Chapter 7:
Anne and I are in the kitchen, it's Saturday night and she just put something delicious inside the oven. I was just helping her clean; since everyone knows I can't cook at all. Burning water is talent, right?
"Your mom called and she said she won't be here until Sunday night. She also wants you to call her. Have you been calling her every night before you go to sleep?" she placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head at me.
I just nodded and placed some dishes on the cabinets. I put on my innocent face and shook my head. Even though I knew it was from the school psychologist, since I've not been going to the last two sessions. See, twelve months ago I'd opened the front door to find the police on the doorstep. We have some bad news, they said. My dad's funeral was a week later. Every Monday afternoon since then, I'd shown up at my scheduled time slot with Dr. Henry, school psychologist.
"Busy tonight?"
"Maybe…" I said.
"Any boys?" she asked.
"Trust me, Anne, there are no boys in my life." Okay, maybe there were two lurking on the fringe, circling from afar, but since I didn't know either very well, and one outright frightened me, it felt safer to close my eyes and pretend they weren't there.
"This is a good thing, and a bad thing," Anne said scold ingly. She doesn't really know about my hate for guys… "You find the wrong boy, you ask for trouble. You find the right boy, you find love." Her voice softened reminiscently. "When I was a little girl, I had to choose between two boys. One was a very wicked boy. The other was my Gerald. We are happily married for forty -one years."
Jesus, that sounds like someone I know…
I was preoccupied debating whether or not I really wanted to meet Dylan tonight. At first, meeting up had seemed like a great idea. But the more I thought about it, the more doubt crept in. I'd only known Dylan a couple of days, for one. And I wasn't sure how my mom would feel about the arrangement, for another. It was getting late, and Delphic was at least a half- hour drive. More to the point, on weekends Delphic had a reputation for being wild.
The phone rang, and Nudge's number showed on the caller ID.
"Are we doing anything tonight?" she wanted to know.
I opened my mouth, weighing my answer carefully. Once I told Nudge about Dylan's offer, there was no turning back.
"Can we go out? I'm booooooooooooooooooooooooo-" she kept saying. Time to come clean, and she might kill me…
"How about Delphic Seaport? Dylan and Hunter are going. They want to meet up," I cut her off.
"Oh my gosh! You actually want to go on a date? Finally! But…You buried the lead! Vital information here, Max. I'll pick you up in fifteen." I was left listening to the dial tone. I sighed and went to go change into a black and white striped sweater that hugged my torso, black jeans and black combat boots.
I redid the ringlets on my hair with my fingers, and put on some of my mom's soft pink lip gloss and that black stuff you put on your eyelashes. I went out and found Nudge two minutes early.
"I'm going to Delphic Seaport with Nudge," I called to Anne. "If my mom calls, would you mind relaying the message?"
She waddled out of the powder room. "All the way to Delphic? This late?"
"Have fun at your conference!" I said, escaping out the door before she could protest or get my mom on the phone. I sighed in relief when she just waved back. Nudge giggled at me and told me she was excited for my first date. To keep her from talking, I cranked up the volume on Rihanna's "Disturbia." I sang along.
"You should join a band or something you have an amazing voice," complemented Nudge. I smiled at her. Mom and Anne agree.
"Thanks…maybe I will," I said.
A half hour later Nudge drove under the gates to Delphic Seaport. We were forced to park at the farthest end of the lot, due to heavy opening weekend traffic. Nestled right on the coast, Delphic is not known for its mild weather. A low wind had picked up, sweeping popcorn bags and candy wrappers around our ankles as Nudge and I walked toward the ticket counter. The trees had long since lost their leaves, and the branches loomed over us like disjointed fingers. Delphic Seaport boomed all summer long with an amusement park, masquerades, fortune telling booths, gypsy musicians, and a freak show. I could never be sure if the human deformities were real or an illusion.
"One adult, please," I told the woman at the ticket counter. She took my money and slid a wristband under the window. Then she smiled, exposing white plastic vampire teeth, smudged red with lipstick.
"Have a good time," she said in a breathless voice. "And don't forget to try our newly remodeled ride."
She tapped her side of the glass, pointing to a stack of park maps and a flier.
I grabbed one of each on my way through the revolving gates. The flier read:
DELPHIC AMUSEMENT PARK'S
NEWEST SENSATION!
THE ARCHANGEL
REMODELED AND RENOVATED!
FALL FROM GRACE ON THIS
ONE HUNDRED FOOT VERTICAL DROP.
Nudge read the flier over my shoulder. Her nails threatened to puncture the skin on my arm. "We have to do it!" she squealed.
"Yes! Let's go!" I agreed.
"Oh but later…we got some hotties to go meet," she said. Damn it…Now I regret coming here…but hey, it's for Nudge. We went to go ride a few rides and Nudge decided we should go meet up with the guys. We both walked into the arcade and I saw him.
Fang.
He glanced up from his video game. The same baseball cap he'd worn when I saw him during PE
shielded most of his face, but I was certain I saw a flicker of a smile. At first glance it appeared friendly, but then I remembered how he'd entered my thoughts, and I went cold to the bone. I scowled at him.
If I was lucky, Nudge hadn't seen him. I edged her forward through the crowd, letting Fang fall out of sight. The last thing I needed was for her to suggest we go over and strike up a conversation.
"Oh there they are!" said Nudge.
"Guys! Over here!" I said. Dylan and Hunter walked toward us, Hunter looking…not excited.
"Good evening, ladies," Dylan said, standing in front of us. "Can I buy you both a Coke?"
"Sounds good," said Vee. She was looking right at Jules. "I'll take a Diet."
Hunter muttered an excuse about needing to use the restroom and slipped back into the crowd.
Five minutes later Dylan returned with Cokes. After splitting them between us, he rubbed his hands together and surveyed the floor. "Where should we start?"
"Where's Hunter?" frowned Nudge.
"Oh, uh, he'll find us," smiled Dylan. Hmm…
"Okay…let's play…air hockey," I said, indicating towards the opposite side of the arcade. Far away from Fang.
"How about foosball?" squealed Nudge, making her way toward the table. Oh jeez…
"Hunter and me against the two of you. Losers buy pizza."
"Fair enough," said Dylan.
Foosball would have been fine, had the table not been a short distance from where Fang stood playing his game. I told myself to ignore him. If I kept my back to him, I'd hardly notice he was there. Maybe Nudge wouldn't notice him either.
"Hey, Max, isn't that Fang?" Nudge said.
"Hmm?" I said innocently.
She pointed. "Over there. That's him, isn't it?"
"I doubt it. Are Dylan and I the white team, then?"
"Fang is Max's bio partner," Nudge explained to Dylan. She winked slyly at me but made a face of innocence the moment Dylan gave her his attention. I shook my head subtly but firmly at her, transmitting a silent message— stop.
"He keeps looking this way," NUdge said in a lowered voice. She leaned across the foosball table, attempting to make her conversation with me appear private, but she whispered loud enough that Dylan had no choice but to overhear. "He's bound to wonder what you're doing here with—" She bobbed her head at Dylan.
I shut my eyes and envisioned banging my head against the wall.
"Fang has made it very clear he'd like to be more than biology partners with Max," Nudge continued, examining a nail.
"Not that anyone can blame him."
"That so?" said Dylan, eyeing me with a look that said he wasn't surprised. He'd suspected it all along. I noticed he took a step closer. I put on my tough face.
Nudge shot me a triumphant smile.
"It's not like that," I corrected. "It's—"
"Twice as bad," Nudge said. "Max suspects he's stalking her. The police are on the brink of becoming involved."
"Should we play?" I said loudly. I dropped the foosball in the center of the table. Nobody noticed.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" Dylan asked me. "I'll explain we're not looking for trouble. I'll tell him you're here with me, and if he's got a problem, he can discuss it with me."
Uh no thank you. I can take care of myself, I wanted to say, but I tried to change the topic.
"Hey where's Hunter?"
"Let me talk to Fang," said Dylan calmly. Right, okay buddy! Fang will beat the shit out this guy.
"He doesn't scare me," Dylan said, as if to disprove my thoughts.
Obviously this was something Dylan and I disagreed on.
"Bad idea," I said.
"Great idea," Nudge said. "Otherwise, Fang might get…violent. Remember last time?"
I raised my eyebrows in question.
I had no idea why Nudge was doing this, other than that she had a penchant for making everything as dramatic as possible.
"No offense, but this guy sounds like a creep," said Dylan. "Give me two minutes with him." He started to walk over.
"No!" I said, yanking on his sleeve to stop him. "He, uh, might get violent again. Let me handle this." I narrowed a look at NUdge.
"You sure?" Dylan said. "I'm more than happy to do it."
"I think it's best coming from me," I snarled, pushing up the sleeves on my arms. I walked over to the bozo. I will kill him. I started closing the distance between me and Fang, which was only the width of a few game consoles. I had no idea what I was going to say when I reached him. I'm gonna wing it.
Fang was dressed in the usual: black shirt, black jeans, and a thin silver necklace that flashed against his dark complexion. His sleeves were pushed up his forearms, and I could see his muscles working as he punched buttons. He was tall and lean and hard, and I wouldn't have been surprised if under his clothes he bore several scars, souvenirs from street fights and other reckless behavior. Not even I have that, and I get into fights all the time. Not that I wanted a look under his clothes.
When I got to Fang's console, I tapped a hand against the side of it to get his attention. In the calmest voice I could manage, I said, "Pac Man? Or is it Donkey Kong?" In truth, it looked a little more violent and military.
A slow grin spread over his face. "Baseball. Think maybe you could stand behind me and give me a few pointers?"
Firebombs erupted on the screen, and screaming bodies sailed through the air. Obviously not baseball.
"What's his name?" Fang asked, directing an almost imperceptible nod at the foosball table.
"Um it's none of your business," I said.
"And I have to keep this short. They're waiting."
"Have I seen him before?"
"He's new. Just transferred," I crossed my arms over my chest.
"First week at school and he's already made friends. Lucky guy." He slid me a look. "Could have a dark and dangerous side we know nothing about."
"Seems to be my specialty," I sighed.
I waited for him to catch my meaning, but he only said, "Up for a game?" He tilted his head toward the back of the arcade. Through the crowd I could just make out pool tables.
"Yo Max!" NUdge called out. "Get over here!"
"Can't," I told Fang.
"If I win," he said, as if he had no intention of being refused, "you'll tell that guy something came up. You'll tell him you're no longer free tonight."
I couldn't help it; he was way too arrogant. I said, "And if I win?"
His eyes skimmed me, head to toe. "I don't think we have to worry." I punched his stomach, making him laugh and I cracked a smile.
"They might think we're flirting," he whispered. I laughed slightly. Wait where did that come from? I felt like kicking myself, because that's exactly what we were doing. But it wasn't my fault—it was Patch's. In close contact with him, I experienced a confusing polarity of desires…A reckless part was tempted to see how close I could get without…combusting.
"One game of pool," he tempted.
"I'm here with someone else."
"Head toward the pool tables. I'll take care of it."
I crossed my arms, hoping to look stern and a little exasperated, but at the same time, I had to bite my lip to keep from showing a slightly more positive reaction. "What are you going to do? Fight him?"
"If it comes to that." Seriously?
I was almost sure he was joking. Almost.
"A pool table just opened up. Go claim it." I…dare…you. Again, his voice on my mind. Inside, I panicked.
I stiffened. "How did you do that?"
When he didn't immediately deny it, I felt a squeeze of panic. It was real. He knew exactly what he was doing.
"How did you do that?" I repeated.
He gave me a sly smile. "Do what?"
"Don't," I warned. "Don't pretend you're not doing it."
He leaned a shoulder against the console and gazed down at me. "Tell me what I'm supposed to be doing."
"My…thoughts."
"What about them?"
"Cut it out, Fang."
"You don't mean—talking to your mind? You know how crazy that sounds, right?"
"I'm not sure you're good for me," I said, closing my eyes.
"I could change your mind," he murmured. I shook my head and swallowed.
"Meet me at the Archangel," Fang said.
I took a step back. "No," I hissed.
I was about to beat him up, when Fang came around behind me, and a chill shimmied up my spine.
"I'll be waiting," he said into my ear.
Then he slipped out of the arcade. I groaned and shook out of my stupor. I'm gonna kill that idiot…
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