Free Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

different, that most Prodigium grew up in households with two parents just like them. And some of the kids here had had hardly any interactions with humans once they'd come into their powers.
    Despite the doubt that was crawling over my skin like bugs, I said,
    "Yeah, but--"
    "Arch!"
    Elodie was standing on the landing above us, one hand on her basicaly nonexistent hip. Normaly when this kind of thing happens in movies, the girlfriend is glaring down at the other girl with bright green jealousy, but since Elodie was a goddess, and I was, wel, not, she didn't look even the littlest bit threatened. More bored, actualy.
    "Be right there, El," Archer caled up to her. She executed that combination eye-rol/hair-flip/hand-wave thing that only beautiful girls irritated with their boyfriends can pul off, and walked up to the third floor. I think she put a little too much swing in her hips as she went, but, hey, matter of opinion.
    "'Arch'?" I asked once she was gone, attempting the raised-eyebrow thing. As usual, it didn't work, so I probably just looked startled.
    "See ya, Mercer," was al he replied. But as he turned to go, I couldn't help blurting out, "Do you think they might have a reason sometimes?"
    He turned back to me. "Who?"
    I glanced around, but the hal was empty.
    "Those people. The Aliance and those Irish girls. The Eye,"
    I answered. "I mean, what we saw was awful , but aren't there dangerous Prodigium too?"
    For a moment we held each other's gaze. At first I thought he was pissed at me, but then I realized the look in his eyes wasn't anger. It was more like he was . . . I don't know . . . studying me or something.
    I felt a weird sort of heat travel from my stomach to my cheeks. I don't know if he noticed it, but he smiled at me, a real smile this time, and I actualy felt my breath hitch in my chest. It was the same feeling I'd had in the fourth grade when Suzie Strelzyck dared me to touch the bottom of the pool at the YMCA. I'd done it, but kicking back up to the surface, my chest had felt like it was caught in a trash compactor, and I was light-headed by the time I'd broken through the water.
    That's how I felt now, staring up into Archer Cross's eyes.
    He walked down the two steps between us until he was on the same stair as me. I stil had to look up at him, but at least it didn't make my neck hurt. He leaned in close, and I caught that clean soapy smel.
    "I wouldn't say that kind of thing around here if I were you, Mercer," he whispered. I could feel his breath warm against my cheek, and although I wouldn't swear to it, I think my eyes may have fluttered.
    But just a little.
    As I watched him lope up the stairs, I gritted my teeth and repeated a mantra in my head:
    I will not have a crush on Archer Cross, I will not have a crush on Archer Cross, I will not . . .
    When I got back to my room, Jenna was sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading a book.
    I heaved a sigh and leaned against the door, pushing it shut with a loud click.
    "What's wrong? The Moving Picture Show get to you?"
    Jenna asked without looking up.
    "No. I mean, yeah, of course. That stuff was messed up."
    "Mm-hmm," Jenna agreed. "Anything else?"
    "I have a crush on Archer Cross."
    Jenna laughed. "How original of you."
    I flopped down on my bed. "Why?" I moaned into my pilow. I roled over and stared at the ceiling. "Okay, so he's cute.
    Big deal. Lots of guys are cute."
    Clearly my whining about a boy I liked was interfering with Jenna's reading, because she uncrossed her legs and came to perch on the edge of her desk. "Archer's not cute," she amended. "Puppies are cute. Babies are cute. I'm cute. Archer Cross is smokin' hot.
    And I'm not even into guys."
    Okay, so Jenna was not going to be much assistance in squashing the crush. "He's a jerk," I pointed out. "Remember the whole werewolf thing this morning?"
    "Yeah," Jenna said drily. "Saving you from a were-wolf.
    What a tool."
    I groaned. "You're not helping."
    "Sorry."
    We sat in silence for a