How to Save Your School From Soul Stealing Demons

CHAPTER TWELVE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD
12:28PM
VANTERBEST HIGH CAFETERIA

My stomach twinges as the two of us head over to Renny and Ambrose's table, but I try to remind myself I'm doing this for a good reason. Layne's life could be in danger, and if we can stop something bad from happening, it's worth the potential embarrassment—or, judging by their glares as we reach their table, the potential ass-kicking.

Renny arches an eyebrow as Watts sits down in the chair across from her, a little closer to Ambrose than I think I'd be willing to get. The guy looks like he could bench press four of me—maybe five if my appetite doesn't get back to normal soon.

"Uh, hi." Watts's voice is unsteady, and his eyes flicker between Renny and Ambrose as if he's expecting one of them to lurch at him at any second. I stay standing at his side, keeping my hands in my hoodie pocket so no one can see how much I'm fidgeting.

Ambrose is stone-faced as he stares down Watts, almost to the point where it's eerie. It's hard for me to imagine this guy taking the time to bleach his hair like that, and yet somehow the contrast of it against the rest of his dark features only adds to the intimidation factor. Like he's advertising the fact that he's not afraid of taking risks.

Renny arches an eyebrow, giving Watts a once-over. When her upper lip snarls, the jagged scar on her cheek moves with it. Did she really get it from a knife fight? It almost seems like she was born with it, the way it fits right in with the rest of her sharp angles. "The hell do you want?"

"Um, I'm Watts," he introduces, then gestures to me, "this is Diego. We noticed your friend—Layne—is hanging out with Paul and Kayla."

"And if you used your fucking context clues," Renny snaps, "you'd probably get the hint that that means she's not our friend anymore."

Watts looks to Ambrose, as if for help, but he stays expressionless, staring him down without a word. It's barely a second before he's turning back to Renny, probably deciding she's at least slightly less intimidating. "Um, right. Sorry. But, uh, me and Diego are sort of worried. I don't know if you noticed, but before Greg and Pamela went missing, they started hanging out with Paul's group, too."

Renny squints, then laughs humorlessly. "You're trying to tell me you think they have something to do with what happened?"

"Exactly," Watts sounds relieved, apparently totally oblivious to the doubt in her voice. "I mean, it's possible it's a coincidence, but I've been doing a lot of research. Personally, I think this is all tied to the Cult of Bozzanath, and that Paul and his friends are involved somehow."

My eyes fall shut in defeat, and I can't stop myself from sighing. He had to mention the cult?

It only takes one glance at Renny to know that any chance of convincing her we had just flew right out the window. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"Wh—No!" Watts shakes his head. "I know how it sounds, but this is serious. I really think the murders have something to do with Kayla and—"

"You two are insane," Renny says slowly, like she's explaining it to five-year-olds. Even Ambrose's level expression has cracked a bit, and he's staring at Watts and me with a strained look that basically says, how stupid can you be?

Fan-fucking-tastic. So much for being normal. I was a freak at Darwin after what happened, and now I'll be a freak at Vanterbest, too. Word will get out about me and Watts spouting some crazy theory about the death of our classmates and the most popular kids in school, and things'll be even worse than they were in Houston. Just new shit piled on top of my old shit.