I shot a quick look back at Parker. His blue-black hair stood out in sharp contrast against the morning sky. Without taking his eyes off me, Parker elbowed one of his friends. He dropped his voice, but I could have sworn I heard him ask, “You ever been to the Raven?”
“What are you going to wear tonight?” Cassie asked me that day at lunch, handing over the serving bowl of asparagus. I spooned a generous portion onto my plate.
“Well,” I said, thinking out loud. “I’ve got some new jeans that would look great with...”
Royal didn’t let me finish. “No jeans. Bad Braedyn.”
“What about that black dress you wore to Winter Ball last year?” Cassie asked.
“Isn’t that kind of formal for a club?” I asked.
“You have to dress up,” Cassie said.
“I’ve got it,” Royal said, leaning forward. His eyes gleamed. “Break out the ultra-swanky sky-blue dress I got you at the Plaza last summer for your birthday. You still haven’t worn it outside your house.”
I set down the bread roll I was buttering. “You’re kidding, right?”
“It’ll match your new ride.” He said this like it was the only logical thing to do.
“I distinctly remember telling you not to buy that dress,” I said, pointing my butter knife at Royal. “Cassie, you were there.”
“It is kind of spectacular,” Cassie said. “I think I’m with Royal on this one.”
“Judas.” I finished buttering my roll.
“Let’s make this easy.” Royal pulled a quarter out of his pocket. “Heads, you walk on the wild side and repay my birthday generosity by wearing the sky-blue gorgeousness. Tails, you play it safe and wear whatever your little heart desires. Just to be clear, that does not include jeans. Deal?”
I glanced from Royal to Cassie. Cassie clasped her hands together, in eager anticipation. I sighed. “Fine. Deal.”
Royal flipped the quarter up. It glinted in the sunlight streaming into the dining hall. Royal deftly plucked it out of the air and slapped it onto the back of his hand.
“And fate has decreed...” he lifted his hand revealing the quarter. Heads.
“Score!” said Cassie.
“Well, well, well.” Royal looked extremely satisfied.
“Um, excuse me?” I almost didn’t recognize Amber’s voice. It was pitched an octave higher than her normal register. I turned to find her glaring, arms crossed, behind my table. Ally and Missy stood with her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Eating lunch,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Cassie and Royal trading a look.
“Tonight is Desert Fest,” Amber said. Behind her, Ally nodded grimly.
“So?”
“So? You’re throwing a party at the Raven!” Amber’s shriek travelled across the dining hall. More than a few heads turned to see what was going on. Her iron-straight blond hair quivered with rage.
I stared at her in astonishment. “How do you know that?”
Amber’s eyes darted to her lunch table. Parker and his friends were watching us with interest. Question answered. And then I noticed Lucas. Our eyes connected, and he didn’t turn away. A slow warmth spread through my chest-- until Amber stepped in front of me, breaking our eye contact.
Amber’s eyes were narrow slits. “Postpone. Ally and I have been planning this for two months.”
“Today is my birthday,” I said, smiling coldly. “I’m not postponing my party because it’s inconvenient for you.”
“I hope you’re not relying on this glam-tramp makeover to win friends and influence people,” Amber hissed. “If you force people to choose between us, you’ll be disappointed.”
I pushed my chair back from the table so abruptly that Amber took an involuntary step back. I stood, facing her.
“Then let’s give them the choice and see.” I turned my back on Amber and stepped onto the middle of our dining table. Royal and Cassie reacted, jerking back, startled. I turned to face the crowded dining hall. A sea of faces looked up and I flashed my brightest smile, feeling a swell of confidence. It was a rush, standing before the expectant crowd. I had everyone’s undivided attention, and I only needed it for a few seconds.
“Hey, party at the Raven tonight,” I shouted. “It’s my birthday and everyone’s invited!” I wasn’t prepared for the resulting cheer. When I looked back at Amber, her lips were pressed into a thin line of fury. Behind her, I saw Headmaster Fiedler making a beeline for my table. Oops. The noise died down to a dull roar as people turned away, talking excitedly with their friends.
“Ms. Murphy,” Fiedler said, arriving beside the table. “Down.”
I moved for my chair, but someone had pushed it in, leaving me nothing to step down on. Amber watched from a few feet away, her eyes smoldering with glee. Seeing my predicament, Fiedler pulled the chair out for me. He gave me his hand to steady myself as I climbed down.
“Sorry,” I said. “I got a little carried away.” When he didn’t answer, I looked at his face. Fiedler was giving me a strange look. He cleared his throat and released my hand.
“Well. Just... don’t stand on any more tables and I think we can let this slide.” Fiedler straightened his tie. “Happy birthday.” He walked out of the dining hall.
Amber stared at me, open-mouthed.
“That was... forward,” Royal said. His expression was guarded, but I detected uneasiness in his eyes.
I glanced back at Amber. Her astonishment had been replaced by a look of unsettling calculation.
At the end of the day, Cassie walked me to my car. It felt a little strange, parting ways with her in the parking lot instead of getting a ride home with her and Royal. The Firebird gleamed in the afternoon sun.
“Amber is on the warpath,” Royal said, joining us. “You should have heard her in Geometry. She’s threatening to shun anyone who comes to the Raven tonight.”
Cassie looked worried. “Maybe I should get some party favors or something.”
“Don’t waste the money,” I said. “I hate to admit it, but Amber’s right. No one’s going to show up to a party for a girl they don’t even know when they could be getting smashed in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of cheerleaders.”
Royal didn’t look convinced, but Cassie smiled, relaxing a little. “More dance floor for the rest of us.”
“Looks like you have another admirer,” Royal said. I looked up. Greg Pantelis, star of the swim team, was hovering at the edge of the parking lot. He’d never looked in my direction before, but when he caught my eye he walked over to us.
“I hear the Firebird belongs to you,” he said. “Nice ride.” Greg’s eyes slid over my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Amber and Ally approaching, engrossed in conversation. They hadn’t seen me yet. “Is anyone taking you to the party tonight?” Greg asked.
“I’m not going to Desert Fest,” I said, distracted.
Greg laughed. “I mean your party.”
Amber grabbed Ally’s arm, stopping both of them in their tracks. She turned to look at Greg and me, eyes wide with disbelief.
Greg’s words finally sunk in. “What?” I asked. Beside me, Royal and Cassie watched us.
“Your party,” he repeated. “At the Raven. Do you have a date?”
I could sense Amber hanging on his words. It wasn’t much of a secret that she’d been angling for Greg before she and Derek started dating. If I wanted to stick it to Amber, I wouldn’t find a better opportunity than this. I beamed up at Greg, playing naive for Amber’s benefit. “No. Why do you ask?”
Greg, solely focused on me, had no idea Amber was listening to every word he said. “You’re... different than the other girls at school. There’s something special about you.” I could see Amber stiffening in my peripheral vision. This was the first time in our lives that I had the upper hand and Amber was the one on the outside looking in. I’ll admit, I relished the turnabout.
I stepped closer to Greg, putting a hand lightly on his
chest. “That’s really sweet,” I breathed. The touch affected Greg more than I anticipated. He lowered his head toward me and I felt my breath catching in my throat. With a tingling sensation, I knew he would kiss me with the slightest provocation. Aware of Amber standing nearby, devouring us with her eyes, I tipped my head up and let my lashes flutter closed. In answer, Greg cupped the back of my head with one warm hand. He pulled me slightly forward and kissed me.
“Braedyn,” Cassie said. I heard something in her voice. Shock, maybe.
Greg’s lips were soft and warm. It was pleasant enough... but something was missing. When Lucas had held me in his basement - when my eyes had fluttered shut of their own volition – I’d felt a longing so intense it had left me breathless. As soon as I thought of Lucas, I was overwhelmed with a sort of sick emptiness. I pulled away, breaking the kiss, flustered. I saw confusion fill Greg’s face.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I... It’s my fault,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.” I glanced away from Greg and saw Lucas staring at us from across the quad. His face was drawn, pale. Amber was already moving to greet him. She reached him quickly, but Lucas didn’t seem aware of her existence. He didn’t look away when I met his stare. Shame flooded through me and I turned away from Lucas. “I... I need to go home.”
“So, about tonight?” Greg asked.
“She’s coming with us,” Royal said, ending the conversation.
Greg looked from Royal to me, bewildered. “Well,” he said. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”
I nodded, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. Greg left, and Cassie and Royal turned on me.
“I didn’t even know you liked Greg,” Cassie said in a small voice.
“I don’t,” I answered miserably.
“So what the hell was that?” Royal asked.
“I don’t know,” I moaned, feeling sick. “How much did Lucas see?”
“Enough,” Royal answered. “All the juicy bits, for sure.”
“You do like Lucas,” Cassie said. It sounded like an accusation, and I didn’t deny it. “I don’t understand. Why don’t you tell him that? Can’t you see he likes you, too?”
“You’re right,” I said glumly. “You don’t understand.”
Royal frowned. “As long as we’re making a list of things we don’t understand, how about adding the part where you invited the whole school to your party to piss Amber off.”
“Yeah,” Cassie added, hurt. “I thought this was going to be our special thing.”
“Does this mean you guys aren’t coming?” I asked in a small voice. “It won’t be any fun if you aren’t there.”
“As if we don’t know that,” Royal scoffed. But after a moment, he softened. “Of course we’re coming. It’s your big day.”
Cassie watched Amber and Lucas walking across the parking lot, twirling loops of long black hair between her fingers. "So what’s the plan?” she asked. “Do you want to get ready together? I could bring my stuff over to your place after dinner.” She glanced at Royal. “If you can give me a ride.”
“At your service,” Royal said.
“Dad’s taking me out for dinner,” I lied quickly. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. It might just be easier if we all meet at the club at nine.” I was going to have to sneak out of my house to go to this party. That wouldn’t be possible if Cassie and Royal showed up at my doorstep.
Cassie shrugged. “Okay.”
Royal’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “If this means you’re trying to get out of wearing...”
I cut him off. “No,” I said. “A deal’s a deal.”
Royal looked slightly mollified. “You know, a little mascara might bring out those eyes.”
I drove home, pulling up as the sun dipped low on the horizon. The days were getting shorter and shorter as we edged closer to the longest night of the year - Winter Solstice. I pushed the thought out of my head, doggedly determined to enjoy my birthday if it killed me.
When I got to the house the driveway was empty. Dad was out again. I parked my car on the street leaving the driveway clear for Dad’s truck. I wouldn’t be sneaking out anywhere if he boxed me in. I locked my car and headed into the house.
I went up to my room and tossed my book bag on my bed. I had about four hours before I had to start getting ready for the party, so I sat down to outline my term paper for English. By the time I had finished the first draft of my outline, it was a little after eight o’clock. Dad still wasn’t back. He must have gotten the late shift watching Derek. I decided to start getting ready for the party.
I flipped my closet light on and thumbed through hangers until I found the sky-blue dress. I pulled it out, eyeing it nervously. It was the most daring dress I owned. The hem fell six inches above the knee and the back plunged open to the waist. I slipped it over my head and zipped it up at the side. It fit perfectly, fluttering prettily with the slightest movement. I had a pair of delicate silver heels with tiny rhinestones across the straps. They had just peeked out beneath the long black dress I’d worn to last year’s Winter Ball. Tonight they’d be on full display.
I glanced at myself in the mirror. The dress was surprisingly flattering. I played with my hair for a few minutes, but it looked best down. I was just starting on my makeup when I heard the front door open downstairs. I felt a rush of panic and hurried to my bedroom door to lock it. Dad’s footsteps sounded on the stairs. When he reached the second floor, he knocked on my bedroom door.
“Braedyn?” Dad called softly through the door. “I’m sorry it’s so late, but I thought we could celebrate. I’ve got a cake here with your name on it. Literally. ‘Braedyn’ in bright red frosting. Very bold.”
“I’m not hungry,” I said.
“Can I come in?” he asked. “I’m dripping wax all over this delicious cream-cheese frosting. I know you’re angry with me, but do you really want to take it out on the cake? It’s red velvet.” I kicked off my shoes and pulled my bathrobe over the dress, belting it tightly. I opened the door a crack.
Dad held a small, lushly frosted red velvet cake on a plate. Sixteen candles flickered happily, reflecting in Dad’s warm brown eyes. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
I blew the candles out and the hallway darkened.
“Still not hungry,” I said.
“I know you must be overwhelmed,” he said gently.
“That’s a bit of an understatement. I barely recognize myself in the mirror. And now, all theses people who barely even noticed me before...” I shook my head, remembering Greg with another wash of shame.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you’re mad at me.”
“You could have prepared me,” I said, letting some of the tension I’d been carrying around since morning into my voice.
“I know,” Dad sighed. “But I didn’t know what to... I didn’t want you to feel any different from the other kids.”
“Turns out, I’m pretty different.”
“You’re the same girl you’ve always been,” Dad said firmly. “You’re smart. You have a good head on your shoulders. None of that has changed.” I struggled to keep my composure. I wanted to stay mad at him. It felt like I needed that anger to keep me grounded. But it was hard when he was standing there, saying all the right things, looking so worried.
“Can we do this tomorrow?” I asked. “I’m tired.”
“Sure,” Dad sighed. He lifted the cake with a half-hearted smile. “Red Velvet and I will be waiting for you downstairs if you change your mind.”
I smiled faintly and closed the door. I could hear him moving back down the hall. After a moment, I slipped the robe off and stepped back into my shoes. I looked at the clock. Eight forty-seven. If I didn’t get out of here soon, I was going to be late to my own party.
I shoved a lip-gloss into my purse, slipped into a coat, and put my hand on the doorknob. But then I hesitated. Trying to sneak past Dad downstairs was a recipe for disaster. I walked to my bedroom window instead. It squeaked as I slid it o
pen. I looked down and felt my stomach twinge. I edged one leg out of the window and let my foot find the sturdy trellis that supported a climbing rose. The trellis felt solid under my hands and feet. I climbed down it like a ladder, picking my way carefully around the twisting vines. Thorns pulled at my coat but I managed to make it to the ground mostly unscathed. I made a quiet dash to the Firebird.
I tossed my coat behind the driver’s seat and got into the car, slipping my key into the ignition. Before I turned it on, someone knocked on my window. I felt my heart leap into my throat and turned, expecting to find Dad glaring at me furiously. Instead, I saw Lucas, wearing Eric’s black leather jacket over shirt and jeans.
I rolled down my window. “Lucas?”
“Can I get a ride to the club?” At my blank stare, Lucas’ smile faltered. “Cassie invited me to your birthday party. I thought that meant you wanted me there.”
I glanced at my house feeling more and more exposed. Dad could look out the window and see us at any moment. “Get in.” Lucas shrugged out of his jacket as he walked to the passenger side. He tossed the jacket into the back seat beside mine and slid into the car. I turned the key and hit the gas as he closed the door. Lucas hurried to buckle his seat belt as we flew down the road.
“Whoa,” he said. “I’m pretty sure they’re not going to cut the cake without you.”
I gave him a cool look. “Where’s Amber?”
“She doesn’t own me,” Lucas said.
“Does she know that?”
Lucas laughed ruefully. “Not so much. She likes to think she can bend the world to her will.” After a moment, he shrugged. “She thinks she wants me, but she doesn’t. Not really.”
“What makes you so confident?”
Lucas shrugged. “Amber wants a guy that’s going to drop everything for her. That’s not me.”
His words soothed my agitation like a balm. The tension in my shoulders eased. “What about you?” I asked. “What do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, looking straight at me. I had to force myself to keep my eyes on the road. My head felt dangerously light. After a moment, Lucas looked at his hands, folded in his lap. “So Cassie... she made up that invitation, didn’t she? You don’t actually want me at this party.”
Thrall (Daughters Of Lilith) Page 9
