She looked down, avoiding my eyes. “None of it goes with green.”

That was the lamest excuse I’d ever heard. “Whatever.” I finished refilling the salt and went to check on the coffee pot.

“I’ll take another cup,” the girl said.

“Really?” I whipped my head around to look at her. “How do you not have to pee by now?”

She laughed. “I drink this much coffee all the time. I’m used to it.”

It was odd to hear her laugh, but at the same time, it was nice.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I served you eight cups of coffee—no, make that nine.” I poured her another. “I think that deserves a name.”

“What’s yours?”

Was she always this much of a control freak? “Sam.”

“Nora.”

“Is that a family name? You don’t hear of many Noras these days.”

“Says the with girl with a guy’s name, Sam.” She emphasized my name, making it sound more masculine than I could’ve imagined.

“I was never a big fan of Samantha.”

“My grandmother’s name was Lenora Prudence.” She rolled her eyes, and I didn’t need to ask what her full name was.

I nodded, wishing she’d finish her coffee and leave. I’d had my fill of her for the day. Maybe two days.

“So, about that necklace.” She pointed to it.

“I already told you. I found it in my locker. I thought my boyfriend put it there, but he didn’t. Can I get you your check?”

“Who gave it to you then?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it was meant for me. It was a mistake or something. Was that a yes for the check?”

“But you said it’s your birthstone, so why would you think it was a mistake?” She ignored my question again.

“Because I don’t know anyone else at school. I just moved here.” I tore her bill from my pad and slammed it on the counter.

“I’d like another cup,” Nora said.

“Don’t you think you’re taking advantage now?”

“What do you mean?”

“The people who run this place are really nice, and you’re drinking all their coffee for a measly $1.75. That’s pretty crappy.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what. I’ll pay my bill if you take off that necklace.”

I wrinkled my brow. What a weird thing to say. “Why do you care if I’m wearing this necklace?”

“What’s the big deal? You said it wasn’t meant for you, so take it off.”

“No.” I suddenly felt very defensive.

“Fine,” she said. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Fine.” I matched her tone. “Then you can settle your bill,” I called after her.

I took her cup of coffee and dumped it into the tub of dirty dishes. I was cutting her off. I wanted her gone. I started cleaning the counter, trying to wipe away any trace of Nora and her strangeness.

After a while, she still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. I stormed in there, ready to demand she pay up and leave.

“That’s enough, Nora. You owe me money.” I flung the bathroom door open.

The bathroom was empty.

CHAPTER TEN

AFTER Nora’s little disappearing act, I was really pissed off. She hadn’t paid her bill or left me a tip. I couldn’t get her off my mind all evening. And her wanting me to take the necklace off only made me want to keep it on more. I tucked it under my pajama top and slept with it on. And for the first time since I’d come back to life, I slept soundly. No visions. No bad thoughts. Nothing. The warmth of the ruby on my skin lulled me to sleep, and I didn’t wake up until my alarm went off.

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.