by Brenda Drake
He leaned forward and kissed her lips, taking his hoodie at the same time.
“Thank you for the kiss,” she said against his lips and then straightened. “I’ll be floating all night.”
“As will I.” He put on his hoodie and climbed down the tree. Once on the ground, he looked up to the window. She was still there watching him. With a small wave and a bright smile, she mouthed “bye” before shutting the curtain.
Blake jogged to his Prelude.
Kyle was leaning against his passenger side door. “Now, wasn’t that sweet? Kill a troll, hack up its body and dump it in the bay, then kiss a cute girl. All in one night.”
“What do you want, now?” Blake rounded the hood to the driver’s side. “Don’t you have someone else you can bother?”
Kyle straightened and walked over to Blake. “You know, I heard what Jörd told you. Stevie has the horn. She’s the only one who can bring it to Asgard. Is she the savior? Or is she the sacrifice? Never trust a goddess, or a god, for that matter.”
“Why do you care? What do you get by telling me this?”
“I like Stevie. A lot. I don’t want to see her hurt.” Kyle started down the street. “For better or worse, you’re my brother. I care about what happens to you as well.”
“I know you broke that skeleton,” Blake called after him.
“Now you’re using your head.” Kyle disappeared into the darkness.
átta
A euphoric haze followed Stevie through the halls of school. Ever since Blake kissed her last night, she was floating. She wasn’t sure how it happened or why it had. Her feelings for him kind of snuck up on her.
But a dark cloud passed over her happiness. Kyle kicked back against her locker, crossing his arms, which pushed up his already large biceps. Girls passing him smiled and exchanged flirtatious looks. She had to admit, he was easy on the eyes.
She stopped in front of him.
“Hi,” she said, waiting for him to move so she could get into her locker.
He didn’t.
“You’re in my way.”
He slid over.
“Thank you,” she said, spinning the disk then entering the combination. On the last click, she tugged the shackle down, removed the lock, and opened her locker. “Was there something you needed?”
“I was told you were collecting the money for our road trip.” He held an envelope out to her.
“Oh, right.” She grasped it, but he didn’t let go.
“There’s something different about you,” he said before relinquishing it.
Stevie gave him a curious look. “Really. Nothing new here.”
“Are you sure?” He touched his chin. “A new haircut? No, that’s the same. New shirt? No. Not a new shirt.”
He was beginning to get on her nerves.
His lips pulled into a slow, lopsided smile. “It’s the flush of love on your cheeks.”
How does he know that? And it’s not love. Maybe a crush. We could be falling… No. Stop listening to him, Stevie.
She slammed her locker. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My mistake, then.” He kept pace with her. “If you’re not seeing anyone, how about we go to that ice cream parlor we went to on our first date.”
“Double Dips? That wasn’t a date.” She quickened her steps, but he kept up with her.
“It was a fix up,” he argued.
“It was an ambush,” she retorted.
He laughed and everyone in the hall glanced at them. “You win. Can’t fault a guy for trying. It seems as though all the pretty girls are taken. Grace. Now you. If you change your mind, you know where I am. Can’t wait for our little trip.” He slowed his steps and let her continue down the hall on her own.
Stevie placed her hand on her cheek. Flushing. Really?
When she walked into her English class, Grace sat on Blake’s desk while he was in his chair. He said something and she flipped her hair back, laughing. It was Stevie’s first time seeing Blake since the kiss. With his focus on Grace, he hadn’t even noticed her cross the room and drop her bag beside her desk.
It seems as though all the pretty girls are taken. Kyle’s words played in her head. Grace. Now you. Her stomach and chest tightened. She’d forgotten about Grace. Her forehead overheated as she pulled her phone out of her backpack and texted Amira.
Don’t tell Grace about last night. She hit send.
Amira’s response came rapid-fire fast. Oh crap. She likes Blake.
I know. It completely slipped my mind.
What are you going to do?
What can I do? I have to stop things with Blake. I don’t want to hurt Grace, not after what she’s done for me.
I’m so sorry. Hugs :(
Thanks.
Stevie glanced over her shoulder and caught Blake’s eyes on her. He flashed her that smile that could melt the Ice Queen. She turned back to face the front of the room and slumped in her seat.
Don’t go there. Friends don’t go after the same guy. Grace wasn’t actually her friend per se. They only hung out because of Amira. Stop it. You like her. In spite of how annoying she can be. You owe her, Stevie.
The first group to perform for the series of Macbeth scenes took their spots in front of the class. They wore pieces of Shakespearean clothes over their street ones and used props during their presentation of the beginning scene. Stevie’s thoughts drained out their voices. She wanted to cry but kept her eyes forward. Everything was out of focus.
The road trip is going to suck.
The second hand on the clock above the white board moved excruciatingly slow. Stevie hated being in the same class as Grace and Blake. Witnessing her fall all over him sucked. Watching the time not move was even worse. And it was almost time for her meds.
Stevie bent over, reached inside her backpack, and removed her water bottle and Marvel pillbox she’d snagged at a comic con last year. It was probably for storing mints or pot, but it was the perfect size to conceal her medicine.
After placing them on her desk, she glanced over her shoulder at Grace this time. She was writing in her notebook instead of watching the first team act out their scene. Taped to the wall behind Grace was an advertisement for homecoming. It was a reminder of how shitty Stevie’s life was turning out to be. No one had asked her to go the dance and she doubted at this late notice she’d get an invite. She returned her attention to her classmates acting out Macbeth.
And now, homecoming is going to suck, too. Why couldn’t she ask someone? Maybe Todd in math would go with her or Jake in science. They were nice and sort of her friends. What am I doing? I never cared about going before.
Her eyes went to Blake. He had a smile on his face and looked to be enjoying the play. Disappointment settled in her stomach. Their kiss the night before played continuously in her mind. It was such a nice kiss. Gentle and full of emotion. She wanted to kiss him again. But there was Grace, and Stevie had decided to take a step back. Watch things. See if Grace was even still interested in Blake.
She snuck another look at Grace, and that damn poster caught her eye again. Stevie slowly slid her phone out of her front pocket and punched in a message to Amira.
I need a date for homecoming.
The screen went dark as Stevie stared at it, waiting for a response.
Grace bumped Stevie’s arm as she passed on the way to the front of the classroom. Lost in her thoughts, Stevie hadn’t noticed the first group had finished their performance. Blake and the other students in his and Grace’s group sat at two tables put together in front of the whiteboard. White linen covered the table and plastic fruit was arranged in bunches down the length of it.
Blake’s eyes found Stevie’s as Grace introduced the scene they were to act out.
“Our team is performing act three, scene four,” Grace was saying. In it, Banquo’s ghost appears to Macbeth at a banquet. This scene gives us an insight into the relationship between Macbeth and his wife.”
St
evie would love an insight into Grace and Blake’s relationship. Were they together? Was Blake playing them both? Amira had told her that Blake had been watching Halloween movies with Grace the night he came to her window. She was annoyed about that, and wondered if she had misjudged him. Maybe he wasn’t as nice of a guy as she had thought.
Stevie’s phone lit up with Amira’s response. Mr. Lee gave Stevie a stern look. She held up her pillbox and he nodded at her. It was her sign to him that it was just her alarm going off to tell her to take her meds. Lying to him felt wrong. She turned off her alarm that was set to go off in ten minutes and glanced at Amira’s text.
Yay! So excited you changed your mind. Let’s brainstorm at lunch.
Stevie replied with a smile emoji.
“‘…There the grown serpent lies,’” Blake was saying his lines, his eyes flicking to Stevie at each pause. “‘The worm that’s fled. Hath nature that in time will venom breed. No teeth for th’ present. Get thee gone. Tomorrow we’ll hear ourselves again.’”
When did he switch parts? Blake was supposed to be the First Murderer. And Stevie had a suspicion that his and Grace’s practices were more than just running lines.
“‘My royal lord,’” Grace said, resting her hand on Blake’s arm. “‘You do not give the cheer. The feast is sold…’”
Stevie lowered her head not wanting to watch them together. Their voices drowned out with her thoughts—Blake reaching his hand out to her. Him putting his hoodie over her shoulders. The kiss.
She pinched up a pill out of her box, popped it in her mouth, and took a long swig from her water bottle.
When the scene ended, Grace’s team received unenthusiastic applauds. No one enjoyed the assignment. Many said it was boring. Stevie didn’t know if she should be thankful or annoyed that her team wasn’t up until Monday. On the one hand, she could practice, and on the other, there was plenty time to obsess about it.
Before Blake and his team could maneuver around the table to get their desks, the bell rang. Stevie shot to her feet, snatched up her backpack, and darted around the desks to the door. She couldn’t face him. Not now. Not until she got over that kiss.
The stands were full of spectators dressed in red and black to support their team. Kyle filled out his uniform nicely. The rumors around school was that he was the best quarterback the school had ever had. His arm was strong and his throw extremely accurate. The team slaughtered their opponents in the three games he played.
Stevie edged through the aisle, dodging feet, holding two cups and hugging two tinfoil torpedoes. “The snack bar line was so long. Here,” she said, handing Blake a cup before sitting down. She passed him one of the foiled packages.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Yours is a hot dog with the works. Mine has pickles, onions, and relish only.” She placed her cup under her seat and unwrapped hers. Her thigh pressing against his sent a rush of awareness through her. She noticed all the little things about him. Like when his eyebrows crinkled slightly when he wasn’t sure about something. And how only the right corner of his mouth rose when he smiled. Or the way his eyes held so much depth when he was serious about something.
The wind blew her hair across her face. She brushed it aside and caught Blake watching her.
He dropped his eyes to the wrapped hot dog and peeled aside a corner of the foil. “I don’t get it. You eat your pets?”
Her eyes went wide and she paused in midbite. “No. It’s beef or parts of it, anyway. Never mind. It’s too hard to explain. But it’s not dog. That’s just the name.”
Amira leaned over her. “It’s delicious. Eat it.”
He practically ate the hot dog in three big bites. “That was good. It’s quite small, isn’t it?”
“I’m with you,” Amira said, standing. “I’ll get us some more.”
“You know, if you don’t ask her to homecoming”—Stevie nodded in the direction of Grace on the sideline with the other cheerleaders—“she’s going to ask you.”
Grace had told all her friends she wanted to go with him.
On the field, number thirty-four threw the football long, hitting his mark. Trevon caught the ball and ran the final twenty yards to a touchdown. The crowd erupted in cheers and got to their feet chanting Kyle’s and Trevon’s names. Kyle clapped his hands once and jogged over to Trevon. They did a man-hug thing.
Blake wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Homecoming? She’s asked me to her home many times already.”
“Um, that’s not what I meant.” She picked up her cup and sucked on the straw stabbed through the lid. “It’s a dance. There’s a queen, king, and a court of princesses and princes. The guys buy the girls corsages and the girls give the guys boutonnieres. They go out to an expensive dinner before the dance. And if you’re lucky, you get to escort Grace onto the football field for some sort of ceremony at the homecoming game. Simple.”
“Simple?” He slurped on his straw. “I’d rather go with you.”
“Can’t.” She put her cup back down. “It’s all over school. Grace has announced that you two are official.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” He put his drink beside hers.
She leaned closer so no one in the stands could hear them. “Didn’t you have the talk?”
“Which one? She talks. I listen. When I do get a word in, she doesn’t listen. Simple.”
Stevie waved her pointer finger at him, chuckling. “I saw what you did there with that ‘simple’ of yours. Don’t copy me. Anyway, did you define your relationship with her? ’Cause she’s put her claim on you. And homecoming’s important to her. She cried for days when the football field was destroyed and the homecoming game postponed.”
He turned as much as he could in the crowded space of the bleachers to face her. “What about us? We kissed. I have feelings for you, Stevie.”
“How can you say that?” The confusion crossing his face set a flame inside her. “You were with Grace before you came to my window on Halloween. On a date. She told the entire school. I don’t date other people’s boyfriends.”
And I don’t want to hurt Grace.
“It wasn’t a date,” he said, lowering his head and grabbing the back of his neck. “We were practicing Macbeth. She asked me to stay to watch a movie. Something about being lonely. I felt obligated.”
“Well, she obviously thought it meant you two were a thing now.”
Blake stood and gathered up his trash. “I don’t want to argue with you. Obviously, you have formed your own opinion about what did or didn’t happen.” He shuffled down the row, avoiding spectator’s feet.
“Blake, don’t go,” Stevie said. “We’re friends.”
He didn’t respond.
Amira shuffled down the row hugging a stack of hot dogs and blocking Blake’s exit. “Where are you going? I have tons of dogs.”
“My stomach suddenly feels sour,” he said, maneuvering around her.
As he started up the steps, the band started playing on the field. Stevie hadn’t even noticed it was halftime. Now her stomach was sour at what she saw at the fifty-yard line.
“Blake!” The band shouted at the end of their song.
He stopped and glanced at the field. Grace wore a huge smile as she waved her tiny black pom-poms above her head with the cheer squad behind her holding signs that spelled out “Blake! Will. You. Go. To. Homecoming. W/Me?”
Stevie almost tripped over the feet blocking her way as she pushed by the people in her row.
Amira stepped out of Stevie’s way. “Now that’s brave,” she said as Stevie passed her.
“Excuse me,” Stevie said to a boy with a mop of brown hair blocking her way. She sidestepped him and came up to Blake’s side.
He had a confused look on his face when he pulled his eyes from the field to Stevie.
“Say yes,” Stevie urged. “If you say no, it will crush her. Everyone in school will make fun of her forever. She’d be ruined.”
His eyes searc
hed her face before he said, “You want me to do this?”
It felt like her insides were crumbling. She didn’t want him to go with her, but it all seemed confusing. She glanced at Grace. Her smile had been replaced with a concerned expression.
“Yes,” Stevie said, and she was surprised he could hear her since it was such a reluctant whisper.
He held her stare several beats before he turned toward the field. “I’d love to,” he called to Grace with more zealous than Stevie thought he could have, which made her wonder if he was acting.
The cheer squad erupted in cheers and kicks.
Grace ran up the steps to Blake and threw her arms around him. “We’re going to have so much fun!” she squealed, then darted back to the field.
Blake pounded down the steps and disappeared through the exit.
Stevie stood silent, staring at the exit, trying hard not to show her disappointment.
Amira came up to Stevie’s side. “I say we ditch this place and get a huge sundae.”
No amount of Double Dips would make the ache in Stevie’s chest disappear. Her gaze followed Grace. Her cheers were more enthusiastic than normal. She was happy. Letting go of what could have been with Blake was the right thing to do. It’s what friends do.
níu
Blake tossed the stick as far as he could. Saga took off down the beach. Even though a leech had attacked him there, the Golden Gardens Park had become his sanctuary—his sacred place to connect with nature and to have a sense of being closer to the gods. To his father, Thor. And his mother, Sif.
And to ponder his feelings for Stevie.
He wished to talk to Stevie about homecoming, but she was too busy helping with the football restoration.
The stadium had been destroyed when Blake fell from Asgard, he’d crashed on the football field, tearing a deep trail into the turf and colliding into some bleachers, obliterating them. It caused a rescheduling of all the team’s home games.
The weight of his conversation with Amira after the football game the night before was heavy on his mind. Stevie felt she owed Grace for helping to raise money for her surgery. It was hard to understand all the details, but what he did know was that while Grace was interested in him, Stevie would not be.
