Jamie looked over his shoulder at me, and I thought maybe it was the first time he’d ever actually lookeddirectlyat me, because his eyes narrowed like he wasn’t quite sure what to make of me.
“That true?” he demanded.
I shook my head silently, my eyes still locked on his.
He seemed to be waiting for something, though. Some kind of vocal denial or explanation. Molly didn’t seem capable of speech, and Dexter sure as hell wasn’t capable of speakingtruth, so I opened my mouth and what came out was…
“I’m aGryffindorfor God’s sake.”
Oh, sweet Jesus, kill me now.
Jamie frowned for a second, like I was speaking a language he didn’t know, and I knew without a doubt that I was going to vomit—literally vomit, right there and then—from the shame.
Then his lips twitched, and his eyes got brighter, like something had lit them up from behind, and I felt some part of myself leave my body and go flying off forever, even before Jamie looked me up and down and said, “Figures. Gryffindors are a bunch of troublemakers.”
“Jameson Burke!” Mrs. Simms called out shrilly. Figured she’d finally arrive on the scene at the worst possible moment. “Let go of Mr. Albright at once!”
With a sigh that maybe only I noticed, since I was watchinghimwhile everyone else was watching Mrs. Simms, Jamie took a step back and let Dexter go.
Like he could feel the weight of my stare on him, Jamie turned in my direction and noticed me still on the ground. “Oh, shoot. Here, lemme help.” He reached out a hand and I grabbed it with my good arm, letting him haul me to my feet, and I maybe tried to memorize exactly what his hand felt like and what his eyes looked like up close, just in case I never got to see them again.
“What in heaven’s name is happening here?” Mrs. Simms demanded.
“I was trying to—” Dex began.
“Jamie was helping me, Mrs. Simms,” I said. “Dexter and I were… roughhousing, and I’m pretty sure he hurt my arm.” I nodded at my left arm, which was curled against my chest.
“Roughhousing,” she repeated, eyes narrowed. She looked at all five feet of me, and all five-something of Dexter, did some fast calculus, and came to the obvious conclusion. “Voluntarily?”
“Erm. It’s all a blur?” I offered, unwilling to give Dexter a chance to defend himself that might embarrass Molly. “The injury was accidental, of course. But, like, I think maybe I also have internal bleeding? Sooo… possibly we could discuss details later and you could get me some medical care now?”
Mrs. Simms’s eyes narrowed farther. “Internal bleeding?”
“Knee to the gut,” I explained, hunching over slightly. I didn’t have to fake my wince. “Liver. Spleen. Stomach.Vital organs.” She still seemed suspicious, so I invoked the name that was bound to get the most action. “I’m thinkingmymotherwould be pretty horrified if I wasn’t seen immediately. We should call her.”
Mrs. Simms’s head went back. “Your mother. Oh! Yes. Of course.” She threw out her hands in a flapping motion. “Everyone back to what you were doing. Jameson, help Parker to the office while I call Mrs. Hoffstraeder.” She said this like she was preparing to do battle against a five-star general, because shewas.
She made her way back to the school, leaving me to limp along behind her.
Jamie caught up to me a second later, my backpack slung over his right shoulder.
“Oh,” I said. “Thanks. I didn’t even notice I dropped it.”
“It’s a little muddy, but it’ll be fine once you wash it.”
The guy didn’t know my motherat all. I’d have a brand new one by Monday. One Jamie had never touched. Unless I washed it myself and made sure she didn’t see…
I was totally gonna wash it myself.
“Whoa. He really got you good, huh?” Jamie stepped into me and slid his hand around my waist. “You look all confused. Think you’re okay to walk?”
“Yeah. I mean,yes. My legs are working fine,” I told him. But I didn’t protest too much because my stomach was all nauseous and excited, and because Jamie Burke smelled like he’d been eating oranges, and that suddenly seemed like the most crucial, intensely personal information I’d ever possessed about another human being.
“I’m not exactly sure what happened back there, but Molly looks pissed and Dexter was covered in fruit punch, so… I’m guessing I owe you one?” Jamie said, completely unaware that I was committing to memory every cell of his skin that came into contact with my own.
I forced myself to laugh, even though it made my stomach hurt. “It’s fine. I like Molly.” I stopped walking suddenly. “I mean, as a person. Not, like I… you know…likeher or… anything?”
Jamie snorted and half-dragged me back into motion. “I get it. You’re a good kid.” He paused, then added, “For a Gryffindor.”
