enough attention to herself that my parents tend to forget I
exist."
"Wait.
Hold up. You're a senior? I thought..."
Josh
lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Yeah. We both are." He looks at me and smiles . "Twins."
My jaw
drops slightly making Josh laugh. "Dude. My condolences."
"Dude?"
Josh's laugh comes out like a bark, which is kind of cute. I just shrug and
raise my eyebrows.
"You wanna get out of here?" Josh asks once his
laughter dies down.
"Oh,"
is all I can manage, the atmosphere suddenly awkward.
Josh's
eyes go wide. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant this party
sucks and there's this coffee bar that's open practically all night. It'd be
better than this shit." He shrugs and attempts a friendly smile.
I
exhale, relaxing. "That sounds cool, but I'm here with my friend." I
turn to look over to where Jessie has been with that guy all night. Except,
she's not there. I stand up and scan the clearing, panic rising in my chest.
There are too many people though, and I can't tell if she's still around or if
she left. It wouldn't be the first time she left me high and dry at a party.
"Looks
like she bailed," Josh says as he stands to help me look.
I know
better than to worry about her. Jessie's always taking off with some guy she
barely knows. Somehow, she always manages to be fine, but it doesn't stop me
from being terrified for her. I stand on my toes and examine every face in the
crowd. Then I see her. She's standing next to Delia and Delia is whispering in
her ear. I suddenly discover in myself a new capacity for anxiety. Fuck.
As if
they can sense me staring, both girls look up. Delia's eyes lock with mine and a slow wicked smile spreads over her face. My skin
breaks out in chills and I am dangerously close to vomiting. I sense Josh come
up close behind me, the tension rolling off his body.
Delia
sneers at me. "Evan. Going somewhere?" she
calls across the clearing, her voice beyond frigid.
Jessie
raises her eyebrows and glances between the two of us but doesn't say anything.
"Maybe,"
I reply, not breaking eye contact with Delia, even though I'm sure I'm going to
get frostbite from the icy malice in her eyes.
Delia
is the first to look away. "God, you're boring," she says finally.
Just
when I think that maybe I'm going to get away from this ordeal unscathed, Delia
starts walking toward me. Her steps are slow and deliberate; it's that same
unnatural way of moving that I noticed before. It takes all my self-control not
to step back, not because I'm scared of her, but because she's creeping me the
fuck out. I inhale slowly and concentrate on the fire nearby without taking my
eyes off her. I focus on pulling its power into myself. The flames flicker and
wane and I feel the heat swell beneath my skin. Delia pauses and clenches her
jaw. Her eyes betray a hint of fear but she continues stalking toward me.
"Stop,"
I demand, lifting my hand out in front of me. At my will I feel heat
concentrate in my palm before I send it in one pulse from my hand. The heat
swells into an invisible barrier. Delia stops, her eyes widen slightly but her
brow quickly melts into a scowl, masking her uncertainty.
"Look,
Delia. Whatever you have against me, get over it. I'm not going to engage in
some stupid, small town rivalry for best hair or whatever." I lower my
hand, but I can still feel the energy in me and around me.
"That's
pathetic," Delia scoffs. "You are pathetic. You may be a Price but
you'll never be one of us."
Suddenly
my power evaporates, leaving me feeling slightly weak. I tear my gaze from
Delia and take a look around at all the faces staring at us, waiting to see
what will happen. They're mostly drunk and confused, but some are slowly
filling with mistrust bordering on hate. She's right. I didn't know anything
about this place or anyone in it until a couple of months ago. Even now that
I'm here, I don't know anything about it or feel any connection to this place;
I don't even think I want to. I look back at
exist."
"Wait.
Hold up. You're a senior? I thought..."
Josh
lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Yeah. We both are." He looks at me and smiles . "Twins."
My jaw
drops slightly making Josh laugh. "Dude. My condolences."
"Dude?"
Josh's laugh comes out like a bark, which is kind of cute. I just shrug and
raise my eyebrows.
"You wanna get out of here?" Josh asks once his
laughter dies down.
"Oh,"
is all I can manage, the atmosphere suddenly awkward.
Josh's
eyes go wide. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant this party
sucks and there's this coffee bar that's open practically all night. It'd be
better than this shit." He shrugs and attempts a friendly smile.
I
exhale, relaxing. "That sounds cool, but I'm here with my friend." I
turn to look over to where Jessie has been with that guy all night. Except,
she's not there. I stand up and scan the clearing, panic rising in my chest.
There are too many people though, and I can't tell if she's still around or if
she left. It wouldn't be the first time she left me high and dry at a party.
"Looks
like she bailed," Josh says as he stands to help me look.
I know
better than to worry about her. Jessie's always taking off with some guy she
barely knows. Somehow, she always manages to be fine, but it doesn't stop me
from being terrified for her. I stand on my toes and examine every face in the
crowd. Then I see her. She's standing next to Delia and Delia is whispering in
her ear. I suddenly discover in myself a new capacity for anxiety. Fuck.
As if
they can sense me staring, both girls look up. Delia's eyes lock with mine and a slow wicked smile spreads over her face. My skin
breaks out in chills and I am dangerously close to vomiting. I sense Josh come
up close behind me, the tension rolling off his body.
Delia
sneers at me. "Evan. Going somewhere?" she
calls across the clearing, her voice beyond frigid.
Jessie
raises her eyebrows and glances between the two of us but doesn't say anything.
"Maybe,"
I reply, not breaking eye contact with Delia, even though I'm sure I'm going to
get frostbite from the icy malice in her eyes.
Delia
is the first to look away. "God, you're boring," she says finally.
Just
when I think that maybe I'm going to get away from this ordeal unscathed, Delia
starts walking toward me. Her steps are slow and deliberate; it's that same
unnatural way of moving that I noticed before. It takes all my self-control not
to step back, not because I'm scared of her, but because she's creeping me the
fuck out. I inhale slowly and concentrate on the fire nearby without taking my
eyes off her. I focus on pulling its power into myself. The flames flicker and
wane and I feel the heat swell beneath my skin. Delia pauses and clenches her
jaw. Her eyes betray a hint of fear but she continues stalking toward me.
"Stop,"
I demand, lifting my hand out in front of me. At my will I feel heat
concentrate in my palm before I send it in one pulse from my hand. The heat
swells into an invisible barrier. Delia stops, her eyes widen slightly but her
brow quickly melts into a scowl, masking her uncertainty.
"Look,
Delia. Whatever you have against me, get over it. I'm not going to engage in
some stupid, small town rivalry for best hair or whatever." I lower my
hand, but I can still feel the energy in me and around me.
"That's
pathetic," Delia scoffs. "You are pathetic. You may be a Price but
you'll never be one of us."
Suddenly
my power evaporates, leaving me feeling slightly weak. I tear my gaze from
Delia and take a look around at all the faces staring at us, waiting to see
what will happen. They're mostly drunk and confused, but some are slowly
filling with mistrust bordering on hate. She's right. I didn't know anything
about this place or anyone in it until a couple of months ago. Even now that
I'm here, I don't know anything about it or feel any connection to this place;
I don't even think I want to. I look back at
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