by M.S Watson
Chapter Fourteen
‘To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world’
Anonymous.
I slept in the following morning.
Warm sunlight lit my room as my alarm went off and I quickly slammed my hand on it, effectively silencing it. I could hear my sister in the next room, hurrying to get ready for school. Someone knocked on my door, and Nevada quietly poked her head in. She offered me a small smile and dropped a pair of my favourite ballet flats inside the entrance.
‘Good morning honey,’ she said. ‘Breakfast is to go this morning. We all slept in, so I’m driving you to school. Ten minutes until you have to be in the car.’ I swore under my breath as Nevada shut the door, jumping out of bed. I ran over to my closet and grabbed the first summer dress I saw, a pretty pale green and white garment with fake fabric flowers around the waist. Lainie strutted in through the door, shutting it behind her but I ignored her interruption and quickly stripped out of my pyjamas. She shrieked and hurried to cover her eyes but I simply pulled the dress over my head and set about ridding the tangles from my hair.
‘Some warning would have been nice,’ Lainie muttered. I rolled my eyes at her and tossed my pyjamas on my messy bed.
‘Some privacy would also be nice,’ I pointed out.
‘Touché,’ she allowed, admiring the sparkling red nail polish she wore. I crossed into my ensuite and quickly twisted my hair into a messy knot that both looked nice and kept my hair out of the way. Lainie screwed up her nose at the hairstyle and commented on my likeness to a rat as I slid my feet into my flats. With my prepared school bag tossed over my shoulder, I opened my bedroom door and swept my arm in a gesture for Lainie to leave. She didn’t say much, simply raising her hands in defeat as she got up off my bed and crossed the room.
When she reached the exit, she paused and pointed to my hair. ‘I doubt Xanthias will like that much,’ she commented, laughing as I shooed her out and slammed the door shut. I chased her down the stairs, listening to her childish squeals and we stood off at opposite sides of the dining room table.
‘Iris loves Xanthias,’ Lainie taunted, her eyes bulging as I dropped my bag and ran at her with a sudden burst of speed. I had almost caught her when Nevada stepped in between us and shoved a strawberries and cream skinny shake into Lainie’s hands, and a double caramel mocha into mine.
‘Enough,’ she ordered, though her small smile revealed how much she enjoyed our bickering. ‘Drink up. We’re all running late.’ Lainie and I nodded obediently, even as I clenched my jaw and snatched up my bag off the floor. Nevada and Chris had lied to us our entire lives. How could they still have the power to tell us what to do? Lainie didn’t seem to care, so I decided to let it pass and downed my mocha even before we exited the back door. Nevada hadn’t been kidding when she’d told us breakfast was to go. Lainie led the way, followed by Nevada, then me. I disposed of my empty plastic cup in the garbage on the way to Nevada’s car, and I resumed my place in the back seat.
‘Excited for the party?’ Nevada asked as she drove, her eyes flickering to the rear view mirror. I knew she was trying to get information on Xanthias and me, but she was going to be sorely disappointed when she eventually found out that nothing was ever going to happen. I shrugged, but Lainie jumped up and down in her seat in anticipation.
‘I’ve got the perfect dress to win Ryker over,’ she stated smugly. Oh, how disappointed she would be when she found out what I had done. ‘I doubt Isabella will even dare show her face tonight.’ She was referring to Isabella’s sabotaged dress. Obviously she hadn’t heard about the replacement then. I was thankful no one had noticed the extra money I’d spent on it from the credit card. I bit my lip and tuned Lainie out, which wasn’t as difficult as I had anticipated. Before I knew it, we were at school, the sun beating down from above as though we’d never been on the verge of experiencing the first stages of a hurricane the previous night. Lainie sneered as Nevada pulled into a space near the front entrance, watching as Ryker helped Isabella out of an inconspicuous black van.
Nevada noticed, squeezing Lainie’s shoulder sympathetically. ‘Don’t worry about them,’ she murmured in Lainie’s ear. ‘Just concentrate on having a good time with your friends. If he’s worth it, he’ll love you more when you’re not tripping head over heels to seduce him.’ Lainie looked at Nevada with a hopeful expression. I groaned, knowing that this would lead to nowhere except Complainville for Lainie, and she’d drag the rest of us along for the ride. Refusing to listen any longer, I yanked on the door handle and pulled myself out of the car. The sun was warm as it greeted my spine, and I quickly retrieved my bag from the back seat.
With a wave goodbye to Nevada, I followed Ryker and Isabella into the main office for a late slip. Lainie hung behind for a while until Isabella was gone, and I was surprised to find her following Xanthias in. Ryker quickly finished signing off in the late book when he noticed Lainie there, slipping the pen into my hand before he stalked off down the hall. The office lady turned the late book to a fresh page, offering me the first section with a sigh.
‘I know that being a senior gives students leniency,’ she mumbled, ‘but this is just ridiculous.’ She stormed off to print off my pass as I finished filling out the late book, signing my name with a simple scrawl that passed for a signature. When the office lady returned and offered me my late pass, she noticed Xanthias and Lainie standing to the side and returned to her computer to print off their passes, too. She continued shaking her head all the while.
‘Iris,’ Lainie addressed me in a whisper. ‘Will you wait for me? We have math together this morning.’ I nodded reluctantly. Lainie - confident, stunning Lainie - was terrified when it came to entering class late by herself. Usually I would simply walk off without her, leaving her there, but I had math with her - the one class that she could turn into a living hell if I abandoned her in the office. Xanthias stood aside as Lainie moved toward the late book, and the office lady sighed as she had to walk her through the different sign-in sections. This could take a while, I thought, sitting on one of the rock-solid office chairs in the corner. Xanthias walked over and sat on the one to my left, so close I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. I stiffened, breathing in the scent of rain and fresh grass that lingered on his body.
We sat in silence for several moments, my fingers working to rub against my thumbs in a calming gesture. Xanthias bounced his foot on the floor, his knee moving up and down in an annoying motion. Eventually it became all too much for me, and I lashed out, pressing down on his knee to stop him from moving. He stilled instantly, his eyes wide as I quickly snatched my hand back. What did I just do? I never acted on impulse, but his irritation had driven me too far. I bit my lip and grabbed the edges of my dress in a bid to stop myself from ruining my thumbs any further.
‘Iris,’ he whispered, turning to face me. ‘Iris, were you okay last night? Were you safe? I was worried.’ I reluctantly peeked up at him, his hair low over his eyes. He looked so mysterious, but then I noticed the dark marks below his eyes and the pallor of his skin. He was worried about me that night. Then again, Amphitrite had told me that Cronus was rising. Perhaps he was so restless because he was worried of what would become of Beaufort and its people should Cronus decide to challenge Poseidon. I shrugged noncommittally and looked down at my hands.
‘I saw Amphitrite,’ I whispered, so low that I could barely hear it myself. He nodded though. He’d heard me. ‘She told me not to go back in the water until it calmed. She also told me that Poseidon’s enemy is rising. Whether that be Cronus or someone else, I don’t know.’ Xanthias was quiet as he considered the information, his jaw clicking as it clenched. He seemed as though he was about to say something but Lainie hurried over to me after finally receiving her late pass and snatched me by the arm. Xanthias straightened instantly, as though we hadn’t just been talking about mythology coming to life, and she dragged me off to class.
‘Enough of lover-boy,’ L
ainie muttered as she and I exited the office and into the hall. ‘We’ve got a class to attend.’
∞
Starden embraced Lainie in front of me, not even caring who saw as they played tongue wars. I tried to stop myself from gagging as I turned away, only to find Xanthias paused at the bottom of the stairs on his way to his bike, a sleek-looking thing several spaces down. He turned as he scanned the cars that lined the spaces, but he didn’t seem able to find what he was looking for judging by the shake of his head. When he turned on his heel, he peered up at me and locked his gaze with mine, offering a small smile as I turned back to Lainie and Starden, thankful that they’d pulled apart from their little game of tongue twisting.
‘Ready to go?’ he asked Lainie, his hand trailing lower down her spine. I cleared my throat, my arms crossed as I stood there awkwardly. Starden’s cheeks reddened as he realised that I was still there, but Lainie didn’t seem to care.
‘I … uh … need a lift,’ I mumbled, biting my lip as I looked away. Starden gaped at me, his jaw dropping in shock. Lainie elbowed him in the stomach and he finally shut his mouth, swiping the stunned expression from his face. I had always told Starden that I saw the way he drove and never once would I ever be caught being driven around in his tin bucket of a car. Now, I was eating my own words, something that didn’t happen often.
‘Yeah, sure,’ he stuttered, recovering as he flicked his gaze to my left. I turned my gaze in the same direction and stiffened as Xanthias stood beside me. Once again, I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, even as a freezing breeze passed between us and lifted my skin in a series of goosebumps. I shivered involuntarily and he shucked off his thin leather jacket, draping it over my shoulders even as I shook my head.
‘I’ll give you a lift,’ Xanthias offered, gesturing to his bike. ‘I can’t promise that you won’t be cold but I can promise that you’ll be safe with me.’ I bit my lip as I weighed up my options. I could either go with Starden and Lainie and be scarred for the rest of my life, or brave the cold and my shyness, and arrive home quickly on the back of Xanthias’ bike. I was still deciding when Lainie snatched up Starden’s hand and led him down the stairs, his hands snaking greedily over her bare skin. Xanthias cleared his throat and I turned to face him, biting my lip still. Suddenly, all my confidence went down the drain and I could barely look him in the eye without my cheeks flushing an embarrassing shade of red.
Xanthias, though, simply smiled. ‘Bike it is then, I guess,’ he stated, raising his eyebrows. I nodded and followed him down the stairs. When he led me to the bike, it looked so much more sinister. The black paint was sleek as a panther, the sunlight gleaming off the shiny surface as though it was embedded with diamonds. I raised my hand to shield my eyes as he opened the storage compartment and pulled out an extra helmet and shoved his bag in its place. When he walked over to me, he didn’t speak before he had my head strapped into the protective equipment. Then he simply walked over to the bike and sat on the seat, his legs straddling the machine as he switched it on and gestured me over.
I walked shyly, unsure of the machine as its engine revved to life. It was like a demon encased in metal, the silver untouched by the scratches I’d seen on the others. Xanthias offered me his hand to steady me, and I quickly swung my leg over the seat. Settling into place behind him, I wrapped my arms around his torso and settled my feet on the foot rests below. I quickly tucked my dress around my legs as he settled his own helmet on his head, making sure that I wasn’t going to flash anyone. When his helmet was fastened and my arms were once again wrapped tightly around his chest, he turned his head to look at me.
‘Ready?’ he shouted over the sound of the engine. I nodded mutely, pressing into his back as he walked the bike back and took off, away from the school.
I tried to keep my eyes shut during the ride, but it proved impossible as the machine jerked forward and lifted up, the front wheel raised as Xanthias executed a wheelie. I dug my nails into his chest, letting him know that I didn’t like the trick and he slowed back down to the speed limit. When we stopped for traffic, he turned his head and looked at me.
‘I’m sorry,’ he apologised, his voice genuinely sorry. I nodded, letting him know that I accepted it and the bike veered forward again, turning into my street. The docks flashed past, the sun beating down on my spine and I pulled myself closer to Xanthias, knowing it was almost over. I breathed in the scent of fresh rain and grass, the crispness waking me from whatever sleepiness I had had during the day. As the bike’s revs became quieter, he steered into my driveway and came to a stop. Luckily, neither Chris nor Nevada’s vehicles were in the drive. I really didn’t want to have to explain to them what I was doing, riding on the back of a mysterious bike.
As I climbed off the bike, I pulled the helmet off and noticed Xanthias do the same. He switched off the engine, moving to stand beside me and he opened the bike’s storage compartment.
‘Thank you,’ I told him, biting my lip for what had to have been the millionth time. ‘I appreciate it.’ He smiled, revealing perfectly white teeth.
‘You’re welcome,’ he replied. I nodded and started for the stairs, but paused when he called my name. As I turned to face him, he grinned. ‘Are you still coming to the party tonight?’ I rubbed my thumbs, considering. Eventually, I nodded.
‘Yes,’ I told him. ‘Why?’ He swung his leg back over the bike and rested his helmet against the seat in front of him.
‘If last night’s weather was going to continue, it wasn’t going to go ahead,’ he informed me. ‘But it’s cleared up now, so the party must go on!’ He grinned stupidly, making me laugh. ‘It’s going to be changed though. Don’t come by the house tonight. There won’t be anyone there. Come by the docks at sunset. I have a surprise for everyone.’ I simply nodded, choosing not to speak as he waved goodbye and pulled his helmet on. I didn’t stand around to watch him leave. Instead, I hurried inside and dumped my bag at the front door, taking the stairs two at a time. My heart was racing, my smile unable to be swiped off my face even when I tried.
I had a party to go to. An actual party, not one of the slumber nights that Fran and I decided to call a party. Drinks, people, music. The works. The best part of all would be seeing my sister’s reaction to Isabella, in the new dress that I’d got for her that was even more stunning than the previous one.
No, tonight would be fun.
Tonight, I would party.
