I thought Ethan was still sleeping when I got dressed, but as I pulled my shirt over my head he said, “You slept with that on?”
I jumped and tugged my shirt into place. Ethan sat up in bed, staring at me, waiting for an answer. “I guess I forgot to take it off last night.”
“You didn’t shower with it on, did you?”
I shrugged. “Kind of. Why?”
“It’s weird. You have no idea where it came from, yet you’re hanging on to it, keeping it close to you at all times.”
I knew it was weird, but I felt different with the necklace on. I felt more alive. More like Jekyll and less like Hyde. “Look.” I sat down on the bed and took his hands in mind. “I don’t have the ring you gave me, and ever since I found the duplicate in that wooden box under the sink, I can’t stop thinking about it. This necklace,” I reached up and touched it, “reminds me of that ring. It reminds me of you.”
As I said it, I realized how true it was. I felt stronger with the necklace on because I felt like I had Ethan with me at all times. It was crazy because the necklace wasn’t even from Ethan, but that was how I felt—rational or not. Right now, I needed strength to fight whatever it was that was wrong with me.
Ethan touched my cheek. “Why do you need a necklace to remind you of me when you have me? In the flesh.” He kissed me softly.
I stared into his eyes, wishing I could tell him everything. Spill my guts and let him know why I was acting so strange. But I couldn’t break his heart like that.
“Yesterday was…tough. Nothing’s the same. I don’t have any friends here. I’m pretending to be someone I’m not.” I stopped when I saw the hurt expression on his face. “I’m glad I’m back. I’m glad I have a second chance with you, and I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done to make sure we can have this life together. Things are great when we’re together.” I looked down, watching the sunlight reflect off the ruby. “But you can’t always be with me.”
Ethan sighed and nodded. “Okay. If it means that much to you, then wear it.” He lifted my chin so I was staring him in the eyes. “But we’re going to that storage facility tomorrow morning. We’ll get your ring, and then you can find the real owner of that necklace and give it back.”
I smiled. “Deal.”
“And as for making friends, we haven’t even had one full day of school yet. Give yourself time. Besides, I think you and Beth kind of hit it off yesterday at lunch.”
Beth. She was the one who’d figured out what happened with the alarm and the lockdown. She seemed nice enough, but if she could piece together yesterday’s incident that quickly, she wasn’t someone I wanted to get too close to.
Day two of school was almost as bad as day one. I didn’t kill anyone, so I considered that a vast improvement, but no one seemed to want to talk to me. I found out why pretty quickly. Shannon Tilby. Looking at her, I never would’ve thought she’d be the popular type. She was a bitch with a capital B, but that’s where her source of power came from. Everyone was afraid of her. So whatever she said, went.
Thanks to Mr. Ryan and me, the principal reduced Shannon’s punishment to a week’s worth of detention, but she was still out to get me. She started a rumor that I was after Mr. Ryan. Yuck. He was cute for a teacher, but that was just it. He was a teacher, and he was like thirty-two or something. Ancient. He was the kind of teacher you liked because he wasn’t all wrinkly and didn’t smell like old cheese. But of course all the girls believed Shannon, and that meant lots of angry looks and mumbled insults in class and the hallways.
Even Mr. Ryan seemed strange around me, and I couldn’t help wondering if the rumor had gotten back to him. If that were the case, he’d probably avoid me out of fear of losing his job. There went my one ally. And worse yet, Shannon was in my class. Apparently she really had been in the girls’ bathroom—the excuse I’d used—when the announcement was made. That was the only reason why she’d been in Mr. Ryan’s second period. How I hadn’t noticed her in my class yesterday, I didn’t know.
After English, I went straight to the guidance office to beg Mrs. Melrose to change my schedule. She refused to switch my English lit class, so I focused on French.
“Please, I can’t take French this year. I was doing terribly in it at my old school, and if I fail, my parents will kill me.” That sounded normal enough.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Smith, but according to your records, you were maintaining a C average in French. That’s hardly failing. I see no immediate reason to change your schedule.”
“I cheated,” I blurted out in a fit of desperation. “At my old school. I copied off the girl who sat in front of me. I thought she was a straight A student, but it turned out she didn’t do as well in French. See, I didn’t even cheat well. I’ll flunk on my own.”
Mrs. Melrose shook her head. “Do you realize you just admitted to cheating?”
I nodded and lowered my head. “I feel awful about it, which is why I’m telling you. Please.” I leaned forward, placing both hands on her desk and putting my sad, pleading eyes right in her face. “Isn’t there an opening in any other class that period? Sculpture maybe?” Ethan’s class.
Mrs. Melrose sighed and shook her head again, but she typed something into her computer. “There’s one spot open.”
“Oh, thank you!” I practically jumped up and down I was so relieved.
“But Sculpture is an honors art elective. According to your records, you’ve never taken an honors course. You may be worse off than if you stayed in French.”
“I’ll work really hard. I’m interested in art, and I know a few students who take it. I’m sure I could get one of them to tutor me if I need it.” I wasn’t sure why Mrs. Melrose was so worried. How tough could Sculpture be, even if it was honors? Ethan was pulling it off.
“You’ll need both the teacher’s signature and a parent signature on this form to okay the schedule change.” She handed me a form.
“Done.” I smiled back at her. Forging a signature would be no problem.
“You may report to Sculpture & Design for the remainder of the period, but I need this form signed and returned to me on Monday, or you’ll be back in French. Understood?”
“Understood. Thank you.” I took my permission form and ran out of the office before Mrs. Melrose could change her mind. Sculpture & Design was on the first floor, around the corner from the cafeteria. I had planned to meet Ethan at lunch since French was on the other side of the building from the cafeteria, and I wanted to go to my locker in between periods. I decided to go to my locker now. After yesterday’s glimpse at the food selection in this place, I’d bagged my lunch—a turkey and cheese sandwich Ethan had made me at the diner last night.
I took the back staircase. I still couldn’t go near the other one. Everyone was talking about the break-in. The guy hadn’t been identified yet. I wasn’t surprised. His ID was at the cottage in my jeans, not that he looked anything like his school picture anymore.
I tried to force the thought from my mind. I had to focus on being normal. Instinctively, my hand went to the necklace. I held it as I opened my locker. I slipped my copy of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde inside and grabbed my lunch. When I pulled it out, I saw there was a yellow Post-it note stuck to it.
The necklace suits you. Wear it always.
I looked around the hall as if I expected to find someone watching me, waiting for me to get the note. But I was alone. The necklace wasn’t left in my locker by mistake. Someone had given it to me. Someone who had seen me wearing it today. Was it a student from English class? Or was it someone who had a locker near mine? Either way, Ethan wasn’t going to like this. At all.