by Holly Hook
"Trolling?"
"She wants to get a reaction out of you. That's what miserable people do. If you don't ignore her, respond with a smiley face."
Ronin was right. But was Grandma? Of course she was asking a question, but she was implying that I must hate it here. I had at first, but Maria and Mikey were awesome, and Ronin turned out to not be such a jerkface, at least when we were alone, and even though my powers were scary, if I learned to control them, I just might end up with a future.
And Grandma would hate that.
So I texted back the smiley face while Ronin grinned.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked.
"Absolutely sure. The blowup will be entertaining." Ronin sat down on my bed, next to the stuffed unicorn he had no idea he'd embraced weeks ago. He shoved it to the side as I held back a laugh.
He was on my bed.
And now he wanted me to sit beside him.
My heart raced as I did. Our thighs touched, and Ronin's was electric even under his tight jeans.
I had hardly sat down when Grandma texted back. Call me. Now.
"Uh, oh," I said.
Ronin flashed me a grin. "Tell her off. Tell her you're having a blast here. That woman deserves it."
Doubt flooded my chest like sad, inky water. Right now, with my Chaos Dagger gone, I was just plain Giselle from Colton Corners. I couldn't believe the effect Grandma had on me.
"Are you sure?"
"I've got your back. Call her and tell her you're having a good time here. And you have." Ronin puffed out his chest, which gave me the strength to dial Grandma's number.
She picked up right away. "Giselle, when are you going to come home? Running the store is difficult by myself and at my age. You should be able to leave on the weekends and find a ride here."
Grandma sounded so tired and miserable that I flinched. The color in the dorm room dulled as she spoke. For a moment, I felt like I was back home, back in that suffocating living room. Without the cigarette smoke and the TV, of course.
Ronin's jaw dropped, like he couldn't believe this. My chest constricted and turned painful. Now was the moment to tell her off, to tell her I was having fun here, but it felt wrong. I really was Grandma's only family and now I'd gone and done the same thing my parents did.
"I'm not allowed to leave. They changed the rules."
"Giselle. No," Grandma said.
"But you've always run the store by yourself," I forced out. "And I'm taking classes at both academies now. I have a great tutor. We're having fun and I even got to go to a party last night."
Grandma made a sound like a croak. She was close to tears. "But I'm all alone now."
She didn't have to say the rest because she was right. I was the last string holding her up. Grandma sounded as if she'd collapsed.
"I'm sorry," I said. "But I had to—"
Ronin shook his head. This was a flop.
"Then stay with your powerful friends," Grandma said, holding back a sob. "I only clothed you, fed you, and provided a roof over your head for sixteen years and now you won't even come back to visit. Is that so much to ask?"
"It's not that simple," I pleaded. Grandma had a point—I hadn't visited in the three or four weeks I'd been here—but the thought filled me with dread. Even if Carmen and my other friends were still back home. And if I told her about the Lower Order, she'd freak.
"Please come and visit, Giselle. It would make me so happy," Grandma said, evening out her voice. "Just for an hour or two. I'm getting over the fact that you have to attend Olympian."
Huh?
She assumed I was going to Olympian?
The school I should have gone to?
Grandma ended the call before I could ask her anything more.
Beside me, Ronin's jaw dropped.
"She knew I was supposed to go to Olympian?" I asked.
We stared at each other before he cleared his throat. "After last night, you really shouldn't leave campus. And it's not your job to make her happy. She's an adult and made her own decisions."
"You're my therapist now?" I didn't mean for it to come out rude, but it did. Ronin tried to make Zeus happy, and he was a god who made his own decisions.
"I'm still your tutor." He held me in that golden-flecked gaze.
"But Grandma has the answers. Better to go through her than a god, right?" I asked. "Is that van still sitting out front?" I studied Ronin's face for any sign of a yes.
He frowned a bit.
Yes.
"Come on," Ronin said. "She's the type who isn't happy unless other people are miserable. That's all she wants. To put you back in your place."
"I know that, but maybe I can get her to just tell me what she knows already," I said, rising off the bed. Mikey must still have the keys to the van if no one had moved it yet.
"You're not going anywhere." Ronin held up the said keys with a grin. He'd already taken them from Mikey.
"Ronin! You're still an ass!" I slapped him on the arm. "I thought you were going to help me figure this out!"
He frowned again. "Fine. You're right. But we have to worry about the Lower Order."
"I know that."
Ronin's free hand balled and trembled. "We don't entirely know how they work. I don't know if they can just track you or if they just assumed you'd be at Olympian and therefore at the party."
I saw my chance. "They were asking around for me last night. That tells me they might not be able to track me."
"Possibly." Ronin seized a piece of blanket and squeezed.
I'm almost there. "If we get answers out of Grandma, I might know what to do to keep the Lower Order away from me. They won't expect me to go back to a dive like Colton Corners, right? After last night, they'll expect me to be hanging around the cool kids. And Dominique can only block one person's powers at a time."
"True." Ronin gulped. "You're about to convince me and I don't like that."
* * * * *
There was no time for making out. Were Ronin and I even to that point yet? The two of us marched downstairs to the dining hall, where Wendy and her friends were sitting, and I didn't miss the way Wendy glared at me when she spotted Ronin standing beside me. But then turned her mouth up into a grin.
Beside me, Ronin tensed.
But Maria and Mikey weren't at breakfast yet. They must still be sleeping.
"Show me their dorms," Ronin said, and not without a slight frown.
The sense of dread Wendy was sending our way sent shivers down my spine. And I didn't like the way she was smiling. She was like, you're going to have a very bad day.
"Does Wendy know something?" I asked as I led Ronin out of the dining hall.
"I don't think so. Well, she was at the party last night," he said. "Don't worry. She wouldn't be working with the Lower Order. A girl like her is too busy trying to impress people at Olympian."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Aren't Hades's descendants all grudgy?"
"Yes, but they're not stupid," Ronin said.
I led him to Maria's dorm and knocked on the door. She groaned from inside, but woke up. "Come on. It's Saturday. What are you waking me up this early for?" Then she turned her gaze up at Ronin. "What are you doing in the girls' dorms?"
"We have a mission," I said for him. Then I explained what happened on the phone and instead of grinning like I expected, Maria frowned.
"Your grandma's not going to give you answers," she said. "She just wants to convince you to work in that stupid little store selling booze to miserable people."
"I know that, so we're going to make her," I said. "If all of us go, we have a better chance."
But Ronin squeezed my shoulder. "Since I'll be overseeing this operation, it's going to succeed, baby."
Now was the time for his attitude. Ronin had proven his ability to face down Grandma before and he could do it again.
We woke Mikey, who was on board with the plan, and then we ran back down to the laundry room to find a small group of third years drying their robes. They ignor
ed us, as a lot of people seemed to ignore the first years here, and we fished out our disguises.
"Ronin, we need our weapons," I said.
He nodded. "I have the Chaos Dagger. Maria and Mikey, I can unlock your birthright weapons. I put them in the shed last night. The Lower Order probably won't show up in Colton Corners, but we can't be too sure."
"You know, first and second years aren't allowed to carry their weapons off campus," Mikey said.
"We're already breaking the rules times three," Maria said. That was the Maria I knew.
I knew the best thing I could do was stay here. Stay within these walls and fences and out of sight. But I couldn't. Who knew what was at stake? If the Lower Order had attacked a party full of terrifying god descendants, they wouldn't take that long to launch an attack on the Academy, with or without Zeus's magic protecting the place. There was no way I could just sit around anymore.
Ronin took us around the arena, where a few Olympian students seemed to be playing a game with a giant metal disc, and to another shed that had very heavy doors and was very locked.
"Wow, I'm glad you help teach classes over here," I said.
Ronin drew a big brass key from his pocket and unlocked the giant padlock, one so thick even Maria might not be able to break it. "If Prometheus finds out I'm accessing this right now, he would never let me teach over here again."
The shed contained lots of weapons, though not as impressive as the ones at Olympian. Maria found her club and Mikey his dagger. Ronin locked back up, and we crossed campus as quick as we could, mainly because Maria's weapon was hard to hide. But we made it and no one came out of the building to stop us. The werewolf guards out front continued to stare straight ahead with their hairy brows, and Maria circled around the opposite side of the van with her club.
We climbed in. "I'd get my weapon, too, but I'm too awesome to use it," Ronin said.
Oh. He was a second year, too. I'd forgotten. In fact, I'd never seen Ronin use any weapons at all.
He started the van and we were off. The gate opened and we crossed through an invisible wall of electricity, just as we had last night. I cringed, but nothing happened.
"How come Zeus can stop the Lower Order from coming in here, but he can't stop me from leaving?" I asked.
"He doesn't want to kill you?" Ronin asked. "His magic isn't the type meant to just stun. You saw what I did. Take that, and multiply it by ten. Now, Colton Corners. On the way, everyone, make sure no one's following us."
"I can arrange for us to meet Carmen," I said. "My friend. You met her. Wacky clothes and cat socks." My chest warmed and I was looking forward to seeing her again. Maybe, if we got answers, we could even visit for a bit.
The drive took the same forty-five minutes it had on the way to the sorting temple. We left the town of Marchamp behind, and as Ronin got off the exit to Colton Corners, following the faded sign and the scratched arrow, the air seemed to dull and thicken. Now that I'd spent time away, I could feel how sad and hopeless the place was, which just strengthened my resolve to find Carmen. I'd left her and my other friends here.
"You were living here?" Maria asked, looking at the twin rows of boarded-up stores.
"Hey, the bar is open," Mikey said. "And so is the church. I think that's a church."
"That's an old, condemned schoolhouse," I said.
"I still can't believe you came from here," Ronin said. But this time, sadness filled his voice.
Carmen answered my texts. I'll meet you in front of Gramp's. Your grandma might be there. Have to ride bike. Car still broken down and no money to fix.
Yeah, Grandma had the store open on weekends usually, and started working a little before lunchtime. I told Ronin where to turn, and we bumped our way down an unnamed side road that was made of dirt, potholes, and even deeper potholes. Gramp's Convenience Store was set at the end, behind a dirt parking lot. Like a lot of other buildings in Colton Corners, it was little more than a metal shed with dusty windows and a dull Open light hanging in the door. Yeah, Grandma was home. Her beat-up sedan sat out front.
Ronin parked on the side of the crappy road, because the ground was in better condition. We waited for Carmen, watching for any signs of the Lower Order, and she arrived on her bike five minutes later.
But with her came Randy, also on his own bike.
Since starting at Cursed, I had almost forgotten about him. He stared at the van, mouth gaping open. And yes, he still had grass clippings stuck to his plaid shirt.
"Who's that guy?" Mikey asked.
"The one I almost killed," I blurted. Great job. Randy wouldn't help me confront Grandma, unlike Carmen. Carmen wore a T-shirt with a happy dinosaur on the front and jeans stained with every color of paint imaginable. And Randy was just, well, Randy.
"Everything looks safe," Maria said, peeking out the back window. "I think we can handle these kids."
"You'll like Carmen," I said, pushing open the van door.
She launched on me as soon as I got out. "Giselle! I'm so sorry. Nothing's gone right and I haven't been able to sneak over and see you." Carmen squeezed me so hard I gasped.
"Help," I croaked to Ronin, but he just grinned.
"Giselle," Randy said, flat and dry.
Carmen let go of me and stepped aside, probably thinking I was glad to see him. I had never told her what he tried to do or what I almost did to him in return. Randy stared me down and frowned, and his eyes were so big I could see the outlines of his contacts. He smelled like fresh grass and fuel.
"Randy," I said. "How are things?"
Then he eyed Ronin, who stood inches behind me, so close I could feel his electric aura.
Oh.
"Fine," he said, working his teeth like he wanted to spit on the ground.
Maria looked at me like, what is this guy's deal?
"You here to see your grandma? I bet she's working," Randy said, looking at the Open sign. If he was scared of me, he wasn't showing it. Maybe he didn't want to show it in front of Ronin, but the meaning was there. Carmen had dragged him here and he wasn't happy about it.
"She is. I'm only going to be here for a bit," I said. I didn't want Randy to hang around for this confrontation. "You might want to back off, because you've heard how scary she is."
"Well, she always used to yell at us kids for coming near the store," Carmen said. She flicked her gaze to him like she wanted him to scram, too.
I introduced everyone to everyone. Ronin had already met Carmen, but Maria and Mikey hadn't. But the longer I made small talk, the more sweat gathered in my palms. Soon I wouldn't be able to hold the Chaos Dagger. Did I want to? Ronin had it tucked in the pocket of his leather jacket. I felt strong when I had it with me, like I could actually fight, but this was Grandma. An old woman who chain smoked. He could hold onto it for now.
"Look, I want to get this done," I said. "Randy, unless you want to be here for an argument, you might want to go. Sorry."
Ronin looked at me as if asking why I was apologizing.
But I didn't answer him. Swallowing, I waved everyone along and walked up to the door of Gramp's Convenience Store. Somehow, it felt heavier and more terrifying than even the arena back at Cursed. I'd forgotten how Grandma made me feel, too. Like there was a rock in my chest, weighing me down.
"Grandma." The door squeaked as I pulled it open.
She manned her post behind the dusty, cracked counter with her lotto tickets, bottles of hard liquor, and packs of chewing tobacco. With a cigarette in hand, Grandma whirled on her squeaky stool to face me, Carmen, Ronin, Maria, and Mikey. The five of us fanned out in front of the counter while she frowned and surveyed me with those deep, sad eyes.
"Hey," I said, trying to sound friendly. Since I'd left, Grandma's wrinkles had deepened and her cheeks had sagged into her jaw. She had aged ten years. My stomach turned over.
"It's me again," Ronin said. "I brought Giselle here to visit you."
Grandma blinked and flicked ashes into a very used tray. "Oh. Gis
elle. You're here. Let me get you a drink." Since smiling was something foreign to Grandma, she gave me a nod, hopped off the stool, and walked back towards the cooler.
"She never does that," I whispered. I watched as Randy paced around outside, in front of the glass door, like he was just waiting for Carmen. I had to warn her about him before I left. And the sparkle in her eyes promised I'd tell the story of the stuffed unicorn before going back to Academy. Awkward.
Grandma spent some time in the back and returned with an actual glass of sparkling water. It fizzled as she placed it on the counter and slid it towards me. "I'm glad you came back to visit. But you didn't have to bring so many new friends of yours." She turned a glare on Ronin first, then Mikey, and then Maria. "This is time I'd like to spend with Giselle."
"Grandma, I need them to stay safe," I said, gripping the icy glass. Manipulation. Grandma was trying to butter me up.
"You're back home," she said. "No one's coming for you here. You came to help me out here at the store, haven't you?"
Yep. "Actually, I can't, and I came to tell you that." My back prickled as Ronin stared at me, silently urging me to stand up to her.
Grandma turned her gaze down at the counter. "But there's so much to be done here."
The heavy feeling, the usual feeling I got when I was near her, grew. I sucked in a breath. My normal reaction was to get away. Even Carmen was backing towards the door.
"I'm alone," Grandma said. "There's nothing for me here in my old age. I can't retire." A sob crept into her throat, but it quivered as she held it back.
"Grandma. I had to leave," I said. "If I didn't I would have been captured by the Olympian Guard, and they would have made sure I never came back. And I'm here now. My mouth dried. My heart raced in my throat and turned painful.
"All those weekends you didn't come," she continued. A single tear ran down her cheek.
"I'm...I'm..." I grabbed the greenish water to keep myself from speaking. An apology tried to force its way out of me.
Maria gasped and grabbed my wrist. "Don't drink that!"
I loosened my grasp on the water—back to my klutz form—letting the glass fall to the counter. Water sloshed out and bubbles popped on the counter. They gave off a greenish-blue vapor, and as I breathed it in, well, where was I? What was this store and who were these people?
