Free The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2) by Sophia Martin Page B

I’m getting an F anyway,” Lola said.
    Veronica bit her lip. She couldn’t think clearly, with the way the energy coming from Lola felt when it hit her skin. She wanted to move away from her, or put her arms around her—anything to make it stop.
    “No, that’s unacceptable. You have to try,” Veronica said.
    “I don’t have to do anything,” Lola said, raising a palm and shifting her head.
    “It’s make an effort or go to the office,” Veronica said.
    “Fine!” Lola spat, grabbing her back and jerking to her feet. She stormed out of the classroom. Veronica knew she would have slammed the door behind her if it hadn’t had the hydraulic hinge to prevent it. Veronica went to the phone and dialed the main office.
    “Lola Hekili just left my class. I told her to go to the office.”
    “I’ll let the supers know,” Sandy said.
    The supervisors, who monitored the halls and courtyard, would make sure Lola made it to the office instead of leaving campus or hiding out in a bathroom. Veronica thanked Sandy, the main office’s secretary, and hung up the phone.
    It was a relief that Lola had left class. Veronica could tell that the rest of the students felt it, too. It made her feel guilty that she felt that way, though. Lola was in pain. More pain than anyone Veronica had ever seen, except maybe for Grant Slecterson, and his pain had been… different. And her dad, but that was so long ago, she only had bits and pieces of a memory to go on.
    Her dad had killed himself. Was Lola Hekili suicidal? She certainly seemed that way in the dream. Oh, no. Did the spirits expect Veronica to help her? How? She didn’t even know who to call, much less how to explain that she thought Lola might be suicidal based on a dream and ‘vibes’ she got from her in class.
    Veronica had Angie join Clarissa Perez’s group, then she went to her computer and signed in to her school email account. She fired off a quick email to the part-time school psychologist. “Hey Lloyd, got a minute to talk at lunch?”
    She checked in with two more tables and then returned to her desk. He’d already answered. “Sure, come on by.”
    Well, Lloyd might know Lola, at least, and if she got him talking about her, maybe she’d find a way to bring up her concern without looking like a nutcase herself. She could claim to have overheard something, or seen a doodle, or some such. Maybe just talking about the words on Lola’s hands would be enough— “You know, Lloyd, seeing something like that, which I think she must have drawn herself, it just makes me worry that she has no self-esteem. Maybe she’ll be cutting herself next.” Something to that effect.
    Class dragged on, and Veronica checked the clock every few minutes. She had the students compose a dialogue using the new vocabulary, and by the time most of them were done, the bell finally rang.
    Veronica waited for the last of them to leave and then she locked her room and trotted to the administrative wing of the school. She smiled and nodded to the secretaries behind their counter and navigated her way past students milling around and teachers using the copiers, until she came to Lloyd Fisher’s door.
    He spoke with one of the school’s two vice principals. Veronica waited outside of his office, trying not to listen to their conversation, even though she heard Lola’s name. The VP left, glancing at Veronica as he did and giving her a quick nod. Veronica flashed him a smile and stepped into Lloyd’s office.
    “Veronica,” Lloyd said, pointing to a chair by his desk. Lloyd was a tall, bald African American man with kind eyes. “Please, have a seat. How can I help you?”
    Veronica sat and Lloyd followed suit. “I wanted to talk to you about a student I’m concerned about. Lola Hekili.”
    “Second time today I heard that name.”
    “She decided to leave my class rather than do any work last period,” Veronica said.
    “Ah. Alan said something about that.”
    “The thing is, she seems…