“Nothing happened. He wanted a little more than I’m ready for.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Paige said.
“It was only your first date. That doesn’t sound like Hunter,” Roxy said.
“So, how long would you make him wait?” Paige asked.
I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “How long will I make him wait for what?”
The girls laughed again.
I was beginning to feel stupid. “What?”
Roxy grinned at Paige slyly. “Cas, have you even made it to first base?”
First base. That was a sports term. Baseball, if I remembered correctly. What did that have to do with me and Hunter? “I’m not really into sports.”
The girls laughed hysterically again. “You are adorable,” Roxy said. “We have so much to teach you.”
Paige went to Roxy’s dresser and poured herself a glass of soda. “Do you like Hunter?” she asked before gulping it down.
“Yeah, he seems like a great guy, but I’m not looking for a relationship. I move around a lot. I probably won’t even be at this school next year.”
Paige burped without excusing herself. “So what? It's high school. No one's asking you to get married. You can have fun while you’re here.”
Fun. That was a new concept for me. I envied how Human teens could date and enjoy life without having to worry about breaking the Covenant and being sent on assignments.
The doorbell rang, and Roxy ran down to answer it.
Paige wouldn’t take her eyes off me. I grabbed the bag of cheese puffs, wishing she’d stop staring.
“You and Hunter would make an adorable couple, but don’t tell Ash I said that. Speaking of the devil . . .”
Roxy re-entered the room with Ashley at her heels.
“Oh, she’s here,” Ashley greeted me. She put her backpack down immediately and fumbled through the cosmetics on Roxy’s vanity. “So, how was your date?”
I shrugged. I thought it would be best for me not to answer that question.
“It didn’t go well. Naomi’s not interested, so drop it,” Roxy said with an edge of annoyance in her voice.
Ashley dropped the subject, but she wouldn’t leave me alone. “I’ve been thinking about you, Naomi. I have family who lives in Sacramento. What part are you from?”
I didn’t know the answer to that question. I had been told to say I was from Sacramento, California, and nothing else. “The east side.”
Paige examined the nail polish on her toes. “What’s wrong with you, Ashley?”
“There’s something weird about her. Something that she’s hiding, and I want to know what it is,” Ashley said, as if I wasn’t even there.
The other girls stared, waiting for me to respond to that. It was time for me to go.
I stood and stretched. “Well, I’m going to head home.”
Roxy looped her arm around mine. “No, you're not. Pay Ashley no attention.” Roxy led me to her vanity and pushed Ashley out of the chair. “Sit,” she ordered, so I sat.
I looked in the mirror as she pulled my hair away from my neck.
“You're a pretty girl, Casper. You just need a little more umph to your look.” She turned to Paige. “Makeover?”
Paige hopped from the bed, clapping her hands like a seal. “Yes, yes, yes! I love makeovers.” She poked and pinched my cheeks.
I slapped her hands away. “I know how to do my own makeup.”
Roxy lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. “Really? Do you know how hot you would look with smoky eyes, red luscious lips, and chiseled rosy cheeks?”
Okay, maybe I didn't know how to do my own makeup. When I went out with Hunter, I had simply slapped on some purple and pink eye shadow, red rouge, and pink lipstick. Hunter seemed to like it, although we had spent most of our date in the dark.
Before I could refuse, Roxy and Paige went to work on my face. Ashley had no interest in my beautification and flipped through magazines on Roxy's bed.
Paige put something on my eyelid. “You have beautiful skin. You don't need foundation or concealer.”
I didn't know what either of those things were, but I muttered a thanks.
Roxy pulled at my eyebrows with tweezers.
“Oww!” I whined.
“I know it hurts, but well-shaped eyebrows will totally bring out your eyes. Beauty is pain.” She continued to pluck unmercifully.
I held my tongue as she powdered my face and painted my lips. Finally they were finished and Roxy let me look in the mirror.
I looked . . . better. The more I looked at myself, the prettier I felt.
“Like it?” Paige asked.
I nodded.
“Great,” Paige said, grabbing a handful of my hair. “Now let's start on this hair.”
I'd had enough for one day. “No, I really have to get home now,” I said, grabbing my backpack off the ground.
For some reason, Ashley stood. “I'll give you a ride home.”
“No, thanks.”
“How are you going to get home?” Roxy asked.
“I'll walk. I don't live far.” That wasn't entirely true. I really wasn't sure how to get home from Roxy's.
Ashley eyed me suspiciously. “Why? Why would you walk when we’re offering you a ride?” Now all the girls stared at me.
“I could use the exercise, that's all.”
Ashley looked at the other girls. “See? See what I mean?” Then she got way too close to my face. “I think you don't want us to know where you live. I can't get anything out of your brother.”
Roxy frowned. “Are you in the Witness Protection Program or something?”
I shook my head. Great. I couldn't be the one to blow our cover. Keira and Bram were already expecting me to screw things up. “Fine. You can give me a ride.”
It was okay. As long as they didn't come in, everything would be fine.
A dark-haired woman was putting groceries away in the kitchen when we came downstairs.
“Hey, Mom,” Roxy said.
“Hi, girls.”
Roxy looked nothing like her mother. “Mom, this is Naomi. She just moved here.”
Her mother looked up. “Hi, Naomi. Nice to meet you.”
“Thanks. Likewise.”
She grabbed a carton of eggs. “Listen, once your parents settle in, I'd like to meet them.”
“Uh . . . sure,” I answered.
“Mom thinks she's some socialite who has to introduce everyone to everyone,” Roxy said, pulling me toward the door.
Her mother laughed. “Later, girls.”
We piled into Roxy's car. I sat in the back with Ashley, who stared me down the entire way home. I tried my best to remember the directions. Once we passed Kennedy High, I knew exactly how to get home.
“You live a little out of the way, Casper,” Roxy remarked. “There's no way you were going to walk home.”
I wished they would just drop the subject. “I didn't want you going out of your way. I know how expensive gas is.” That was something I had learned in my studies.
Finally, we pulled into the yard. I think I opened my door before Roxy had come to a complete stop. I didn't want to give anyone the chance to ask to come inside.
“Is Bram home?” Ashley asked.
I cringed. “No.”
“How do you know? His car's here.”
I wasn't good at lying on the spot. “He's not here,” I said firmly. “Thanks for the ride. See you guys tomorrow.”
I climbed out and closed the door before they could say anything else. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Roxy's car backing down the driveway.
Inside, Keira, Bram, Dorian, and Josh sat around the table having dinner. I stood at the door, waiting to be bombarded with questions about where I'd been, but no one said anything.
I walked over to the table. They were having a healthy dinner for once. Salmon, steamed broccoli, and baked potatoes. Keira must have cooked.
“Hey, Naomi,” she said, buttering her baked potato.
“Grab a plate. Sit.”
I left my backpack on the kitchen island and grabbed a plate from the cupboard. I settled down in the empty chair.
“You look nice,” Josh said, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
“Thanks.”
I helped myself to a piece of salmon, a small serving of broccoli, and the last baked potato. I watched everyone else looking down at their plates, eating silently. I sat back in my seat. “Will somebody please say something? Don't you want to know where I've been?”
No one said anything for a moment and then Bram finally spoke. “There's no point, Nay. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall sometimes. I'm tired. Just keep doing what you're doing, and I'll let Dunningham deal with you. Maybe then you'll learn.”
The others continued to eat. I finally dug my fork into my baked potato. Everything smelled delicious, but nothing tasted right.
Chapter 19
The next day, I decided that I hated school. The newness had worn off. I hated the smell. I hated the crowded hallways. I especially hated the meaningless classes.
My American History teacher handed back a paper I had spent two hours working on with a thick red C– written on the top. I folded the paper and stuffed it in my backpack. I didn't need to worry about grades, but I was still insulted. That essay had been the first homework assignment I’d completed. The only reason I'd done it was Ms. G. had threatened to call my parents if I didn't start doing my work.
I went to my locker to grab my book for algebra, another subject at which I sucked. Somehow Keira had a knack for it. Maybe if things weren't awkward between us, she'd let me copy her work.
“Listen,” a voice said from behind me. “Whatever I did to make you feel like I was pressuring you into anything, I'm sorry.”
I turned to face Hunter. “What?”
“I was being a complete gentleman—or at least I thought I was. Whatever I did to make you think I wanted something else, I'm sorry.”
I sighed. Those girls couldn't hold water.
I tried not to look into his hazel eyes, but I couldn't help it. No one in Nowhere had eyes that color. “You didn't do anything wrong, Hunter.”
“Then will you come to my game tonight?”
“Game?”
“Yeah, the basketball game. We play our rivals Coral High tonight.”
I'd never been to a high school sporting event. I kind of wanted to know what they were like. We didn't have things like that in Nowhere. We didn't have fun, period.
I knew I was supposed to say no, but Hunter's smile and dimples wouldn't let me. “Okay. Sure.”
He winked at me. “Nice, it starts at seven.” He left just as Keira approached.
“Want to go to the basketball game tonight?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Why on earth would I want to do that?”
“Because I want to go.”
She shrugged. “You better ask Bram if it's okay.”
“I don't need Bram's permission. If I want to go, I'll go.”
“Whatever, Nay. Come on. The bell's about to ring.”
Bram actually thought it would be a good idea for me to go to the game, but only if we all went. I didn't think kids who were planning on blowing up the school would be at a basketball game—I think the other Grims wanted to see what one was like, too.
The gym was packed. We found seats on the very, very top of the bleachers. I'd tried to dress as un-Grimlike as possible. I had on blue jeans and a loose pink tank top with a tighter black tank top underneath.
The gym was rowdy and noisy. The game was in full force on the court. Kids yelled and screamed, cheerleaders were shouting chants from the sidelines, and the school mascot did silly dances on the side. I was trying to understand the game, which wasn't too complicated, but watching Hunter proved to be a huge distraction.
Hunter was killing it, scoring point after point. Even though he was red and sweaty, he was gorgeous. I kept looking at the other Grims, making sure they weren't watching me watch Hunter.
The game was close, with Kennedy High two points ahead. Something happened and the game stopped. The referee handed Hunter the ball while the other players stood around. The gym fell silent. Hunter bounced the ball twice and then aimed at the basket. He shot the ball, and it sailed through the hoop. Cheers erupted throughout the gym.
At half time, the players left the court. I couldn't help but notice Ashley run up to Hunter, wrapping her arms around his neck. He gave her a polite pat on her back, but he wasn't smiling. A bulge of resentment rose inside of me. I tried to push it away, but it wouldn't leave. That must have been how Keira felt every time a girl flirted with Bram.
“Can we leave now?” Dorian whined.
“The game's not over,” Bram answered. “I'll be right back,” he said before disappearing into the crowd.
A whistle blew, and the dance team assembled on the court. A pop song blared from the speakers, and they broke into a dance routine. The girls looked as if they were having the time of their lives, and I wondered what that felt like. Roxy and Paige looked so happy. They were pretty and popular, living the teenage dream. It must have been an amazing feeling, and I wondered how long it would last.
Keira nudged me with her knee. She was looking off to the right.
I followed her gaze and felt a pain in my chest. The glow. It was spreading. Two basketball players who sat on the bench drinking Gatorade had the ethereal light around them. A girl coming back from the concession stand with a bag of chips had the glow. I spotted four different people glowing on our side of the gym, and another six on the other side.
Keira pointed to the dance team as they finished. A girl with long brown hair had started to glow. Then a blond girl, and then Roxy.
It took me a moment to realize that I wasn't breathing. I knew Keira was thinking, “Naomi, I warned you about getting attached.” But it was too late. I liked Roxy the most out of all the girls. She was the first person to befriend me and had taken me under her wing.
Bram returned with a soda. “It'll be soon.”
I looked at the others. No one else seemed to be bothered. But why should they be? This was part of the job. Apparently, I was the only one who took Human deaths to heart.
The rest of the game went by in a blur. Our team—well, I guess I shouldn’t really say “our team”—Kennedy High dominated the second half of the game and won eighty-six to sixty-two.
We stood to leave as the celebratory student body noisily filed out of the gym. I wanted to speak to Hunter so he would know I came. The basketball players were surrounded by kids giving them high fives and congratulations. While the other Grims headed to the car, I pushed my way through the crowd.
Hunter wiped his face with a towel. “Snowflake! You made it.”
“Yeah, you played great tonight.”
“Thanks.” Then he said something else, but my thoughts were lost in his dimples. “Hey, will you wait for me while I grab my stuff from the locker room? It won't take long.”
“Why?”
“I'll give you a ride home.” Hunter disappeared with the other players before I could tell him no.
I hurried outside to find the others. They were already sitting in the vehicle, waiting for me. I walked to the driver's side. Bram rolled down the window.
“Um, I'm going to get a ride home with some friends.”
Bram shook his head. “Whatever.”
He rolled the window back up. I walked away as they pulled off, and I waited next to Hunter's pickup.
Roxy and Paige pulled up beside me in Roxy's car. “Hey, Cas. You have fun?”
I felt a shot of guilt. I was looking at a girl who was about to die, and she had no idea. “Yeah.”
“What are you waiting for?” Paige asked, as if she didn't already know.
“Hunter's giving me a ride home.”
Paige found that hilarious. “Have fun, Cas. I hear basketball players like to relieve stress after a big game. You might hit a home run toni
ght.”
Roxy shoved her playfully, and they pulled off.
The parking lot was almost empty when Hunter finally came out. “Sorry I took so long. Coach wanted to talk to us, and he wouldn't shut up.”
“It's okay,” I said as he opened the door for me to climb inside.
He started the ignition. “Hungry?”
“I could eat.”
We rode quietly for a minute. I enjoyed the smell of his coconut car freshener. Hunter pulled into a drive-thru, and we both ordered fries and vanilla shakes. He drove us to a park, and we stopped and ate.
The soft rock song we had been listening to changed to something else. It was a song by Li’l somebody that I didn't understand. All I knew was that the singer called women terrible names, accompanied by “shake that” and “suck this.”
I turned it off. “How about we just talk?”
“Okay,” Hunter answered. “Why are you so weird?”
“What?”
“You're weird, Snowflake. There's something about you that I can't put my finger on.”
I shrugged. “I don't know what you mean.” I didn't want to lie to him, but I couldn’t very well tell him that I wasn't Human and I had come to collect the lives of his schoolmates.
“It’s not a bad thing necessarily. Weird can be good, in your case.”
I took a sip of my milkshake and placed it back in the cup holder. “Why do you like me, Hunter?”
Hunter was gorgeous and popular. Much like Bram, he could’ve had anyone he wanted.
“Why wouldn't I like you?”
“I don't know. I'm this strange new girl. I'm not like you or the other kids. I'm just . . . I don't know.”
Hunter touched my chin gently and turned my face toward him. “You're not just anything. You're special. I don't know how to explain it. I like your swag. You're different, and I like that. And it doesn't hurt that you're easy on the eyes.”
My cheeks felt warm, and I wanted to look away from Hunter, but I didn't. Even after a basketball game, he smelled good. Although I wanted to lean closer to him, I held myself back. Hunter moved his face toward mine, but I pulled away.
I had to. I couldn't risk having any more years deducted from my life. “Hunter, I'm sorry. I can't.”
He looked disappointed, but only for a moment. “Okay. It's okay.”
Naomi Grim: The Final Breath Chronicles Book One Page 12
