Free Fall From Grace by Ciara Knight

she was used to up in Montana.
    “Ms. Moore, can I call you Gaby?”
    “Yes.” Gaby spoke at a mere whisper.
    “I wanted to check and see how you were
after the other night at Homecoming. You were distraught, and I
wanted to see if you needed to talk.”
    “I’m fine, really.” Gaby wanted to forget
everything that happened that night and the next day. Heck, she
wanted to forget about everything.
    “I know your grades have slipped a little
and you’ve been under some serious stress. You should be proud of
how well you’ve handled some difficult situations.”
    Gaby kept her eyes cast at the ground but
could feel Prim analyzing her every move. She stiffened under such
scrutiny and quickened her pace in hopes of escaping to the locker
room.
    “Gaby.” Prim touched her shoulder, causing
her to stop. “I know you were concerned about Alexander being
distant and Avery flirting with him.”
    “It’s fine.” Gaby snapped.
    Tears burned her eyes at the memory of his
rejection. “Principal Mastema, I need to get to practice.”
    “Call me Judy.”
    “Judy?” Gaby felt strange calling her by her
first name.
    Prim brushed Gaby’s arm with a loving
stroke. “If you need anything, I’m here for you.”
    Funny how the principal picked up on Avery
coming on to Alexander, but everyone else thought she was
overreacting. Alexander never even looked at her much anymore. His
eyes always transfixed on others in need, like Avery.
    The Prim moved closer and placed her hand on
her shoulder. “Being a teen can be tough, trust me, I know. Those
years were difficult for me too. I only wished I had someone to
talk to. Someone outside my family that didn’t judge me for my
feelings. You can talk to me any time about anything.”
    “Gaby!” Grace’s voice rang from the parking
lot. The principal backed away from her. What was she doing
here?
    “Principal Mastema, I thought I’d come by
for our chat.”
    Gaby waved back but had no desire to be
stuck in a room with both of them. “I’ll see you at home.”
    “Gaby. You can take control. Don’t let
Alexander see how much Avery affects you, and play a little hard to
get. Trust me. It’ll work.” Judy took two steps toward the parking
lot and paused. “Oh, and Gaby, keep our conversation between us. If
you tell Sammy or Ms. Lorre anything, they’ll just tell Alexander;
then it won’t work.” She winked and headed for the parking lot.
    Hard to get? Would it work? Gaby
trudged across the field to the locker room and found Avery sitting
on the bench in front of Gaby’s locker.
    Great, what did she want?
    As she approached, Avery stood up and put
her hands on her hips. “We need to talk.”
    ****
    “You saw her with The Prim?” Alexander
tensed at the thought of Boon leaving her there on the field
unprotected.
    “Yes, it looked like they were having an
intense conversation before Grace arrived. I stayed in the parking
lot for a bit and watched them.”
    “I knew I should’ve been watching over her.
I wanted to do some research, and Grace was there when you left?”
Alexander unclenched his fists, the muscles in his back relaxed,
and his wings no longer pressed for freedom.
    “Yes, why? What’s going on?” Boon flopped
down in the wicker chair across from him on the front porch.
    Alexander glanced around the beach then
leaned over resting his elbows on his thighs. “I think she’s a
demon.”
    Boon chuckled. “Seriously? I’m sure I
would’ve noticed something if the principal of our high school was
a demon. I mean, I’m kinda connected to hell’s minions.”
    “Hear me out.” Alexander scooted to the edge
of his seat. If he was right, they were all in grave danger.
“You’ve never been around anything but a local demon; what if she
was a master demon? They’re stronger. I’ve been doing some research
and read about how they can mask their identity better and have
more control.”
    “Where did you read this?” Boon’s brow
arched in