Pure: Ignis Part 12

He gave me a sudden hopeful look. "She hasn't sent you a text, has she?"

I pulled out my phone just to double check. "No." I looked back up at him. "Maybe she's inside."

Branden shook his head. "She said to meet out here-she wouldn't forget. And she always calls me when she's going to be out sick."

He glanced around the schoolyard anxiously, and then looked back at me. "Charisse told me she was going to meet up with you yesterday after school. How did she seem then? Was she okay?"

I thought back to the look on Charisse's face as she had driven away yesterday-she had clearly been angry. She'd been very upset, both with me and with her situation at home. I wondered for a moment if she could have run off-Charisse, I knew, could be impulsive.

I glanced at Branden. No matter how angry Charisse might be with her mother or with me, I knew she wouldn't take off without telling Branden-if anything, the two of them were likely to run off together.

"Charisse was pretty angry with me," I admitted. "She wanted me to see the guy her mom is dating."

Branden looked at me sharply. "Did you see him?"

"Yes," I said. "We did see him. Charisse was acting a little weird, actually. She got me to help her spy on him through the kitchen window. Then he came out and talked to us."

Branden made a face. "That Joshua guy's a creep."

"I don't know," I said. "He didn't seem so bad."

"He's a creep," Branden said firmly.

"That's what Charisse thinks, too. We ran off after Joshua came out to talk to us, and Charisse was furious that I didn't quite feel the same way about Joshua that she did."

"But that's all that happened," Branden asked anxiously. "Nothing else happened with the creepy guy?"

"No-Charisse just drove me home."

Branden looked relieved. "The guy was probably gone then, when she got back. He doesn't stick around much when she's home."

"So, you don't like Joshua, either?" I asked.

"I think I've made my feelings pretty clear," Branden replied. "I believe I've used the word 'creepy' quite a few times."

"Creepy, you say?" Another voice broke in on our conversation. I turned to see Simon standing behind us.

He turned to me. "I a.s.sume you're talking about your dinner with what's-his-name last night?"

"You know his name is William," I said to Simon. "And dinner went pretty well."

Branden shook his head. "I don't know, Katie. I don't like William, either. He's not quite as bad as Joshua, but I'd say he's the same type."

I turned on Branden. "Why? What has William done to you? What has Joshua done to you for that matter?"

"Joshua has freaked out Charisse pretty badly," Branden said. "That's a big deal to me. And William gives Charisse, Simon here, and me all a bad feeling. We can't all be wrong."

"Well, you are all wrong," I said. "And having a bad feeling isn't enough to condemn someone."

Branden shrugged. "All I can tell you is what I think."

Simon reached for my arm. "Let's go inside, Katie. We can talk there."

"I'll stay out here," Branden said.

"We'll tell Charisse you're out here if we see her," I said as Simon steered me toward the school.

"She's not in the cafeteria," Branden called after us.

Simon and I went inside and headed toward the cafeteria. I noticed that Simon was looking pretty grim. I had a feeling we were in for a difficult conversation.

We reached the cafeteria and stood in the doorway, as Simon surveyed the room. Most people were concentrated on the side of the cafeteria that was closest to the kitchen, leaving the other side largely empty. Simon led me to a round table on the less-crowded side, and we sat down.

There was no one near us, but I couldn't help but notice that Irina, who was sitting on the crowded side of the cafeteria with her friend Bryony, was watching us intently. Even from across the room, I could see anger in her dark eyes.

I looked around for Charisse. Branden was right-she wasn't in the cafeteria.

"So, this dinner last night," Simon began.

I turned back toward Simon, but I didn't quite look at him. Instead, I focused my attention on his backpack, which sat on the table by his elbow. I wasn't really in the mood for an interrogation this early in the morning-especially not when the person I really wanted to see was William.

"What really happened?" Simon asked.

I did look at him then.

I was struck by the realization that a few short months ago, Simon had been the person I had most wanted to see. I had always found his presence to be soothing.

Now, we were still friends, but Simon's presence could sometimes be exhausting. The person who really gave me a sense of peace was William-even when he didn't say anything-even when things were bad. And William did all of that just by being near me.

Simon leaned forward. "Katie, you aren't listening. I've asked you the same question about three times now."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Simon gave me a searching look. "I'm trying to get you to tell me what really happened at that dinner last night. Why are you avoiding my questions?"

"The dinner went well," I said simply.

I could hardly tell him that GM didn't entirely trust William, in large part because he reminded her of my father. Nor could I tell him that she believed my father had been chasing imaginary monsters and had gotten himself killed as a result. I had tried to confide in Simon about supernatural things before-and to his credit he had tried to be open-minded. But ultimately, Simon couldn't believe in the things I had seen and experienced, and he could never understand who William was or why I had such trust in him.

Simon couldn't know that his suspicions were unfounded.

Simon sighed heavily. "The dinner can't possibly have gone well."

"It did."

Simon gave me a level stare. "You're telling me that your grandmother likes this drifter without any doubts or misgivings, and that nothing he said or did during dinner gave her pause?"

"Simon-"

"Just answer the question, Katie."

"GM is letting me see him."

"That's not what I asked."

I looked away.

"Katie?" Simon prompted.

I looked back at him. "GM is not one hundred percent sure of him."

"Thank you for admitting that."

"But it's not for the reasons that you think. She doesn't think he's a 'drifter'."

"Then what are her reasons?"

Simon continued to look at me steadily, and I found I didn't know how to answer him.

"She thinks-"

I stopped.

"Yes?" Simon said.

I shook my head. "Simon, any concerns GM has don't matter. What matters is that she's letting me see William. If she really mistrusted him, she wouldn't do that."

"Unless she was afraid you'd see him behind her back. This way she gets to keep an eye on you."

I shot Simon an angry glance-I really resented his tone. And yet, I had been seeing William without GM's knowledge.

Even so, GM had had nothing to worry about.

"Why are you so sure William's a terrible person?" I demanded. "Why are you so sure that GM dislikes him?

Simon ignored my questions, and he countered with one of his own.

"I asked this before, but you still haven't actually answered it. What really happened last night?"

I sighed in exasperation. "William brought sparkling apple juice. We had orecchiette. William left. That's what happened."

"He didn't try to get you to follow him out to his shack in the woods?"

"No," I said firmly.

It was funny how little Simon understood about William. He had been unwilling to let me know where his house was-let alone try to lure me to it.

It was Simon's turn to look angry. "Well, it may interest you to know what your friend was up to last night after he left you."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Another girl was attacked last night, like Annamaria was-her neck and shoulder torn up and b.l.o.o.d.y. She's in the hospital now, but she'll be all right."

A ripple of shock ran through me. "Who was it?"

"I don't know the girl's name," Simon said. "She's from another school district. Travis Ballenski told me. His dad's a-"

"A cop," I said. "I know."

"The police found her wandering around in the Old Grove. They also found your friend what's-his-name nearby. Apparently, he was having an argument with two other men-probably they're all in this together."

"Two other men?" I asked sharply. That had to mean Anton and Innokenti. "Do you happen to know what they looked like?"

"No," Simon said, "they took off when they saw the cops. Your friend stuck around and answered some questions."

"So William cooperated with the police," I said. "Just like any innocent person would."

Simon rubbed a hand over his hair. "Katie, you're impossible. This William guy is found at the scene of an attack, and you make excuses for him."

"I haven't made any excuses," I protested. "Innocent people cooperate. William cooperated."

"Unless he's just that bold," Simon said. "Killers have bluffed their way out of trouble before."

"No one has died," I said. "And William's not guilty. If anything, he probably tried to help the girl."

I stopped abruptly, realizing that that was probably exactly what had happened. Anton or Innokenti had attacked the girl. William had shown up just in time.

"Amazing," Simon said. "Absolutely amazing. The way you can just twist facts around until they mean what you want them to mean."

"I haven't twisted anything," I said. "I know William, and you don't."

Simon stood up. "Fine. I give up. But watch yourself. Be very careful. I really care about you, Katie, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

He picked up his backpack. "I've got to get to homeroom."

I watched as Simon walked out of the cafeteria. A moment later, the warning bell rang, and I rose also. As I made my way out with the rest of the students, I felt someone plucking on my sleeve.

I turned to see Bryony walking beside me.

She tucked a lock of light brown hair behind her ear, and smiled at me shyly.

"Hi, Katie."

"Hi."

"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, "but I have something to tell you. My grandmother told me it was important."

"You're not bothering me, Bryony."