Angelfire
Page 56

When our gazes met again, I noticed the slightest flicker of brightness in that terrifying green before the color dul ed again. The flash was so quick, I had to blink, but it did not return.
"I'l leave now," he said, and stood up, pul ing away from me.
I wanted to jump forward and tug him back to me, but I didn't. "See you tomorrow?"
"Of course," he offered, smiling. "I'l let you enjoy your day with Kate until it's time for the party. You'l see me then."
"Okay," I said. "Good night. Thank you for saving my life tonight."
"You saved mine, too. You were bril iant."
"Thanks." My cheeks grew hot.
"You're coming back to me." He smiled widely--that excruciatingly beautiful smile--and then he was gone. 19
AS THE WEEKS WORE ON INTO OCTOBER, WE HEARD very little from the dark side. Bastian's thugs were lying low, but al that did was make me worry about what they might be up to. My car was beyond repair, but I was real y happy to get a replacement almost identical to the one I had lost. I decided to name him Marshmal ow I in honor of Ragnuk's victim. The colder the weather got, the more I found myself lying and keeping things from the people I loved. I snuck in and out of my house through the back door easily, but it was hard seeing my mom's face every night and leading her to believe that I was only going to bed. I felt like I was missing out on a great deal with my friends, since I was bailing on our weekend plans more often than ever. I was worried I'd lose them for good. I wished I could just be honest with everyone and go about my life as I normal y had, but it wasn't like the world was going to wait for me to learn how to be a superhero. I wasn't sure how much longer I could stand it al , especial y since I lied to the faces of my parents and friends every day.
Two weeks before Hal oween, Kate, Rachel, and I were in a costume shop trying on various outfits. The boys, of course, planned to wear hideous or vulgar costumes. Wil , I suspected, was going as himself. He could be scary enough. With a bloody sword and a little bit of glow to his already electric green eyes, he'd have even the toughest UFC fighter shaking in his spandex.
The party we were al attending was Josie Newport's annual Hal oween bash. It was true that we weren't good friends or anything, but since we had al been in seventh grade together, it was understood that my group always came to her Hal oween party--and I was so pumped.
"Try this on," Kate ordered as she shoved a nurse costume in my face.
I scowled at it. "That might exceed my skank limit."
"You'l look hot in it with your gorgeous hair," she said.
"Now try it on."
Grudgingly, I took it from her and stood in line at the dressing room. Rachel was stil inside trying on a witch costume. Kate had chosen a very revealing devil outfit that was mostly a red minidress and hooker boots.
"You're so bossy," I told Kate.
She grinned and adjusted the glittery devil-horns headband in her hair. "You like it. Anytime you want, I'l bust out my whip and furry handcuffs. Only for you, boo."
I rol ed my eyes. "Oh baby, oh baby."
Final y Rachel emerged. The pink and blue in her costume looked real y cute with her brown hair, even if the hat was too big on her and sat a bit low. She smiled sweetly and gave a little turn to show off the outfit. The skirt was a tad long and she had had to pul the white petticoat underneath lower over her hips so it couldn't be seen.
"What do you think?" she asked shyly.
"You're so pretty," I said.
Kate reached forward, picked Rachel's hair up off her shoulders and twisted it into an updo, then tugged the fluffy sleeves down so that more skin showed. Kate stepped back to admire her handiwork. "Huge improvement. Get this costume and wear your hair up. Evan wil love it."
"Think so?" Rachel looked down and smoothed out her skirt.
"Definitely," I offered. "He won't be able to keep his hands off you."
Kate shoved me toward the dressing room. "Now it's your turn. If you're a sexy nurse, then Will won't be able to keep his hands off you."
"That is not what I'm going for!" I closed the curtain behind me.
"Liar!" Kate cal ed from outside the dressing room. I squeezed into the tight dress and wished I were wearing something fluffier like Rachel's costume so I wouldn't feel so exposed. My boobs were kind of spil ing out, but the sheath shape of the dress made my hips and legs look as if I had hips and legs. I pul ed back the curtain when I was ready, and Kate loosed a long whistle.
"You hot bitch," she said. "Trade costumes with me."
If my sexy nurse outfit made my boobs look a whole cup size bigger, Kate's devil outfit made her look like a porn star. No way could I pul that off. "No, thanks. You keep yours."
"You know I'm right, though," she said slyly. "He won't be able to keep his hands or his eyes off you al night."
I tried to disguise the smile growing, but I failed. Maybe that was exactly what I wanted. I stepped in front of the mirror and looked at myself from different angles. I did look good, after al . If I was lucky, someone else might notice too. That Saturday Wil and I were sparring in our abandoned warehouse, as we usual y did on weekend afternoons. When a beam fel and crushed my hand, we were forced to the sidelines while my bones healed. I watched my skin grow back and the bones reshape, but that wasn't the strangest part. My broken hand never real y hurt that badly. Sure, it kil ed for the first few seconds, but the pain dul ed quickly, kil ed for the first few seconds, but the pain dul ed quickly, and then there I was, staring at my bones shuddering back into place. It didn't even nauseate me that much anymore. I wasn't sure which was weirder--my broken bones healing in minutes or my not being grossed out by it. A toss-up, real y.