rest, tormenter, life saver (it"s complicated) and your cat-guy best friend, bring some conversation starters.

me, a napkin draped across his lap and each sauce spread in a strategic circle on his knees. It"s like Clash of Clans: McDonald"s edition.

of a garden statue, or an ice sculpture, or another inanimate object that"s supposed to be stiff and frozen. I risk another glance. Her hands shake. If I say something to her

box. I wolf down two pieces, chewing loudly, slurping grease off my fingers. "Hey!" Gats lunges over Jayli

ys, her voice l

yes buggy. There"s so much rage there I sigh and hand him back his food. He hisses as he snatches the box, cradling it to his

er million things." She

in response. When no one says anything else, I k

What if she wakes up and realizes I"m just a cat freak that doesn"t deserve h

wants a conversation, no

m issues. Why don"t we talk about feelings or crap? I don"t know.

l Angel"s an idiot who l

his breath. I roll my good e

ing, but the words stick in my throat. Truth is, between the eye-patch and the glowing wings I spen

t," my mother poked out my eye and I grew wings. If you"re staring at your screen, que

us, but we"re just so uncooperative and cool like that we spent 90,000 or so words kicking their sorry butts (Well, maybe they were doing the most kicking, but we got in a punch or two). But enough about us guys. Jaylin"s here too, pretty and scary

m had to hold me back as I kicked and hollered and swung like a Rock"em Sock"em robot. I might have blacked out once or twice during the whole episode so I"m blaming Dark Side on that one. Since t

the looking like my psychotic mother (and a midday

a"am," Ja

been rough on you. We"ll bri

They"re my friends," she says. Her shoulders sag, and

t. His glasses flash as the sun passes t

as w

head. "You didn

ever did, it fled with my Dark Side. Now, she could bust me out of the car and take me to her HQ and I wouldn"t so much as bat my arm at her. Besides, she sacrificed ever

," June says, "may

cate or Snare would use him to threaten the world. Maybe th

uick one, as June"s doing the driving

ands over his face, giggling like a princess. I just l

to shelter you instead of turning you

tiffer, her clenched fis

parking lot and flashes a smi

g. I think of Hev lying on one of the hospital beds, maybe dying. My chest tightens. I stare at the mass of glass windows that stretch to

ul hospital and thinking about the people inside. The wind blows, and I almost miss my long mane. Ju

up, the parent thing, us,

gs. "All

ng, I just want her to be okay. I let out a breath. "Yeah." Jaylin looks up at me and puts her hand on mine. I shiver. It"s small and

prawling building with

t"s

*

t off with a shorter, not-so-dramatic chapter. I"m writing this as I go, so I"l

ch is very, very awesome of her! She also has (pretty darn well written and insightful) book reviews of bestsellers

y re