She hummed her agreement. “It does help to have someone understand.” Leaning back in her wheelchair, she got comfortable.
“Well, I met his uncle, who’s a demi-angel, and he’s a really nice guy and he was so sweet to me, and…”
My tears started to flow and nose run. I sniffed loudly. My grandma made a face and handed me a tissue. “Keep going.”
“Well, there were some demons at the football game Friday night. Actually, just one demon, but that was enough.”
“Yeah, you don’t need more than one to ruin a perfectly good evening,” she said matter-of-factly, like we were talking about a bad dinner guest.
“Anyway, the demon got a hold of my foot, and he was dragging me—”
She bolted up in her chair. “Are you all right? What happened? Does your father know?” She fired questions at me, not giving me time to answer.
“Grams, I’m fine. Yes, Dad knows. He was there. And I’m trying to tell you what happened, but you keep interrupting me.” I smiled at her
“Well, you can’t just go around telling an angel that demons are grabbing people and not expect them to get riled up, especially when it involves my granddaughter. Hmph.”
“So this demon gets a hold of me and is dragging me toward a pit straight to, well…”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved her hand in the air. “Hell. I’ve heard of it once or twice.” She rolled her eyes, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. “So? You’re on your way to Hell and…?”
“Well, I’m sure I’m toast. Everyone else was busy fighting, and the demon was so strong I couldn’t fight him off by myself. So this boy’s uncle stepped in. He saved me. Well, he helped hold him off until Chay—that’s the guy—could help.”
“So? I don’t see the problem. A demon is a menace, that’s for sure, but you said yourself you’re okay.” She leaned back in her chair.
“The problem is the next night the uncle’s ice cream parlor burned down for no apparent reason. He was inside. He almost died from smoke inhalation and a heart attack.”
“But he’s all right?”
I flung an arm out from my side. “Yeah, now.”
“It’s upsetting, but I still don’t see what this has to do with you.” Grams shrugged a thin shoulder.
“Ugh, Grams! I caused it.” I slapped my chest with the flat of my hand.
“The fire?” She arched a brow at me.
“Not directly, but I caused it just the same. If he hadn’t helped me, he wouldn’t have almost died.”
She tilted her head to the side and considered what I said before answering, “Eh. Maybe.”
“Maybe? Grams, don’t you think it’s a little coincidental? He saves me from a demon the night before his business becomes an inferno?”
She bounced her index finger against her lips before she asked her next question. “Let me ask you something, Milayna. Who saved the man?”
“What?” I wrinkled my forehead.
“How did the man get rescued? Was there another person in the building with him?”
“No.” I skimmed my fingers over the couch.
“So how? Did someone see the fire?”
I picked at the hem of my shirt and cleared my throat. “What do you mean by see?”
“That’s what I thought. You had a vision. Right?”
“Yes.”
“And that vision saved the man.”
“Yes, but—”
“So isn’t it logical to assume if you hadn’t had the vision, your guy’s uncle would be dead?”
I sighed and squeezed my eyes with my thumb and index finger. “I don’t know. Maybe. Probably.”
“And you want to believe you caused the fire?” She tsked. “You saved his life. End of story.” She flicked her hand in the air like she was sweeping the whole mess away.
“But if he hadn’t done what he had, it never would have happened.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged and twisted her lips. “But if you had given up your power, he’d definitely be dead.”
I let out a breath and nodded. “So you won’t help me?”
“There’s only one way to get rid of your demi-angel status.”
“How?” I leaned forward, my forearms on my thighs.
“Give it to Azazel. I won’t help you do that, Milayna. I’ll do anything for you, you know that, but I won’t stand by and watch you sign away your soul.”
***
I stood by the front door with my mom Monday morning, waiting for Muriel to pick me up for school. “Muriel and I haven’t talked since Friday night at the game,” I told her as we watched Muriel pull into the driveway.
“Really? You two are always talking or texting. What’s up?”
“I don’t know.” Muriel honked her horn. I gave my mom a quick kiss. “See you later.”
“Milayna?”
I stopped and turned toward my mom. “Yeah?”
“I love you.” Her eyes were glassy, like she was trying to hold back tears.
I smiled at her. “I love you, too, Mom. I’ll see you tonight.”
I ran down the driveway to Muriel’s car and slipped into the passenger’s seat, pulling the door closed behind me. “Hey! How was your weekend?” Muriel asked as I buckled my seatbelt.
“Fine. You do anything?”
“My mom and I had a girls’ day out on Saturday.” Muriel told me all about her day out with her mom in mind-numbing detail: how they got their hair done, their nails done, and went clothes shopping at the mall. “We bought out the entire place,” she gushed. I only half listened. My mind was on chemistry and who would be there.
I got to class before Chay. I sat at our assigned station and waited, although I didn’t particularly want to see him. The final bell rang and class started, but Chay didn’t show. I knew he was at school. His car was in the student parking lot when Muriel and I drove in. The huge, yellow beacon in the middle of a sea of drab clunkers and muted sedans was kind of hard to miss.
Class seemed to last forever. I wasn’t able to complete my lab for the day because I never finished my homework. After Chay had left on Sunday, he was all I could think about. I’d hoped he’d done the homework so we could do the lab. Since I couldn’t do the in-class portion of the assignment without the homework, the instructor gave me the option of making up the lab after school the next day or taking a zero. I took the zero. I didn’t care. I had bigger things to worry about—like demons and other hellish things.
When the bell finally rang and the torture of chemistry was over, I bolted out of the classroom. That was when I saw him. He stood across the hall in front of the door, hip leaning against the wall and his thumb hooked through a belt loop on his low-riding jeans. He looked amazing, and my heart stuttered in my chest.
“Skipping class?” I asked with an arched brow.
“Only the ones with hostile classmates.”
I snorted a laugh. “Whatever.”
He followed me to calculus. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him watching me. I didn’t stop, and I didn’t talk to him. I walked straight to class and to my seat. He didn’t follow me in.
Muriel came in a few seconds before the bell rang. “Where’s Chay?”
I rolled my eyes and blew out a breath. “How should I know?”
“I saw him in the hall.” Muriel looked back at the door.
“He’s skipping.” I doodled on the tabletop. “He skipped chem class, too.”
“Really? Why?” Muriel looked at me with her eyebrows raised.
“He’s mad at me,” I said quietly.
“Pssh.” She waved him off. “He’s always mad about something.”
“Yeah. What’d you buy at the mall?”
Not that I care. I just want to change the subject. I’m thinking about Chay too much. I don’t need to talk about him too.
The group ate lunch together like always, but Chay didn’t show. He wasn’t around the rest of the day. I didn’t know exactly how I felt about that. Pr
obably because I didn’t know how I felt about him. No one had ever stirred the emotions he had in me—good or bad. When I was happy, I was beyond deliriously happy. But when I was mad? It didn’t even register on the Richter scale. But there was confusion and disappointment swimming in there, too. They muddied the water even more, until I didn’t know what I felt. I just knew I didn’t like being mad at him because I didn’t like being away from him. It felt… wrong.
Just before I climbed into bed that night, my phone vibrated. I pushed the button to read the text.
Chay: Can we talk?
Me: Now?
Chay: Yeah.
“Ugh, call me,” I said as I typed. My finger hovered over the send button. I didn’t really want to talk with him. Instead of hitting send, I deleted the message.
Me: No.
I put my phone on my nightstand. When it vibrated again, I didn’t look at it.
Why… why… why am I so stubborn? I want to talk to him. So why didn’t I say yes?
***
Four weeks until my birthday.
I was supposed to ride to school with Muriel that morning. It was Tuesday, and we had swim practice that afternoon. I loved to swim. I loved the water, the feel of slicing through it as I did my laps. And I was looking forward to the physical exertion. It was a great stress reliever.
I walked through the door on my way to Muriel’s and stopped midstride with one hand on the bannister, one foot on the first step, and the other behind me still on the porch. I stared at it.
What’s it doing here?
A bright yellow Camaro that reminded me of Bumblebee from Transformers sat in my driveway. Chay’s car. He wasn’t inside it. In fact, I didn’t see him anywhere.
I started across the street when I saw Muriel, sitting in the driver’s seat of her car with the window rolled down, talking to Chay. She laughed at something he said, rolled up the window, and backed out of her driveway.
“Muriel!” I called after her as she drove away.
Either Muriel forgot I was riding with her or Chay convinced her to leave me behind. Either way, they’re both gonna pay. Painfully… slowly.
“Want a ride?” Chay called as he sauntered across the street. A small grin pulled at his lips.
“No.”
Not when I’m being coerced. I’ll take my own car.
“Looks like you need one.”
“I can drive myself.”
“C’mon, Milayna. Let me give you a ride. If you drive, I’ll follow you anyway. You can’t be alone, remember?”
I knew I was fighting a losing battle. I reached for the handle. He beat me, opening the door for me. I could smell his cologne and feel his warm breath skim the side of my neck as I slid onto the passenger seat. A little shiver passed through me.
He climbed into the car and turned his body to face me. “Milayna, I’m sorry I was such an ass at the hospital. Are you gonna stay mad at me forever?”
“We don’t have time for this, Chay. I don’t want to be late.”
In other words, please just drive so I can get out of here.
“For chemistry?” He snorted. “You probably don’t even want to go after yesterday—”
“What about chemistry? And if I’m not supposed to be alone, why did you skip class and leave me there by myself?” I glared at him.
“I was around.”
“Around. Good, that makes me feel so much better. You were around. Great, Chay. You have about two seconds to start driving, or I’m getting out and driving myself.” I turned my head and looked out of the side window. The sky was gray with ugly clouds swirling and blotting out the sun. My mood was just as ugly.
“You’re impossible to deal with. I’m trying to apologize.”
“And I told you Sunday your apology was accepted. So drop it.”
His hands dropped on the steering wheel. “Then I’m confused. What’s the problem?”
I’m falling for you, and I’m afraid you’re going to hurt me.
I sighed and looked at him. “There’s no problem. Let’s just go.”
“Fine.” He threw the car into gear and hit the gas a little too hard.
“Fine,” I repeated with the same amount of sarcasm he used.
We drove to school in silence. It was a long, awkward, uncomfortable silence. I rolled the hem of my shirt around my fingers and looked out of the side window, watching buildings and other cars pass, but not really seeing them. Chay drummed his thumb against the steering wheel, his eyes super-glued to the front window.
When we got to school and Chay pulled into a parking spot, I was out of the car before he put it in park. I hitched my bag over my shoulder and hoofed it toward the building.
He quickly caught up and walked next to me. We were about halfway from Chay’s car to the school when he reached out and took my hand, threading his fingers between mine. I jerked my hand away and glared at him.
“What?” He flung his arm up in the air and let it fall against his thigh. “You said you accepted my apology and there was nothing wrong.” His voice got louder with each word.
“Don’t.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from saying more.
“You didn’t mind it Saturday.” He moved closer. I put my hand on his chest to stop him. He dropped his backpack, put his finger around my belt loop, and pulled me closer. I felt his heartbeat beneath my hand. It was strong and… fast. It increased the closer we came to one another. My heart was racing, my breathing quick and shallow. His matched mine. It was the first time I realized I had the same effect on him that he had on me. Our gazes locked. Warmth grew in my chest and spread through my body.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured and leaned in closer still. His thumb caressed my lower lip, pulling it from between my teeth. An avalanche of butterflies tumbled in my stomach. I couldn’t contain my small sigh.
The student parking lot grew crowded. The buses had arrived, and students walked around us, bumping and pushing past, as we stood toe-to-toe.
Chay’s hand cupped my cheek, his thumb under my chin. He angled my face upward and let his gaze roam across my face until he came to my lips. His gaze darted quickly to mine before he looked at my lips again. He tilted his head.
A group of giggling girls bumped into us. “Oops. Sorry!” one called as they were swept away in the crowd.
Chay cleared his throat, dropped his hand, and jammed his fingers through his hair.
“Chay… we really need to get to class.”
“Yeah.” His voice sounded strained. He gave his head a shake and flexed his fingers. “Here, give me that.” He slipped my bag off my shoulder. Grabbing his bag, he threw both over his shoulder, and we walked toward the school.
***
I slid into my assigned seat in calculus later that morning. “Pretty dirty trick this morning.”
“Yeah. Sorry, but he knew you wouldn’t ride with him any other way.” Muriel shrugged a shoulder and doodled in her notebook.
“Ever think there was a reason for that?”
“Have you thought there may be a reason he wants to spend time with you?” She stopped doodling and chewed on the end of her pen. All her pens had teeth marks. She was like a puppy with a chew toy.
“Yeah, I’m not supposed to be alone,” I grumbled and had the fleeting thought that I sounded like Ben when he acted bratty. I decided not to examine that too closely.
“No. If that were it, he’d have let you ride with me. Give him a chance, Milayna. He seems like a great guy, even if he’s the dark and brooding type.” The cap of her pen pressed against her full bottom lip as a slow smile curved her mouth.
“Oh, shut up.” I couldn’t help my giggle. I was still pondering the potential awesomeness of a relationship with Chay when Muriel’s elbow jabbed me in the ribs.
“Ow! What?” I snapped.
“I asked for your answer to number three of yesterday’s homework assignment, Ms. Jackson,” my calculus teacher said in his annoying, nasally voice.
Aw, really? Dude, I have demons after my soul. Can’t I get out of homework for, like, ever?
Three weeks, six days until my birthday.
I bolted upright in bed, covered in a cold, clammy sweat that made my pajamas stick to my skin. When I started to climb out of bed, my cell phone vibrated, skidding across the nightstand. I caught it just as it fell from the table.
I looked at the screen and smiled, pushing the button to read his text.
Chay: Are you okay?
“Yes,” I said as I punched in the letters and hit send.
Chay: Then why are you awake?
Me: Why are you?
Chay: Nightmare, huh?
Me: Yes.
Chay: You wanna talk?
I surprised myself when I answered yes, almost dropping my phone when it rang seconds later. I answered before it woke my parents.
“It’s three o’clock in the morning, Chay. I thought you meant text, not actually talk on the phone,” I whispered.
“But then I wouldn’t hear your voice,” he said simply. My insides melted into goo.
“Um.” I had no idea what to say to that. “Why do you want to hear my voice?”
“I like it.” His voice melted over me, relaxing muscles I hadn’t realized were tensed.
I sighed and looked at the ceiling. “That’s not an answer.”
“Yes it is.”
“Okay. Fine.” There was no use in prodding for more information. He probably wouldn’t give it, and I’d probably end up saying something embarrassing.
“Can I pick you up tomorrow?”
“Yes.” I picked at the edge of my blanket. “I was hoping you would.”
“Hmm, that makes two of us. Goodnight, Milayna.”
Oh, wow. Really? I like that. A lot.
“Goodnight.”
I clicked off the phone. “Yeah. Like I’m going to sleep now,” I grumbled and got out of bed, wandering downstairs to the kitchen. I looked out of the window over the kitchen sink. Every few minutes, I was certain I saw a little red menace running through the moonlight.
Grabbing the ice cream and a word search, I sat down at the kitchen table. I was half done with the word search and completely full of ice cream when my cell rang. Jumping, I snatched it up. “Chay, stop calling. You’re gonna wake my parents.”
“Sorry. How long have they been out there?”
Milayna Page 19
