Felicity returns with our food not long after. Bryce rubs his hands together like a little kid when she sets an entire pie in front of him.
“Wow, that pie looks good,” Toby says.
“Hey, eyes on your own plate, buddy. This baby is all mine.” Bryce sticks his fork in and takes a bite. He moans out loud as he relaxes against the booth.
Damn. Why does it have to sound so sexy?
Felicity taps me on the shoulder, and I realize I was staring at the Idol like an idiot.
“Can I have a word with you?” she asks. “In the back?”
“Sure.”
I slide out of the booth and follow her toward the diner’s storage room. Once we’re hidden from view, she whirls around to face me.
“What’s up, Fefe?” I ask.
“You tell me, girl. Why are you staring at the Idol boy with lovesick eyes?”
My spine goes taut. “I wasn’t.”
“Daisy, I know a yearning gaze when I see one. I know he looks like a cover model, but he’s an Idol. And last week he was here with his hateful friends, frightening the hell out of our customers and you.”
“Bryce wasn’t scaring anyone. He just came for the pie.”
Why am I defending him?
“Look at you. You’re already giving them excuses. You have to remember that they may look like us, but they ain’t nothing like us. Their unnatural powers are deadly. Please promise me you’ll stay away from that boy.”
Felicity looks as scared right now as she was on Saturday when we had to bail from Poppy’s Joint in a hurry thanks to Bryce and the others.
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah, no worries. I know what they are.”
Monsters.
I should probably refrain from telling Felicity I share a wall with them. I wouldn’t put it past her locking me in her apartment and forbidding me to return to Gifted Academy.
29
Bryce
Whatever the waitress had to talk about with Daisy in private, it affected her mood. Now Daisy’s withdrawn and tense. Once again, she sat as far as way from me as possible, but this time I didn't use telekinesis to bring her closer to me. I had a pie to demolish, and that took most of my attention.
"I can't believe you ate all that," Daisy's sister says with wide eyes. She's cute, a petite blonde with large blue eyes. Young, probably around fourteen or fifteen. I get it now why Daisy wanted to keep her sister safe from the likes of me. But truthfully, not even Phoenix, who’s the biggest dog in our circle, would go after someone so young.
Toby, however, is totally losing the few brain cells he has left. I've never seen anyone get lovestruck like that at first glance.
"What time is the party?" I ask casually. I'm not ready to return to Gifted Academy yet. As a matter of fact, I have every intention of sticking around for the birthday celebration.
"Not until seven," Daisy replies.
"That's a lot of time to kill."
Daisy and Toby exchange a glance, and then Daisy switches her attention to her sister. An uncomfortable silence descends over us.
Toby rubs the back of his neck and says, "We were planning to check out the carnival by the beach promenade."
Daisy whips her head toward Toby so fast I hear her neck crack.
"Hey, I have nothing to do today. I'd be more than okay taking you to the beach,” I offer. “I can't remember the last time I went to a carnival."
"Do Idols even enjoy those things?" Rosie asks with round eyes.
"Sure we do." I shrug, leaving out that our carnival rides are ten times more intense than anything a Norm or Fringe could endure.
"You don't have to play chauffeur. We can manage without you," Daisy says.
"Nonsense. Unless you don't want me to tag along."
Toby and Rosie blanch. Did they perceive my comment to have double meaning? I didn't sound threatening, or did I?
"No, I just don't want to be indebted to you," Daisy replies.
"Too late now. I already drove you here. Don't worry, I won't ask much in return." I wink at her.
With a sigh, she shakes her head. "Okay, let's get the check and go. We have to get to the bar around six to put the signs and balloons up."
Felicity brings the bill at that precise moment. We all reach for our purses and wallets, but I announce, "Don't worry. I got this." I set a crisp hundred-dollar bill on the tray and look at Felicity. "We're all set."
"I'll come back with your change in a moment." She reaches for the cash.
"No need. Keep the change," I say with a bright smile.
The waitress freezes and looks at me bug-eyed.
"That's too much," she says finally.
"Consider it a birthday tip."
The woman turns to Daisy with her overplucked eyebrows raised.
"Happy birthday, ma'am," Toby says, no doubt trying to break the tension.
"All right, then. Thank you." She gives Daisy a meaningful glance before walking away.
Daisy gets up from the booth with a jerky movement and strides out of the diner with angry steps. She's still fuming when I join her outside.
"What did I do now?" I ask.
"If you can't figure it out on your own, I'm not going to tell you." She looks away with a scowl.
I'm beginning to think it's a good thing she's only a Norm and not an Idol. She'd create chaos if she had any powers. Talk about feistiness.
"I'm not sure if you’re upset because I gave your friend a great tip or because I'm offering to drive you around. But you have to agree that both reasons are ridiculous."
"Hey, are you guys having a fight or something?" Rosie asks, stepping closer to her sister. She's eyeing me with apprehension now.
"Don't worry. We're not having a fight. But before we hop in the car, I'd like to clear the air," I say.
Daisy exchanges a worried glance with her sister.
"I'm not the bad guy here, okay? I get that Idols are usually terrible to Norms and Fringes, but I'm not one of those."
I'm not lying, but I’ve also never felt it necessary to get Norms or Fringes to accept me. They never registered on my radar, not until Daisy came along.
She watches me closely through narrowed eyes before she replies. "Okay, fine. I'll stop giving you a hard time."
Amusement bubbles up my throat. The surrealism of this situation is almost too much. If Rufio could witness this scene, he'd have an aneurism. A Norm telling an Idol she’ll stop giving him a hard time. It's like I'm living in a world where everything is upside down.
"Thank you," I say, holding my arms out and bowing my head. "Let's go already. I can't wait to see what a Norm carnival looks like."
DAISY
I can't figure Bryce out or tell if he's tricking us with this good-guy persona. He hasn't done anything so far to make me doubt his words, but he's an Idol, which is a big negative factor on his side. I think about Felicity's warning. She hit the bull’s-eye with her assessment. I am attracted to Bryce, which means I need to be even more careful and keep my guard up.
We barely exchanged words on the way to Saturn's Bay Beach on the Norm side. Idols have their own access to a much nicer shore and never come here. The promenade is always busy, especially on weekends, but with the carnival, the volume of traffic has tripled. Bryce's luxury SUV is completely out of place and garners looks from pedestrians as we cruise near the sidewalk, searching for a place to park.
A Norm police officer is helping control traffic, and the moment he spots us, his posture changes. Bryce must have noticed it as well, as he stops the vehicle next to the cop and lowers his window.
"Good afternoon, sir. Busy day, huh?" Bryce asks.
"Good afternoon. I don't mean to offend, but are you lost?" The man peers in at me, then moves his attention to Rosie and Toby in the back seat.
"We aren't lost," I reply.
The cop rubs the back of his neck in a fidgety motion. "Look, kids. I don't want any trouble, but maybe it's best if you hang out at the beach on your own s
ide."
Understanding dawns on me. He thinks we’re all Idols. Man, he's brave for even saying anything.
"Why would we do that? Isn't this a free country?" Bryce asks.
The cop opens and shuts his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Sir, you don't have to worry. Only our driver is an Idol. I'm a Norm, and so is my sister," I tell him.
"And I'm a low-level Fringe, so I’m pretty much harmless," Toby adds.
“Oh, okay. Well, one can’t be too careful. Idol kids usually don’t come here, but when they do, it never ends well.” The cop looks at Bryce. “No offense.”
Bryce stares straight ahead, his jaw clenched hard. “None taken.”
“You’ll be hard-pressed to find a parking spot near the beach.” The cop stares at the line of cars ahead of us. “You know what? Why don’t you park next to my vehicle?”
He removes the barricade and signals for Bryce to turn where a few official cars are parked.
Bryce rests his forearm at the edge of the open window and lifts two fingers in salute. “Thank you, sir.”
“That was nice of him to offer us a place to park,” Toby says, to which Bryce responds with a grunt.
“Is something wrong?” I ask, not knowing why I care.
It’s not out of fear for my life, which it should be.
“Nope.”
He climbs out of the SUV and bangs the door shut.
“He’s angry. Do you think he got upset because of what the cop said about Idols?” Rosie asks.
“Bryce has always been strange,” Toby replies. “He’s never dissed Norms or Fringes, though, at least not openly. It’s almost like he’s above all that.”
“Well, we’d better get going before he suspects we’re gossiping about him.”
We find Bryce waiting for us right next to the cop as he observes the crowd. I can’t tell if they exchanged more words, but when we’re within earshot, both are silent.
Bryce looks over his shoulder, his gaze immediately finding mine. There’s a new intensity in his eyes that was absent before, and I feel the impact at full blast.
“What do you want to do first?” he asks.
“How about the Ferris wheel?” Rosie replies when I can’t find my tongue.
I finally manage to break eye contact with the guy. “Yup. Sounds good.”
There’s a huge line to get on the carnival attraction, and the wait is painful. Bryce is still acting like there’s a stick up his butt, so I avoid conversation with him. Toby continues to act in a bizarre manner around Rosie. All I wanted was a stress-free afternoon with my sister and then some fun times with my friends. Instead, I’m stuck in one of the most awkward social interactions of my life.
While Bryce is gazing off at nothing, I spot a cotton candy vendor. Maybe what everyone needs is a little sugar to mellow the fuck out.
“I’ll be right back,” I say and veer toward the cart.
There’s only one couple ahead of me, so I don’t have to wait long.
“Can I have four cotton candy sticks, please?” I ask when it’s my turn.
“Sure can, miss,” the vendor replies with a wide smile.
Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I glance over my shoulder. Bryce doesn’t seem to have noticed I left the line, and Rosie is trying to talk to Toby.
Five minutes later, I return.
“Where have you been?” Rosie asks.
“Where do you think?” I give her one cotton candy.
Bryce is still lost in his own world. Feeling brave and a tad stupid, I tap his shoulder.
“What is—” He eyes the candy I’m offering him. “Is this for me?”
“Yup. As a thank you for driving us here.”
He takes the offering as if he can’t quite believe I bought him candy.
“Thank you. How did you know I was getting hungry?” He shoves a big chunk of pink cloud in his mouth.
“Wild guess.” I shrug.
Bryce gets busy devouring his cotton candy. He’s done before I can even make a dent in mine. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of sweet stuff, and I’m already getting sick.
“Do you want to finish mine?” I offer.
“Are you sure?” He raises an eyebrow.
“I can only handle so much sugar.”
By the time he finishes eating my cotton candy, it’s our turn on the Ferris wheel. We keep the same seating arrangement as in the diner, with Toby and Rosie on one side and Bryce and me opposite them. The cart wobbles back and forth with a lurch as the wheel moves, jostling me against Bryce. He throws his arm around my shoulder to stabilize me, but all it does is unravel me instead.
My heartbeat goes to ninety in a split second, and every muscle in my body is frozen.
“Sorry.” Bryce removes his arm from around me and peers down.
I turn to Rosie, who’s watching me closely. I don’t know if she noticed anything amiss, but even if I hadn’t shown any physical demonstration of my discomfort, she would know. We haven’t had good experiences at the hands of Idols.
“Wow, look at that view,” Toby says. “I’ve never been this high up before.”
“We have,” Rosie replies absent-mindedly. “Remember when Mom and Dad took us to that big carnival in Hawk City, Daisy?”
“So that’s where you’re from.” Bryce turns to me.
I grimace, looking the other way. “Yes, that’s where we’re from.”
“Why did you move to Saturn’s Bay?” he asks, making me even tenser. Curse Rosie for opening her big mouth.
“Because Idols killed our parents seven years ago,” Rosie replies with a bite to her tone.
“Rosie!” I level her with a glare. Goddamn it. Why would she tell Bryce that?
Bryce doesn’t say anything for several beats, but Toby looks absolutely crestfallen.
“I’m so sorry,” he says.
Rosie’s eyes fill with tears. She glances away, covering her mouth with a closed fist.
“Was it a random act of violence?” Bryce finally asks, his voice cold and tight.
“Yes. They were attacked by Idols in the middle of the street. Killed right in front of us,” I lie. If Bryce ever finds out the real reason Idols invaded our home and killed our parents, Rosie and I aren’t safe.
Rosie throws me a disapproving glance. She doesn’t understand the danger the information she already provided puts us in. That’s my fault. I should’ve been more honest with her about the motive behind our parents’ assassination. But she was so scared, and I didn’t want to give her more reason to be so.
“I’m sorry,” Bryce says simply.
Once again, an impregnable silence drops on us like a cocoon of doom.
The Ferris wheel stops suddenly, sending our cart swinging. I grab the side this time, not wanting to be thrown against Bryce again. Motion resumes after a moment, but not slowly as before. The wheel shoots upward violently, and I hear yells from the other riders.
“What the hell?” I say and glance down.
“Aren’t we going a little too fast?” Toby frowns.
“I don’t like this.” Rosie’s face is paler. She’s grabbing the metal bench so tightly that her knuckles have turned white.
As the Ferris wheel increases velocity, the shouts from the other passengers grow louder. They also change in nature, no longer screams of excitement but terror. Our cart begins to swing precariously, too fast to be safe.
“Something isn’t right here,” I say.
“No, definitely not.” Bryce stands up and leans toward the side of the cart.
I reach for the back of his shirt. “Come back to your seat. You’re going to fall.”
My hold on him is feeble, so when he steps on the bench, I can’t stop him.
“Bryce, cut it out,” I say.
“Fuckers,” he says under his breath before he looks over his shoulder. “Hold tight.”
He jumps off in the next second. I scream as I slide on the bench to peer down. Instead of falling to his
doom, Bryce’s descent is slow and measured, using the wheel’s metal poles as leaping platforms. He disappears from view for a moment, but I know he’s okay.
“He’s a level seventeen Idol, Daisy. A fall won’t kill him,” Toby says.
“Can he fly?” Rosie asks.
“I don’t think so,” I tell her, though I don’t actually know.
The Ferris wheel’s frame rattles savagely, followed by a bright explosion of light coming from the ground that almost blinds me. Then the motion stops, and silence reigns supreme.
“What happened?” Rosie peers down. “I can’t see anything.”
After at least five minutes, the ride restarts. But it’s not until ten minutes later that our cart finally reaches the bottom and we’re able to get off.
Cops, firefighters, and paramedics are everywhere, mingled with the rattled crowd. No sign of Bryce.
“Rosie, Toby, stay close to me.” I reach for Rosie’s hand, and she laces her fingers with Toby’s.
Leading the line, I carve a path through the crowd with my elbows. It’s not until I break through the worst of it that I spot Bryce talking to a few cops, including the one who gave us a parking spot.
“Bryce!” I yell before I increase my pace.
He turns at the sound of my voice, and I see it then, the piece of white tissue pressed against his lips.
I halt just shy of colliding with him. “What happened?”
He pulls the tissue from his mouth, revealing a busted lip. It seems it bled for a little bit, but now it’s just swollen.
“This is nothing,” he says casually.
“You’re being modest, son,” our cop friend chimes in. “Your friend here helped avert a tragedy.”
“Okay, but what happened exactly?” Toby asks.
“A group of Idols from out of town thought it would be fun to terrorize some Norm kids,” Bryce replies with a tone that implies those Idols are not faring too well right now.
“What did you do to them?” I ask.
“Nothing they didn’t deserve.”
“One moment Bryce was surrounded by four Idols, and then the next, there was this bright light. Once it faded away, the delinquents were on the ground, unconscious and all covered in bruises. It was awesome. It kind of makes you believe that the Knights are real, huh?” The cop chuckles.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 17
