Prelude (The Rhapsody Quartet) (16 page)

I had a feeling expressing that to Marin would be met with a snort and an eye roll.

I bit into my sandwich, chewing it slowly. I took a few steadying breaths. Maybe if I knew more about magic, I could find a way to
actually
make myself invisible for the rest of my high school career. That’d be a relief.

I began to relax towards the end of the half-hour, until Marin said, “He’s looking at you, Sarah.”

I glanced up. Sure enough, Will’s eyes were locked on mine. When he saw my gaze meet his, he offered a small wave. The girls around him looked shocked and sent me poisonous looks, apparently forgetting my compulsion long enough to be jealous.

I stood up, turning away from him. I needed to get to my next class before Marin tried to lock us into the supply closet for a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. I wouldn’t put it past her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Peer Pressure

On Monday morning, as I slid into my seat in history class, Will was waiting for me. He sat to my right and leaned in, one hand hiding beneath the desk.

His eyes were such a flat brown, but the expression on his face was cheerful. “Did your laryngitis clear up yet?” he asked with humor.

I flushed. I’d been talking to Marin through all of lunch on Friday, and he’d seen it. I closed my eyes, cursing myself for not thinking the lie all the way through.

Glenn glared at him from my other side. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to talk to
you
,” he pointed out.

“Or maybe
you’re
putting words in her mouth.” Will leaned forward, producing a crimson long-stemmed rose from beneath the desk. “I want to know you, Sarah, I—” he swallowed nervously, holding the rose out. My heart was beating faster now. In a panic, I scooted my chair away from the offering. For a single second, he looked crushed at the rejection, but he pulled himself together quickly. “I really
would
love to go out with you sometime. No pressure, just… friends?”

Marin bounded next to me. “How’s tonight?!”

My face burned, my mouth opening and closing, but not making a sound. I felt like my head might explode. The last thing I needed was Marin speaking for me. I still didn’t want to talk to him, didn’t want another human to be tied to my compulsion.

I sighed. No matter what I
wanted,
I needed to speak to him, to tell him no.

I cleared my throat, staring into the desk and said carefully, “You seem very nice, Will, but I can’t. I’m busy with a lot of, um, personal issues right now. I appreciate that you think I’m someone worth knowing, but I’m really—”

He laughed, his smile bright and straight and perfect. “Okay, fine. I get it. Not today… but—” He leaned in, handing me the rose. His fingers brushed against mine, creating a little electric zap that hit me in the heart. “I’ll win you over eventually.”

Will pivoted, returning to his own assigned seat in the back.

Marin scowled. “He
likes
you, Sarah!” She hissed at me, “You seriously won’t give him a chance?”

I sighed, sinking into my seat. I didn’t want to be chided for telling him no. It was hard enough to turn Will down without being judged for it. I’d never let Marin know, of course, but his offer
had
been tempting. I spun the blossom between my fingers, a fresh pang of guilt hitting me. It didn’t matter what I wanted— by my nature, I could be nothing but trouble for Will. No human was safe from me.

Next to me, Glenn seethed. “What an arrogant bastard,” he muttered under his breath.

I leaned towards him, my eyes questioning. While Will had been persistent, tenacious even, he didn’t come across as
arrogant
.

Glenn shook his head. “He gave you a—” he gestured to the rose, “
that
!” he sputtered.

I raised a brow, confused, “Yeah? That’s pretty… well, typical.”

He frowned, his fingers curling over his lip as he stared into the floor. “But it’s— it’s a corpse!” he said, “He gave you a
corpse
, like it’s romantic.”

I glanced again at the rose. It was beautiful, just beginning to bloom. The petals were barely open. With care, the blossom would probably last.

I couldn’t relate, but through Glenn’s elf eyes, it was obviously anything
but
pretty.

I pressed my nose into the petals. Well, corpse or not, it smelled pretty good.

I turned to look at Will. He waved lightly, giving me a hopeful smile when he saw me checking on him. I nodded in response.

If I wasn’t a siren, how would I be reacting?

Probably in disbelief. If I could somehow actually accept that Will was flirting with me, it was likely I’d hesitantly agree to the date.

I regretted having to say no. There was a part of me that wanted to know him— a big part that was hard to ignore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will was still the hot topic throughout the week, but the buzz had quickly shifted from his arrival to something fresh. He was hosting a party at his house on Saturday night, and everyone who was anyone would be there.

Whitecrest High didn’t have many students, and even fewer who were deemed worthy of an invitation. As a result, anyone who received an invite acted like they’d won the lottery. Apparently, Will was issuing them himself, and the party would be limited to around fifteen people.

I was surprised, given his special attention to me, that I hadn’t received an invite by Wednesday. That afternoon it rained, so I opted to ride home with Marin and let Glenn walk alone. As we pulled out of the student parking lot, she turned to me with a wicked grin on her face.

“Guess who was just invited to the party of the century?”

I smiled. “Good for you.”

She turned her gaze to the road. “He asked me about you, first. He knows we’re friends and wanted to know if I thought you’d go if he invited you.”

I leaned against the car door, groaning. I had no desire to go to a rowdy party. I’d never been invited to one before, but I doubted there was anything I’d
enjoy
about it. The environment would only be an assault on my siren sensibilities: blaring, off-key music; drunk, hormone-fueled teens; and— worst of all— my debilitating social awkwardness.

“So what did you tell him?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“That you’d love to. But he just laughed and said he’d be surprised if you’d
love
to, but that he
might
ask you anyway. You know, just in case.” She had her blinker on to pull into her driveway, but at the last minute she passed the turn and snapped it off.

I stared at her questioningly. She shrugged. “We don’t get a lot of time without Glenn around to talk,” she said. She glanced over at me, her blue-green eyes wide and cheerful, “Have you ever had a boyfriend?” I flushed scarlet, staring down at my hands as I gripped my book bag. “That’s a big no,” she said slyly. “Well, Will likes you, he’s gorgeous, and honestly there’s no pressure whatsoever because he’s human!”

“Will thinks I’m pretty and is
compelled
because he’s human,” I muttered. “He wouldn’t even consider me if I wasn’t a siren.”

“Well, I still think you should give him a chance. You’re wound up! You need some action. Trust me, it does wonders for you when you’re dealing with extras business to just— have fun! It doesn’t
matter
when he’s human,” she pointed out.

She’d never convince me with that argument. Until a week and a half ago, I
was
human. Humans mattered. Susan and Rick mattered.

She flipped a U, and in a short time we arrived at her house.

Glenn was already waiting for me upstairs. I sighed and flopped down on the bed, pulling out my human and extra homework for the evening. My eyes drifted over to the rose. I’d placed the flower in a small bud vase on my nightstand. It was still brilliant, but the bloom had burst open further since I’d received it, and the first petal had fallen. Glenn hated it, but it seemed a shame to throw it out.

It was silly and sentimental— especially under the circumstances— but it was the first flower I’d ever received from a boy. I treasured it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will gave me my invitation during Algebra class that Friday. He’d traded seats with Joe Demarco, placing himself right next to me. I tried my best to pay attention to the lecture, but found my mind wandering.

Half-way through the period, he casually slid a note onto my desk.

I unfolded it carefully, and read:

Please come to my party tomorrow night.

If you don’t, you’re going to break my

A hastily drawn heart was scrawled after the last line.

I glanced over at him. He gave me dramatic, huge puppy dog eyes for a moment, then cracked a dazzling grin.

I smiled back, in spite of myself.

He tilted his head to one side, and raised a brow. The question was still between us.

A blush crawled up my cheeks. I wasn’t sure how to respond to him. I didn’t want to go to his party, but turning him down felt impossible, somehow. I glanced over at him again, and his brows were lifted, his expression still playful.

So I shrugged instead, and stared at my math book, hoping he’d take the hint.

“Huh… I guess I don’t get an RSVP,” he said quietly.

He sounded thoughtful, so I peeked up at him again.

He leaned closer to me, whispering, “It’s more exciting this way.” He chuckled, just a little, and turned his attention back to the lecture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You have to go!” Marin said the next day. I was sprawled across the bed on my stomach. Aldan’s books were spread out in front of me. I was attempting to study, but found it impossible with the mermaid’s intrusion.

I sighed, rolling onto my back. “I don’t want to,” I told her.

“I don’t care!” she said, folding her arms in front of her chest and frowning sharply.

Glenn pitched himself forward in his chair, glaring at her. “Sarah says she doesn’t want to go! I think—”

“
I
think it’s none of your business!” Marin hissed at him. “She’s been invited to the social event of the school year, and you’re telling her
not
to go?”

“I doubt she finds it necessary to acquire human friends to—”

“Who’s saying anything about friends?” Marin asked, tapping her foot down impatiently, “I’m talking about
distractions
! The absolute best thing that she could be doing for her mental health. She’s so straight-laced— that
can’t
be good for her tension! A party would be a chance to enjoy herself without any magical pressure, and maybe she could get some action!” She shook her head harshly, “She’s going.”

“I’m not,” Glenn said with a tight jaw.

She rolled her eyes, snorting. “Who cares?! You weren’t even
invited
.”

He bristled, squaring his shoulders up. “Do I need to remind you,
Princess
, that she
can’t
go without me? I’m her bodyguard, council assigned, here to keep her safe—”

Marin raised a brow skeptically, “Yes, because she’s so very,
very
unsafe. She’ll be in
tons
of danger at a party full of
humans
— humans who would do
literally
anything she says.” She narrowed her eyes. “Somehow, I’m not convinced, elf.”

I grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and pressed it into my face. Nothing quite like being talked about as if you weren’t in the room.

Marin snatched the fluffy cushion from my grip, tossing it carelessly away. It bounced off the wall and onto the floor near the bathroom doorway. “You’re
going
. You’re going to dress up, look adorable, and enjoy yourself, or gods help me, I’ll
make
you.”

“I really doubt that,” I muttered under my breath. I stared into her eyes. “Parties aren’t exactly my scene.”

“And how many parties have you even been to?” she asked me, her hands balled into fists against her hips.

I groaned. “Two,” I admitted. If she pressed for more details, I’d have to add that they were birthday parties... that I’d attended when I was seven and nine.

“I’m not letting your dork past ruin this— you’re not turning into a social pariah while you’re living under my roof.
You’re going
,” she said again.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Party

Marin shoved me into the little black dress that was hanging in the closet. She’d ordered me to sit so she could apply makeup to my face, but I refused. I already received too much attention. Besides, it wasn’t like I
needed
makeup these days.

For herself, she’d chosen a minidress that hugged her small body’s curves, accenting her tan skin. The dress was hot pink. She wore a matching lipstick that she applied with a pucker and a pop before dragging me into the car.

Glenn stood at the door, his arms folded over his chest. He was staring Marin down, but it was obvious he knew this battle was lost.

“Lighten up!” she told him, pinching his cheek. Glenn batted her away, but Marin just laughed, “I can take care of myself
and
Sarah. Nothing’s gonna happen.”

She turned away, gripping my wrist so tightly I thought she might leave a bruise. She pushed me into her car, before sliding into the driver’s seat and hitting the ignition.

“Where is this party, anyway?” I asked gloomily.

She kept her eyes on the road and took the first turn-off down the beach to drive along the packed sand. I cracked the window, inhaling the fresh salt air and trying to calm my nerves. It was sunset, and the orange light gave the water a surreal glow.

“Down the beach, the old Harbor Estate house. I guess it’s the Sanders’ house, now,” she said with a shrug.