Thunderstruck

by Brenda Drake

  She finally noticed he hadn’t followed her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Had you done anything for Stevie’s operation?”

  “Maybe,” she said. “I help a lot. Why does it matter?”

  “Because it does.”

  “She passed out flyers,” Mrs. Kirby answered. “The majority of the work was done by Dr. Hompluem, though. We certainly can’t take all the credit.”

  Blake was at another crossroad. He wanted to walk off and make Grace go alone to the homecoming dance, but then he’d be in the wrong. He had accepted her invitation. Even if it were out of anger toward Stevie for choosing Grace’s feelings over his. He heaved a frustrated sigh and followed her into the limousine.

  Dinner couldn’t have ended sooner. Having eight people at one table allowed Blake to sit back and ignore the conversations flying around him. On the limousine ride to the dance, one of the boys passed a flask of something around. When it came to him, he declined.

  “Oh, come on,” Grace whined, running her hand up his chest. “Stop being such a sour face. This is supposed to be a fun night.”

  Fun? It was anything but that.

  Walking into the dance almost an hour after it had started, the music assaulted Blake’s ears. The air was muggy and smelled like the locker rooms after physical education class. Dark-blue paper with the universe painted on it covered the ceiling. The planets glowed in the black light. Silver stars dangled from it, spinning and glinting in the light.

  “Did you see Stevie Moon?” A girl was telling two other girls as they passed Blake.

  “Of course. You can’t miss that dress. She looks awesome,” another said.

  “She sort of looks like Comic Cam,” the girl on the end added.

  “No she doesn’t,” the first girl said. “She’s not that cool.”

  Blake chuckled, startling the girls. He couldn’t help it.

  If they only knew the truth.

  He had to see Stevie. What was she wearing? How did she look? He abandoned Grace without even realizing he had. He weaved through the crowd standing at the edge of the dance floor.

  And there she was. Standing alone, holding her hands, and glancing around nervously. Her dark-blue dress with a galaxy design dazzled under the strobe lights. Soft curls fell around her shoulders. The features of her face were enhanced with makeup. She brushed a tea-colored strand of hair from her face, and on her wrist was the corsage he had picked out for her. She was a goddess walking on glittery heels. He could hardly catch his breath at the sight of her.

  Kyle waited in the punch bowl line, watching Stevie with an expression Blake had never seen on his brother’s face before. Admiration.

  Blake made his way to Stevie. She spotted his approach and her face brightened, a wide smile spreading across her lips.

  “Hey,” she said when he stopped in front of her.

  “Hello,” Blake returned. “You look lovely.”

  She glanced down at her dress, then lifted her eyes to his. “Thank you. A jerk once told me I should claim my life. Stop hiding. Thought I’d give it a try.”

  “Would this jerk be devilishly handsome and have a huge crush on you?”

  Her eyes sparkled. “Possibly. And he could be learning some American slang, too.”

  “Television,” he said. “It’s the future, you know.”

  “So they said.” She pressed her lips together, holding back a smile. “Like decades ago.”

  “So when did Kyle start liking you?” He nodded in Kyle’s direction.

  She glanced over to where Blake had indicated. “He doesn’t like me. No one can compete with his love for himself.”

  “Well, I think you might just change that.” Blake tossed another look at Kyle and gave him the thumbs-up. “You want to take a walk?”

  “What about your date?” Her eyes searched the crowd behind Blake.

  He offered her his arm. “She’ll be taken care of.”

  She slipped her small hand into the crook of his arm and he led her outside. The fresh air felt good against his sweaty face.

  “You’re not taking me out here to dance like in the movies, are you?” She measured her steps across the sidewalk.

  He matched her footfalls, his dress shoes clacking and her heels clicking against the concrete. She stopped, removing her hand as she turned to face him. Her eyelashes were thick and curled, lips pink and glossy.

  She took two steps forward, getting real close to Blake, before holding up the wrist with the corsage. “Thank you for this. I love it.”

  “I wanted to be the one to pick you up, take you to dinner, and show you off at the dance, not—”

  The smile on her face slipped and she placed her finger against his lips, stopping him. “I know, Blake. I really appreciate you taking Grace.”

  “I should have never agreed to it.” He took both her hands in his and brought them to his mouth. Her fingers were shaking as he kissed them. “I wanted to be with you since the moment I met you.”

  She lowered her lovely head, and he worried he went too far. Told her his feelings before she was ready to hear them.

  “Why me?” Her words were as silent as a feather falling from a dove. When she looked back up the moonlight touched her face, her cheeks flushed and her dark eyes glistened with tears held back. And he didn’t care that he told her his feelings, because they made her look like that—beautiful.

  “If I possessed the Mirror of Truth, then you could see what I see.”

  Her smile was back, and a breathy laugh slipped from her lips. “What’s that? Like Wonder Woman’s lasso?”

  “It’s an actual thing,” he said, laughing with her.

  “I see. Just like all the characters in my comic collection are real.”

  He absentmindedly smoothed her hair from her bare shoulder. His hand glided across her soft skin and she tensed slightly. Her reaction to his touch sent a wave of excitement burning through him. The words were stuck in his throat. He needed to say Grace was forced to help with Stevie’s fundraiser. He had to tell her who he truly was, or else Stevie would never agree to be with him. She was too kind. She was going to think he’d hit his head.

  Whatever he said, she would never believe Asgard existed. After being on Midgard for three months or so, he was starting to believe it wasn’t real himself. The only way to handle it was to come out and say it. Give her a chance to process it before he’d have to go about proving it. Just as he was about to tell her, the door to the school flew open.

  Kyle and Grace came outside. Her heels were too high, and she swayed. Kyle wrapped his arm around her back, keeping her upright.

  Grace pulled away from Kyle and teetered over to Blake.

  “Why are you two alone out here together?” Grace snapped, lacing her arms around Blake’s neck. “I missed you.”

  “I needed air,” Stevie said at once. “It was so hot in the gym, I got dizzy. Blake noticed and helped me outside.”

  Kyle slipped his arm around Stevie’s waist and Blake wanted to rip it off him. “Took your medication too late,” Kyle said close to her ear. “You feeling better?”

  Stevie nodded.

  Blake glared at Kyle’s hand squeezing Stevie’s side.

  Unwrapping her arms from around Blake, Grace took several unsteady steps forward. “You need to be more careful. Your face is pale.”

  The jealousy in Grace’s voice was obvious. Stevie’s face wasn’t pale at all. She glowed.

  “Have you been drinking?” Stevie asked, watching Grace curiously.

  Grace sighed, which was followed by a series of hiccups. “Not my fault. Someone spiked the punch. I had no idea.”

  Blake was certain that was a lie. How could she not know it was touched? She had enough to make her tipsy. Had to be two or three glasses. Maybe more.

  “I’m glad we didn’t have that punch after all,” Kyle said to Stevie. “You’d be far worse than dizzy. I should take you home.”

  Stevie gave him a grateful smile. “Yeah
, I think so.”

  “Come on, then,” Kyle said.

  “Good night.” Stevie’s eyes went to Blake’s. “I’d get Grace some water and wait a bit before you leave the dance.”

  Blake didn’t want Stevie to go. They had a moment and he wanted many more of them. He pushed back his disappointment and said, “Good evening.”

  Kyle guided Stevie with his arm wrapped around her waist, leading her down the sidewalk.

  Not wanting to let Stevie go, Blake watched until she disappeared around the corner with Kyle on their way to the parking lot. He turned to Grace. “Shall we find you a bottle of water?”

  “I’d rather have another glass of punch,” Grace said as they headed back to the school doors.

  Going out tonight wasn’t what Blake had wanted to do, but that brief moment with Stevie changed the night for him. It was almost worth putting up with Grace’s annoying friends. He could tell Stevie was falling for him, just as he was for her.

  tólf

  The Jet City Comic Con was packed. Stevie tugged up the red and white breastplate to her Sif costume, the horn necklace clinking against the metal. The short skirt made out of thick, white slats didn’t offer much coverage. She was thankful for the red cape covering her ass. She didn’t have to wear a wig for this costume, which is good considering that it was already a million degrees in the convention center. Although, she had thought Amira would burn her hair off when she put the loose curls in it.

  She barely saw Blake the entire week after homecoming. They only saw each other in their English class and the few times they passed in the halls. On the drive to Tacoma, she was afraid to make eye contact out of fear everyone could tell her feelings for him.

  Grace made him ride in the passenger seat of her Jeep Cherokee. She wasn’t tiring of him any time soon and Stevie regretted pushing Blake to go out with Grace. What was she thinking?

  Amira bumped her shoulder. “Earth to Stevie. Stop spacing out. Check out all the awesome cosplayers.” She was unrecognizable in her long blond wig, dressed as Amora the Enchantress, an Asgardian goddess and magical sorceress. The black tights with green circles running up her legs and a tight green corset with a tiny skirt accentuated her curves. Leaning close to Stevie, she whispered, “Have you seen the fake Comic Cam’s booth? She’s wearing the Wonder Woman costume.”

  The rows between the booths were crowded. There were many awesome costumes, and excitement filled the arena. As Stevie tried to make it down the aisle, costumed bodies bumped or cut her off as she weaved through the crowd.

  “I haven’t seen her,” Stevie hollered over the noise. “Hopefully, she does a good job.”

  Stevie could barely take everything in let alone search for the actor they’d hired to play her. It didn’t help that Grace, dressed as Brunnhilde, was all over Blake, who wore a Thor costume. He looked so damn hot with the long blond wig and tight leather pants and breastplate.

  Kyle, in a Loki costume, came up to Stevie and whispered in her ear, “I don’t know why you don’t show your legs more often. You’re driving this boy crazy in that outfit.”

  His breath against her neck caused a shiver to run down her spine. She caught Blake staring at them with an angry expression on his face.

  “Stop it,” she said and stepped around him, weaving through the crowd and catching up with Amira. “Ugh, Kyle.”

  “Oh gosh, he’s so annoying.” Amira held her palms up. The battery-operated lights sewn into the material covering her palms glowed green. “He keeps asking me things about you. Like, what do you like, how can he get closer to you, and if you’re interested in him?”

  “I can’t imagine why.” Stevie’s feet ached in her red boots. “He has the entire cheer team after him. Not to mention the entire school.”

  Amira stopped so that a boy could take a pic of her. “Probably because Blake is into you. You know how guys love competition.”

  They moved from booth to booth, checking out comics and posters. Grace wouldn’t leave Blake’s side. She chose to be Brunnhilde because the circular breastplates made her boobs look bigger, and the tight catsuit hugged her body in all the right places. She flicked the long, braided blond wig over her bare shoulder.

  Stevie tried numerous times on the drive down, and in the hotel, to talk to Blake. It was so awkward being there with him and Grace after their kiss. She could tell he was trying to talk to her, too, but someone was always around preventing them.

  “I have to find a bathroom,” Stevie said at the same time as a group of tweens asked Amira for a picture, so Stevie went on without her. On her way to the restrooms, she passed Blake and Grace and lowered her gaze.

  It surprised her when she reached the hall leading to the bathrooms and Blake walked up behind her.

  “Stevie,” he called. “Wait.”

  She turned. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” he repeated. “What’s going on? Why have you been avoiding me? I thought—”

  “No don’t,” she cut him off, not wanting to hear what he’d say. Because if it was something nice or something about him having the same feelings as she had, she’d cave. “I’m sorry about the other night. I wasn’t thinking. Grace likes you, and she’s a friend. I can’t hurt her. And, honestly, I can’t afford to get all tangled up in a relationship right now.”

  “But I’m not interested in Grace in that way.” He took her hand. “It’s you I want.”

  “Grace thinks you’re interested in her. Why’s that?” She tugged her hand away. “You’re leading her on. And I won’t lie. So don’t make me say anything else. And don’t tell me stuff like that. It makes it too hard.” If she didn’t finish this and get to the restroom, he was going to see her cry, and she didn’t want him to see that. “I have to go.”

  “Don’t, Stevie. Grace is aggressive. You know that. I’ve tried to tell her how I feel, but she won’t listen.” He took a step toward her, but stopped when Grace approached.

  “There you are,” she said. “I turned and you were missing. This place is so crowded.” She slipped her hand around Blake’s arm. “I sure do like a boy with muscles.”

  He shrugged her off. “Grace, I’ve told you before. We’re not together.”

  “Are you mad because I made you wear that wig?” she asked, pushing her lips into a pout.

  “See.” He threw his arms up and glared at Stevie. “She doesn’t get it.” Blake huffed and stormed off into the crowd.

  “He’s so moody,” Grace said before rushing after him.

  Stevie couldn’t help a laugh. He was right. Grace lived in her own world. In another reality from everyone else.

  “Glad to see your smile is back,” Kyle said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. She opened her mouth to say something, and he held his hand up to stop her. “I know. You’re not interested in me. I’m actually interested in many, so it doesn’t matter to me. Grace appeals to me, as well. Maybe slightly more than you do.”

  “Thanks for the compliment.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I’ll distract her from Blake if you do something for me,” he said.

  “What do you want?”

  “I’ll ask for the favor when we return to Ballard.” He gave her an easy smile with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “For now, I’ll do my part of the agreement. Take Grace away from Blake. If you don’t want to do yours, I’ll sick Grace back on Blake.” He walked off, looking every bit a perfect Loki—sinister.

  What the hell? Has everyone gone nuts?

  Stevie abandoned her plan to go to the restroom. She had only wanted to get a break from the drama. The road trip was proving to be overwhelming for her. She headed back into the arena. Across the aisle, Amira waved for Stevie to come over.

  With a heavy sigh, she dodged showgoers on her way to Amira.

  “I found the Comic Cam booth. Follow me,” she said, grasping Stevie’s hand and dragging her down the aisle. “She has a huge crowd, and all the donation items are selling quickly. We’ll be able to get that girl a prostheti
c leg. Isn’t that great?”

  The gloom that had been following Stevie around lifted. If she could get a prosthetic running blade for Cara to run track, all this would be worth it.

  The booth was amazing. The sponsors had really outdone themselves. Two thick pillars held a huge sign with Stevie, dressed like Poison Ivy with a masked face. A flat screen embedded in one of the red partition walls played her vlog on a loop. On the other walls were posters of comic book heroes. Fans crowded a long table displaying Comic Cam swag purchase items.

  A long line of fans waited to take a photograph with Comic Cam. The girl in the Wonder Woman costume fit it well. She was the same size and build as Stevie.

  “Let’s get in line and take a pic with her,” Amira squealed. “How cool would that be? No one will know you’re the real one.”

  Stevie chuckled. “Okay, sounds fun.”

  They followed the line to the back. Blake and Kyle were off to the side, their heads together, talking heatedly. When they both glanced in her direction, she wondered if they were talking about her. She suddenly felt uncomfortable and fidgeted in her costume, pulling up the breastplate and scratching under her helmet.

  Grace broke through the crowd and when she spotted Stevie and Amira, she cut over to them.

  “Are you seriously going to pose with Comic Cam?” If Grace’s sword was real, Stevie was sure she’d cut them down with it. “I just don’t get it.”

  “We know, you’ve said it a million times,” Amira snapped, obviously Grace was weighing on her nerves, too. “You don’t get it. But the girl is cool. We’re fans. We watch all her vlogs. So relax already.”

  The smile slipped from Grace’s face. “You don’t have to be rude about it. Jeesh. Have fun wasting your time.” She walked off, hitting her plastic sword against her thigh.

  “I should’ve kept my mouth shut,” Amira groaned. “I’ll never hear the end of this.”

  Stevie couldn’t hold back her laugh. “Yeah, she’s so going to milk it.”

  Blake and Kyle came over, but Kyle didn’t stop. He passed them and hurried after Grace. Blake flashed them a crooked smile. “Can I join you in the photograph?”