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Mia scandal and, petty or not, seeing my name cleared and getting revenge on her felt amazingly good. And as those in our group wandered off and mingled with others, I could see the news spreading and spreading. So much for waiting until Monday. Whatever. I didn't care. I was actually having a good time. I fell into my old role, happy to see I hadn't grown too dusty in making funny and flirty remarks. Yet, as time passed and Eddie's party grew closer, I started to feel Lissa's anxiety pick up in intensity. Frowning, I stopped talking and turned around, scanning the room for her. There. She was still with a group of people, still the sun in her little solar system. But Aaron was leaning very close to her, saying something in her ear. A smile I recognized as fake was plastered across her face, and the annoyance and anxiety from her increased further. Then it spiked. Mia had walked up to them. Whatever she'd come to say, she didn't waste any time in saying it. With the eyes of Lissa's admirers on her, little Mia in her red dress gestured wildly, mouth working animatedly. I couldn't hear the words from across the room, but the feelings grew darker and darker through the bond. "I've got to go," I told Mason. I half walked, half ran over to Lissa's side, catching only the tail end of Mia's tirade. She was yelling at Lissa full force now and leaning into her face. From what I could tell, word must have reached her about Jesse and Ralf selling her out. "—you and your slutty friend! I'm going to tell everyone what a psycho you are and how they had to lock you in the clinic because you're so crazy. They're putting you on medication. That's why you and Rose left before anyone else could find out you cut—” Whoa, not good. Just like at our first meeting in the cafeteria, I grabbed her and jerked her away. "Hey," I said. "Slutty friend here. Remember what I said about standing too close to her?” Mia snarled, baring her fangs. As I'd noted before, I couldn't feel too sorry for her anymore. She was dangerous.
She had stooped low to get back at me. Now, somehow, she knew about Lissa and the cutting. Really knew, too; she wasn't just guessing. The information she had now sounded both like what the guardians on the scene had reported, as well as what I'd told them about Lissa's history. Maybe some confidential doctor's stuff too. Mia'd snagged the records somehow. Lissa realized it too, and the look on her face—scared and fragile, no more princess—made my decision for me. It didn't matter that Kirova had spoken the other day about giving me my freedom, that I'd been having a good time, and that I could have let my worries go and partied tonight. I was going to ruin everything, right here and right now. I'm really not good with impulse control. I punched Mia as hard as I could—harder, I think, than I'd even hit Jesse. I heard a crunch as my fist impacted her nose, and blood spurted out. Someone screamed. Mia shrieked and flew backwards into some squealing girls who didn't want to get blood on their dresses. I swooped in after her, getting in one more good punch before somebody peeled me off her. I didn't fight restraint as I had when they'd taken me from Mr. Nagy's classroom. I'd expected this as soon as I'd swung at her. Stopping all signs of resistance, I let two guardians lead me out of the dance while Ms. Kirova tried to bring some semblance of order. I didn't care what they did to me. Not anymore. Punish or expel. Whatever. I could handle— Ahead of us, through the ebbing and flowing waves of students passing through the double doors, I saw a figure in pink dart out. Lissa. My own out-of-control emotions had overridden hers, but there they were, flooding back into me. Devastation. Despair. Everyone knew her secret now. She'd face more than just idle speculation. Pieces would fall together. She couldn't handle that. Knowing I wasn't going anywhere, I frantically searched for some way to help her. A dark figure caught my eye. "Christian!" I yelled. He'd been staring at Lissa's retreating figure but glanced up at the sound of his name. One of my escorts shushed me and took my arm. "Be quiet.” I ignored her. "Go after her," I called to Christian. "Hurry.”
- Page 168 and 169: Sixteen THE NEXT DAY, IT FULLY hit
- Page 170 and 171: That gave me an idea. "Is it possib
- Page 172 and 173: "You don't think it does? Do you kn
- Page 174 and 175: "Come on, Rose. This is the way it
- Page 176 and 177: "Thanks for the books." He didn't s
- Page 178 and 179: He shook his head. "The guardians w
- Page 180 and 181: Seventeen A FEW DAYS LATER, LISSA f
- Page 182 and 183: "Hey, do you guys—oh my God!" she
- Page 184 and 185: I turned back to Dimitri. "She's su
- Page 186 and 187: I'd never met anyone else who took
- Page 188 and 189: "You've got three thermal shirts an
- Page 190 and 191: "I hate him," she said. Her voice w
- Page 192 and 193: "Even if I was crazy?” "No," I sa
- Page 194 and 195: "Without your clothes?" She handed
- Page 196 and 197: He moved forward to stop me. "Be ca
- Page 198 and 199: "How'd you manage to buy this? I sa
- Page 200 and 201: And just like that, a million thoug
- Page 202 and 203: He stared stonily ahead. "It was pr
- Page 204 and 205: Lissa pushed herself into Christian
- Page 206 and 207: I'd forced my way into her head, an
- Page 208 and 209: "Did you tell them about the 'other
- Page 210 and 211: desperate and depressed one from th
- Page 212 and 213: Fifteen minutes later, we cut acros
- Page 214 and 215: Mason gave Jesse a sharp poke in th
- Page 216 and 217: Twenty MY MOUTH DROPPED OPEN. "Uh
- Page 220 and 221: He just sat there, and I suppressed
- Page 222 and 223: him, urging me closer. An instinct
- Page 224 and 225: Twenty-One I'D NEVER BEEN COMPLETEL
- Page 226 and 227: stomach went queasy while my skin s
- Page 228 and 229: "She's right,” mumbled Christian,
- Page 230 and 231: Farther and farther off the main ro
- Page 232 and 233: Twenty-Two "HEAL YOU?” Heal him ?
- Page 234 and 235: about spirit users and specializing
- Page 236 and 237: A calm core of confidence settled i
- Page 238 and 239: Lissa summoned up all of those thin
- Page 240 and 241: "What's it look like? I'm a stowawa
- Page 242 and 243: Sure enough, they turned on me, tee
- Page 244 and 245: No glowing or fireworks surrounded
- Page 246 and 247: "They should fire me. What I did wa
- Page 248 and 249: I crossed my arms, trying to put on
- Page 250 and 251: Odd sounds came from the detention
- Page 252 and 253: "Do you?" I hoped I could stall her
- Page 254 and 255: Still holding me in his arms, he lo
- Page 256 and 257: for what had happened to Christian'
- Page 258 and 259: Then, out of nowhere, a thought sma
Mia scandal and, petty or not, seeing my name cleared and getting revenge on her felt<br />
amazingly good. And as those in our group wandered off and mingled with others, I could see<br />
the news spreading and spreading. So much for waiting until Monday.<br />
Whatever. I didn't care. I was actually having a good time. I fell into my old role, happy to see I<br />
hadn't grown too dusty in making funny and flirty remarks. Yet, as time passed and Eddie's<br />
party grew closer, I started to feel Lissa's anxiety pick up in intensity. Frowning, I stopped<br />
talking and turned around, scanning the room for her.<br />
There. She was still with a group of people, still the sun in her little solar system. But Aaron<br />
was leaning very close to her, saying something in her ear. A smile I recognized as fake was<br />
plastered across her face, and the annoyance and anxiety from her increased further.<br />
Then it spiked. Mia had walked up to them.<br />
Whatever she'd come to say, she didn't waste any time in saying it. With the eyes of Lissa's<br />
admirers on her, little Mia in her red dress gestured wildly, mouth working animatedly. I<br />
couldn't hear the words from across the room, but the feelings grew darker and darker through<br />
the bond.<br />
"I've got to go," I told Mason.<br />
I half walked, half ran over to Lissa's side, catching only the tail end of Mia's tirade. She was<br />
yelling at Lissa full force now and leaning into her face. From what I could tell, word must<br />
have reached her about Jesse and Ralf selling her out.<br />
"—you and your slutty friend! I'm going to tell everyone what a psycho you are and how they<br />
had to lock you in the clinic because you're so crazy. They're putting you on medication. That's<br />
why you and Rose left before anyone else could find out you cut—”<br />
Whoa, not good. Just like at our first meeting in the cafeteria, I grabbed her and jerked her<br />
away.<br />
"Hey," I said. "Slutty friend here. Remember what I said about standing too close to her?”<br />
Mia snarled, baring her fangs. As I'd noted before, I couldn't feel too sorry for her anymore. She<br />
was dangerous.