his eyes. “And they’re still getting to know you; most of them didn’t really know you before you died.”
“I thought you knew me,” he admitted. “Turns out you didn’t. You thought he was me.”
“I didn’t,” I lied, examining my nails.
Brent gave me a knowing look. “You almost kissed him.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” My cheeks burned.
“I just thought . . .” Brent trailed off, his eyes looking hurt. “He isn’t anything like me. I guess that’s why he picked the fight with Steve; Steve would know. I mean, I would never act so cocky.”
I struggled to hold back a laugh. “Yes . . . you are so different that way.” The floodgates of my laughter burst open and I giggled uncontrollably for a full minute.
Brent cleared his throat and glared at me. “Are you quite done?” My laughter dried up immediately. “I can be a bit cocky, but mine is good-natured.” Brent peeked at me from the corner of his eyes, making sure I agreed with him.
“Okay, I’m actually willing to admit that. You aren’t mean-spirited.”
Brent flashed me a sincere smile. “My cockiness is charming, endearing . . .”
I nodded piously. “As is your humility.”
The snow was all melted now, leaving only muddy ground behind. Classes were about to start and my one-time peers were migrating to where they needed to be. I sat down on a stone bench, leaned back on my hands, and tilted my head toward the sun.
Brent sat next to me and I felt his eyes on me. “What?”
“You said that you were ashamed of your Waker abilities because you wanted to be normal, but what’s so great about being normal?”
I closed my eyes seeing the red of the sun through my eyelids. “You, being normal, wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, so I’m normal? I can astral project and move things with my mind. Does that sound normal?” It was impossible to miss the sarcasm in Brent’s voice.
“Well . . . no, but your stuff is cool.”
“Your stuff is awesome. I think it would be great to talk to ghosts.”
“Well, you’re currently talking to a ghost and I’m here with you for all eternity, so feel free to talk away.”
Brent laughed, the melodious sound of it brought a smile to my lips as big as I used to get when I heard the ice cream truck.
“Seeing dead people