The truth was my mom would flip her lid if I accepted a ride with a boy I had just met. Sure, he was nice. And hot. But rules were rules, and honestly, I didn’t know him yet. Not to mention, I was still trying to figure out what had just happened.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I offered, heading toward my line.

“Sure. See you tomorrow, Teagan.” He winked as he started to back away. “Stay clear of those curbs.”

I was stunned for a moment. So he did pull me out of the way. I was beginning to think I had imagined it all. I watched him cross the lot until he reached his car and then I unwillingly made my way up the steps and toward the back of the bus, snagging an empty window seat where I had a decent view of him tinkering with his stereo. I realized that for the first time in my entire life I was on the brink of being absolutely and undeniably smitten.

Sinking down into the seat, I plugged in my earbuds as I fumbled with my iPod. It was easy to remember why I hated the bus so much. Buses had a plastic, sour smell to them that turned my stomach and bounced my insides so violently that it was all I could do to keep everything down. Motion sickness was normal, wasn’t it? I was positive bus drivers drove erratically on purpose, just for laughs, knowing full well that the precious cargo they carried had weak stomachs.

Brynn’s shiny black Beemer was positioning to cut in front of the bus and through my window I saw her sneer.

For my sake, she pointed a manicured finger at the opening of her mouth and pretended to vomit, then erupted into waves of laughter with the other girls.

My body slid lower into the seat as giggles sprang up around me. I closed my eyes, pretending I didn’t see, that I was somewhere else…someone else. My pulse pounded in my ears and soon I was reliving dual moments, right before Garreth had come to my rescue today, and last night, the sound of dark wings thrumming. The two twisted and blurred in my head, becoming one and the same as the violent whipping to and fro echoed in my skull. I was going to be sick. I needed air.