Behind the Dextros Gates

Chapter 7: The Things We Don't Say

Tasha

"Tasha."

She kept writing.

"Tasha."

The pencil stopped.

"What?"

Maya leaned across the desk and pointed at her notebook.

"You've been staring at the same question for five minutes."

Tasha looked down.

The page was almost completely blank.

"I was thinking."

"You were sleeping with your eyes open."

"I don't sleep with my eyes open."

Maya raised an eyebrow.

Tasha sighed and looked back at the question.

It was supposed to be an easy assignment.

It wasn't.

Not because the work was difficult.

Her mind simply wouldn't stay where she put it.

Every time she tried to concentrate, she remembered the silver token.

She had taken it out of her bag twice that morning.

Both times, she'd turned it over in her fingers and found nothing.

No initials.

No hidden message.

Just the wolf.

"Tasha."

"What?"

Maya lowered her voice.

"You're thinking about it again."

Tasha glanced at her.

"The note?"

Maya nodded.

Tasha looked around the classroom.

Students were talking quietly while they waited for the teacher.

"I don't know who left it."

"That's the point."

"I know."

"And you're still carrying the token around?"

Tasha touched the side pocket of her bag.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Tasha paused.

"I don't know."

That answer seemed to satisfy Maya less than anything else could have.

Before she could say more, the classroom door opened.

Their teacher walked in.

"Good morning, everyone."

Chairs scraped against the floor.

Maya turned forward.

Tasha opened her notebook.

She tried again.

This time, she managed to finish the first question.

---

By lunch, Tasha had almost forgotten about the token.

Almost.

She and Maya sat beneath one of the large trees near the courtyard.

Maya was halfway through complaining about their mathematics teacher when Tasha's phone buzzed.

She looked down.

Michael.

Her mouth curved before she even opened the message.

> How's my favorite scholar?

Tasha smiled.

> Tired.

His reply came almost immediately.

> Already?

> Dextros is trying to kill me.

> Should I come rescue you?

She laughed.

> You'd get lost.

> Worth it.

Tasha shook her head.

Maya watched her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring."

"I'm observing."

"That's creepy."

Maya grinned.

Tasha looked back at her phone.

Another message appeared.

> I'll see you later?

Her fingers paused over the screen.

She typed:

> Of course.

She put the phone away.

Maya rested her chin on her hand.

"He makes you happy."

Tasha looked at her.

"Yeah."

There was no hesitation in her answer.

Maya smiled.

"Good."

Tasha looked across the courtyard.

Students were everywhere.

Talking.

Laughing.

Running between buildings.

Then she noticed a familiar group coming down the steps.

Black uniforms.

Black ties.

The Black Fangs.

And in the middle of them—

James.

She looked away before he could notice her staring.

Or at least, she hoped he hadn't noticed.

---

James

"You're not listening."

James looked at Adrian.

"I am."

Adrian gave him a look.

"No, you're not."

They walked through the courtyard together.

James hadn't heard half of what Adrian had said.

His attention had drifted.

Not intentionally.

He'd seen Tasha sitting beneath the tree.

She'd been smiling at her phone.

Not the smile she gave when she was arguing.

Not the one she used when she was trying to prove a point.

This one was different.

Small.

Natural.

James looked away.

"Anyway," Adrian continued, "the meeting is Monday."

James nodded.

"Fine."

Adrian stopped walking.

James took another step before realizing he was alone.

He turned.

"What?"

Adrian studied him.

"Nothing."

James narrowed his eyes.

"Then keep walking."

Adrian smiled.

"Yes, boss."

They continued.

James didn't look back.

He didn't need to.

For some reason, he already knew where she was.

---

Tasha

The History project was due soon.

Which meant there was no avoiding James.

After their last class, she found him waiting outside the library.

He held two books under one arm.

"You took your time."

Tasha looked at the clock.

"I'm two minutes late."

"Three."

She stared at him.

"You counted?"

"No."

"You just said three."

James's mouth twitched.

Tasha smiled.

"You're weird."

"So I've heard."

They walked inside.

The library was almost empty.

They found a table near the windows and spread their notes across it.

For the first few minutes, neither spoke.

Tasha worked on the presentation.

James organized their research.

She glanced at his notes.

Everything was neat.

Almost annoyingly neat.

"You write like a machine."

James looked up.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. Your handwriting looks angry."

He looked at his page.

"It's handwriting."

"It's angry handwriting."

He shook his head.

Tasha laughed quietly.

A few minutes passed.

Then James pushed one of his books toward her.

"Use that source."

She looked at it.

"Why?"

"It's better."

"How do you know?"

"I checked."

Tasha looked at him.

"You checked all of them?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"Because we're supposed to get a good grade."

She smiled.

"You're serious about everything, aren't you?"

"Usually."

"That's exhausting."

"So is talking to you."

Tasha gasped dramatically.

"Was that an insult?"

"Observation."

She smiled.

"You're learning."

For a moment, James just looked at her.

Then he looked back at the book.

Tasha noticed.

But she didn't say anything.

---

They worked until the sun began disappearing behind the buildings.

Tasha closed her laptop.

"Done."

James checked the presentation.

"Almost."

She groaned.

"What now?"

"Slide eight."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing."

"Then why did you say almost?"

He pointed at the screen.

"You repeated the same point twice."

Tasha stared.

She had.

She looked at him.

"You could've just said that."

"I did."

"You said 'almost.'"

"It was almost done."

She shook her head.

"You make everything complicated."

James leaned back.

"And you make everything loud."

Tasha smiled.

"You noticed."

He looked at her.

"Hard not to."

The words came out before he could stop them.

Silence.

Tasha's smile faded slightly.

James looked away.

She didn't push.

Instead, she closed the laptop.

"We should go."

"Yeah."

They gathered their things.

---

The hallway outside was nearly empty.

Their footsteps echoed softly against the floor.

Tasha walked beside him.

For once, neither seemed to have anything to argue about.

Then Tasha spoke.

"You know, you're not as scary as everyone thinks."

James glanced at her.

"That's because you don't know me."

"Maybe."

She adjusted her bag.

"But I know you laughed."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"No."

"I saw you."

"You imagined it."

Tasha laughed.

James looked at her.

There it was again.

That smile.

He didn't know why he liked seeing it.

That thought came quickly.

Too quickly.

He looked ahead.

"You're annoying."

Tasha grinned.

"You keep saying that."

"And you keep proving me right."

They reached the main entrance.

Tasha's phone buzzed.

She pulled it out.

Her expression changed immediately.

James recognized it.

"Michael?"

She looked up.

"Yeah."

A pause.

Then she smiled.

"He's outside."

James nodded.

"Okay."

Tasha stepped toward the doors.

Then stopped.

She turned back.

"Goodnight, James."

He looked at her.

"Goodnight, Tasha."

She walked away.

James stayed where he was.

Through the glass doors, he watched her cross the courtyard.

A boy was waiting near the gates.

Michael.

Tasha reached him, and the smile James had seen inside the library returned.

James looked away.

His hand tightened around the strap of his bag.

He didn't know why.

He didn't want to know why.

So he turned and walked back down the empty hallway.

But after several steps, he stopped.

For a moment, he looked back toward the doors.

Then he kept walking.