Daemons in the Mist (The Marked Ones Trilogy: Book One) (8 page)

12

Solid Reminder

Saturday, January 14th

NUALLA

T
he past two days had completely drained me, so much so that lying in the middle of my floor and staring at the blank ceiling seemed like a perfectly logical way to spend the rest of Saturday night. My life wasn’t dull by any means, but it also wasn’t normally
this
chaotic either.

My relationship with Patrick had gone from zero to sixty in no time flat, but it wasn’t exactly
his
fault.
I
was the one who had dragged him to Vegas.
I
was the one who had gotten him wasted at the club. And
I
was the one who had brought up the stupid marriage thing. To be perfectly honest, I had been basically ruining this boy’s life for the last forty-eight hours.

Gods, I was a terrible person. And soon I was going to have to tell him
everything
. The truth about what I really was. The fact that he might die. The fact that very shortly he would no longer even be human…if he was lucky.

Nikki came in and sat on the edge of my bed. She fidgeted for a while before finally asking, “Nualla, what are you going to do about Patrick?”

“The only thing I
can
do Nikki, stay married to him and tell him the damn truth. Oh, and hope he doesn’t run screaming when I do.”

“Are you going to call him tomorrow?”

“
How
, Nikki? It’s not like I’ve got his phone number.”
Geez that sounded bad.

“Oh…right.”

“I said I was going to meet him at school Monday,” I said, still staring up at the ceiling.

“
Are
you?”

“Of
course
I am, and since everyone will be staring anyways I might as well make a show of it,” I answered, smiling to myself.

“What exactly are you planning on doing?” Nikki asked suspiciously.

“Oh I don’t know, walking up and kissing him in front of everyone sounds like it would be a
grea
t idea.”

“You’re going to give that boy a heart attack.”

“Naw he’s probably over the shock by now. But his friends, on the other hand…” I said as I turned to grin mischievously at her.

“Oh, you’re
evil
.”

“Whatever do you mean?” I said, feigning innocence. The response I got back was a pillow in the face.

PATRICK

T
hough Nualla had told me to go home, I didn’t—well not right away at least. Why? Because I knew what I would find there.
Nothing
. No welcoming hugs or even a stern faced, “Where the hell have you been all weekend?” My parents were always away on business.

Always.

Last summer I had tried to see how many days I could go without coming home just to see how long it would take before someone noticed. After two weeks I finally gave up. So mostly it was like living alone. Most teenagers would have loved it. I, on the other hand, hated it. I had thought about getting a pet for company, but my mother was allergic. Not that she was ever home enough for it to matter, of course.

I passed on the taxi and rode BART back into the city. I really needed the time to clear my head before I returned to the real world. So I wandered the streets until I finally decided to get myself some dinner and trudged home.

I opened the door to silence. I had a few missed calls from Connor, but I didn’t feel like talking to him. He could just watch Saturday night anime by himself. There were no missed calls from my parents, but there was no big surprise there.

I ate my dinner half-heartedly at the table before trudging up the stairs to my room. Kicking off my scuffed black All Stars I flopped on my bed and rolled over onto my back. With a sigh I opened my phone’s picture album and looked at the pictures again. Just to torture myself, really. These pictures were the only thing that proved that this weekend had not been a figment of my imagination. Well that, and the ring on my finger.

Looking at the ring, I decided I probably couldn’t wear it to school, but I also didn’t want to
not
wear it. After a lot of wrestling with myself, I opted to wear it under my shirt on a chain. It was probably silly, but I liked the idea of having a solid reminder that what I had gone through in the last week had been real.

I flopped back on the bed and flipped through the weekend’s pictures until I passed out. And dreamed of nothing.

13

Reality Check

Monday, January 16th

PATRICK

B
y Monday morning I had convinced myself it had all been a dream. Even the ring under my shirt was not enough to convince me anymore. I had spent most of Sunday sitting at the computer waiting for Nualla to do something,
anything
. Change her profile status, add a few innocent pictures of us, hell, even just send me a little message.

I was pacing in front of the steps of the parking lot entrance to the school by the time Connor showed up.

“Hey man, how was your weekend?” he asked, punching me good-naturedly in the shoulder.

What I wanted to say was, “Great! Went to Vegas, married the girl of my dreams, can’t really complain.” What I actually said was, “Did something really stupid that I will hopefully never live to regret.”

“
Really
? What?” Connor asked, unable to conceal his interest.

The girls showed up before I could think up a reply. “Tell you later,” I said out of the corner of my mouth.

“Hey Connor,
Patrick
.” Jenny’s tone sounded slightly irritated when she said my name. I couldn’t think of why though. “How was your weekend?”

“Mine was boring as hell, but Patrick’s was apparently interesting,” Connor answered as he smiled conspiratorially at me. I silently vowed to beat the crap out of him later for saying anything.

“Really? What did you do, Patrick?” Sara asked as she slid her thumbs down the straps of her backpack.

I just stared at them blankly as I racked my brain for something I could say that wouldn’t get me in trouble. I was so busy trying to think of what to say in fact, that I didn’t notice Nualla’s approach until she was only a few feet away. “Hi Nualla, how was your—” was all that I was able to say before she slid her hand around my neck and pulled my lips to hers.

Her kiss made our previous one look like a peck on the cheek and hinted at things I couldn’t quite remember from Friday night. It was definitely not the type of kiss one did in front of a crap ton of people at school that’s for sure.

Eventually, Nualla pulled away slightly and smiled up at me. “Did you miss me?” I just stared at her dumbly, trying to regain my composure—or
any
brain function really. She reached up and brushed a piece of hair away from my eyes. “Care to walk with me to my locker?”

“Sure…” I answered unsteadily.

With a smile, Nualla slid her arm through mine and started walking toward the building. I didn’t even resist; just let her pull me gently forward. I turned back around to see my stunned friends gaping at me, along with half the school. Today was becoming a very interesting day, and I hadn’t even made it into the building yet.

By the time we got to her locker, I had mostly gotten over the shock of her sudden display of affection in front of the school. Hell, who was I kidding—I was
still
completely stunned.

Nualla opened her locker, and I leaned against the one next to it.  She placed her coat inside as she looked at my hand. “Where’s your ring?”

“Here,” I answered, placing my hand over my royal-blue tie that poked out just above my black sweater vest and hid the lump of the ring completely.

She smiled up at me conspiratorially. “Mine too.” I looked down and saw that she now had two chains around her neck; one holding the pendant she always wore and the other disappearing under the edge of her uniform.

I had no idea what to say after that. I had been going over what I would say to her in my head, but what she had done back there in front of everyone had blown it all out of the water. So I just stood there silently watching her, trying to look as if I belonged there beside her, but probably failing miserably at it.

Nualla looked up at me with a suspicious smile. “What?”

“I’m just not sure what to say or where we stand. I see that you want to keep, well what happened this past weekend secret. I’m just wondering what I should say when people ask, because they
are
going to ask,” I said as I ran my hand nervously through my hair.

“You should tell them we’re dating,” Nualla said as if it had been the logical answer all along. I had waited years to hear those words, had imagined what they would sound like, but to actually
hear
them coming out of her mouth was another thing entirely.

I swallowed hard; best not to look too excited in front of her, she might change her mind and decide I was crazy. So instead I asked, “So who asked whom?”

“I believe it was you who asked me,” she answered with a playful crooked smile.

“That’s right, because you said you would only tell me your secrets if I married you.”

“You remembered that?” she asked sheepishly. “Look, Patrick, I—”

“You know, you really don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” I said, avoiding her gaze.

“I’ll tell you, just not
here
, okay?” she said, looking around the halls.

“Oh, right,” I said, looking around the halls as well. Everyone who passed us was doing a double take or just outright staring. “Because we’re in the middle of a hall.”

“
Exactly
.”

“But you
will
tell me, right?” I asked, meeting her eyes again.

“A promise is a promise,” she answered with a slight grimace.

“What the hell was
that
about?” Connor asked as he dropped into the desk next to mine in first period Trig.

“What?” I said, playing dumb. I knew exactly what he was asking about, but it was worth a try.

“You know what I’m talking about; that stuff that went down in front of the school like fifteen minutes ago,” Connor said, leaning in and looking at me expectantly. I was acutely aware that everyone
else
near us had also leaned in to hear my answer as well.

“Oh,
that
. I’m going out with Nualla now,” I answered, trying to look nonchalant, as if this was common knowledge and not that big a deal, but I think I was failing at it.

“Since
when
?!” Connor practically shouted.

I looked up to see Nikki walk into the room chatting with another girl, I think named Natalie. When Nikki saw me she smiled and waved before going back to her conversation. “Since Saturday,” I answered, looking back at Connor.

Connor just continued to look at me one eyebrow raised. “So what she just called you up on Saturday and asked you go out with her?”

“It was more like Friday actually, I ran into her at the mall, and she asked me to come hang out with them.” I was skirting the truth as much as I could without flat-out lying.

“So she asked you out then?”

“No actually I think I asked her—”
to marry me that is. Oh, and by the way, she totally said yes.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?” Connor asked, looking at me suspiciously. I couldn’t really blame him; this was totally out of character for me.

“Connor really, it’s me it’s just—”
A new better me. One that good things actually happen to.
How the hell was I supposed to end that sentence?

Fortunately I didn’t have to, because Mr. Savenrue came through the classroom door. “Okay class, settle down,” he said right on cue.

Everyone took their seats, and he asked us to send him our homework. Connor continued to eye me suspiciously for a few more minutes before giving up and staring blankly at the smart board.

The next two periods went by in a similar fashion, people stared and whispered, and I tried like hell to pretend I didn’t notice. It was like I had grown horns or a third eye or something. I mean
sure
, Nualla was the most gorgeous girl in school, but really it wasn’t as if I was a total loser.

Never mind, scratch that, they totally had a right to stare. If I couldn’t even justify this to myself, how was I going to justify it to others without making both of us seem outright nuts.

When I entered the atrium I knew this was probably going to be the longest lunch hour of my life. There was the briefest of silences the second I stepped out of the hall before everyone broke into hushed chatter. Pretending I didn’t notice they were talking about me was getting harder and harder to accomplish. Maybe my friends wouldn’t
also
make me feel like some awful social experiment.

“Hey guys,” I said with an uneasy smile.

Jenny stood abruptly, gripping her tray so hard I thought she might crack it. “So I guess you’ll want to go sit with
them
from now on, huh?” she said with a huff as she stomped away.

I looked at Connor as I set down my tray. “What was
that
all about?” He just shrugged and went back to eating his lunch.

“She wanted you to ask her to the dance.
And
she’s had a crush on you since freshman year,” Beatrice said without looking up. How she could follow our conversation and read a book at the same time was beyond me.

Then I processed what she had said. “You’ve known this the whole time, and you never bothered to
tell
me!” I just couldn’t believe it.

Beatrice put down her book and turned, brown eyes flashing with irritation beneath her glasses. “Patrick, it is not my job to—” She stopped talking; something over my shoulder had caught her attention. “
Hello
cute boy!”

“Down tiger,” Connor said under his breath.

I turned around to find Nualla, Nikki, and Shawn standing behind me.

“Um,
thanks
,” Shawn said with a quirky smile at Beatrice, which turned into a grimace a moment later. My guess, Nikki stepped on his foot.

Nualla looked at her friends then turned back to smile broadly at us. “Do you guys mind if we sit with you?”

“Not at all,” Connor volunteered enthusiastically.

Nualla slid down onto the bench beside me, and my heart started to pick up pace. She had already made a show of us being a couple, but I somehow hadn’t expected her to ever sit with us at lunch. Neither apparently, had any of the
other
students, who were now openly staring at us.

Connor reached his hand across the table to Nualla. “Hi I’m Connor, Patrick’s best friend, and this is Sara,” he said as he smiled at her. “And Beatrice,” he continued, gesturing with his head to Beatrice who had put her book down for once.

Nualla shook his hand and smiled. “This is Nikki, my cousin, and Shawn. I’m Nualla.”

“So…are you
really
Patrick’s girlfriend, or has he been playing fast and loose with the truth?” Connor asked Nualla while he smirked at me.

I have the best friends, don’t I?

Nualla smiled and leaned even closer to me. “Yep it’s completely true.”

“How about
you
cutie, seeing anyone?” Beatrice asked Shawn as she leaned across the table.

“Um,” Shawn answered, looking at Nikki uncertainly.

Nikki shot Beatrice a scowl and the phrase, “if looks could kill,” came to mind.

Shawn was saved from answering because Jenny came stomping back to the table. Only Nualla and I had noticed her approach since Connor had his back to her, and Nikki was still staring daggers at Beatrice, who was still ogling Shawn.

“I forgot my bag, but since
you’re
here I have something to say.” Jenny glared at Nualla and continued. “If I find out
this
is just some sick joke and you’re just going to dump him in a week after you’ve had your ‘fun,’ I’ll kick your ass,” Jenny threatened. “He doesn’t belong with someone like
you
.”

We all just sat there for a moment, mouths open. None of us could believe that those words had
actually
come out of Jenny’s mouth.

“What do you mean ‘someone like me’?” Nualla asked with narrowed eyes.

Jenny folded her arms across her chest; though she was tall, her red pigtails and the spray of freckles across her cheeks made her look far from intimidating. “Yeah, popular girls like
you
. You use boys and then dump them after the thrill is over.”

At this Nualla stood and folded her arms as well. “I don’t know what your problem is—whatever your name is.”

“It’s Jenny, Jennifer Bowen.
I
have been Patrick’s friend for over three years, and if you knew even a lick about him you’d know that.”

“So you’re accusing me of this because I don’t know your name and because you think I’m
popular
?”

“No, it’s because every boyfriend you’ve ever had you’ve only dated for a week!”

“Nualla’s only had one boyfriend,” Nikki said, looking even more confused than the rest of us.

Jenny turned on Nikki. “
Bull
! She’s had a date to every school dance for the last three years.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never
dated
any of them,” Nualla spat back.

“It’s not a crime to ask someone to a dance, you know,” Shawn said in Nualla’s defense.

“Have you even
asked
any of them if they thought we were dating in the first place?” Nualla asked angrily, gesturing toward the students in the atrium.

“I don’t
need
to, you asked Patrick to the dance and now you’re dating him. That’s enough proof right there.”

That didn’t even make logical sense. Jenny normally made perfect sense. She had either completely convinced herself that what she was saying was right, or she lost control of all rational thought when she was angry. Or both.

“I didn’t
ask
Patrick, he asked
me
,” Nualla said, glaring at Jenny.

Jenny’s argument folded in on itself, and she turned to me. “You asked
her
out?” she blurted out incredulously.