“Any chance that we could bring that $10k price tag down?” His head tilted, same expression as if he were angling for extra fries at the burger joint.
“You’re not making this easy.”
“Sorry.” Holding up his hands, he offered up a little smile, posture much easier now that he’d secured my help. “It’s just…I’m not exactly swimming in cash right now.”
“Somehow I’m not surprised. I mean, we can see what we find, but this isn’t like ordering a new lamp. It’s more like treasure hunting. People spend years tracking down rare cards.”
“Whoa.” Whistling low, his breath came in a frosty huff. “I don’t have years. Bruno said he might be home soon.”
“Well, then you might want to start praying for good luck.” I resisted the urge to make a joke about the odds being in his favor because he wouldn’t get the reference. Geeky pop culture was never his strong suit, even before his sidekick jock friends got their claws in him.
“I will.” He was so earnest, even glancing skyward like he might actually be making a wish. I couldn’t help my laugh. My chuckle warmed my chilled body, but I wasn’t looking for any thaw in my opinion of Milo. I stamped my feet, trying to warm up further. It was cold, and Milo’s earlobes were pink, peeking out from under his knit cap. How long had he been waiting? Was he freezing under that coat? I hated myself for caring, hated the rogue thoughts about all the fun ways two people could warm up. Because it didn’t matter how good Milo looked and smelled—I was done crushing on straight, asshole jocks. And I needed to highlight, boldface, and underline that rule for Milo specifically. He’d trampled all over my feelings once. No way was I giving him any power over me now.
This was strictly a business transaction, a way to score a temporary prince and maybe have a little fun at Milo’s expense. I couldn’t wait to see his expression when he saw the costume. And yeah, I’d help him with what was sure to be a futile hunt because I’d given my word and that meant something to me. But no way in hell was I resurrecting a friendship better left buried. I’d get what I needed and get the hell away.
Chapter Four
Milo
“You’re a lifesaver. I mean that.” I pocketed my phone after collecting Jasper’s number and the details for Wednesday. Wear a crown for some kids? That couldn’t be too hard. In a way, I felt bad, like Jasper was letting me off too easily. “So…uh…why can’t you dress up as the prince guy?”
“I’m another key character.” Jasper’s long-suffering expression said I couldn’t possibly understand the intricacies of this cosplay stuff. Whatever. I was known for being a good sport. Like, I let myself get talked into a costume every Halloween. Some even had masks, which I wasn’t a fan of. At least this wasn’t likely to involve fake blood, which my notoriously weak stomach hated.
“Gotcha. So which one are you?”
“I’m the Frog Wizard. The kids love it.” Jasper’s little smile was far too appealing and far too short-lived. “And at the risk of feeding your already massive ego, no one would buy me as the prince. You’ll be perfect.”
“My ego is not that big!” I felt honor bound to protest. Also, I sure hadn’t felt like all that in months and months. Being needed for something, even something silly like this, was…different. Maybe even nice.
“Yes, it is. Your opinion of yourself has always been more than healthy.” Jasper had the audacity to roll his eyes at me. I didn’t see what self-esteem had to do with being a prince unless…
“You saying the prince is a hot dude?” I mulled this over in my head. Yeah, maybe I wasn’t bad looking, but I never knew what to do when people pointed that out. Pretty boy. I had to shove George’s voice the hell out of my head, making myself focus only on Jasper. “Like, he works out?”
I wasn’t that much taller than Jasper, but I was more built. And Jasper wasn’t bad looking for a skinny guy. If you were into red hair and freckles and… Yeah. Not going there. I didn’t see how muscles made the prince, but maybe the guy was simply that ripped. I resolved to do a few more arm curls before Wednesday.
“Yeah. The prince pumps iron.” Another dismissive eye roll from Jasper as he picked up his backpack. “You can Google him. I’ll have your toga Wednesday. See you then.”
“Wait. Toga?” He hadn’t mentioned a toga. I’d been picturing some sort of velvet robe, not a sheet.
“You backing out?” Jasper raised an eyebrow, all but calling me a chicken.
“No!” Maybe. God, I really hoped not. I still needed his help in the worst way. “How much skin are we talking about?”
“It’s kids, Milo. Chill. All your essential bits are covered. You might be a little cold, but you’re not risking an indecent-exposure citation.”
“Good.” Last thing I needed was another citation of any kind, but I sure as hell wasn’t telling Jasper that. “I can deal. See you Wednesday.”
“See you.” Something about Jasper’s tone told me he was expecting me to bail on him. But I wouldn’t. Bring on the toga. Whatever it took to replace Bruno’s cards.
Satisfied that I at least had help in my quest, I finally headed back home. Well, not home. Home was a two-story blue house not too far from where I knew Jasper’s parents still lived. A new family lived there now. I’d seen them. Three kids. A mom and a dad. But not us. Bruno was halfway around the world, Mom had her small apartment, and Dad…
Well. Dad was somewhere. A better place, they said. I wasn’t so sure. But I did know that him not being here had changed everything, taken that little blue house away for good. And after my accident, I’d had no choice but to stay with Mom for a while, but I hated feeling like I was crowding her already tight space, disrupting the new routines she’d worked so hard to find. So I’d moved in with some friends. Crappy apartment on the edge of town, a complex that had never seen a good decade, with thin walls and lax management, but I could afford my share of the rent. At least I hadn’t had to worry about the whole application thing on my own.
And it was on a bus line, which was an advantage because I didn’t take my car out unless I had no choice. It was a Sunday, so I had a wait for a bus, but that was fine. I had my phone and other distractions with me. No one was around at the downtown stop, so I pulled out my pocket sketchbook, did some doodles while I waited. I roughed out some crowns, trying to psych myself up for Wednesday, but somehow my pen strokes kept morphing into cartoon versions of Jasper. Messy hair. Easy smiles. I was being ridiculous, but it passed the time until the bus finally pulled up.
As I pocketed my sketchbook, my phone buzzed with a message. Jasper, almost like he’d sensed my obsession with getting the right lift to his expressive eyebrows.
Change your mind yet?
Gee. He had such faith in me. No. You wanting me to back out? Got another prince on standby?
The reply came as I found a seat at the back of the bus. Nope. No such luck. Just making sure because Kellan says some hospital administrators are stopping by. It would suck not to have a Neptune for their visit.
What the heck? He’d said kids. But a promise was a promise.
I’ll be there, I texted even as the skin of my lower back prickled. I hated the idea of being embarrassed in front of anyone, but if this was the price of Jasper’s help, so be it. He’d probably enjoy my discomfort, damn him. And the worst thing was that I couldn’t say I blamed him. I’d been a shit to him in high school, and I’d been the one to trash the best friendship I’d ever had. No one’s fault but mine.
Eventually I made it back to the apartment. As usual, Luther and James had taken over the living room, chip wrappers and beer bottles surrounding them as they battled in some first-person shooter game.
“Hey.” Nodding in my direction, Luther stretched. The two of them had probably been at the game all day because the place reeked. Funny how they loved hating on nerds even as they were obsessed with wreaking fictional carnage. “You were l
ate last night.”
“What the hell? You his mom now?” Not even looking up from his controller, James made a pinched face, like even this amount of interaction was physically painful for him.
“Nah.” Luther made a dismissive gesture. “I just want someone here to have gotten lucky last night. Damn sure wasn’t me.”
Lucky. My stomach gave a fresh roll. “It was all right.”
“Eff those gamers, man. Serious lack of estrogen in their crowd if you know what I mean.” Luther laughed at his own brilliance, but I didn’t. “Was there even any booze?”
“Some.” I shrugged. In my pocket, my phone buzzed. A weird thrill raced up my spine. Was it Jasper again? More warnings not to ghost him? I wanted to see, but no way in hell was I looking right then.
“Lame.” Attention already drifting back to the game, Luther jostled James’s shoulder. “Idiot. I wasn’t ready yet.”
“You never are. You guys gonna yak all night or what?”
“Or what. I need food.” I headed to the kitchen and found that the jar of peanut butter I’d put in the fridge Friday along with a loaf of bread were both gone.
“Not cool, guys, not cool,” I yelled, only to get curses back. Screw having roommates. I found a dusty can of soup instead and heated it up before retreating to my room so I could check my phone in peace. My room was the tiniest and the coldest, slightly bigger than a closet with space for a single bed, a small desk, and little else.
I flipped on my space heater and wrapped up in my comforter as soon as I finished the soup. And yup, my message was from Jasper.
Just remembered that you and search engines don’t get along. This is Prince Neptune. If you see him on any cards, do NOT part with them, no matter how much you drink.
He’d attached a picture to the message and…uh. I had questions. Wow. That’s a toga, I typed. At least, like Jasper had promised, the guy’s junk and pecs were well covered. And he was indeed a good-looking guy—dark hair like me, Mediterranean complexion, and muscle. But that was most definitely a toga with all sorts of fancy gold accents. Wide gold belt with a seashell for a buckle. Tall gold sandals. This was going to be so embarrassing.
Jasper’s reply came quickly, and considering the conversation was thus far centered on my coming humiliation, it was sad how fast my pulse raced, even before I saw the message. It is. There’s also a scepter. And his friend the Octopus Oracle is on a lot of cards too.
My groan echoed off my narrow walls. A talking octopus? Now you’re just messing with me. Maybe I’d rather be one of the frog guys like you.
Remember you said that, he replied. And I smiled. God only knew why, but I smiled, maybe for the first time since losing Bruno’s cards. This was going to be so bad. Dorky costume. Public audience. But it was Jasper, and we were talking for the first time in almost eight years, and I was enjoying that far more than was smart. I needed to be careful, make sure that I didn’t lose anything else that I couldn’t afford to part with.
Chapter Five
Jasper
“It’s got to be here somewhere.” I pulled my coat tighter around myself as I dug through boxes. My parents’ detached garage was freezing, but I had no choice but to keep looking. Wednesday was only two days away, and thanks to a heavy class schedule, this Monday night visit was my only chance to grab the garb before then.
“What exactly is it you’re looking for?” My mom poked her head in the door. She’d put on a colorful knit hat and scarf for the trek to the garage, and I felt bad for making her come outside.
“A box of stuff Ronnie left before he and everyone else headed to London at winter break.”
“We’re holding stuff for Ronnie?” She gestured at the packed space that held remnants of five childhoods, various seasonal hobbies, holiday decor, and the usual assortment of bikes and yard-work tools.
“And Jaida,” I admitted. Jaida and Ronnie had both needed to stash stuff before the big London trip, and I’d figured three more boxes wouldn’t make that much difference. “But not much. Just cosplay stuff. And I need it for Wednesday.”
“Oh? Did you finally find your prince?” Smiling, she waggled her eyebrows at me.
“Sort of.” I wasn’t quite ready to tell her about Milo. She was still friendly with Milo’s mom, and I didn’t need to take a ride on the Awkward Town express right then. Instead of meeting her eyes, I busied myself with moving a few boxes of Christmas decorations. At the bottom of the stack was a white box with Ronnie’s blocky writing on it. “Found it!”
“Good for you!” She gave me a high five as I tucked the box in to my side and made my way back to the door.
“Yeah. I knew I would. Sorry if I made the mess worse.”
“It’s okay. Dinner is almost ready. You’re staying, right?” Pulling her hat down over her ears, she led the way back to the house.
“What is it?” I was staying regardless because her cooking always beat dorm food or needing to buy dinner, but I didn’t want to appear too desperate or I’d be headed back to my dorm loaded down with a week’s worth of leftovers and snacks.
“Chicken enchiladas and bean soup.”
“Yeah, I could eat that.” I paused to stamp off my shoes in the mudroom. I stashed the box next to my shoes and backpack. If I was staying, I knew the rules, and I headed to the sink before she could remind me to wash up. April would be down soon, and she’d want a hug, so I scrubbed extra well under my nails and up my wrists, the process automatic from years of precautions.
“Jasper!” Right on schedule, April trooped down the stairs. Her hair, same red as mine, was pulled up into a high ponytail, little wisps escaping to make her look far younger than fifteen. The baby of the family, she was also small for her age with delicate features and slim limbs, but she was surprisingly strong as she clung to me in a tight hug.
“Wash,” Mom ordered.
“I’ll set the table.” Unlike most of my siblings, I never minded doing chores for my mom. I liked being useful, liked knowing that no matter how stressed and worried she got, there was something I could do for her.
The dishes were still hot from the sterilizing cycle in the dishwasher, and they felt good against my chilled hands. Already changed out of his uniform, Dad came in from the front of the house as I finished, and he went right to the sink too. We were all super well-trained. Anything to keep April safe.
“You’re coming Wednesday, right?” I asked April as I took a seat opposite her. “Hospital administrators might stop by. We need our elf.”
“I’m coming. Mom made me a new mask that matches the costume since it’s still flu season, but it’s hardly canon for the trickster elf to need a mask and gloves.”
“You make your own canon. And you’re one of our best players. The kids all love playing you.”
“I am good.” She gave me a toothy smile as Mom set the food on the table. I way preferred the times when April could tag along, one of our group, to when she was one of the patients we visited. She’d had another lengthy hospitalization that past summer, and like Mom, I worried constantly about rogue germs. But we also couldn’t keep someone with her kind of energy home indefinitely. She’d most likely be dealing with the genetic blood disorder that affected her immune system the rest of her life, and it was always a balancing act between keeping her safe and letting her have the same freedoms as the rest of us.
“Did you find a Prince Neptune?” April asked as I took a portion of the piping-hot enchiladas. Her voice was even more eager than her texts, which was saying something. Neptune was unquestionably April’s favorite character so finding a cosplayer for him, even if it were Milo, made me happy. Honestly, there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do to make April smile. Considering everything she had to put up with, procuring a prince was the least I could do.
“Yup.”
“My hero.” She said it jokingly, but that right there was a big part of w
hy I liked doing things for her so much. In my friend group, I wasn’t the resident genius or the best Odyssey player or the hottest person. I made an excellent sidekick. A bonus friend, there to make even numbers or crack a joke at the right moment. With April, though, every so often I got to play hero. I might be an afterthought for others, but with her I could be Super Big Brother.
“Thanks.”
“Who is it? Someone from the college?” She leaned forward. April lived for college gossip, especially since she’d transitioned to online high school after catching several bad infections from bugs going around the school. She hated being the only Quigley kid who wouldn’t graduate from our neighborhood school. She’d been down, and that was another reason why I was relieved to have found a Neptune, even if I was still less than thrilled with the who.
“No. It’s…” Oh hell. She was going to recognize him right away, and Mom would as well, if she brought April. I took a bite of too-hot food, trying to buy time, and immediately regretted it as I scorched my tongue. And my stupid brain immediately leaped to a vision of Milo from the day before, his pink tongue worrying his full lips. Damn it. Why couldn’t he be a little less hot?
Of course, if he weren’t so appealing, he wouldn’t be so perfect as Neptune. But that perfection was going to come at a cost to my sanity. For the hundredth time, I second-guessed what the heck I was doing. I’d texted with him for a good hour the night before, answering questions about Neptune lore that Milo could have discovered perfectly well on his own, only stopping when Kellan and Jasmine came to collect me for food. And really, I should have been grateful for the interruption. I wasn’t supposed to find any part of this…arrangement fun.
“Who is it?” Mom prodded, concern evident in her eyes. She wasn’t the biggest fan of some of the game-store crowd, and she was probably already visualizing someone entirely unsuitable to have around April.
Heck. No choice but to share the truth, or at least a version of it. “Milo. Funniest thing, but he came into the store, and we got to talking and he…volunteered.”
Out of Character Page 3
