I trudged down the hall to my room and stared at my cell phone. Two messages, one from Shanda that read, Bummer holiday drama. Wish you could come back early and stay with me, but Dad’s drumming up some Caribbean biznez.
The other message was from Bryan. That’s messed up. If you need me, I’ll drive to Indiana and pick you up in 9 hours. Just say the word.
At least that was something to cartwheel about. I read the message again, slowly savoring each word. That text was a lifeline, buoying me up and out of the nightmare I was stuck in.
I texted him back. That’s sweet, but I’ll stick it out. As long as you’re still picking me up at the airport Sunday.
Two seconds later, my phone buzzed. I’m there.
My toes tingled. I clutched the phone to my heart and rolled over on my bed, staring at those two words until I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 26
Sunday, the blessed day was finally here. Bryan would be at LaGuardia to pick me up, hold my hand, maybe even kiss me or some other silly nonsense. A girl could dream, right?
I dragged my suitcase off the walkway, heading for the pickup zone. At the front door, my face reflected back at me off the glass, almost like a ghost. I smoothed down my hair and suddenly Bryan’s frame filled the window. A heart-melting sight. The translucent picture of us together looked too good to be true.
Against the deepening navy sky, his face lit up like a swarm of golden butterflies. They buzzed in the pit of my stomach as he opened the car door and took my hand. It slid into his perfectly, like a dream.
“You look great.” His eyes roamed my face. How I had missed this.
My knees went wobbly, those baby-blues clouding up my brain.
“I’m sorry you had a bad Thanksgiving.” His soft tone evaporated my feeble attempt to formulate words. “About that night at the tower, I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s hard to believe one of my best friends is a traitor. But I’m sorry if I hurt you. I know you’ve been through a lot, and you mean so much to me.”
Rough fingers brushed my cheeks.
At those words, my insides leapt. “Thank you for that.”
Yet, something held me back like a checkpoint in my spirit. And I knew it wasn’t the right time, for me or for him. Just knowing I meant something to him—more than “like,” more than friends—it was enough for now. It had to be.
“Good, we’ve got that settled.” The way his face lit up, how his lips curved and his eyes sparkled—with one look, he said it all. “Let’s get going.”
He dropped my hand and lugged my suitcase to his trunk, my cheeks tingling with cold.
I slid into his beat up Corolla, winking at the cardboard Betty Boop air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. “Big Betty fan?”
“That’s Brooke’s idea of a joke.” He hopped in, turned the key, and the engine sputtered to life. “Should I even ask about what happened?”
“It was horrible.” I shrugged and bit my lip. How much should I tell him? “My dad was sweet as ever, I even made up with my sister. But my mom is just getting out of control.”
“Do you think it’s got something to do with Nexis?” The brakes squealed as he screeched to a stop at the light.
“I don’t know, maybe. I just don’t know why she had to bring Jake into it.” I dared to peek over at him. That furrowed eyebrow thing, a faint trace of stubble, a whiff of his soap, and I was a goner. But I couldn’t fall apart now. I had to pull myself together, focus on the task at hand, otherwise he’d figure me out for sure. “Did you find out any new information from your sister?”
“It looks like James traded intel for a Guardian membership. He’s definitely working for us somewhere in Europe.” Cars whizzed past his puttering Toyota, but he didn’t even notice.
All my muscles tensed, even my throat clogged up. “Really? Is he safe?”
“I don’t know, Angel.” He reached across the gearshift and grabbed my hand. His rough fingers danced across my forehand, shooting firefly tingles up my arm.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back in the scratchy seat. In my mind, I pictured the golden-eyed angel who’d visit me in the hospital and I couldn’t help but mentally ask, “Is he safe?”
The answer lapped at the corners of my mind. For now.
“I’ve got some bad news,” Bryan lifted his hand, leaving mine cold. “It looks like your Guardian membership is on hold for now. At least until things die down. The whole Felicia thing threw them for a loop.”
“That’s fine.” I forced a smile at him, but his hand didn’t return.
“That’s not all.” He veered toward the Riverdale exit. “There’s been a lot going on since the church fire. Maybe we should make a pact, you know, to cool it for a while.”
His cold tone blasted shivers down my arms, banishing the fireflies. I rubbed my arms, but the numbness crept in. “You mean like some kind of distance pact? As in stay away from each other in public or something?”
“I mean no contact, at least until I figure out what Nexis and the Watchers are going to do next.” His jawline hardened as he pulled into the parking lot.
“Really?” I almost choked on the word. “If that’s what you want, then why are you picking me up at the airport?”
“So I could tell you in person.” A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he kept his eye on finding a parking spot.
How he could switch from gentle giant to cold robot in an instant, I’d never understand. Inside, all my muscles seized up, but I willed myself not to shut down. This time, I had to be the bigger person, the honest one. If only to show him I was ready for more.
“I don’t want to stay away from you.” I bit into my cheek, willing my voice not to wobble, the tears to stay at bay. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. What if something goes wrong?”
“Believe me, it’s the last thing I want to do. But it may be the only way to protect you right now.” He shifted the car into park and hopped out in one instantaneous motion. “Laura and Brooke are full Guardians. They know how to protect you.”
“That’s just perfect.” I fumbled with the door handle, unpacking my stiff legs from the car seat as if they were molded there. I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to accept this strange alternate reality I’d walked back into. But his jaw was set, and he’d switched back in marble-mode. “I really hate this. And there’s no way I can change your mind?”
“Not this time. I can’t help but think Felicia turning on me and Colleen’s vendetta is more about me than about you.” His breath puffed out a blast of steam. “I hate it, too, but this is the best thing I can think of to keep you safe.”
He rolled my suitcase to the sidewalk, and we slowly fumbled our way down the cobblestones in the dark. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. The suitcase clattered to the pavement behind us.
I squeezed his waist, holding on for dear life. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me, too.” He tilted my chin up until his eyes found mine. Fireflies swarmed again as he pressed his lips against my forehead. “More than you know.”
Too quickly he pulled away, turning his back on me and practically sprinting down the sidewalk. I stared after his loping shadow until he disappeared, feeling more alone than ever. All I wanted to do was find James and figure out my strange new powers. If I wasn’t ready to date anyone, why did this stupid “distance pact” hurt so much?
~
A string of endless gray November days followed in the wake of Bryan’s idiotic pact. Wind howled against the glass as I perched on my favorite windowsill, one of Mr. Harlixton’s recommended books open on my lap. Black and white type jumbled together in a blur of nothingness, my mind seesawing back and forth between Bryan and the drama awaiting me at home.
I couldn’t face him, especially if he wouldn’t even talk to me. So I avoided him, skipping chapel meetings, ignoring him at lunch, between classes. My own brand of punishment, as if some time apart would make him admit his real feelings for me. It worked too well, e
specially on me, until the one question I couldn’t answer blared through my mind like a foghorn. Why couldn’t we be together? Okay, yeah, I was moping. Just a bit.
Rays of sunshine streaked between the clouds, pinging drops of warmth on my face. I read the same sentence five times. Finally, I chucked the book onto my bed. It was pointless. Everything felt like it was piling up on me, a steady stream of boulders on my back until I couldn’t take one more ounce of pressure.
The door banged open and Shanda breezed into the dim room like a whirlwind, alive and alight with energy. “Lucy, get up and quit this moping around. You look like I feel.”
“Uh-oh, what happened?” I sucked in a breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Nothing much, I just caught Kevin making out with Monica. Same old, same old.” She threw her jacket on the nearest butterfly chair and rummaged through her closest. “I’m finally free … forever. So tonight we celebrate.”
My heart sank for the tough girl who might not be so tough after all. “Are you okay?”
“Please, I’m fine.” She wrestled a bikini from the bottom of her drawer. “It’s you who’s falling to pieces.”
“Thanks for that.” I crossed my arms at her. “Hey, wait a minute, don’t try to change the subject.”
She buzzed back to her closet, her shoulders slumping. “Okay, I caught them kissing in the student union, in front of everyone. So I dumped his ass. There, you happy now?”
“What a jerk.” I squeezed her arm, and her almond eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Shanda, you deserve way better than that.”
“You’re right, I do.” She hoisted the silver sequined party dress over her head like a trophy. Her lined expression broke into a grin. “We both do, now put this on.”
“No way.” I shook my head. My eyes stung. The waterfall threatened to return. “It’ll only remind me of who I wore it for last month. I don’t want to think about him tonight.”
“That’s the spirit.” She clapped her hands together like a cheerleader. Why was everyone acting so unlike themselves today? At least she had a reason, unlike Bryan. “Maybe Julia has something you could wear. We should invite the suitemates, too. Then it’d really be a girl’s night.”
“If you insist.” My mind wandered to the image of Bryan and his sisters I made up whenever he talked about them. Even though I’d never met the older one, I always pictured Brooke in the background, dwarfed by her very driven and strong-willed siblings. So what if she reminded me of Bryan? Maybe she needed to get away from him, too.
Shanda waggled her perfectly manicured finger at me. “Don’t think, Lucy, just do. You think too much.”
I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t. “You’re right about that.”
She beelined to the sink, pulling out her super-hot flat iron and her giant makeup bag. “Here, get started on hair and makeup. I’ll find the perfect dress.”
Brooke and Julia burst in from the bathroom door. “What’s all this fuss about?”
“What fuss?” I dropped the flat iron and glanced behind me. Shanda left a mess like a tornado had blown through. Clothes all over her bed, jewelry all over both desks. Purses and accessories were strewn across the butterfly chairs and sparkly heels littered the fuzzy white rug.
“We’re getting ready to go to the city.” I shrugged it off, as if the mess didn’t even matter, and picked up the flat iron to flip out the ends of my hair.
“Yeah,” Shanda hollered from the closet. “I’ve just been dumped, so we’re going to celebrate life without boys.”
“Aren’t you seeing someone, Lucy?” Julia eyed Brooke, who glared daggers at her like she’d just given up the rebel base. Who on campus didn’t think that?
“Not tonight, she isn’t.” Shanda danced over to them and grabbed their hands, twirling both of them around. “Tonight it’s just girls on the town. You’re coming with us, right?”
“You bet. Better get ready.” Julia squealed and darted back into her room.
“Wait up, girl, we need to raid your closet.” Shanda disappeared into the bathroom after her.
Brooke picked up a glittering gold purse, nibbling her lip like a gerbil. “Are you sure about this? What would Bryan say?”
My eyes met hers in the mirror. I set down the flat iron and turned around. “Tonight, I don’t care what Bryan says. Maybe it’s dangerous out there without a Guardian, maybe it’s not. I don’t know. I just know I need to get away, let off some steam. If you come with, then I’ll be okay. You’re a Guardian, too.”
Her small smile shone up at me, her blue eyes backlit with a new light, just like Bryan’s. An ache ripped through my stomach.
“I’m only an apprentice, but I can protect you.” The smile on her lips faded into a hard line. “I will protect you.”
“We can still have fun, you know.” I hung the glitter purse over her shoulder. “What do you have that goes with this?”
“I’ll find something. This is going to be the best night ever.” She ducked back into the bathroom.
I fluffed my flipped-out hair in the mirror, spritzed it with hairspray and took a good hard look at myself. A mocha-eyed girl stared back at me like she had nothing to lose. “You’re a single girl tonight. Forget about boys and just have fun.”
If only I could.
Chapter 27
Broadway billboard lights twinkled as Shanda sped down the highway toward the city. Light danced on the tiny waves of the Hudson River like a million fireflies bobbing in the murky water, biding their time, ready for flight. They swayed with the ebb and flow of each current, breathing new life into me, renewing my hope. No matter how dark the world felt, one little ember could shine bright enough to light up the blackest corner. Yep, not it was official. Bryan’s absence had turned me into a total sap.
“One block over is Broadway.” Shanda steered her red Fiat down the Hudson River Parkway. “We call this the backside of Broadway.”
“Where are we going?” Brooke asked from the backseat.
“My favorite coffee shop, Arabica.” Shanda slammed on her brakes as a dark Mini Couper cut her off. She pounded the horn, swerving into the next lane. “You’re so five years ago.”
“Arabica, doesn’t that sound exotic?” Julia’s knuckles bumped the back of my head, her fingers crunching into my headrest.
“That’s just the type of bean all good coffee comes from, girl.” Shanda flipped on her blinker, zipping toward the bright lights of Times Square.
“What about after that?” Brooke’s face glowed in the light of her cell phone. What was she doing with that?
I swiped at her cell. “Better not be texting Bryan.”
“No way.” She shook her head so vehemently I had to believe her. “Laura actually, she wanted to study.”
“She better not tell on us. Or maybe we should’ve invited her.” I pulled out my cell to send her an apology, but Shanda smacked my hand.
“None of that. We’re here now and we’re going to have some fun.” She swerved into the left lane, then back to the right. “If there’s nothing at Arabica, I’ll just ask around. There’s got to be a decent band playing somewhere. I’ve been off the grid for a while, since I live outside Manhattan now. I still have a way of finding the best parties.”
“I’m sure you do.” I braced my arms against the Fiat’s dashboard. She did a one-eighty and squeezed her tiny car into a tiny spot.
“That was quick.” As soon as she shifted the car into park, I hopped out. Brooke and Julia jumped out just as fast.
“That’s what happens when you don’t take the janky subway.” She smoothed down her gold pleated skirt and led us around the corner.
Arabica undulated with life as people crammed into the tiny shop. Girls with pink and blue hair, guys with mohawks, tattoos, and tons of studded accessories. The girls and I stuck out like the most obvious Where’s Waldo ever. Okay kids, find the freaks who don’t fit in.
I fluffed up my long locks and shoved all my bracelets onto one arm,
but it didn’t help. Still the sixteen-year-old in the little black dress.
Brooke and Julia huddled around me at the back of the line as Shanda roamed the tiny space, chatting up anyone who would give her the time of day. At the front, something caught my eye. The barista’s knuckles were inked with OZZY.
“Look, he’s an Ozzy fan.” I whispered to the girls. Suddenly, his scruffy face stared back at me. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that popped out.
“What can I get you?” He attempted a smiled, but his untrimmed goatee turned his teeth into fangs.
“I’ll take the Mint Mocha Frappe.” I slid a five-dollar bill across the countertop to his unmarked hand. “No Ozzy on this hand?”
“Pinky here ran out of time, then we got slammed.” A barista with bright pink hair waved as Ozzy picked up a black sharpie, twirling it between his fingers. “Why don’t you write on this one? You know you want to.”
I bit my lip, but he just stared at me, pen poised in the air. “Fine, you really don’t look right without it.” I stenciled Ozzy on his four knuckles, an exclamation point on his thumb.
“Nice.” He examined his hand, grabbing mine before I could pull away. “Your turn.”
In ten seconds he’d inked Ozzy! on both my hands. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
Then he flashed the other baristas a thumbs-up to show off his exclamation mark. They all cracked up like it was the funniest thing in the world. Far from it. Humiliating, actually.
“I can’t believe you let a stranger mark up your hands.” Shanda cackled behind me, probably lurking there the whole time. Brooke and Julia just giggled like backup singers.
An odd feeling curled up in my belly, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I shrugged off their laughter, tipping the marker to Shanda. “Why don’t you do the last exclamation point? His thumb feels left out.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She snorted at the sharpie right as the steam wand screamed out a cloud of mist.
“Go ahead, I dare you to.” Ozzy wiggled his hand at her.
Montrose Paranormal Academy, Book 1: The Nexis Secret: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Novel Page 26
