by Stacey Jay
"She's burning up," Monica said, laying a cool hand on my forehead. "You've got to shut off the heat, Berry."
"I can't. I tried… when we were still… in the…" The world was spinning; I was getting sucked under, pulled into the black center of the lights swirling around me like trippy peppermint candy.
The last thing I heard was Monica muttering something about little Settlers biting off more than they could chew. I felt her take my hands in both of hers and then I was out, sinking into fuzzy blackness.
CHAPTER 20
When I woke up, I was lying on something soft and was covered with a blanket. It was a beige blanket and I was in the back of a primarily beige ambulance of some kind. Settlers' Affairs' work. It had to be, since beige was their signature color.
"Are you finally awake?" I turned to see Monica seated just behind me, her wounded shoulder wrapped in white gauze.
"Um… yeah." I smacked my lips, trying to get enough saliva together to actually swallow. Man, I was thirsty. Pax frater corpus -ing my way through a gym full of zombies and then nearly burning myself up with an exuro spell had left me with major cotton mouth.
"Here, drink this." Monica handed me a bottle of water. "Now listen up, because we don't have much time." She slid down the padded bench she was sitting on until she was even with my elbow. "Settlers' Affairs called their contact in the Little Rock Police Department, and he came to get Jess and Beth."
"Where was Beth?" I asked, grateful she hadn't escaped.
"Some of the RCs you worked the reverto spell on followed her to the gym. She dumped the blood to distract them, then locked herself in the girls' toilet. The Settler from the police department took her into custody before the fire trucks got here," Monica said, words coming out in a breathless rush, making me wonder what she was so freaked about.
"Okay, that's good, so why are-"
"Shh! Just listen." Wow, spaz much, Monica? "We're going to have to testify in court that they were trying to kill us because they were jealous or something. SA will have the cover story ready tomorrow and debrief us before we go to give our statements, but I wanted to talk to you about something else first."
"Okay," I said, sounding semi-normal when I spoke. "So why are you freaking out?"
"So… Ethan told me he told you about what I did, raising the zombie the other night to make it attack me. I just wanted you to know I only did it because I was jealous, because I've always liked him and suddenly he was all over a sophomore loser nobody." Her eyes shifted to the floor, and I could tell how embarrassed she was to be having this conversation, especially with said loser nobody. "But I swear I didn't have anything to do with the rest of it. I never planned to hurt you."
"So you just happened to be at the same cemetery where Shane was buried? Come on, Monica." My mind was fairly sharp, considering I'd almost been killed several times tonight.
"I followed Ethan. I thought he was just going to meet you. I didn't know you two were Settling a corpse."
"Hmm… convenient explanation."
"Listen," Monica said, obviously getting frustrated, "Ethan believes me and said he wouldn't out me to SA if you wouldn't." She actually seemed like she was telling the truth, but I wasn't feeling in a very charitable mood.
"You want me to lie for you. Why should I?"
"How about because I saved your life about twenty minutes ago? If I hadn't helped you turn off that exuro spell, you would be dead right now."
"How did you know how to do that? You're not third stage
yet."
"You're not the only one to think of looking ahead, Megan. I've been studying third-stage stuff for over a year. I may not be as powerful as you are, but I'm stronger than most, and I want to be ready for the Enforcement training program if they accept me after graduation."
Monica wanted to be an Enforcer. Not surprising. She was all about getting off on being more powerful than other people.
"Kitty or one of the other Enforcers could have helped me turn off the exuro spell," I said, so not willing to give Monica props for saving my life. "So thanks, but-"
"They could have. But they didn't, I did," she said, a note of real desperation in her tone. "Please, Megan, I'll never get the chance to apply for Enforcement if I get another black-magic mark on my record."
Ahh… groveling, sweet groveling. If only there were more time to draw out the Monicster's torment.
"So what did you do to get the first black-magic mark anyway?" I asked.
"None of your business."
"Let's make it my business, shall we?" I smiled, relishing this moment of power over my nemesis. "I want to know what you've dipped your hands in before I agree to lie for you."
"I tried to raise Dexter," she whispered. "Dexter?"
"My pet rat, the one that died when my mom accidentally stuck it in the washing machine." Before I could marvel that Monica actually had enough of a heart to get that attached to a pet rat or ask how someone could accidentally stick a rat in the washing machine, muffled voices sounded outside the ambulance.
"Please, Megan. It was just a stupid kid thing. Keep this our secret and I'll do anything you want."
Anything? Hmm… now that Beth was in police custody, Monica would be captain of the pom squad, not cocaptain, which might give her something to bargain with. Call me crazy, but even after all the horribleness of the past week I still wanted one of those places on the pom team. And I wanted it badly enough to make a deal with the devil.
Well, maybe not the devil, but the Monicster anyway.
"First, you've got to swear never to work black magic again," I said, knowing I had to think of the greater good as well as my own selfish desires.
"I swear." She held up one hand and placed the other across her heart.
"And second, you've got to vote me into one of the empty places on the pom squad."
"You're kidding," she said, her sweet facade cracking a bit as she wrinkled her nose in obvious contempt. "You didn't even try out."
"So what? Give me another chance to dance for the seniors after school on Monday. You'll have two extra spots on the team now that Beth and Jess are both gone," I said, knowing my argument was perfectly rational. "No one would think it was strange if you gave the girls who didn't make it another chance to show you what they've got."
The voice outside the ambulance grew louder. Monica's eyes widened before she leaned down to my ear. "Fine, it's a deal. As long as you keep your trap shut," she hissed.
"I'll keep it shut as long as you keep your hands clean."
"Whatever, Berry."
Before I could think of a comeback, Mom and Dad were climbing inside the ambulance.
All worries about black magic and Monica faded as I was enfolded in a two-parent hug. Thankfully, it seemed they'd gotten the lowdown on what happened from Ethan and the other Elders on-site. Though in the version of the story they'd heard, I'd snuck out because Jess threatened to kill Monica if I didn't come meet her on the Carlisle property without telling anyone. I suspected I had Ethan to thank for that little falsehood and knew I had him to thank for freeing me and Monica before we became zombie kibble back at the old church.
Evidently he'd put a tracking device in her phone once he'd started suspecting her of being the one out to get me, and that was how he'd been able to find us and tell SA exactly where we were. He might have had the wrong suspect, but Ethan still got some of the glory for saving the day-the portion not doled out to yours truly for pax frater corpus- ing the zombie skeletons or to Monica for emptying out the gym before SA had a Class Three Containment crisis on their hands.
Amazingly, between the three of us and the Enforcement officers, we'd managed to get the whole crazy situation under control without any of my classmates coming in contact with the undead.
Mom said there was even talk of letting Ethan and Monica start training with Kitty and the other Enforcement officers-who would be moving to Carol full-time to help train me instead of holing up at the compound for three
or four weeks. I wasn't sure about the Monica angle, but training with Ethan certainly sounded nice-almost as nice as hearing that the Elders were totally backtracking with regard to their opinions of my power and how well I could control it.
They knew they'd been wrong about the clones, and Monica hadn't told anyone about turning my exuro command off for me, so I guess everyone thought I'd just fainted from stress or something. Whatever they thought, I was willing to go along with it as long as it meant I was out of trouble and my family got to be released from SA compound prison.
"They said we can go home tonight," Mom said, smiling at me. "I think you showed them the compound wasn't so secure anyway."
"You're grounded for stealing your mother's car, by the way," Dad added, also smiling. I guess they were just so glad everything was over they couldn't muster the energy to put up the full-throttle parental disciplinary front. "And for not telling us about the call from Jess right away." Mom put in. "You should have trusted us to help you, even if we were fighting earlier."
"I know, and I'm sorry," I said, not feeling as bad as I probably should have felt for going along with Ethan's false cover story. "So… how much grounding are we talking about?"
"A month with no weeknight activity, and you have to be in by five on weekends," Mom said.
I tried to look sad about that news, even though it was way better than I'd thought it would be.
"But we'll wait and start that tomorrow," Dad said. "We figured you deserve a reward for single-handedly saving hundreds of lives." He leaned in and said the next words in a whisper. "We're really proud of you, Meg."
Sniff! God, I loved my dad. Even if he did make me get all teary sometimes.
"So if you feel well enough, you can go down to the dance. Since the gym was wrecked, they've moved the DJ outside and are having the dance in the parking lot," Mom said, continuing on before I could protest that the last thing I wanted to do was go to homecoming. "Ethan said he'd have you home before midnight."
Ethan?
The boy in question suddenly appeared at the entrance to the ambulance with a nervous smile on his face.
My heart started racing like I was still back in the gym fighting zombies. I still had no idea whether Ethan considered me a little-sister type, a friend he'd randomly kissed one time after a stressful situation, or whether there might be something more in our future. And the uncertainty was driving me insane!
Mom laughed, evidently amused by whatever expression I had on my face. "See you in a few hours, honey." Then she and Dad both leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and climbed out of the ambulance.
I followed a second later, even though nerves were making my stomach turn backflips. No matter how nervous I was, I didn't want to waste another second sitting in an ambulance with Monica when I could be with the only guy who'd ever made my whole body light up with just a smile.
CHAPTER 21
So that's why the Elders didn't believe us in the first place," Ethan said. "Jess and Beth weren't the only ones raising zombies. Apparently some sicko in Little Rock was starting a zombie harem and using his 'girls' to attack old girlfriends who'd dumped him."
"Ew. That's deeply disturbing. Have they caught him yet?"
"They were taking him into custody tonight. That's why it took some time for them to get back to Carol when I called for backup." Ethan stuffed his hands in his pockets as we walked. An awkward silence fell between us that I tried my best to fill.
"Thanks for the cover story about why I was here," I said as we continued down the hill toward the gym. "I'm sure it made SA and Mom and Dad go a lot easier on me than if they'd known the truth."
"That's cool. I figured I could help you out a little since you weren't awake to help yourself," he said, shrugging. "What was the truth anyway? How did she get you out here?"
"Jess didn't tell you?" He shook his head.
I filled him in as briefly as possible, then hurried to make my apologies for misjudging him. "I'm sorry I believed you were so gone on Monica. I should have known you would have called after you were reassigned if there hadn't been something big going down."
"Once I had the evidence and got to 'break up' with Monica I was going to call, right after I dropped the stuff off at SA headquarters. I felt awful knowing people thought I was into her. Especially you."
Especially me? What did that mean? Gah! I was going to lose it if he didn't stop saying things my poor deluded heart could latch onto in a pathetic attempt to believe he liked me as more than a friend.
"Right. I mean, I understand. Even when I saw you two kissing by the bonfire, I should have known that-"
"It was only to make her drop her guard. I swear." He stopped and turned to me, his eyes all nervous looking again for some reason. "I should have told you everything. And while we're on the subject of what a jerk I am, I have a confession to make. I sort of lied to you and Settlers' Affairs."
"You did?"
"Yeah, that time I summoned the daytime zombie? My fault. I let my shields slip. It didn't have anything to do with your power transferring to me or anything like that," he said, hurrying on before I could think of how to respond to that. "But I've already told Settlers' Affairs the truth and told them why I lied at the review."
"Because you thought Monica was to blame for everything but didn't think they'd believe you," I supplied, wondering why Ethan had lied to me in the first place. A part of me prayed it was because he was as affected by the attraction between us as I was.
"Yeah. I knew they wouldn't. But you would have, and I should have told you I suspected Monica instead of just cutting you out of the picture like that. I guess I thought you'd be safer if you didn't know, but now I just-I can't believe-"
He sucked in a breath and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. He looked so unbelievably gorgeous in just jeans and a black sweater. Even smelling vaguely of burnt zombie, he was going to be the yummiest guy at homecoming. I, with my black spandex and braid and scratched-up cheek, was entirely scruffy in comparison.
"What I mean is, I'm the one who should be sorry. You were almost killed, several times, because I made the wrong call. I wanted to kick myself when I heard you were in the hospital the other day. I can't ever remember being that scared. And when you wouldn't even see me…"
My heart did another flip and I had to fight to keep a smile from my face.
I stepped a little closer, trying to contain my excitement. "It's not your fault, Ethan. Really, I-"
"No, it is, at least part of it is, and I know that." He reached out and took my hand, but even that small touch made my entire body shoot into tingle overtime. "Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me? That we can be friends again like we were?"
Friends. He wanted to be friends and was nervous because he thought I'd hold a grudge. And here I'd been about to throw myself at him like the completely pathetic sophomore nobody Monica had said I was.
I suddenly didn't want to stay out with Ethan until twelve, not when thirty seconds of knowing he just wanted to be friends was cutting my chest apart.
"Yeah, sure. We can be friends." I pulled my hand away from his, keeping my eyes on the ground. "You messed up some, I messed up a lot, but everybody's alive, so it's cool."
"Good. It would have been really weird starting to train with you and Kitty if you hated me," he said, sounding relieved. "I talked to her after you passed out. She seems really great and was psyched about having another potential Enforcer to train."
Ouch. So he didn't even really care about being friends; he just didn't want any awkwardness interfering with his new job opportunity.
I had to get out of here. Maybe if I booked it back behind the gym, I could still get a ride home with my parents.
"Yeah, training together will be great. But, you know, I'm not really feeling as well as I thought." I started backing away, still doing my best to look anywhere but at his face. "I'll just go catch my parents and see you around, okay?"
"Oh… oka
y." He did sound disappointed, but he was probably just faking it. I doubted the big, important, gorgeous college guy was bummed to miss a high school dance.
"Yeah, so… have a nice night." I spun around before the tears could make it to my eyes and started walking away.
After everything I'd been through, after being betrayed by my best friend and nearly killed more than once and facing down a few hundred undead, it was a boy who finally made me cry. It just went to show how stupid I was. How stupid and deluded and pathetic and-
"Megan, wait!" I heard Ethan's footsteps behind me but only sped up, not wanting him to see my face.
"I'll see you later, Ethan." I sucked in a breath, trying not to cry any more as I waved a hand back in his direction. "Really, I just-"
"I can't wait until later," he said before he grabbed my elbow and spun me back around. "And I'm not going to have a nice night if you walk away from me."
And then, before I quite realized what was happening, he was kissing me. Pulling me into his arms, hugging me so tight my feet came off the ground kissing me. Humming against my lips like they were the best-tasting thing in the world kissing me. Mouths open, tongues doing things way too exciting to be merely French kissing kissing me. Kissing me until I was dizzier than I'd been after the extended exuro spell and the pax frater corpus- ing , until I felt like my heart was going to explode because I'd never even dreamed about being kissed like this.
Okay, I'd dreamed about it but never really thought it would happen. This kiss was even better than the one in the cemetery. It was hotter, heavier, yet somehow sweeter, too. And this time I knew Ethan wasn't kissing me because I was upset or-
"Wait a second," I mumbled against his lips, a part of me still freaking out that Ethan and I were this close. Like, attached-at-the-lips close.
"Yeah?" he mumbled back, still holding me so tight I couldn't get my brain to function.
"Um… could you put me down for a second?"
"Oh, sure," he said, sort of breathless and looking a little nervous again as he set me back down on my feet.
