A Dangerous Desire

6| The Truth

<Glory>

Organization.

She.

I thought I was doing this because she knew something about the organization.

What organization? Who's "she"?

What's he hiding?

My eyes skimmed the room until they landed on a pair of eyes already staring at me. Deathbringer shot me a sweet smile, to which I narrowed my eyes and look back down at my notebook, furrowing my eyebrows as I thought hard.

Is this organization the one that sent Deathbringer to be my bodyguard? But he said was doing it because I knew something about it. Do I know about any organization? I don't think so. So who's he talking about, and why is he always following me around?

I twisted and fidgeted with the corner of a piece of paper in my notebook. There's definitely something he doesn't want me to know, but what is it? And why is he so... flirtatious?

"Glory Bright."

Web's deep, condescending tone made my head snap up. He was standing in front of my desk, looking his nose down at me.

"Yes?" I immediately replied.

"So? What's the answer to the question I just asked?"

I blinked up at him. "I... I didn't raise my–"

"But I picked on you, didn't I?" His gaze was pinning and hard. "So answer." My gaze shifted until I saw Tsunami mouthing words from behind him. I looked back from Tsunami and Webs for a quick moment.

"1804, sir," I said, praying I read Tsunami's lips right. Webs lifted his chin, taking a step back from my desk with a disapproving grunt.

"Hm." He turned around and walked away from me. "As I was saying," he began, starting to drone on. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding before looking up at Tsunami with a grateful and apologetic smile. She sighed, shaking her and rolling her eyes before mouthing the words: You're welcome.

"*"

"OK, what was that?" Tsunami asked, catching up to me in the hallway after class. "I've never seen you so distracted. Is it that Deathbringer dude? Are you really that crazy for him?"

"No," I responded flatly. "Stop bringing him up. This is all stupid." Tsunami narrowed her eyes at me, pursing her lips.

"You're mad," she said, making me sigh. "You know what we have to do when you're mad."

"No–I'm not mad," I said, glaring at her.

"OK, you're definitely mad. Clay!"

"No! Shut up!" I threw my hands over Tsunami's mouth, muffling her yells, but Clay was already poking his head around the corridor with Sunny and Starflight on his heels. Tsunami pried my hands free. "Emergency group hug, guys. Glory's mad again."

I turned and was about to flee when Tsunami wrapped her arms around my waist in a tight hug. I twisted and turned, trying to wriggle free from her grasp, but moments later, Clay, Sunny, and Starflight had all already joined in.

The students walking in the hallway toward their next class cast us all a weird look. I groaned, trying to push them off me.

"Stop!" I cried. "I'm not mad! Get off of me you big lumps!"

"Are you feeling better, Glory?" Tsunami asked soothingly, smoothing my hair. "Do you feel calm and less... grumpy?" Hailstorm laughed at us, taking a quick picture.