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.”“It’s not my favorite place to be either,” Vince admitted.He might have said more, but it would have been rude to chat over Selena’s singing when they were right by the stage.Her dark-brown eyes flitted through the crowd, landing briefly on Alex, then immediately turning away as the music began to swell.She’d chosen a relatively old one, a song from the nineties about a lost soul searching for its companion.Selena could have used her power to make everyone feel the sorrow as she sang, but she didn’t.She didn’t have to; her talent did that all on its own.Usually there was at least a bit of hushed conversation as someone performed.In that moment, as the heartbroken girl projected her sadness, there wasn’t so much as a peep.It wasn’t until Selena sang the final note that anyone dared to move in their seats, and at that their first reaction was to applaud wildly.Camille looked over to Vince, intending to continue their conversation, when she encountered quite possibly the last thing she would have expected.A small pool of tears was glistening in Vince’s bright blue eyes, his vision still unwavering from the now-departing songstress.“Vince?”The silver-haired boy jerked with a start, as though he had completely let it slip his mind that there were other people around him.“I, um, um, well, this is a little embarrassing.” He fumbled around for a tissue, finding none on the cleared-off tables.“There’s nothing wrong with the tears.It was a touching performance,” Camille reassured him.“It was, but that’s not it,” Vince replied, still scouring for something to wipe with.At last he remembered Nick had made him stick a handkerchief in one of his jacket pockets just in case.After a few attempts he pulled it out, along with his pocket watch, from the one on his right front.“The song just reminded me of someone from a long time ago.”“I see,” Camille said.She resisted the urge to bite her lip as Vince dabbed at his eyes.If she’d been a little less absorbed in his statement she might have heard the sudden movement behind her.It would still have been a stretch, because only a few people in the room were able to follow the burst of motion.From Vince’s perspective all he felt was a sudden iron grip clamp down on his wrist.He glanced up to see Chad staring down at him, a sea of unspoken emotions contorting his face.“Where did you get that?” Chad was never what someone would call warm, but his usual tone was positively bubbly compared to how he sounded now.“The handkerchief?” Vince felt the grip tighten significantly.“I am not playing games.Where did you get that watch?”101.“Chad, I think you’re hurting Vince.” Camille’s voice was a stark contrast to the uneasy silence that had fallen over the room when Chad gripped his classmate.Little was said, and tension could be sensed in the bodies of those around them, some worried about what was happening while others were ready to jump into action if the moment called for it.Chad could feel the stares of everyone centering on him, and ordinarily it would have been enough to make him take a step back.Not with this.Even the innocent concern of Camille only resulted in him slightly relaxing his grip, only barely enough to allow blood flow.“I need an answer, Vince.”“It was a gift from my father.” Vince had no idea what the hell was going on, but even he was smart enough to see that something was wrong with Chad.The blonde boy had always been reserved in his strength, never lording his superior power over the rest of the class.That didn’t make him perfect, however, and Vince knew firsthand that when someone with real skill lost control things could get very bad, very fast.“A gift from your father.” Chad’s face looked like it might begin to turn green.“And who is your father, exactly?”“The man who raised me.I never knew his name; he said he’d cast it away before we met.To me he was always just Father.” In truth, Vince would have preferred not to get into his past in such a public place; but, it seemed like there was no alternative other than to tell Chad the truth.Whatever was happening, lying was bound to make it worse.“How did he get this?”“Chad, maybe you want to calm down a little.I don’t think Vince’s history is really your business,” Nick said, eyeing the young man carefully [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]