The Grace In Darkness by Melissa Andrea Page A

’ t count when I ’ m your only friend. ”
    Makayla wasn ’ t one for mushy moments so I didn ’ t think anything about her comment. Makayla was unlike anyone I ’ d ever known before. She was sassy and funny and smart. She spoke her mind, never biting her tongue for anyone, and it was one of the biggest things I admired her for.
    She was so confident in everything she did without being in your face about it. She could have any guy she wanted and she knew it, but she didn ’ t want just anyone. She wanted the one, so until he came along, she had fun flirting and dating.
    She was assigned to me the first week I was here to show me around the campus and help me find my classes. We were only given one week. After that, we had to figure everything out on our own. There were braille signs posted outside each classroom and service polls lined around every wall so we didn ’ t get hurt. It made it easier to move around on your own.
    However, when our week was up, I seemed to be stuck with Makayla, and that was just fine with me. She said she didn ’ t know what it was about me, but I wasn ’ t like the rest of the yuppie rich kids around here. I didn ’ t tell her at the time it was because I wasn ’ t, and now I didn ’ t need to.
    “ So if I could read your file, what would it tell me? ”
    I realized that I didn ’ t know much about Makayla ’ s background. She never talked about her family or if she had a big one. I didn ’ t even know how she ended up at Madison Academy. She was my age, so she was also considered a student here too.
    “ If I told you, I ’ d have to kill you, and I don ’ t want to go through that again. ”
    “ Is it bad that you don ’ t even say things that scare me anymore? ”
    “ Hey, Mak. Araya. ”
    There was his warm voice again, and it seemed low and intimate when he said my name. I blushed and stared down into my plate, feeling Mak ’ s eyes on me. I wanted to dissolve into the floor right about then.
    “ Got you something, Araya, ” Pierce said, placing something on my tray. I could smell the gooey sweetness and almost licked my lips. Then I frowned.
    “ How did you get this? There was no more up there when Mak and I went through the line. ”
    “ I have my ways. Plus, I know it ’ s your favorite. Enjoy. ”
    He walked away before I could say anything and I knew I had a lot of explaining to do. My chair was yanked roughly in Mak ’ s direction, and I nearly fell out of it.
    “ A little warning for the blind girl next time, please. ”
    “ Quit it and spill it, Araya Noelle! ” I groaned. “ Stop stalling. What. The. Hell. Was. That? Pierce Montgomery was just flirting with you! ”
    “ He wasn ’ t flirting. You know Pierce. He ’ s always nice. ”
    “ Oh my God! Something happened between the two of you! I can see it all over your face. Did he kiss you? ”
    “ Shh! ” I hissed. “ No, he didn ’ t kiss me! ”
    “ What happened? Why are you torturing your best friend? I can ’ t believe I wasn ’ t the first to know- ” She stopped suddenly, and it gave me a chance to slow my dizziness. “ You told her, didn ’ t you? ”
    “ Who? ”
    “ You know who! The wench! ” I could hear the narrowing in her voice.
    The wench she referred to was Dr. Rise. Makayla didn ’ t know why, but she swore Dr. Rise wasn ’ t a nice person. Actually, she put it a lot differently than that. It was a feeling she had and she said she could always trust her gut.
    “ No, I didn ’ t tell Dr. Rise. There ’ s nothing to tell. ”
    “ Yes, there is. If you don ’ t tell me, I ’ ll ask him myself. ”
    Her hands moved to the edge of the table and I heard her chair skid against the floor. Makayla wasn ’ t one to bluff. I grabbed at her wrist.
    “ Okay! It was the other night after rehearsal. He walked me outside and he asked me out. ”
    “ Are you serious right now? ”
    “ What? ”
    “ You can go on and on in full-blown details on how dancing makes you