Free Book of Revenge by Abra Ebner

did, and it only made me hate him more. I drew in a deep breath, turning my head and glancing sideways at Jane beside me.
    She turned a page, then another. I felt her heart beating, steady and calm.
    She rolled something around in her lap. I strained my gaze, trying to see what it was. She was holding a lump of folded paper, her fingers caressing the fibers with loving possession. I knew what it was all too well, having seen any number of them pass hands the last few weeks. It was another note from Max.
    I clenched my jaw, looking back at the words in my book as I leaned back to stretch. From the corner of my eye I saw something move outside the window. Glancing back at the field, the owl that had been on my car this past weekend, and all week, was now perched on the fence just outside. She had freshly landed, still adjusting her weight between two feet.
    I laughed to myself, shaking my head. Her persistence was admirable. Every day, without fail, I saw her. She had become a source of happiness to me, and seeing her had become something I looked forward to—my secret.
    Too burnt out on school to pull myself back, I continued to indulge in her presence. Her eyes were narrow, a bright yellow that pierced right through me. She fluffed her white and grey dappled feathers, tilting her head with interest in her gaze. Something about her relaxed me, as though she had become my silent reminder to stay calm. A muse, I thought, but my thoughts were quickly stolen by intruders in the background.
    Two people walked briskly across the parking lot behind the owl. I pressed my brows together, squinting to see who it was. Despite my calm, I felt suddenly tense, and a part of me wished I could acquire a set of eagle eyes just for the moment. I huffed. Eagle eyes or not, my gut still knew. Only one person at this school had hair that was that red.
    Emily.
    It flowed freely behind her, her arm wrapped with that of another boy. I found myself anxious, and I certainly didn’t recognize the guy she was with. I grew tenser, a million thoughts rushing to mind. Was he a dealer? Another man? I released a long hard breath, trying to remain calm as my muscles ached, each fiber winding tight. It was no one , I told myself. He’s just a friend from class. But friends from class didn’t lock arms. Friends from class didn’t skip school together. I looked back to the owl. Maybe it was someone borrowing a book from her?
    I grumbled. Who was I kidding?
    My eyes shot to the clock. There were fifteen minutes left of class, and judging by the position of Mrs. West near the door, there was no escape. She scanned the room, her sharp eyes not unlike those of my feathery stalker outside. I began to shake my leg and it clanked lightly against the leg of the desk. Jane shot me a dirty look, urging me to be still.
    “Wes, stop that,” she hissed under her breath.
    My leg stopped shaking, but my palms began to sweat instead. Steam poured across the surface of the resin desktop where they were flushed flat, fingers spread. I looked behind me, seeing that everyone was nose deep in their books and unaware of my building anxiety. The owl outside lifted it’s wings, flapping them flagrantly as though to get my attention. I looked back at her and she stopped. I glared, trying to convey an uninterested expression—like she would notice that.
    She opened her beak to squawk, but I couldn’t hear her call. I saw a red car leaving the lot, my anxiety peaking. I knew that Emily had to be the passenger. I groused under my breath, discreetly pointing at the owl and then the car. The owl watched me with her head tilted, trying to understand.
    “ Go,” I mouthed, my voice barely following in a whisper. “Go.” I flicked my finger.
    The owl took off then, her wings flapping wildly as she tilted back and rounded over the parking lot, just as the small sports car turned onto the main road. I watched the owl do as I asked, amazed by her above-average intelligence, and a little