After class, I stood up, waiting for him and then when he stopped, staring at me, I glanced around. When everyone had left the class I quickly rose on my tiptoes, brushed his cheek with my lips and backed away.
He raised an eyebrow. “Was that an emergency?”
I nodded. “Last night Viney and Oscar did a kissing demo. Sometimes I have really bad ideas. Do you have any emergencies?” I turned my head and leaned my cheek out towards him.
He sighed and leaned down, his nose against my skin, his breath whispering along my jaw before he brushed his lips along my jawline all the way to my ear. He whispered low. “I think that you’re taking the rules as requirements instead of as guidelines. I want to be prepared for eventualities.”
I shivered and turned my head and found myself nose to nose with him. My lips parted and I inhaled deeply. The scent of black cherry swirled between us. “You really are the Chemistry captain. You even make cheek kissing an act of seduction.”
He smirked. “I’m so glad you noticed. Viney and Oscar would be good together.”
I nodded then closed my eyes tight and inhaled, trembling. “You smell too good. I’m going to History before I break a rule.”
I spun around and left, but not before he grabbed my fingers, holding me back for a second before he let me go.
After school, I had a hard time focusing in study hall. Mostly because I kept sneaking a look at Viney and Oscar where they stood scowling at each other, arguing in low, passionate voices about some kind of math concept.
“They’re arguing which is the most convenient and error free way of converting free radicals.” Lester gave me a leer that was completely unintentional. I’d been worried that things would be weird with us after that whole dating thing, but it was kind of a relief that I didn’t have to marry him. I shook my head and thoughts of marriage out of them. I needed to get over the Drake thing before I could worry about that.
“They’ve been arguing about it for twenty minutes.”
He leaned forward and brushed my knee with his. I was wearing thick pink tights with my uniform, but it still was kind of shocking. It reminded me of Viney grabbing Oscar’s knee. I shifted away from him and focused on my school work.
After studying with Lester, it was time to go drag Viney away from Oscar. They were leaning over a book with their heads together, and when he raised his head, their noses brushed.
“We’re all going to a movie on Thursday. Do you want to come, Oscar?” I asked.
Viney stared at me, and I smiled back at her. Yeah, this was news to me, too.
Oscar cleared his throat. “Thursday works for me.”
“Great! You can drive Viney down and I’ll ride with Zach. His car is so tiny and you have legs almost as long as mine.”
Viney scowled at me. “His legs are longer than yours.”
“Really? Let’s see.” I stood beside him and stuck out my leg, pulling my skirt up to show how long my leg was, when Viney yanked my skirt back down, pushed me ahead of her away from Oscar.
“Why are you so weird?” She dragged me across the floor and then when we got to the top of the stairs, dropped a little ball down to roll in front of us. It hit the ground oddly, like it was weighted in the center with a bouncy rim. It kind of squished every time it impacted.
“What is that made out of? Resin? It sounds a little bit like…”
“Are you really going to the movie with Zach?”
I shrugged. “No. I thought it would be convenient if we couldn’t go and you guys had to go by yourselves, you know?” I nudged her ribs and she sighed.
“No, you’d better come with me. I don’t want him to feel like I’m too eager to get him alone.”
I stared at her. “Aren’t you? You guys making out was super hot, what I saw of it. Super traumatizing. I now know why they do not have kissing classes. The more you think about, the more revolting it is.”
She frowned. “Yeah, we have good chemistry, but I knew that. We’ve been arguing for a long time. That’s pretty much a guarantee of good chemistry, but are we compatible? I don’t want to end up dating some guy who I can’t stand for anything other than chemistry.”
I nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that. He seems nice, he’s definitely smart, he looks incredibly good in purple lights, you know, although his personality is a little bit unfriendly, he was willing to help me out when you asked him to, so there’s a charitable streak in there somewhere. Also, he looks super cute in his glasses. What are you looking for?”
She shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know.”
I patted her shoulder. “But if you want to be serious you’d better take it slow. Okay. I’ll ask Zach if he wants to come with us.”
“What about Drake?” Viney gave me a look, a sultry and despairing look and I shook my head.
“I think that maybe taking the guy you might like on a double date with the guy who you have a pretty established obsession with may not be the best way to go.”
She sighed. “That almost makes sense. I’m worried that Zach will take it the wrong way.”
“How?”
“I mean, you guys almost kissed at the ball.”
I shifted away from her and gripped my bag tightly. “Yeah, I remember that.”
“Do you think you guys have chemistry?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a little bit, sometimes, but not like…”
“Like Drake?”
I shrugged. “Do you have chemistry with Drake?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never kissed him.”
“Maybe you should. What if there’s nothing, that he’s like broccoli to you? Wouldn’t that be great? You could move on from the obsession permanently!”
She nodded. “I think it’s kind of a good idea, thus the make-out party thing, but on the other hand, what if we sizzle? What if he’s so hot that it makes everything that much worse?”
“Dangerous. Probably just stick with Oscar.”
“He really is cute in his glasses.”
“Super cute.”
After that, I went to the witch’s lab and got to teach six girls I vaguely knew all about potions, lotions, healers and hurters. For people who hadn’t ever made a lotion in their little witch lives, they did quite well. Their first batches weren’t salvageable, but on the fourth try, half of them had it, and on their sixth, they all had it down. By then it was midnight and I’d missed dinner.
I did not eat any of the chem girls. I was so nice. On Thursday, I was ridiculously excited to get to class, to finally get to ballet, and see Drake, my Pas de Deux partner in his dark pants. They were stretchy, tight, body forming and he looked very good.
“Penny, it’s bad manners to ogle your partner.”
I smiled at him and just stood there staring at him until he came up to me close, his chest brushing mine and then in one smooth movement, scooped me up until I was balanced precariously above his head.
I spread my arms and let myself soar. He wouldn’t drop me, and if I knocked him over, he’d break my fall. After class, I held him back for a second. “I’ll see you later.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You will?”
I nodded. “I’m stalking you, remember?”
He grinned. “I hate to say this, but you’re really a terrible stalker.” He grabbed my fingers and squeezed them before he turned and headed out while I stared after him feeling all woozy. A girl elbowed me in the ribs and then I felt more like puking.
Anyway, Business was staring at Drake as usual, History was lovely, and then afterwards instead of going to study hall, Viney dragged me into a different building that was a large warehouse full of climbing walls, ropes and harnesses hanging from the ceiling, with weights, treadmills, and other exercise paraphernalia lining the walls. There weren’t any guys, but a lot of girls were working out.
Viney took me to this throwing station, where I was supposed to throw balls and darts and other objects of various weight and density. It was kind of fun, kind of sad because V
iney looked so disappointed at my lack of potential. I patted her shoulder on our way out.
“That was fun! I think my arm is going to be sore. Are you trying to make me awesome enough to join your club?”
She scowled at me. “Shut up! I didn’t think you’d be quite so bad.”
I stared at her. “I’m not that bad.”
She gave me a pointed look.
I shrugged with a smile. “Are you ready for tonight? Oh, I forgot to tell Zach about the movie.”
Viney shrugged. “Like he has anything else to do on a Thursday night. You tell him while I get changed.”
She went into her room and I was left outside of Zach’s feeling nervous for some reason. Were we friends? How could we be anything other than hostiles when he couldn’t be trusted, and I trusted him anyway?
Finally, I let my hand fall onto the solid wood. He opened the door suddenly, his eyes bright with anger that faded when he saw me standing there smiling brightly, holding out a lollipop like a peace offering.
“Penny.” He wasn’t wearing a shirt.
I closed my eyes and felt when he took the lollipop. “So, we’re going to the movie tonight. Okay?”
He made a rude sound and then after some rustling, “I have a shirt on. You are so strange.”
I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “Yeah, well, not as strange as my friends.”
He stared at me, his eyes going darker. “Are you talking about me, or her?” He wasn’t referring to Viney. He turned and looked at the life-size poster of Pitch hanging on the wall.
“Yeah, so the movie is going to be fun. And I’m riding with you in your car. Yay!”
He studied me for a long time. “Aren’t you dating Drake?”
I stared at him then laughed and shook my head violently. “No! We’re not dating. We just do Community service sometimes and I stalk him sometimes and he stalks me sometimes. That’s not dating. Are you crazy?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I see. Everyone in school thinks that you’re dating.”
“Everyone in school is wrong. We’re not dating even a little bit. Separate booths.”
He sighed. “The stranger you are, the more he likes you.”
I blushed. “Are you saying that Drake likes me?”
He grinned at me. “You are so cute when you blush. I just want to pinch your cheeks or something. So we’re going on a date so that Drake’s jealous, or to make sure he keeps his distance?”
“We’re not dating. We’re just going on an outing with Viney and Oscar. I’m going to buy my own popcorn.”
“Ah, clearly not a date if you’re buying your own popcorn, even if you do hold my hand through the entire movie. Definitely not a date. No reason for Drake to feel jealous or anything.”
“I could grab Viney if you think things would get weird between us.”
He grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes. “Penny, things got weird a long time ago. I don’t have a problem making Drake jealous. I think it would be funny.”
“He’s not going to be jealous. We’re not dating, not him, not us, and you can stop grabbing me. I’m going to sick Señor Mort on you.”
He grinned, that crazy smile, but he did put his hands down and stepped away from me. “All right, Penny. I’ll go on a not date with you, but you have to promise not to take advantage of me.”
Yeah, the movie wasn’t any less awkward. I sat between Viney and Zach, Oscar on Viney’s other side. The movie was horror. What was wrong with these people? By the end of the movie, I’d pulled Zach mostly into my seat, holding onto his arms all the way up to his shoulders. When the lights came on I dropped him and straightened up.
“Not a date,” I muttered to him while he laughed at me.
On the drive home, I curled up in the backseat, my head on my knees.
“That was a fun not date. I loved the part where the psycho killer jumped out of the closet and you climbed on my lap. My ears are still ringing from your scream.”
“Shut up.”
“And the part where she was walking through the house, looking for her little brother and you couldn’t bear to watch any more so you buried your face in my chest.”
“I didn’t do that.”
“Five minutes.”
“Shut up.”
He only laughed and drove the rest of the way in silence.
After we parked he got out fast, so I didn’t have the chance to climb over him and knee him in the stomach. Instead, he held my hand and helped me out of the car while I stood there, swaying and feeling nauseous.
When we got to Lilac stories, he grinned at me, looking lazy and relaxed, particularly when he saw Drake lounging on the couch, reading something that apparently thoroughly engrossed him. I edged away from Zach for some reason.
“Penny and I went on a double date with Viney and Oscar.” Zach didn’t sound at all apologetic.
I frowned at him before I beamed at Drake. “Not a date. We were just there for Viney. We’re such supportive friends.” I covertly elbowed Zach in the ribs. “Drake, how was your day?’
He put down the book and looked at me, his eyes clear and calm. “Three girls attached themselves to my legs after polo practice. I think your day was better.”
“Tough, man.” Zach slapped Drake’s shoulder with his hand before going to the little fridge and getting a glass of juice fortified with vitamin D.
“What does vitamin D do?” I asked.
Drake raised an eyebrow. “Brain function and some nerve synapses. Do you want to watch some telenovelas with me in my room right now?”
I stared at him while my mouth watered and I had this gut clenching flashback of his lips brushing mine while we were three feet under.
I looked up at Zach. “What do you think, Zach, do you want to hang out in Drake’s room for a little while?”
Zach finished swallowing and put down his glass. “I don’t think I was invited.”
Drake cleared his throat. “Of course you’re invited, Zach. Why would I want to get Penny alone on my couch in my room at night?”
Zach slapped Drake’s shoulder again. “In that case, I’d love to. Let’s go.”
Awkward. I sat perched on the edge of the couch between Zach and Drake staring at the screen but absolutely unable to appreciate any of the finer nuances of plot and expression through the entire episode. Afterwards, I sprang to my feet.
“Good-night, Drake, Zach.”
“I’m in your dorm, Penny.” Zach followed right behind me.
“I guess that’s convenient. I don’t need to walk you back.” Drake’s look was sinfully suggestive even though his words hadn’t been. Had they? I couldn’t tell. Everything was suggestive and I needed a thorough detox of all things suggestive before I had a breakdown.
I walked back in a quiet daze, tapping my lips with my fingers. He was going to kiss me on Tuesday. If I wanted him to.
“He’s playing you perfectly.”
I glared at him. “So? Someone should. No other stupid mage at this school is even available. It’s in my nature to want what’s not good for me, otherwise I never would have liked you.”
Zach grabbed my wrist and held me back. I turned and stared at him while he stepped closer. “You liked me?”
I inhaled sharply as the scent of fresh cookies and hot fresh baked bread washed over me. He stepped closer until his chest brushed mine. I gripped his wrist and felt such a strong connection, a sense of home that made me think of Poppy with so much longing it was like a dagger in my chest.
I pulled away from him and crossed my arms. “You love Pitch.”
“She loves you.”
“She doesn’t love.”
“I do.”
“What does that mean?”
He chewed on his bottom lip as he studied me. “I don’t know. I do know that I like being with you. It makes me happy.”
“And being with Pitch?”
He smiled a dangerous wild smile. “Alive.”
I shook my head. �
�Look, Zach. Apparently, I’m talking to you again, but don’t push it. Right now, I’m kind of trying to see what happens with Drake. I know he’s a mage, and diabolical, but I’m running out of options.”
He frowned at me. “What does that mean? Do you need a mage?”
I stepped away from him again. “This is my last chance to meet guys. I’m going to live the rest of my life in my attic. I just want to try to see what it’s like.”
“Love?”
I stared at him and didn’t say anything. Maybe I should just tell him. Right, tell Zach, the guy who would probably think it was funny to help me murder my mother, that I needed to get married to save her. It didn’t make any sense. Absolutely none. My grandmama was a bit quirky, but this was just nonsense, making me marry a mage before I turned eighteen, no sense at all.
“Penny, Drake can’t love you.” He looked so sincere, so concerned and sweet. What a lying face.
“Good. That way he won’t be broken-hearted when I go back to my quiet little attic life. Night, Zach.”
Chapter 28
Mage
“Thank you.”
I looked up from my lunch to stare at the blond girl I saw way too often. She wasn’t trying not to look at me this time, but the longer I looked at her, the more she shifted uncomfortably.
“For…”
She straightened up, her bright yellow t-shirt under her blazer a sign of subtle defiance to class and distinction. Part of her Penny rebellion no doubt. “Being involved in her business is an extraordinary experience. Her clientele are some of the most eclectic and interesting witches in Dayside. Sometimes she even ships to Darkside. I’m sure you knew that. But her lotions are something extraordinary. I’ve never worked so hard. Ever since she started teaching me, us, our comprehension of Chemistry has improved.”
“Shouldn’t you be thanking her?”
She cocked her head to the side. “She’s ethereal. I did thank her, but I don’t think she understood what I was saying. She gets lost in her creations. It’s her art. Being part of that, having a master instruct me has been the most euphoric experience I’ve ever had.”
Dread Delight: Rosewood Academy for Witches and Mages (Darkly Sweet Book 2) Page 26
