Josy shrugged. “I don’t know what it is yet. Maybe it’s nothing. But I’m interested.”
Felicia hugged her friend. “That’s amazing. You have to tell us more.”
“Not yet. I want to see where we’re headed first.”
“Fine. But no matter what happens, tell us.”
Josy smiled and nodded.
“Promise me you’ll be safe though.” Felicia made a joke, but there was a serious undertone. She had experienced bad dates more than once.
“Jeez. We haven’t even met yet.” Josy pushed Felicia of her bed.
“Oh, Internet lover?” Emily rolled over and gave Josy her undivided attention.
“Yeah, I guess. We met online and we’ve been texting. That’s it though.” It was obvious she didn’t want to say more on the subject, but she had to give Felicia something: she could be relentless.
“I’m happy for you, Josy. I hope it’ll turn out the way you want.” Nora smiled at Josy, trying to ignore the teasing of the other two. It would be worse when Nora had someone special because it would be a first. She had never shown an interest in guys before, besides her love for romance novels.
“Hey, what time is it?” Nora asked no one in particular.
“Almost nine thirty,” Josy answered.
“Oh shit. I have to go home.” Nora jumped up to grab her bag from the bathroom.
“They still want you to be home by ten?” Felicia didn’t have a curfew and thought the concept was outdated.
“Yep. Tomorrow is a school day. They won’t forgive me if I’m late. Sorry guys.”
“Don’t worry. Will you be okay cycling back?” Josy asked.
“I think so. It’s still light.” Nora said as she glanced through the window. Felicia walked down with her.
“Leave the braid in during the night and don’t wash your hair tomorrow. Your curls will be beautiful.” Felicia touched the braid and laid it on Nora’s shoulder. “Be careful on your way back. Some people don’t care about the time of the day.”
“I will. Don’t worry.” Nora waved goodbye as she guided her bicycle off the lawn.
The dynamic between the four friends was special. They understood each other, even when all of them were different, but they still fought occasionally. Especially if one of them didn’t agree with Felicia.
Nora had Italian blood, but she didn’t have her father’s temperament. Felicia did. She was used to having things her way, that when there’s an obstacle, she would do anything in her power to remove it. That usually involved shouting. Her outgoing character made her stand out the most. Emily would be the one to shush and comfort her. Josy was the level-headed one that would come up with a solution and Nora did what was necessary.
Without one of them, the group would be out of balance. That’s why they worked so well together. Each of them knew how important the others were and that strengthened their friendship.
Nora used the bike lane next to the railroad. It was the quickest way home, but also the most dangerous one. Her parents wanted her to cycle through the quarters, where people would be around. But Nora was tired from all the social interactions, she just wanted to get home—to crawl in bed with a good book and read until dawn.
The sky was getting darker, turning into a mixture of blues and oranges. She loved these colours in the sky. She stared into the distance and didn’t notice much of what was going on around her. Her muscles knew the way home.
Nora was glad she still wore her jeans despite the warmth, so her thighs wouldn’t stick to the saddle. It was still hot enough to make her sweat even though she wasn’t putting in a lot of effort.
It was quiet, even for a Sunday evening. She didn’t mind the silence. The twenty minutes it took her to cycle home, were perfect for clearing her head. The darkening sky was symbolic for her worries disappearing.
A group of football players passed her, probably going home after a match. No one else. As if the world knew tomorrow would be an eventful day and was heading to bed early.
***
Nora lost her balance as the strap of her bag caught onto something. She fell and her bicycle landed on her leg. A hooded figure towered over her holding the strap in his hand. Nora wanted to scream, but nothing came out of her mouth. She yanked her bag free from his grip and dumped it in the basket of her bicycle. She jumped on and raced home.
“Hey, wait up!” a voice screamed. It confused Nora. She had heard nothing, nor was the figure there before. He—she thought it was a man—couldn’t have come from behind. She only noticed him because of the resistance when he grabbed her bag.
She panted. Her feet attacked the pedals of the bicycle. She noticed her bag was still half open and one sling had broken off, the one the man had in his hand. There was no time to check if anything had fallen out, she needed to get out of there. The shrubberies beside the cycling path were a blur as she sped up. The wind was cooling her down, and she only noticed her ripped pants when she looked down. Blood seeped through; it stung.
The man had spooked her, terrified her. She had heard of women getting mugged, assaulted. But she never thought it would happen while it was still light. She tried to rationalise it, but it was hard. She was sure she didn’t see him. Maybe her eyes had played a trick on her when she was lost in thought. Adrenaline and fear drove her.
He ran after her, his panting always in earshot. Even on a bicycle, it was hard for her to stay ahead. Her heart throbbed in her throat. She couldn’t make a sound. It probably wasn’t the first time he had robbed someone, she thought. He was fast, but not fast enough to catch her.
Nora cycled into the urban area—turning corners and streets in an attempt to lose him. If only he lost sight of her, that could give her an edge. Her legs kept going, pushing down harder on the pedals. Only a few blocks away until she was home, not sure if it was a blessing or a curse. She didn’t have much time to get rid of him and she didn’t want to lead him to her home. But home meant safety.
She reached her garden’s gate. There were options: going in, and hope he didn’t see her, or try to lose him and only return home after she was sure he was gone. Her legs were shaking, and they decided for her. She locked the gate quickly behind her and hid in the shadows, whispering thanks to her father for oiling the hinges so it didn’t creak. She held her breath, listening to her surroundings. The footsteps came close but didn’t slow down. The fence and bushes obscured her view of the streets. Hopefully, the other way around too. The footsteps passed the house and turned into the next street. He was out of breath, but she didn’t hear him except for his footsteps and panting fading away.
She let out a sigh of relief and only moved again after she couldn’t hear him anymore. Her hands trembled as she pushed her bike towards the shed. She locked it as quietly as possible, not sure if he could hear it. Walking back towards the house was more difficult than she thought. Her knees were weak and her calves hurt from the exercise. She didn’t realise her bicycle was her support. Inside, she cleaned herself up a bit before facing her mother. Ripped, bloody jeans always had a story. She washed her hands for the third time, when the doorbell rang.
Nora opened the door an inch and saw the man, bent over and panting. A shiver went down her spine as she recognised her assailant. She started closing the door on him in a panic, but he thrusted his arm through the doorway, holding up her wallet.
“This fell out of your bag. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you. Are you all right?” he asked. He looked up from the ground and saw her knee. “I’m terribly sorry. Here is your wallet. I hope I didn’t scare you too much.” He gave her the wallet as he stood up straight. This was the first time she could see his face properly, with his hood pulled down. He was older than her, but not past twenty. She took the wallet and closed the door without saying anything. She looked at the wallet and its contents. No money was missing. Was it a misunderstanding? She sighed and clutched her wallet to her chest.
Her mother came down and saw her standing like that. “
Who was that? What happened to you, Nora? Are you okay?” her mother asked with concern.
“I tried to avoid a cat and hit the sidewalk. I fell, but I’m all right. There was a man at the door, but he was looking for the neighbour’s house. I’m going to bed. Goodnight mom.” Nora kissed her mother and went upstairs, ending the conversation.
Chapter 3
His eyes. That’s the first thing Nora remembered from last night’s incident. They were clear and light blue; something she had never seen before. She felt nauseous just thinking about them.
Nightmares haunted her during the night, with shadows chasing her until they almost caught her. It woke her up several times. Her eyes were red and puffy, having cried herself to sleep more than once.
Her knee looked a little better, but it still stung when water washed over it. Nora opted for baggy pants, to give her knee the room it needed, and a tank top. Comfort over looks, that’s what her clothes said about her. Felicia always tried to nudge Nora towards more fashionable items, but Nora didn’t care for it. Her pocket money wouldn’t allow Felicia’s taste, anyway.
The house was quiet, as she expected. Her parents already left for work. Her mother had left a note with her lunch on the counter wishing her good luck on her first day. Nora smiled.
She usually used her bike to get to school, but her knee hurt too much today. She would have to take the bus. When she showed her bus pass to the driver, she noticed something in her wallet that wasn’t there before. She sat down and took out a card. “Only believe the Truth” was all it said. It was printed on thick, high quality paper. The backside was empty.
She wanted to throw it away, but a voice inside told her she shouldn’t. It confused her. Her attacker was the only one who could’ve put it there. But why would he do that? What did it mean? She decided not to tell her friends about what had happened. It was too weird, and she probably thought it was worse than it was. They’d never suspect something happened in the few hours they hadn’t seen each other. And if something did, they had already expected to have heard it.
Nora shoved the card back in her wallet and stared out the window. Her mind wandered off. She didn’t like the constant reminders of what happened yesterday. If only the rest of the day could be like a regular school day, that would at least take her mind off of things.
Felicia, Emily and Josy were already waiting in front of Nora’s locker. They were having an animated conversation—giggling, whispering, and looking around. Nora knew what the topic was: boys. She sighed and walked over.
“Nora, there are two new boys in our class. I’ve seen them and they’re hot!” said Felicia. “I call dibs on the blond one.” She grinned. Felicia always had the latest news before anyone else did. “The other has dark hair and I think they might be brothers? They came here together with another man. Probably their father, although he didn’t look old enough.”
“Are they twins? If they’re both in our class, they must be the same age,” Emily asked. She was just as excited as Felicia. Her wish had come true, two transfers into their class. That’s double the chance of finding a boyfriend.
Felicia shrugged. She didn’t care, she found her victim. Nora knew Felicia had a bad habit of chasing down boys and men, get them to fall in love with her, and use them until someone better came along. She already felt sorry for the blond guy, he wouldn’t last long.
First period started and their teacher walked in with the new additions. The blond-haired boy drew the attention of most girls. Whispers started as soon as they saw him. Felicia kicked Nora’s chair to get her attention. She then gave that look, the look of a predator claiming its prey. Nora nodded and smiled, acknowledging her good taste. Felicia started her conquest right away, by waving and playing with her hair.
Nora turned back to the front of the class and saw the second boy. Her body stiffened as the dark-haired guy pushed down his hoodie at the request of the teacher, and she saw his ice-blue eyes. She recognised them from last night. She had the feeling that if she looked into them long enough, she would see her own soul. Nora looked down and started scribbling in her notebook, hoping he wouldn’t recognise her.
The first classes went by without any trouble. Felicia took it upon herself to welcome the boys to the school and tell them everything they needed to know to survive this year. She fended off everyone else with her famous stare of death. No one was allowed to get close to them without her permission. She distracted both of them, asking questions non-stop, for which Nora was grateful. She sat as far away from them as possible.
During lunch, the group of girls sat at their usual table. Of course, the topic was the new boys, Ben and Danny. They had names now. Daniel, or Danny, was Felicia’s future boyfriend. Blond-haired, amber-coloured eyes, and the body of an Italian god. Benjamin, or Ben, was the blue-eyed ghost. He kept haunting Nora’s mind, and she still didn’t know if he was good or bad. Felicia was telling all that she had discovered, but Nora’s mind was miles away.
“Hey.” Nora jumped in her seat, hearing an unfamiliar voice behind her. Felicia smiled.
“Hey Danny. Wanna join us?” She moved closer to Emily to make room for him next to her.
“Sure. You’re the only other person I know besides Ben, but he’s sulking. A girl, I’m sure. He only ever gets like that when there’s a girl involved.”
Danny sat down and drank from his soda can. “You’re not related. How come you two are so close?” Emily asked.
“No, we’re not. But we have similar problems with our family. When we found out, we teamed up. It’s pretty easy to find people who go through the same, thanks to the Internet. After getting to know each other, we even found out our parents had a mutual acquaintance. He’s agreed to take us in for now.”
“I know, right?” Josy nodded in agreement. “My mom died when I was six. I now have an online support group with other kids who lost a parent. It’s nice to have a group who understands what you’re going through.” They all looked at her. Josy was the quiet one and she never said anything about this. Of course, Danny didn’t know, and just looked at her with understanding.
“You’re welcome to sit here every lunch, y’know. Bring Ben too when he isn’t sulking.” Felicia used all her charms on him. “Oh, right. You don’t know Nora yet. I’m sorry. Danny, this is Nora. The last member of our Fab Four.” She hated the nickname since she felt anything but fabulous. Nora gave him a weak smile and quickly looked away. She noticed him perking up when he heard her name.
“Nora, huh? Is that short for Eleonora? That’s a lovely name. Your parents did well picking it.” Danny leaned forward and held out his hand.
Nora shook it. “Yes, it’s Eleonora. But it’s too long, so people call me Nora. The only one who uses my full name is my father, when he’s angry, so please don’t use it.” Nora let out an awkward laugh and directed her attention to her sandwich with chocolate sprinkles. She felt Felicia shooting lightning bolts from her eyes.
Danny was the guy she wanted and Nora was interfering with her conquest. Nora had to make sure Felicia knew she wasn’t interested, but how? Felicia sat next to Danny for the rest of the day and she couldn’t be near him without being on the receiving end of one of her death stares.
The day went by without Ben so much as looking at her, for which she was glad. He mostly kept to himself and didn’t talk to anyone. It was weird how she wanted to ignore him, but her attention kept going back to him. Maybe she wanted to make sure he couldn’t do anything unexpected. Her body was still tense at the end of the day, even though nothing happened, and she was sure that Ben wouldn’t do anything to her. At least not at school with other people around.
Danny, on the other hand, winked at Nora whenever their eyes met. It pissed Felicia off and she ignored Nora for the rest of the day.
Chapter 4
After school, a familiar face stopped her when she walked to get her bicycle. “Hey, Michael. Haven’t seen you since summer break started.”
“Hey. Yeah, it see
ms we have different classes now, so I only get to bug you during breaks or after school,” Michael joked.
He had changed little since June. His blond hair was longer than she remembered and it fell into a side parting, like a nineties pop idol.
“Something is different about you, but it’s not your hair.” She pinched her eyes to see if she could remember what Michael looked like the last time she saw him.
He smiled at her. “Ah, yes. I’m taller, again.” Michael looked down at his pants, which was on the short side.
“How can you have grown even taller? How tall are you now?” She stood next to him and measured herself against his chest. The top of her head barely reached his shoulder.
“One meter ninety-three the last time I measured.” He stood up straight so Nora could see it more clearly.
“Should I start making basketball jokes?” Nora teased. She knew Michael wasn’t into sports, even though he was good at them. He was only competitive in games.
“Don’t, seriously. As long as I slouch, no one will notice. I’m not the only tall guy here.” Most of the taller boys at school were thin, he didn’t look starved. His chest, shoulders, and arms were more muscular than the average teenager. He managed to keep his muscles and a healthy weight during his growth spurt.
That was true; the average height of the guys in Nora’s year was close to 1,85 meter.
“I feel tiny.” Nora mumbled. She only came up to his shoulder. Even for a woman, she was below average. Felicia thought it was cute, but it was easy for her to say—she had the legs and measurements of a runway model.
“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. If I could give you part of my legs, I would.”
“I’d happily trade part of my butt for your legs, although I don’t know if I could keep up shaving your legs every day. So hairy.” They both laughed.
“I’ve to go now but don’t be a stranger. Text me when you have time to meet up for drinks,” Michael said.
Devil's Deal (Infernal Contracts Book 1) Page 2
