Is this possible?

I felt his black eyes on me just as I had felt them in my dream. I felt my skin reacting in an all-too-familiar chill.

My muscles had turned to steel and I was rooted, helplessly, to this one particular spot, yet all I wanted was to make a mad dash in the other direction.

Two large shadows extended from behind the figure.

Appendages so enormous that even from this distance I could make out the deep-charcoal wings, leatherlike in texture, beneath the fluorescent lighting.

I drew in a deep breath. Obviously, Claire wasn’t paying any attention to this dreamlike intruder down the hall. No one was.

Instinctively, I took a step back and then he was gone.

“She thinks she’s perfect,” Claire continued, her tone building gradually in my ears as if the volume had been muted and was now slowly rejoining reality.

Shivering, I grabbed my books and took a deep breath, feeling my head automatically nod in agreement.

“It’s a sign of insecurity. She has her claws in deep now. She knows what pushes your buttons. Besides, you know it only makes her feel more superior when she can make someone else feel like crap.”

I eyed my best friend as if she had just transferred from the moon.

“Claire, didn’t you see?” I turned to face where the dark figure had appeared only moments ago.

“Oh, yeah, I see. And he’s looking fine.”

Forget it. I had lost her.

Ryan Jameson yanked his leather Columbia bag a little higher onto his broad shoulders and stopped in front of us just as the first bell sounded in the hallway.

“Teagan.” He nodded, regarding me.