Pulse

wouldn’t chase him off by yelling for her parents.
    “It’s just me. It’s Hawk. Nothing to worry about.”
    Faith breathed a sigh of relief and then seemed to wonder how the blanket had gotten onto her bed. She went to the window and unlocked it, pushing it upward only a few inches and crouching down to talk.
    “What are you doing here? It’s after midnight. In case it wasn’t obvious, I was asleep.”
    “No, I get it, I do,” Hawk said, nervously shivering in the cold. “This can’t wait. It’s a timing thing, honestly. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have to.”
    “You’re acting weird.”
    “I know, totally normal, back to my old self. Can you let me in? It’ll only take a second.”
    Faith looked back at her bed like she were still dreaming, rubbed her eyes, then peered back out the window.
    “Did you put that blanket on my bed?” she asked.
    “I’m out here, remember?”
    Faith looked dubious, but she raised her eyebrows and shrugged it off, pushing the window up high enough for Hawk to crawl through.
    “You know, I do have a front door. For future reference.”
    “Didn’t want to wake up your parents,” Hawk said as he climbed through the opening and caught his tennis shoe on the edge, falling onto the carpeted floor. “Always liked carpet, much more forgiving than hardwood. Love the stuff.”
    “Uh-huh,” Faith mumbled, shutting the window and crawling back under the covers before Hawk could say anything else. He stood in the dim light of her room rubbing the cold from his bare arms.
    “No, you can’t get in,” Faith said.
    Hawk looked like he was about to cry.
    “If it’s that big a deal, fine,” Faith said. “Just stay on your own side.”
    Hawk shook his head back and forth like she’d misunderstood.
    “I’m sorry, Faith. I blew it. I didn’t think you were going to take those Wire Codes. They were for Wade.”
    “Uh-huh,” Faith said, not sure how she was supposed to respond. She was tired, and she felt betrayed by one of the only friends she had in the world. What she really wanted at that moment was to fall asleep and forget about Wade, Hawk, Dylan—all of them.
    “I need to tell you how it happens,” Hawk said. “He doesn’t ask me to make them. He tells me to. Try being my size with a guy like that telling you what to do. It’s not easy saying no.”
    Faith’s heart softened as she looked at Hawk. He looked so young and vulnerable. She was starting to feel like maybe she was being a little too hard on him. She still didn’t know if she could trust him, but she was willing to listen. The truth was, she felt lonely, and Hawk was very chatty. He’d do most of the talking anyway.
    “Come on, get in,” she said, pushing down the covers on one side of the bed and patting the sheet like she were trying to coax in a puppy.
    Hawk leaped onto the mattress so fast it startled Faith fully awake. He didn’t even remove his shoes, which she thought was gross and dumb; but he had the covers over his legs before she could say anything.
    “Cold out there. Way better in here. Thanks for the invite.”
    Faith was pretty sure she’d just made a mistake. How long was this going to take?
    “So you’re not a notorious drug dealer then?” Faith said.
    “No way, not that. Not even close. I’m very limited release, superexclusive. Only rich a-holes need apply.”
    “Right.”
    Faith ran her hands along the soft surface of the blanket.
    “How did this thing get here? You sure you didn’t do it?”
    Hawk was nervous about how to answer, because obviously Faith didn’t know her room was haunted. What else could have caused a blanket to drift over a bed like that and unfold? Was there any chance he had imagined it himself? His stress level had been off the charts lately, and it was dark in the room. Maybe he was losing his marbles.
    “Probably the Wire Codes,” Hawk lied. “Sometimes you forget little things for weeks after. You probably put it on and just don’t remember.”
    “I guess. You know what the strange part is though? I was thinking about how cold I was, not really dreaming it, just wishing I had another blanket. And then I woke up, and there it was. Weird, right?”
    Hawk shrugged like he had no idea what she was talking about.
    “You know, if you want, I could probably sleep here for the rest of the night. My parents don’t even know I’m out.”
    “You wish,” she said sarcastically.
    “Yes, I do.”
    “At least get your shoes out of my bed.