Page 24 of Quiet
Briar:…thanks
Alex:Isa went back with Will
We rescheduled for tomorrow evening. Same time
Briar found himself gripping the bark of the tree. Bits of it came off in his hand and drifted to the ground. He brushed it off his fingers. If it wasn’t charcoal, he didn’t want it on his hands.
Was Isa with Will right now?
The sun was barely peeking through the trees now. It was probably a good idea to climb down. But if he went down, he was only going to find more questions.
Briar sighed heavily and started the climb back down the tree.
When he got to the bottom, he texted Alex.
Briar:Sorry
Alex:It’s okay, man, you didn’t hurt anyone
You just surprised us, that’s all
Besides, dude kind of deserved it
Briar:He really did
Briar turned off his phone, put it back in his pocket, then began the long walk back to campus.
Chapter10
Briar
Instead of taking him back to the studio like he’d expected, Briar’s feet led him to the theater.
He couldn’t help it. He’d barely seen Isa at all today.
He entered the auditorium to the sound of laughter.
Will was standing in the middle of the stage gesticulating wildly. “And then the next thing I knew, I was up in the air! He had me right by the collar. It was all I could do to keep from sayingchoke me, daddy!”
“You’d better be glad you didn’t, Will. He might have put you in the hospital, and then we’d have a departmental war on our hands.” Ryan rubbed his forehead.
“I will go to war with that man any day.” Will sighed and fanned himself dramatically.
Briar scanned the area for Isa but didn’t find him. All he saw was Ryan standing stock still, frozen in the act of digging through a toolbox and several girls looking over a script together. Half of them were shooting him dirty looks.
“So, do you think we should revoke the art kids’ Isa privileges? Or maybe send more people with him next time—not you,” Ryan said, giving Will a hard look.
“Are you kidding me? No one is going to mess with Isa over there. That gorgeous brute will be more than enough protection for our little boy, I can assure you.”
“Stop trying to give me away to people, Will,” said a girl with long, dark curls spilling down her back. Briar did a double take when he recognized Isa’s voice.
Now that he was paying closer attention, he recognized the willowy frame he’d been compelled to draw over and over again. Briar stopped in his tracks and touched his chest. His heart had begun pounding the moment he’d heard Isa’s voice.
Why was Isa wearing a wig?
“I’m not trying to give you away, Isa. I just wanted to make sure you were safe over there.” Will spun on his heel and looked Briar dead in the eye. “I’m sorry I had to provoke you like that, big guy, but I needed to be certain. You passed, by the way. Thanks for not crushing my throat. I need to use it later.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Briar approached the stage. “Not apologizing.”
