We stared at each other for several seconds and I waited for one of his typical scathing comments. What I did not expect was the sad, wounded look that suddenly flashed across his face. In a blink it was gone, replaced by the haughty expression I knew well. He pushed past me to walk the other way as if nothing had happened.

I continued to my table and laid my backpack thoughtfully on it as I mused over Scott’s strange reaction. I didn’t think it had anything to do with the fight; if anything, he still resented me for that. There was no love lost between us, for sure. Chances were I’d just caught him in an off moment that had nothing to do with me at all.

But I could not help but compare the hurt I’d glimpsed on his face to his expression that day in the school yard when I yelled at him and told him I didn’t want to be his friend. I’d been too full of childish anger over the injured crow to see that I’d hurt Scott too. It made me wonder as I pulled out my biology book if Scott and I would still be friends if I hadn’t caught him hurting Harper. Would either of us be the people we were now if our friendship had survived?

I shook my head to clear my mind. It was useless wondering about it after so many years and I had bigger things to worry about right now.

“Talking to yourself now? That’s not a good sign.” Roland sat next to me with a searching look.

Peter took the chair across from me and leaned forward to whisper, “Roland told me what happened. That was some crazy shit!” His eyes glowed with excitement. “I can’t believe you know people like that Malloy fellow.”

“Yeah, Greg’s uncle my ass,” Roland added with some indignation over the lie I’d told him when he had run into me and Malloy at Gino’s.

I took a breath. “Listen, I’m sorry about that, I really am. But men like Malloy don’t like a lot of people knowing their business. After yesterday, I think you can see why.”

Roland’s mouth tightened. “No freaking kidding.”

“So what happened last night?” Peter asked. “How pissed was the Mohiri when he found out what you were up to?”

I gave him a disbelieving look. “Are you nuts? There’s no way I’m telling him about that.” I had very little doubt that last night would have gone a lot differently if Nikolas had discovered the truth.

Mrs. Cope the librarian walked by giving us a stern look and we all quieted until she had gone.

Roland was the first to speak. “Didn’t he ask where you went?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t stupid enough to tell him.”

“I bet he was mad.” Peter said.

I shook my head. “He was…weird. He kind of let it go and told me about the Mohiri.” How could I explain the change in Nikolas last night when I did not understand it myself? “You won’t believe this. I have a grandfather who wants to meet me and he doesn’t look much older than me. How messed up is that?”

“Are you going to meet him?” Roland’s eyes were worried and I wondered if he was afraid I would be drawn to the Mohiri now that I knew I had family there.

“I don’t know. Someday,” I said honestly. “It’s a bit much to take in but it doesn’t change how I feel about going to live with them.”

Peter let his breath out noisily. “Geeze, I thought our lives were complicated. I don’t know how you can look so calm with all the craziness in your life.”

Seeing the opening I had been waiting for, I pursed my lips and motioned for them to come closer. “There is one thing I need to do,” I whispered. “Someone else I need to meet.”

“No!” Roland hissed as loud as he dared. “It’s too dangerous, Sara.”

“Shhh. Listen to me before you go off,” I said quietly. “I only have two more days to see this guy before he’s gone for good and I may never get another chance to find out what he knows about my dad. He wants to meet in the daytime and he said I can pick the place as long as it’s public. And he didn’t say I could not have a friend close by.”

“But –”

“No buts, Roland. You guys said you wanted me to stop hiding stuff from you and to ask you for help and that’s what I’m doing. I’m doing this with or without your help but I’d rather it was with you.”

“You really think you’ll be able to ditch your bodyguards after your last stunt?” Roland asked in a tone that held zero confidence.

“You really think the three of us can’t outsmart a couple of Mohiri – on our home turf?” I watched them straighten their shoulders at my well placed dig. Two things I had learned about my werewolf friends: they did not like being compared to the Mohiri and they really took the whole ‘this is our territory’ thing to heart.

“What’s the plan?” Roland asked with a new gleam in his eyes.

“I’m not sure yet. I was hoping you guys could help me come up with one.”

We put our heads together – literally – and began tossing around ideas. Each one we came up with was quickly discarded because I’d given Nikolas and Chris the slip one too many times for them to fall for another of my ruses. Whatever we went with had to be a little more intricate, something that required strategy and planning. Only problem was I had run out of ideas and my friends were not doing much better.

Our brainstorm session was interrupted when Dylan walked up to our table. I hadn’t talked to him since the party and I felt self-conscious around him now after the thing with Samson. Did guys talk about that stuff the way girls did? I almost squirmed on my seat praying the answer to that question was a resounding no.