Wingspan(Paranormal, Young Adult) MAJOR EDITING**

eighty six

i blink to make sure i was seeing things right. when stuff remained the same i forgot to think about what i should say before i spoke. and so that's why i'd forgotten all about being incognito. 

"toby? how did you change so fast?" he didn't have on simple jeans and a casual shirt two seconds ago. it was like i'd stepped into some bizarre universal pocket realm where still i was an average girl surrounded by insanely good looking model types.      

I coughed forcing my throat to relax.       

I tried to swallow, tried to form a coherent sentence, tried to understand why Wesley of all people stood in the same vicinity as his arch nemesis, tried to pull my gaze from the sight of a lying corpse in the middle of the tree lined clearing. 

"how is that possible?" kira whispers out loud. 

i suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. 

wesley looks at me in disbelief. "you could see him?" he chokes out that last part.

i stare at them not interested in whatever crap game they were playing. "really, guys?" i ask stunned that was even a question.

"answer the question." kira tells me.

i roll my eyes fed up with being played for a fool. "of course i can." i say to her impatiently. "what sort of bad trip are you guys on?" I tried to relax my body, appear nonchalant, accepting, open to anything. Maybe it would help. Maybe not.

i could handle it. i was neutral. if they were too embarrassed i would understand. getting high was just a natural part of growing up that's all. like any phase it never lasted. although, judging by their allergic reaction it had to be something highly toxic and costly.

"this is not how i expected our next encounter."  

My eyes snapped to meet Toby's steady gaze.

toby scrutinizes me up and down.

i raise an eyebrow. "my thoughts exactly." i didn't know why he was studying me like that for. i wanted to smack him conscious so that he would stop creeping me out.

Toby's Grey eyes stuck on mine for a moment and then jerked away. instead of curbing my need for understanding toby barks a command. "you two inform the headmistress of our dearly departed brother." toby orders a subordinate a Wesley and kira who don't put up a fight.

my head was still reeling from toby speaking about mason as a 'brother'. they were in some ways cordial but never spoke to one another unless it was absolute necessary.

"whats going on?" i ask Wesley fed up at being ignored. 

if toby wasn't going to explain things Wesley was my best chance. 

"why are you standing over masons dead body for?" i cross my arms watching both kira and Wesley hoist mason up transferring him back inside.

it stung that wesley never once took a glance my way as they carried mason out the woods. the way he acted it was like he didn't want to go near me. he didn't want to look at me and treated me like i was a freak in the circus. 

i remembered the way he looked at me when i first saw toby. it was as if the sparkle in his eye lessened to that of a cloudy blue filled with nothing but dismal hope.

before toby could dissapear after them i keep him from going any further. with my finger i push his chest stopping him from dragging another step. "what do you think you're doing?" 

 i demand narrowing my eyes. i didn't even care how close our chests stood. 

for all i knew they had a part in it. i was scared to be next on their list of bloodshed. "tell me a story. tell me the honest truth." i beg him to hear me out even though cutting corners was the easiest thing to do.

toby stared at me a moment as if weighing me. toby backs away gently lifting a hand in the air to offer me peace. though his body language seemed friendly enough i couldn't stop from thinking about mason. 

"relax." he tries to comfort me. his throat scratchy and raw.

"what do say we get out of here and take a walk?" not waiting for my response he walks on forward ahead of me.

i follow him only because with mason gone i was by myself in a part of the woods i didn't care for.