"I'd better leave," I say.
"You’ll leave when I say you can."
"Well, I don't want your stupid eggs or fancy coffee. I'd rather go hungry."
Faster than I can blink, Phoenix is in front of me, crowding my space. With his bulky frame, he cages me in against the counter. The hard edge pinches my back. I brace my hands against it in the hope that I can inconspicuously find a weapon to delay whatever Phoenix wants to do to me.
"You're not interested in my olive branch offering, but you sure want to meddle in my personal business."
"I wasn't trying to meddle. And I wouldn't call forcing me to have breakfast with you an olive branch," I say while my right hand finds something cold and solid. The bowl with the egg mix.
"You could’ve fooled me. Take a good look, Daisy." He points at his black eye. "Norms aren't the only ones who are dealt shitty hands."
"Someone gave you a black eye, and now you think your pain equals mine?" I ask through clenched teeth. The pain of my parents’ deaths returns with a vengeance. "You're such an arrogant ass." I grab the bowl and toss its contents on Phoenix's face.
He steps back, wiping the mess. "What the fuck!"
I bolt for the door. Morpheus didn't lock it when he left, a detail I noticed. I wrap my hand around the knob, the only thing I'm able to do before a great invisible force yanks me back. I fly across the room, stopping only when my back hits the wall. Spread-eagle style, I can't move. I'm glued to the hard surface in the same position I found myself in seven years ago.
And just like that, I'm back in the worst moment of my life.
Phoenix approaches me with measured steps, egg still dripping from his chin. He stops in front of me, but the image of the Idol I killed is superimposed over Phoenix's angry face. Only this time, I don't have a proper weapon to defend myself.
"You’re either the stupidest girl I've ever met or you’re seeking suicide by Idol," he says with barely controlled rage.
"Let me go," I reply.
"Not until I get something into your thick head. You’re nothing. If you think you can come on our turf, defy us, and not face the consequences, you’re seriously mistaken, sweetheart."
"I wasn't defying anyone. I was protecting myself. But I guess you’ve never encountered a Norm who fights back, and that's pissing you off, isn't it? You think we’re meek, inferior."
"I don't think. You are."
I laugh almost deliriously. "If you truly believe that, then you’re the fool. You know what the truth really is? You Idols fear us Norms. We don't possess godly powers, but we’re the majority. It's just a matter of time until we find a way to annihilate all of you."
Phoenix's nostrils flare. He reaches for my throat with his bare hands and presses his fingers around it. But he doesn't choke me, just freezes and stares into my eyes. The rage is still there, but something else as well.
Doubt. And regret.
After what feels like an eternity, he releases me and steps back. The power holding me to the wall vanishes, and I fall on my ass.
He whirls around and says in a low voice, "Leave. Now."
He doesn't need to say it twice. I scramble back to my feet and am out the door as fast as I can.
34
Phoenix
I purposely made myself scarce on Sunday after my altercation with Daisy. Rufio and Bryce were out the entire day, dealing with their parents for missing dinner the evening before. I never saw when Morpheus returned since I locked myself in my room the rest of the day.
Being alone gave me time to think, to analyze Daisy's last words to me. I didn't think much of it when Morpheus stated that she was bad news. He's prone to being pessimistic, our very own harbinger. But Daisy is in fact out to destroy us. She boldly told me so.
I should’ve killed her then. It would’ve been so easy, like squashing a bug under my thumb. But while I had my hand wrapped around her neck, she reminded me of myself. I've lost count of how many times my father’s held me in that same position. Trapped, subjected to his wicked whims.
For that reason, I couldn't bring myself to end her. I tell myself it was the only reason, but deep down, I know there's more.
I didn't have to drag her to my apartment and cook her breakfast. I could’ve lied to her about my black eye, or scared her into silence. Bottom line is she has a hold on me, whether she knows it or not, and I can't allow that. I'm one person’s captive already, and that's one too many.
The desire to blow off the entire school day is grand, but I remember that we have math class with Daisy in the first two periods. I can’t wait to truly start making her life a living hell.
The guys are ready to go when I walk into the living room only half dressed.
"You're going to be late," Morpheus says over the rim of his coffee mug.
"What happened to your face?" Rufio asks.
I shrug. "An intense tennis match that got a little out of hand. You should see the other guy."
Rufio frowns as he tries to sniff the deceit. I don't care if he knows I'm lying as long as he doesn't learn the truth.
"That's dumb, but sadly you don't get the stupidest jackass trophy this week," Morpheus says. "That honor goes to Bryce."
I stare at the guy. He's reading a book, his chin dipped low. All he does is flip Morpheus off. I wish I could just brush off things as easily as him. It seems nothing fazes Rufio’s older brother.
"Before we go, I want to talk about Daisy,” I say.
"What about her?" Rufio’s eyebrows crinkle together. Surprisingly, that gets Bryce's attention as well.
"I think it's time we amp up the games. She’s not the typical Norm, and that’s a major problem."
"I'm with you there," Rufio says. "She's a fucking bitch, and she needs to learn her place."
"So, does that mean no one wants to fuck her anymore?" Morpheus asks.
There's an almost imperceptible flinch from Rufio and a slight frown from Bryce. Damn it. If she’s already managed to trap Bryce—the coldest son of a bitch I know—in her web, then we definitely underestimated her.
Rufio finally replies, "She's not worth it."
He's lying, which doesn't surprise me. Dangerous or not, she's a hot piece of ass.
"Well, whatever you decide to do her, please don't start during math class." Morpheus hoists his bag strap over his shoulder. "I'd like to learn something today, not be distracted by your shenanigans."
"Fine, nerd. We’ll wait until lunchtime," I say over my shoulder.
Morpheus is out the door in the next second. Whatever, we don't need him.
"How exactly do you plan to make Daisy give up her spot at Gifted Academy?" Bryce asks.
I hold up my phone. "Maybe it's time the student body gets to know Daisy's background a little more."
"What do you have there?" Rufio asks.
"Oh, just a souvenir I got from Unearthly Desires."
"You recorded Daisy's performance?" Rufio's eyebrows shoot to the heavens.
I let my broad smile answer for me.
"You fucker. How come you didn't tell us?" Rufio is now staring daggers at me.
"I knew," Bryce replies, dropping his gaze back to the book.
"Well, I was barely conscious," Rufio retorts.
"So your master plan is to broadcast Daisy's video to the entire school? That's so… middle school. And honestly not worth the punishment the school administration will dole out." Bryce flips a page of whatever novel he’s reading.
"Okay, now you’re offending me. I'm not sending the video from my own phone,” I reply.
"You're going to ask someone in your fan club to do it for you." Rufio’s lips curl into a smirk.
"Precisely, and I know just the girl for the job."
MORPHEUS
As much as I’d like to participate in getting rid of the Norm, I have other matters to occupy my mind, like understanding math. Why do numbers and equations evade me so much?
Rufio and Phoenix better rein in their thirst for destruct
ion during class. I can't afford Mr. Atkins canceling the lecture on account of their pranks. I need every minute I can get. Maybe I won't need a tutor if I study my ass off.
As if I summoned her with my thoughts, Daisy enters the classroom before Rufio and Phoenix arrive. She glances briefly in my direction before she looks away and takes the seat in front of Phoenix's. Her appearance isn’t the best—not that the girl could possibly ever be ugly. She's paler than usual, and her dark circles are evident. She must’ve had a rough weekend.
Knowing Rufio and Phoenix, her week won't get any better. Whatever, that's not my problem.
For once, my shadows don't awaken in her presence. Maybe Daisy wasn't the trigger after all. I shake my head and focus on the equation I've been trying to solve since yesterday. I'm stuck and can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
I lift my eyes to Daisy. She has her chin dipped down, and her writing hand is moving fast over her notebook. I stretch my neck, trying to see what page of the textbook she's on now. One hundred and three. Damn. She's already ahead three chapters. What the fuck? I drop my pencil and pull my hair back in frustration. It should be illegal for Norms to be smarter than Idols.
Rufio and Phoenix enter the room just as the final bell rings. Daisy doesn't glance up, but she stops writing for a second as her shoulders become tense. Phoenix drops in his chair noisily, sprawling his legs forward and bumping into Daisy's chair.
She looks over her shoulder, eyes narrowed to slits. "Do you mind?"
Phoenix cracks one of his famous arrogant smiles. "As a matter of fact, I do, sweetheart."
"All right, everyone." Mr. Atkins claps his hands together to command our attention. "I hope you had a great weekend. I’m sure you also found time in your busy schedules to complete your homework."
I hear several groans and catch a few eye rolls.
"Yeah, yeah. Spare me your whining," our teacher continues. "Since this is the third week of class for 99 percent of the class"—he stares at Daisy meaningfully—"we're having a quiz today. And yes, before you ask, you will be graded on it."
"Fuck me," Phoenix says loudly, making a few girls in his fan club giggle like idiots.
"No, thank you, Mr. Westbrook. As charming as I find you, I'll pass on the offer," Mr. Atkins says.
He grabs a stack of paper and distributes them to the students sitting in the front seat of each row. "You know the drill, grab a copy and pass the rest to the student behind you."
Daisy tries to pass the pile to Phoenix without touching him at all, but of course he grabs her fingers and squeezes hard for a second. All she does is clench her jaw and yank her hand away.
When the quiz finally lands on my desk, I swallow the I'm-fucked lump that gets stuck in my throat. Just a quick glimpse at the quiz tells me I'm going fail hard.
BRYCE
I'm supposed to be in advanced telekinesis class. Besides the traditional curriculum that all students—Idols, Fringes, and Norms—must follow, Idols can also enroll in classes tailored specifically to their gifts. Telekinesis isn’t my dominant ability, and therefore I enjoy learning more about it.
But instead of heading to the special studies building, I'm still in Principal Fallon's office. I have no clue what she wants. I'm rarely called in, and on the few occasions it’s happened before, it was thanks to something Rufio or Phoenix had done and I just happened to be around the idiots.
I've been waiting for over five minutes when she finally joins me.
"Thanks for waiting, Bryce." She circles around her desk and takes a seat in her expensive leather chair.
I don't reply. I'm not usually prone to bouncing meaningless comments around, and after the intense weekend I had, the last thing I want is to chitchat with the principal.
As usual, her appearance is impeccable. Her short blonde hair is combed back, highlighting the sharp angles of her face. There isn't a single wrinkle in her dark gray suit.
She leans forward, resting her forearms on the desk as she links her hands together. "How were things this morning with your roommates?"
I groan in my head. "Did you pull me out of one the few tolerable classes in this institution to ask me about my roommates?"
"It might seem like an inconsequential question, but considering what happened last weekend, I need to know your friends' moods in relation to Daisy Woods."
I lean forward and massage my temples with my fingers. Blowing off our parents on Saturday night earned Rufio and me the worst tongue-lashing of our lives. I'm still drowning in my father’s sermon about duty and destiny. Fuck, sometimes I wish I could bash his face in. I hate the motherfucker. Mom is a little bit more tolerable, though not by much.
"Everyone hates the Norm. Is that what you want to hear?"
Narrowing her eyes to slits, she replies, "I don't like your tone, boy."
"I'm not a boy," I say through clenched teeth. "Let's cut to the chase, and you tell me what you want."
"I want you to keep an eye on Daisy. You’re the most sensible one. Make sure Rufio, Phoenix, and Morpheus don't take their sadistic games too far."
I shake my head and laugh derisively. "You’re unbelievable. You brought a Norm girl to Gifted Academy, and now you expect me to keep her safe from the other students?"
"Precisely."
"If you care so much about her well-being, why did you bring her here? I'm sure you had to do a lot of compromising to get the council's approval."
"Why I wanted to give Daisy a better chance in life is not of your concern." Her tone is hard, final.
Sick and tired of the bullshit, I stand up and place my hands on her desk, leaning forward.
"Maybe if we’d had this conversation last week when you brought Daisy into our lives, I might’ve done as you said, no questions asked. But since I had to listen to you and Dad hammer us with talks of Idol pride and how all Norms should be eradicated from the face of the Earth, I'm less inclined to do as I'm told."
I let my power leak out and envelop my frame. All the lights in her office flicker. She flares her nostrils and locks her gaze with mine in a battle of wills. She knows exactly what I'm capable of, even though I've never used my powers against her. There’s a first time for everything.
"I have a part to play on the game board of the gods, and so do you and your brother."
“You should be talking to Rufio, then, not me. He’s the one with a vendetta against Daisy.”
“Who said I didn’t?”
I laugh without humor. “Right, you asked him to play nice with the Norm.”
“Of course not. I told Rufio exactly what he expected from me.”
I watch her with incredulity. She always took Dad’s side every time Norms were involved. I suspected she didn’t truly agree with him, but it wasn’t until Daisy came along that I knew for sure where Mom stood. Rufio never got that. He believes both our parents are Norm haters, which means she pitted Rufio against Daisy.
"You gave Rufio a free pass to do whatever he wanted to Daisy, didn’t you?"
“I did what had to be done,” she replies without a hint of emotion.
Damn, and I thought I was a cold bastard. I don’t come close to Mom’s ruthlessness.
“Cut the bullcrap. Why did you bring Daisy here?”
Mom squints hard and clenches her jaw. “You’ll learn in good time.”
Puppets. That’s what Rufio and I are to her. Furious, I expand my power’s reach, which means this entire section of the building is experiencing issues with electricity.
"I've seen you around the girl. She’s changed something in you,” she says suddenly, catching me off guard.
I rein in my powers. The woman is too fucking observant. She’s always been able to tell exactly what I was thinking no matter how good my poker face was. And I'm the master of neutral expressions.
“You’re wrong.”
"So if something awful were to happen to Daisy, you wouldn't care?"
"No." I answer too quickly, too hard. Any fool could sense the lie.
The corners of Mom’s mouth twitch up. "Says the guy who leveled four Idols in the blink of an eye to defend the Norm he doesn't care about. Right."
"That had nothing to do with Daisy. I wasn't going to let those assholes from Hawk City create havoc on my turf."
"You can keep lying to yourself, but you can't hide the truth from me. I've known you your entire life, after all."
"Like that fucking matters, Mom."
I whirl around and stride out of her office, not bothering to close the door. But I do fry every single circuit in her office. The sound of her loud cursing doesn't erase the annoyance running in my veins, but it's satisfying nonetheless.
My amusement is cut short. I knew my mother was scheming. Daisy didn't earn a scholarship at Gifted Academy by chance. But I've slacked off. I didn't bother looking into her past to find out what was so special about the girl. That she’s fearless and doesn't bow down to us Idols can't be the only reason my mother went through all the trouble to get her here. No, there's more to it, and now that she's gotten under my skin, I have to discover exactly what I'm dealing with.
35
Daisy
It's the middle of the week, and I'm exhausted from constantly looking over my shoulder. So far, my lovely neighbors have left me alone. No snide remarks, no inappropriate visions. Nothing. Which means the blow, when it comes, will be devastating.
Toby's guiding services are no longer required, but he continues to hang out with me nonetheless. I'm not sure why he wants to risk the bullying he’s sure to suffer just by associating with me. I suppose he now has an ulterior motive, which is to ask me about Rosie. The three-year age difference between them should bother me, but the likelihood that anything will come out of this infatuation is slim. When would Toby find the time to date my sister? I really don't know how anyone can have a social life being a student here. Going out last weekend is an event I won't repeat any time soon.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 21
