Free Inescapable (The Premonition Series) by Amy A Bartol

close, she’s just random. Let’s just call her a definite maybe for now… don’t you guys think?”
    But the most deadly units by far are the sniper units. They are the tables of guys sitting around scoping their next targets, always trying to one up each other regarding who has the biggest gun and how much ammo they have in their package.
    I almost make it to Russell’s table when a sniper approaches me at my twelve o’clock. The smirk on his face tells me that he is more concerned about how his unit judges his game than actually making a connection with me.
    He tries to hide his smirk at the last second with a half smile before he says, “Sup, Genevieve?”
    I stammer, “Uh, hi…”
    “Did you just get done registering?” he asks before glancing over at the table near us. I follow his line of sight to the table full of male students all watching us.
    “Um…yes…I…do we know each other?” I manage to ask.
    “I’m Todd, Sigma house,” he says arrogantly, puffing out his chest. “I saw your picture in the freshman directory.”
    My face flushes red as the creepy factor of what he just said hits me. “Um…I’m sorry…uh…Todd, but I’m here to meet a friend.” I say, indicating Russell at the table ahead of us with a gesture. “So, maybe…” I trail off, squeezing past him. The sniper’s buddies begin slamming him immediately for his failure to hit the target. I’ve probably just messed up his one shot, one kill status.
    Making it to Russell’s table, I pull out a chair across from him. As I sit down, I smile because I hadn’t realized how much I’ve been looking forward to seeing him until this moment. “Hey, Russell, I’m so glad you’re here!”
    Raising his eyebrows, he replies, “Uh, thanks.”
    Glancing at me for a second, he gives me a half smile and sort of a curious look. Then, he checks out the room before looking down at his binder again, ignoring me.
    “I have to give you props for being able to concentrate in here with all this noise. What are you studying?” I ask him, indicating the binder he had lying in front of him.
    “It’s a play book. We’re supposed to keep it on the down low,” he says abruptly.
    “Okay…hey, you’ll never guess what’s been happening to me today. You know that directory—the one that the Mother’s Club publishes with all the freshmen in it?” I ask.
    “Sure, I think I got one,” he says, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
    “Yeah, well, I guess some people are studying it like you were just studying that play book because guys I’ve never met are calling me by name as I walk by. It’s a little sketchy,” I say with a forced smile because I’m starting to feel uncomfortable with the way Russell is acting. He’s cold, and I am definitely feeling the arctic air at my end of the table.
    “Ya don’t say?” he asks. “Well that’s kinda ironic, since I was tryin’ to figure out how I know ya. Did ya get my name out of the directory?”
    I stare at him in utter amazement. “Ha, ha, you’re funny, Russell. You know who I am,” I say, but I see by the look on his face that he is confused now.
    “What’s my name, Russell?” I ask, almost pleading.
    He frowns. “Well, I’m startin’ to suspect that I should know the answer to that one. There’s somethin’ ‘bouty’ all that’s darn familiar but…” He reaches out and touches my hair. Closing his eyes, he says, “I keep seein’ red, like the color…does that make sense?”
    “Yeah, you’ve been calling me Red from the moment you met me. Do you remember meeting me yesterday on the walk to the lake?” I ask hopefully.
    His sexy brown eyes scan my face. “I…ahh, I remember… somethin’…the lake…my head is startin’ to ache like I was doin’ shots of Yeger last night,” Russell says, dropping my hair and cradling his face in the palms of his hands. “Y’all were there… and someone else was there…and I had to walk away, but I wanted to