Chapter 204
HANNAH
A lot more of the faces of students in Chase's year were now familiar to me. I waved and smiled at some of them standing around in groups, talking and waiting for the first bell indicating the start of classes to ring. They waved and smiled back.
"Who are they?" Willa asked from beside me.
"Camping trip," I replied.
She gave a little nod of understanding. "Oh."
The camping trip had been a huge success. Apart from that first night with the wolf scare and the ensuing nightmare, everything had gone well.
Like Cade had said with the sample collection done every night, the rest of the time was dedicated to having fun, hiking and exploring the mountains.
Even better the dean along with some teachers had come along the next evening to check on the student's work. Seeing me with the others, collecting samples, had been enough for him to strike off my punishment.
"I think you've had about enough," he had said gruffly.
"I think so too, sir," I had replied, trying not to smile when I saw Chase grinning at me over his shoulder.
"You're relieved from further punishment," the dean had said, peering at me closely from behind his glasses. "But make sure what happened to get you punished in the first place doesn't repeat itself, Ms Baker."
I said it wouldn't. And here I was, punishment-free, feeling much better for breathing the clean, bracing mountain air for days.
"I'll join you later," Willa said as we got close to our class. "There's something I have to do before class starts."
I started to ask her what but she was already moving away in the opposite direction.
"Don't stay too long," I called after her. "Class starts in a few minutes."
She didn't look back but raised a hand to show that she had heard me.
Willa didn't come to class that morning. I spent half the period constantly glancing at her empty seat. As soon as the bell signalling the end of the first period was over, I was out of my seat. I was first out the door.
The corridor was empty. Students had not begun leaving their classrooms yet. Where was she?
I hurried to her locker but she wasn't there either. Maybe she had gone to our next class, a practical session at the lab. I was turning away from her locker when I saw her coming.
She wasn't alone. Beside her, his arm linked with hers was Devin. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket with matching boots.
At the sight of him, my mood took a nosedive immediately.
Couldn't Willa see the way he was strutting around like a damned peacock, obviously drinking up the attention he was getting from the girls, most of which had stopped whatever they were doing, to watch him pass?
"I didn't see you in class," I said to Willa, keeping my eyes fixed on her and completely ignoring Devin who was smiling at me.
Willa flapped the hand not clinging to Devin's around like it didn't matter.
"I was busy," she said.
Busy with Devin, I guessed. Had they both been hiding in a corner, smooching? I wished I had been there to plant a fist in Devin's face if that was what had happened.
"I'll get the notes from you later," Willa continued.
I made a non-committal sound.
"How about we go to the next class so you'll get started on the notes?" I suggested, still pointedly ignoring Devin who had begun to move a little impatiently now.
Maybe he was getting irritated that I wasn't falling at his feet like other girls would. Good. At least that would take his ego down a few notches.
"Later," Willa said again. In a low hesitant voice, she went on. "I wanted to tell you something."
"So tell me," I said sharply, letting her know by my tone that Devin's presence was not appreciated.
"Devin and I..." She looked up at Devin and that sickly sweet sappy smile I kept seeing on her face lately reappeared. "We're officially a couple. He asked me out. I said yes."
I blinked, surprised that things had progressed so quickly.
Was it Devin's game? I wondered. He had to have one.
"I knew Willa was for me from the moment I set my eyes on her," Devin said speaking for the first time.
Slowly, reluctantly, I looked at him.
"Is that right?" I said.
"It is," Devin said and I seemed to sense a challenge in his eyes. "I think for the first time, in my life, I could actually be in love. In fact, I'm almost sure."
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him what the hell a pompous ass like him knew about love.
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