HIJINKS AND HIGH SCHOOLS

I woke up early the next morning, relieved after a dreamless sleep and buzzing with excitement to go to a real, live high school. I took a quick shower and got ready. It was nice to be able to do my hair and makeup--it made things feel a little more normal. I chose a shirt Lend had picked out for me (pink and sparkly, how cute was that?) and was ready to go forty-​five minutes before we needed to leave. Lend hadn't even woken up yet. With nothing else to do, I went downstairs to eat breakfast.

David was sitting at the table with Arianna and the two werewolves. “Oh, hey,” I said, feeling like I had intruded. David smiled at me, and Arianna even gave me a nod. Stacey and Luke barely looked at me. I think I scared them. Awesome.

“Cereal's in the pantry--help yourself,” David said. I did, finding a bowl and spoon and then sitting at the counter to eat. I tried not to listen to their conversation, but it was a small kitchen. “If we just knew how it was killing them.”

“Wait, what?” I turned around to face the group. “Are you talking about the girl that's killing paranormals? I saw her.”

“You did? How does she do it?” They all looked at me, eager and intense.

“It's weird. She just sort of puts her hand on their chests and then they're dead. Afterward, there's a handprint, all shimmery and golden, but it fades. I don't think anyone else would be able to see it.”

“Can you show me exactly what she did?” David stood up. “Are you sure she didn't have a weapon of some sort?”

“Nope, nothing.”

Arianna stepped up. “Show him on me.”

It was more than a little awkward. I wasn't all that eager to put my hand on Arianna's chest--I wouldn't have been even if she weren't undead. Not my thing. Still, David was watching intently, so I shrugged. “Okay, she walked up and put her hand out like this, and then--”

The second we touched, Arianna's eyes went wide and she started convulsing, letting out a horrible shriek.

David jumped back and I screamed, yanking my hand away in terror. What had I done? I really was like Vivian, a murderer. I watched, stunned, for the golden handprint to show up and Arianna to crumple to the ground. And a part of me, a small, terrible part, waited to know what it would feel like.

Her convulsions shifted into giggles. “Oh, I got you bad!” She was laughing so hard now she doubled over.

I leaned against the counter and gasped for breath. Trying not to cry, I shoved her shoulder, almost knocking her over. “You stupid brat! I can't believe you did that!”

David sighed. “That was in very poor taste.”

At the table, Stacey had her head buried in Luke's chest. She was bawling, and Luke looked like he wanted to rip Arianna's throat out.

“Oh, lighten up,” she said, still laughing. “That was awesome and you know it. You should have seen the look on your face. You really thought you were killing me.”

“Yeah, well, now I kind of want to.” I glared at her. I couldn't get that dumb dream out of my head. I had actually thought of Fire Girl as Vivian again.

“Hey, good morning.” Lend walked into the kitchen, stopping as he took in everyone's faces. “What did I miss?”

“Arianna's a freaking comedic genius,” I muttered, sitting back down to finish my cereal.

“Evie was showing us how this thing kills, and Arianna decided to make it a little more dramatic,” David added drily.

“So great,” Arianna said, finally getting her laughter under control.

“Were you talking about the poem?” Lend asked. “What have you figured out?”

David shook his head. “No, you're officially banned from listening to us. Or thinking about this. Or even thinking about thinking about this, understand?”

“But I--”

“No. I mean it. You and Evie both. This is not your problem anymore.”

Lend scowled as he got some cereal and sat next to me. Honestly, I had been under so much pressure for so long that it was a relief to turn it over to the adults. I didn't want to think about faeries or crazy burning girls anymore. I, for one, would be following David's rules. It was about time I got to be sixteen.

I pushed the image of Lish's lifeless body out of my mind with a wave of guilt. This wasn't my fight. I'd done my part already.

“Are you ready?” Lend asked.

“Oh yeah.” I was so ready. Distractions, please. “Are there are a lot of paranormals at the school, too? Vamps?”

Arianna snorted. “Why on earth would a vampire go to high school?”

“Well, then I don't have to deal with you today, so already high school's super.”

“You'd better get going,” Lend's dad said, looking at the clock.

I followed Lend out to the car, practically skipping.

We pulled up to a sprawling brick building and parked in a crowded lot. I jumped out of the car, waiting impatiently while Lend gathered his backpack and books.

“We'll go to the office first to check you in.” We entered through glass double doors, and a couple of perky office ladies greeted us. Lend gave them a winning smile. “I've got my absence excuse slip and I'm checking in my guest. I think my dad called?”

“Oh, yes,” said one of the ladies, a plump woman with short, curly red hair. “Been sick, sweetheart?”

“Yup. Pretty bad.” Lend handed her a paper and she looked over it, then entered something into a computer. She handed me a visitor pass, which I rather reluctantly clipped to the bottom of my shirt. Lame.

“Okay, you're all set.”

“Thanks.” I got butterflies in my stomach as we turned and walked through the door into the main hallway.

It was amazing. Seriously, it was incredible. The school was kind of run-​down and dingy, but the kids! Teenagers, everywhere! Deliciously ordinary, completely oblivious teenagers! I had never been around so many at one time. Lend and I cut into the traffic flow and walked down the hall, and I realized that none of them noticed us or cared. They jostled each other, shouted hellos, insulted each other in slang I'd never heard but vowed to try out. And I was there in the middle of it all.

I was normal. It was heaven.

We turned down a side hall and Lend stopped, holding his hands up dramatically. “I give you--my locker.”

It was a sickly teal, paint chipping off the corners to reveal a previous tan coat. I reached out and put my hand on the cold metal.

“So, is it everything you imagined?” he asked.

“Everything I imagined and more,” I whispered, then busted up laughing. “Seriously, this whole place--it's incredible! I can't believe you get to do this every day!”

“Funny, because most people here, myself included, really wish that we didn't have to.”

“That's because you have no idea how precious normal is. Now.” I put my hands on my hips and looked around. “According to Easton Heights, a fistfight over a girl should be breaking out at some point today, followed by a tear-​streaked catfight in the girl's bathroom. Should I keep my eyes open? And, more important, do I join the fight, or just watch?”

Lend laughed. “Umm, yeah, probably not going to happen. We'll go to my classes, eat lunch, go to more class, and you'll realize that high school is mind-​numbingly boring.”

“Not a chance,” I said, grinning. “It's already awesome.”

At the end of one of my best days ever, we sat in the car waiting for the line out of the parking lot to move. “So, you like the whole high school thing?” Lend asked.

“Let's see.” I frowned thoughtfully. “History is boring--already knew that. Some classes are a joke--nice surprise. Even normal people are strange--figured that one out already. No vicious creatures I needed to subdue with a Taser--always a plus. Yup, high school's pretty cool in my book.” And it was. I even got to go to art class. The teacher made me model in front of the whole class for life drawing, which was almost scarier than facing that room full of vamps. At least I knew what the vamps were thinking.

We pulled out of the parking lot and I saw a sign on the corner advising students to buy their prom packages. “You guys haven't had your prom yet?”

“Oh. No, I guess not.” Lend fidgeted in his seat and was quiet.

Oh, crap--he probably thought I was hinting that I wanted him to ask me, and now he felt awkward because he didn't want to. We made it halfway home in perfect silence, our awesome day ruined. Brilliant move, Evie.

“So,” he said, finally speaking up. “Do you--I mean, it's kind of lame, but do you want to go to the prom? With me?”

“Seriously?”

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road. “You don't have to, I just thought maybe you'd--”

“Yes! I'd love to! Absolutely! I mean, it'd be kind of fun, right?” I could have melted ice, my smile was so bright. Lend's face broke into a smile, too, which made me realize how nervous he had looked before. No wonder he'd been so quiet!

“Cool. It'll be fun.”

The afternoon passed quickly. Every time I thought about the prom, a sort of giddy sense of unreality descended on me. Surely this couldn't be my life. It was too amazing. I was going to the prom--my prom--with Lend.

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