I BEAT ZANDER TO English for once and sat in the back of the room among several empty seats. My mind was still buzzing with everything Dr. Frankler had revealed to us at lunch. I couldn't get over this idea that I was fireproof. I wasn't going to test it any time soon, though. I winced at the thought of burning myself on purpose.
The room was almost full when Zander strolled through the doorway, but there were still two available seats near me. His eyebrows were drawn together in annoyance, and I wondered what had upset him. Before he could turn down my aisle, two girls moved, filling in the empty seats - Kelsey and Sarah, Zena's friends. I looked for the chairs that they'd vacated, unsurprised to see empty desks on each side of Zena. Zander paused in front of the class, his scowl deepening just as the bell rang.
"Have a seat, Mr. Hughes," commanded Mr. Mac, a hint of impatience in his Scottish accent.