Im n-not weak, I mutter. Im n-never weak. I slit my eyes open and the faint light in the street nearly splits my head. I close them again. Feck, Im weak.
The hell I dont.
I sauntered right into your place and took her from you.
I wasnt there at the time. Or you wouldnt have.
Ryodan laughs. Puny human.
She comes with me, Christian says.
D-Dudes, I feel really s-sick, I say. Whats closest?
My place, Christian says.
The hell it is, Ryodan says.
You dont even know where it is, Christian says.
I know everything.
Dancer says, Chesters.
To him I say, Take me there. And h-hurry. Im starving and f-f-freezing.
When we walk into Chesters the noise just about splits my skull from temple to temple. Im so sick Im wobbly. Ryodan tells Lor to get blankets warmed and take them to a room somewhere upstairs. I hope its soundproofed. Knowing Ryodan, it is. Like Batman, he has all the best toys. I dont care where I go right now. I just need to lie down. I want them to stop making me walk but I insisted that they let me walk, because I hate being carried so Im faking. Every muscle Ive got is burning and cramping. I cant think straight.
Get the kid out of here, Ryodan says to another of his men.
Two men move in, close their hands on his arms.
Leave Dancer alone! I say.
Its okay, Mega. Ive got things to do anyway. You take care, you hear? He looks at me hard and for a second I want everyone to go away and leave me alone with him. Life is so easy with Dancer. I want to ask him how he ended up in the street with me. I want to know what happened. Someone saved my life tonight. I want to know who and all the details.
But I dont want him here. Not in Chesters. I dont want the stain of it on him. See you tonight? I say.
He grins. Hope so, Mega. Got a movie to watch.
Get him out of here. Now, Ryodan barks.
Dancer impresses the feck out of me when he shakes their hands off his arms and says real calm, I can see myself out. He doesnt shake testosterone off his skin like a wet dog. He doesnt turn into a stupid bull, throwing his horns around. He just takes care of himself.
Id watch him go but Ryodan is suddenly turning me away, steering me like Im a go-cart. He snaps an order for warm water and Jell-O and tells Christian to get the feck out of his club.
Christian laughs and settles on a bar stool in the subclub closest to the stairs.
As Ihobble up the stairs, I see a funny thing. Ryodan pauses for a sec and I look back. Hes looking out over the dance floor, down at the kiddie subclub, and like she can feel him or something, Jo looks up, straight at him. Almost like shes been waiting for this moment. Like theres some kind of rubber band between them and she can feel him if he tugs on it. I think her highlights are even more dramatic than they were a couple days ago, gold in her dark hair. Shes sparkly between the boobs againI wouldnt notice except the sparkly makes you look there!and wearing pretty bangles on her arms. She never wears jewelry. Even sick as I feel, I think Jo looks good. Ryodan gives her an imperceptible nod and she goes real still and wipes her hands on her skirt and swallows so hard I see her throat work from here. They look at each other and neither looks away.
After a long moment Jo nods back.
And I think what the feck? Is she an empath like Kat? How did she know what he was saying? And what was he saying anyway? And why is she turning her tray over to somebody else?
Then my legs are going out from under me because I faked as long as I could, and hes got me before I hit the floor, carrying me, and I dont even fight it because Im too miserable.
They take me to a room a few doors down from Ryodans office and put me in bed. I burrow deep into the soft mattress, sigh with relief and pass out cold. Ryodan pisses me off what cant be more than three minutes later by waking me back up and forcing me to drink warm Jell-O water.
At first I dont want it but it tastes like heaven.
What happened? I say. Did I, like, die and come back? What an adventure! I wonder if thisll get put into the legend of me when I do die. I wonder how many times I might kick Deaths ass in my life. How wicked cool is that?
Drink.
Whered Dancer come from? My stomach cramps. Aw, its hurting my stomach.
Stop gulping. Take small sips.
I see another funny thing when he pours a second glass of warm Jell-O water. Dude, shake much?
I got too cold.
Lor laughs and gives him a look. Or too hot. Get out of here. Ive got it.
Ryodan looks at my empty glass. Ive drained the pitcher already and I want more.
Ill get it, Lor says. Go do what you need to do, boss.
I wonder what he needs to do, why hes shaking. If this is his weakness, I want to know all about it. Too bad Im about to pass out again.
Ryodan stands up. Take care of her. He walks out.
Lor says, Sleep, kid. Ill be back before you know it. With candy bars.
The hell I dont.
I sauntered right into your place and took her from you.
I wasnt there at the time. Or you wouldnt have.
Ryodan laughs. Puny human.
She comes with me, Christian says.
D-Dudes, I feel really s-sick, I say. Whats closest?
My place, Christian says.
The hell it is, Ryodan says.
You dont even know where it is, Christian says.
I know everything.
Dancer says, Chesters.
To him I say, Take me there. And h-hurry. Im starving and f-f-freezing.
When we walk into Chesters the noise just about splits my skull from temple to temple. Im so sick Im wobbly. Ryodan tells Lor to get blankets warmed and take them to a room somewhere upstairs. I hope its soundproofed. Knowing Ryodan, it is. Like Batman, he has all the best toys. I dont care where I go right now. I just need to lie down. I want them to stop making me walk but I insisted that they let me walk, because I hate being carried so Im faking. Every muscle Ive got is burning and cramping. I cant think straight.
Get the kid out of here, Ryodan says to another of his men.
Two men move in, close their hands on his arms.
Leave Dancer alone! I say.
Its okay, Mega. Ive got things to do anyway. You take care, you hear? He looks at me hard and for a second I want everyone to go away and leave me alone with him. Life is so easy with Dancer. I want to ask him how he ended up in the street with me. I want to know what happened. Someone saved my life tonight. I want to know who and all the details.
But I dont want him here. Not in Chesters. I dont want the stain of it on him. See you tonight? I say.
He grins. Hope so, Mega. Got a movie to watch.
Get him out of here. Now, Ryodan barks.
Dancer impresses the feck out of me when he shakes their hands off his arms and says real calm, I can see myself out. He doesnt shake testosterone off his skin like a wet dog. He doesnt turn into a stupid bull, throwing his horns around. He just takes care of himself.
Id watch him go but Ryodan is suddenly turning me away, steering me like Im a go-cart. He snaps an order for warm water and Jell-O and tells Christian to get the feck out of his club.
Christian laughs and settles on a bar stool in the subclub closest to the stairs.
As Ihobble up the stairs, I see a funny thing. Ryodan pauses for a sec and I look back. Hes looking out over the dance floor, down at the kiddie subclub, and like she can feel him or something, Jo looks up, straight at him. Almost like shes been waiting for this moment. Like theres some kind of rubber band between them and she can feel him if he tugs on it. I think her highlights are even more dramatic than they were a couple days ago, gold in her dark hair. Shes sparkly between the boobs againI wouldnt notice except the sparkly makes you look there!and wearing pretty bangles on her arms. She never wears jewelry. Even sick as I feel, I think Jo looks good. Ryodan gives her an imperceptible nod and she goes real still and wipes her hands on her skirt and swallows so hard I see her throat work from here. They look at each other and neither looks away.
After a long moment Jo nods back.
And I think what the feck? Is she an empath like Kat? How did she know what he was saying? And what was he saying anyway? And why is she turning her tray over to somebody else?
Then my legs are going out from under me because I faked as long as I could, and hes got me before I hit the floor, carrying me, and I dont even fight it because Im too miserable.
They take me to a room a few doors down from Ryodans office and put me in bed. I burrow deep into the soft mattress, sigh with relief and pass out cold. Ryodan pisses me off what cant be more than three minutes later by waking me back up and forcing me to drink warm Jell-O water.
At first I dont want it but it tastes like heaven.
What happened? I say. Did I, like, die and come back? What an adventure! I wonder if thisll get put into the legend of me when I do die. I wonder how many times I might kick Deaths ass in my life. How wicked cool is that?
Drink.
Whered Dancer come from? My stomach cramps. Aw, its hurting my stomach.
Stop gulping. Take small sips.
I see another funny thing when he pours a second glass of warm Jell-O water. Dude, shake much?
I got too cold.
Lor laughs and gives him a look. Or too hot. Get out of here. Ive got it.
Ryodan looks at my empty glass. Ive drained the pitcher already and I want more.
Ill get it, Lor says. Go do what you need to do, boss.
I wonder what he needs to do, why hes shaking. If this is his weakness, I want to know all about it. Too bad Im about to pass out again.
Ryodan stands up. Take care of her. He walks out.
Lor says, Sleep, kid. Ill be back before you know it. With candy bars.
