Normally Sasha biked to school but today she just didn’t feel like it. She was tired and lacked the energy to push the pedals. She called Jenna to get a ride in her yellow VW Beetle.
Jenna was one of her closest friends from childhood. They used to hang out, play video games and talk about everything. Then came high school and everything changed. Now they hardly had anything in common. Sasha was on the track team, while Jenna avoided exercise and extracurricular activities.
Sasha volunteered once a month at the food bank unloading trucks and stocking shelves. Jenna drew dark disturbing pictures of demons and castles and posted outlandish fan fiction on the Internet.
Sasha has never dyed her hair while Jenna changed her color weekly. Yesterday it had pink stripes mixed in with the bleached blond. It looked like candy floss.
She clicked off the phone and headed downstairs. Hannah was already in the kitchen sitting at the breakfast table gazing out the wall of windows that framed the room. It was Sasha’s favorite place in the house. The backyard was wooded and an attraction for wildlife. Occasionally a bunny or squirrel ran by and lightened her mood. Otherwise it had a peaceful view especially soothing during a hectic or drama-filled day.
“Happy birthday,” Hannah said spitting food across the table.
“Gross,” Sasha responded slipping into her chair. “Swallow please.”
Hannah smiled with her mouth full of food. Cereal was lodged in her braces. Sasha closed her eyes, trying to block out the disgusting image. Little sisters were revolting.
Sasha inhaled her own breakfast of oatmeal. She didn’t see any evidence her parents were home before a horn honked out front signaling Jenna’s arrival. Sasha grabbed her bag and ran out the door. So far it was a crappy start to her birthday.
Sasha dashed to the car and scanned for Nefar. Seeing no one she opened the yellow Beetle’s passenger door and eased into the front seat, scattering CDs off the seat to make room.
Jenna’s hair was still candy floss pink, although her uniform was as plain as Sasha’s. She was wearing a white T-shirt and plaid skirt. At school, hair was the only way Jenna could express her rebellious nature. She also occasionally smoked and drank.
Sasha couldn’t stand smoking, although she’d snuck beers from the fridge to take to parties. She wasn’t always obedient, especially lately since she started hanging out with Cady. Sasha loved the feeling derived from breaking the rules but struggled with the punishment side.
There was nothing worse than enduring Willow Bean’s disappointment. She didn’t scream and yell but she was great at laying the guilty trip on thick and making Sasha feel ashamed. Sasha loved her mother but sometimes Willow Bean made it hard for Sasha to like her.
“Please come tonight,” Sasha begged Jenna. “I want you to meet someone.”
Keeping her hand on the wheel, Jenna turned to Sasha with raised eyebrows.
“I’m coming. I’m coming,” she said making a turn. “Who is this someone?”
Sasha was fairly positive Evan was coming to her dinner although he may have changed his mind after she darted from his house yesterday.
“He might be there. I invited him but you know me, I may have scared him away.”
Jenna laughed. “Your desperation is not pretty.”
“You think?”
Sasha sulked in her seat and turned away.
“Do you think I want this?” she said in a low voice. “My mother does these things I don’t want and I’m just supposed to smile and be happy.”
“Tell her no,” Jenna said signaling her turn.
“I can’t.”
“Why not? I say it all the time. It’s not hard.”
Sasha sighed. “Yes, it is.”
Jenna pulled into the parking lot and found a spot at the back of the lot. Despite her rebel appearance, she was uber practical and didn’t want to get her car scratched.
“You gonna tell me about the guy?”
She told her about Evan and the robbery but left out her suspicion that it was connected to her pendant.
“Wow,” Jenna said reaching for her bag in the backseat. “Are you alright?”
Sasha got out of the car and spoke over the hood. “Yeah.”
She didn’t tell her about the fireball attack yesterday. It had not occurred to her to call the police and Evan hadn’t suggested it. The attack was hard to explain especially considering the burn on Evan’s chest was the only proof anything had happened.
A breeze blew across Sasha’s neck making her shiver. She surveyed the school grounds as she walked to the front doors. She felt like someone was watching her but nothing seemed out of place.
She dragged herself from class to class, slightly paranoid. She left each classroom cautiously, peering out of the doorway before stepping into the corridor. The crush of students flowing in the hallways gave her protection but also prevented her from spotting any surprise attacks.
At lunch she found a secluded desk in the library. Her back was to a wall so no one could surprise her. She needed to review her biology notes because her exam was the next period. The last thing she needed was to fail a test on her birthday.
“There you are,” a voice said from out of view. Sasha recognized Cady’s Texas southern drawl. Sasha and her family didn’t speak with accents. Austin was famous for being a city where people came from somewhere else.
Cady put a cup on the desk and took the chair from a neighboring desk. “Bottoms up and happy birthday,” she said.
Sasha grabbed the cup and slurped eagerly. “Thanks,” she said. “Where have you been? I looked for you this morning.”
Cady pulled a compact out of her purse and checked her image. “I skipped first period,” she said. “My sleep is more important than Spanish class.”
Sasha frowned and kept sucking on the drink. It was the most unique flavor. It had the scent of roses and the taste of vanilla and orange. Cady wouldn’t tell her what was in it so that she could make it herself.
“Are you gonna give me the recipe for this as a birthday present?” Sasha said slyly.
Cady laughed. “Then why would you need me?”
“That’s not the only reason I’m your friend,” Sasha said.
“I hope not,” Cady said. “I like to think I’m a good influence on you too. How else would you have gotten that date with Sean? Have you seen him since?”
Sasha flushed. Cady had set her up on a date a few weeks ago with one of the school’s basketball players. They’d seen a movie and then Sasha fended off repeated advances in the car. Sean didn’t seem so much interested in her than interested in her for that night.
“I have not heard from him-,” Sasha said before Cady cut her off.
“What did you do? It took me weeks to convince him to give you a chance.”
Sasha felt her face go hot. “I didn’t do anything.”
Cady shook her brown curls. “I don’t believe that. I put all this work into trying to get you a date and you blow it.”
“I did not,” Sasha said and heard someone shushing her from the other side of the partition between desks. “He wasn’t right for me, ok?” she said in a loud whisper.
Cady snapped her compact shut in a huff. “Don’t ask me to help you again. I can’t keep putting my reputation on the line to help you out.”
“Don’t worry I won’t,” Sasha said angrily. How did this argument start? “Are you coming tonight?”
Cady rose from her seat and pushed the chair into the desk with a bang. She faced Sasha, her mouth an angry line. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A moment passed before she opened them.
“Yes, I’ll be there,” she said. “But I can’t stay too long. I pushed my appointment back but couldn’t delay it entirely.”
Sasha was elated. “That’s ok. I appreciate it.” Sasha gulped down some more milkshake and felt a surge of energy. She decided not to mention Evan to Cady. She’d wait until they met at dinner tonight.
Cady bent down and gave Sasha
a hug. “I’ll see you tonight,” she said and left the library.
Shaken by the disagreement, Sasha couldn’t concentrate. She didn’t understand why she and Cady argued so much. Was that normal? Jenna and Sasha hardly ever disagreed although they didn’t spend that much time together anymore so was that really a fair comparison?
Sasha was torn. She didn’t want to lose Cady as a friend. She hoped she could make up for her transgressions and be forgiven for all the mistakes she made. Why was it so hard?
At the end of the school day Sasha changed into her workout clothes and jogged out to the track for practice. The coach made her run laps in fast and slow intervals. Once warmed up the team left the school grounds and ran through the neighborhoods to get in a hills workout. The surrounding rolling hills provided plenty of opportunity for elevation changes.
Sasha stayed in the middle of the pack, again peeking over her shoulder, staying hyper aware of her surroundings. She thought she saw a dark sedan following the group of 20 students, but it sped ahead when there was room to pass.
Sasha was relieved there was no threat. She felt weary with all the energy she was devoting to being alert for another attack. She thought she was safe being around so many people but she couldn’t predict what Nefar and his cohorts would do. She was just guessing. She knew nothing about what a Mukoo was. Since he and his buddies had tried to kill her twice, she assumed it meant he was an assassin.
She needed to do some research. Her mother was being sketchy about her background. She obviously knew the purpose of the pendant, which everyone wants to take from her. She probably should force her mother to tell her the truth. Nefar did say something about a curse and her grandmother. Maybe she should confront her mother again and get answers.
The coach called out a quicker pace and the group ran faster. Sasha turned her attention to her breathing and trudged up a hill. There was nothing worse than gasping for breath at the top like an asthmatic.
After six miles, the group headed back to school. Instead of showering in the locker room, she snagged a ride home with one of her teammates. She was waving goodbye to her friend when she ran into her mother at the front door.
“You better go shower honey, our reservations are in half an hour,” Willow Bean said.
Then, as if she suddenly realized it was the first time she’d seen her daughter all day, Willow Bean yelled to her daughter’s back as Sasha climbed the stairs.
“Happy birthday sweetheart. I love you 17 times as much as I did the day you were born.”
“Mother you are so cheesy,” she yelled back. She hopped in the shower and washed away her anxious day. She put on a party dress lying on her bed. Her mother must have put it there sometime during the day because it wasn’t there this morning.
The dress was a midnight blue with tiny embroidered flowers. It was casual enough that she could wear it to parties too. She yanked it over her head when there was a knock at the door.
“Just a second,” she yelled.
“It’s alright,” a man said. Sasha quickly got decent and ran to the door.
“Daddy,” she screamed and threw herself into his arms. “I thought you were away on business.”
She felt tears well in her eyes as her father wrapped his arms around her. She never felt more loved and safe than when she was being hugged by her father. He was the one steady source of affection in her life and she clung to it.
“Well I was,” he said. “But I told those finance guys that I had to come back. I wouldn’t miss your birthday.”
He pulled back and kissed the end of her nose.
“You’re my favorite oldest daughter,” he said with a smile that made wrinkles appear at the corner of his eyes. His happiness was infectious.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she purred into his chest.
“Me too,” he said. “Now get ready before your mother gets out her whip.”
He pushed her back into her room and shut the door. Maybe she didn’t need to speak with her mother after all. She was sure her father would be very open with her about the pendant. She’ll ask him as soon as the party was over.
Satisfied she had a plan, Sasha finished getting ready.
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Sasha spied Evan coming across the restaurant toward her table her, she felt a thrill as her stomach dropped in excitement as if she’d just ridden a roller coaster. She loved how a guy could make her feel that way.
Evan strode confidently toward the table, his clean-cut good looks setting him apart from the crowd of mostly families with children. His hair was cut short, his clothes were pressed and his eyes shone. He looked as nervous as Sasha felt. His smile met hers and she couldn’t shut hers down. Her glee was uncontrollable as she watched him take the seat next to her and place a card in front of her plate. She felt an urge to lean over and kiss his cheek but resisted the impulse.
Even though he sort of accepted the invitation, she wasn’t sure he would show up. Sasha was pleased she’d been able to save the seat beside her for him. Cady was on Evan’s other side and Hannah was on Sasha’s right side, while Jenna sat across from her. Sasha was dying to open the card but instead put it in her purse to save for a private moment.
The adults were at the other end of the table talking in hushed tones. Her father sat beside her mother but didn’t seem engaged in the conversation. When he saw Sasha watching him he winked at her. Sasha ignored the adult end of the table and focused on a conversation between Cady and Evan.
“I can’t believe we haven’t met,” Cady said in her best southern belle voice. “I would not have forgotten a guy like you.”
Cady was laying it on a bit thick and Sasha’s smile faltered as she watched Cady get into her flirty girl mode.
“I can’t imagine you and Sasha have much in common,” she said. “I’m more likely to find her in running shorts, while you, I see in leather.”
Evan eyed her quizzically. “I don’t understand,” he said.
“That’s ok,” Jenna interjected. “You aren’t the only one.”
Cady glared at Jenna but wiped the hostile expression off her face within a nanosecond. Cady smiled at Evan and put her hand lightly on his forearm.
“I just meant you don’t seem like Sasha’s type,” she said lightly caressing his arm. “Isn’t she dating Sean? He’s one of those partier athlete types.”
Sasha panicked. What was Cady doing? She didn’t want Evan to think she was dating another guy, especially not that octopus Sean.
“I’m not dating anyone,” Sasha announced loudly. The conversation around the table stopped. Embarrassed Sasha moved the food around on her plate trying to pretend she didn’t exist. Jenna regarded her with sympathy, while Hannah elbowed her in the ribs.
“That was really loud,” Hannah said equally loud. “I think the whole restaurant heard.”
“Shut up,” hissed Sasha.
Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a small smile on Evan’s face. Cady’s face was a mask of stony disapproval.
Sasha stared at her favorite food that she couldn’t force herself to eat. Her throat was tight with sorrow. This dinner was turning into a disaster and her mother came to her rescue.
“Jenna how do you decide what color to dye your hair?”
They engaged in an animated discussion about whether blue or pink made a grander statement.
Sasha turned to Cady hoping to distract her from Evan.
“What big event did you cancel to come here?” Sasha said. “I thought you were busy.”
Cady took a sip of her drink.
“I didn’t cancel,” she said. “I’ve pushed it back. It’s not like this party is going to go late into the evening.”
Sasha smiled at her dig.
“I hope not,” Evan said with an exaggerate look of relief. “I’ve still got to study for an exam tomorrow.”
Jenna and Evan launched into a debate over whether schools should do away with midterms and just rely on assignments a
nd final exams for marks. Sasha stayed quiet enjoying listening to Evan talk. He was much more intellectual than she thought and seemed very focused on his studies.
“Evan,” Sasha’s father asked him while Sasha picked at her tiramisu birthday cake. “Where are you from? You don’t sound like a Texan.”
Evan seemed to collect his thoughts before speaking. “I was born in California but I’ve lived all over.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Military?” Sasha’s father pressed.
“Yes sir,” Evan said.
Sasha’s father nodded and didn’t pry further. It was obvious Evan didn’t want to elaborate. Even Sasha didn’t know his living situation. She just assumed he lived with his parents but now she remembered that he only spoke of his grandmother when they were at his house. Gosh how selfish of her that she’d never inquired about him and only talked about herself. She promised to rectify the situation as soon as possible. She was very interested in the intimate details of his life.
“How did you meet Sasha?” Cady asked even though she already knew. Sasha frowned not sure where Cady was leading with her questions.
“I work at the Second Cup,” he said. “We met a few days ago when she came in for a hot chocolate.”
Evan turned to Sasha and winked. “It was a hot chocolate wasn’t it?”
Sasha smiled at the private gesture and nodded. “I’m surprised you remembered,” she said. “I mean you must get a hundred orders a night.”
Evan’s face turned serious as he turned to her and spoke in a low voice.
“I won’t ever forget your order,” he said. “It was a standout night.”
Sasha’s face flushed and she hoped he meant it was a memorable night because he met her but she had a feeling he meant he couldn’t forget the night because of the robbery.
Cady giggled and covered her mouth as if she were in on the private joke. “I didn’t know hot chocolate made such an impression on guys,” she said fanning herself. “I’ll have to make sure I order it the next time I’m in the café.”
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