At any moment, Dad could've told me that the dead boy in the woods wasn't Spencer. He didn't even have to tell me the student's name, just that my friend was still alive.
I am royally pissed off about that.
“You should check in with the headmaster,” Church continues, leaning his shoulder against the wall. If I didn't think the guy was like, one of the undead or something, I might actually think he was tired. It's the little tells, you know, like the small crease between his brows or the slump of his shoulders. “We'll all walk back together.” Church stands up and grabs my jacket from the hook near the door, offering it up to me.
I stand up and stumble a little, my legs still shaky, and end up falling against him. Damn, does he smell good. That signature lilac and rosemary scent of his makes my body tingle, but I blame it on the fact that Spencer and I just had sex.
We had sex.
Holy hell, we had sex … I glance back to find him watching me as Church helps me into my jacket. Spencer stands up, and we all turn to stare at him, like he's a ghost come back to life or something.
“Would you all stop looking at me like that?” he asks, laughing slightly.
Ranger looks him dead in the face.
“No. We're all gonna be up your ass for the rest of the year. Get used to it.”
He turns and leads the way from the room, Church and Ross right behind him. The twins are last, waiting while Spencer pulls on his hoodie.
“Let’s do this,” he says, exhaling sharply, gaze still firmly locked on mine. “Let’s tell the headmaster that this asshole is back from the dead.”There's no reason for Dad to know that I snuck back to the dorms, so I switch into a pair of clean pajamas before I go in to wake him up. He comes to, bleary-eyed but unshakably calm, as usual.
Spencer is leaning against the wall in the hallway, one foot propped up. He stands up straight when Dad comes out in his robe and slippers, squinting at him.
“Spencer Hargrove,” he says with a small nod. “You had your friends worried sick about you.” Dad casts me a look, wearing a baggie hoodie and sweats, my hair all mussed-up, glasses askew. For whatever reason, I don't want him to know that Spencer knows, not yet.
Please don't let him look at me and know that I slept with Spencer, I think, but of course I'm being a crazy person. There's no tattoo on my face that says non-virgin person. But then I remember how glaringly obvious it was that Monica and Cody were fucking behind my back. It's the little tells, right?
“I'm sorry, sir,” Spencer says, lifting those gorgeous turquoise eyes of his to my dad's face. “My parents knew where I was, so I didn't—”
“You're not in trouble,” my dad says, waving his hand dismissively. The anger in me rises a little higher as I realize that he wasn't at all worried about Spencer. He knew he was alive and okay. He knew it, and he didn't tell me.
Church knows, too. I can tell by the way his amber eyes narrow slightly, and his mouth turns down at the corners.
“You should all get back to bed and get rested up for the week. Class starts promptly on Monday morning.”
“No days of mourning for the dead student, huh?” I ask, knowing I'm getting an attitude here and not caring. I'm furious. “Someone was murdered on campus, and it's just back to your regularly scheduled programming,” I grumble, imitating my dad's voice.
“Chuck, not right now. It's four in the morning. Go back to bed, and next time, please come ask me before you let a large group of students into the house in the middle of the night.” Dad turns back to the Student Council, but I can see from their expressions that … they're on my side?
The way they look at him, with a varying mix of anger, frustration, and pity makes me feel good inside. It's like I have my own crew now, bullies turned besties or something like that. “I'll call Nathan and have him escort you boys back to the dormitory.”
“Sir, if I may,” Church begins, smoothing his palms down his lapels, “but in times like this, solidarity amongst the students, as well as a show of strength from the administration might be necessary. Perhaps assigning Chuck as Spencer's roommate would solve both the issue of them being alone in the dorms, as well as putting forth a display of confidence in this academy?”
“It's too early for this,” Dad grumbles, putting his fingers to his forehead. “Chuck's not going anywhere tonight. I'm sorry, boys.” He moves between them, dialing up Nathan on his phone as he heads down the stairs, more than likely expecting the Student Council to follow him.
