Darkest Day (28 page)

“Bite me,” Mac said.

Maddie laughed and continued on.

I stared at both of them.

With four-ish weeks left, time could not pass fast enough.

• • •

Twelve days complete. Wow. Still twenty-six days left.

No matter where I went, except within the walls of the school, I had someone hovering. First had been Josie. Then Raven. Magwa. Cleo. Robin, whose stomach made me think she’d literally eaten a beach ball. While they rotated in and out a little, it seemed they all had a plan to be there and make sure Mac and I got no more time together than Maddie and I. Less, since Maddie kept pulling me into meetings.

Mac sat with her head on her arm, on her desk, as Mr. Clark discussed the final grading for the presentations and how everyone had done a great job.

The clocked ticked in time with our teacher’s words, and I began to hum in my head along with each movement of the second hand.

Life could not get more boring.

• • •

Sixteen complete. Twenty-two incomplete.

With graduation closing in, Maddie managed to get even more time with me than Mac. We only shared two classes, anyway, but in each, we sat close enough to pass notes back and forth like fourth graders.

Her latest said, ‘I hate this’, to which I responded, ‘Me, too’. I wanted to add ‘Next time, read the contract before you sign it’, but figured I didn’t need to rub in her rash decision.

Mac held out her fingers in the aisle during our last class, waiting for me to pass the same paper we’d been handing back and forth every day. At least we had that.

Her turn.

• • •

Welcome to the weekend and day seventeen.

Two days of emptiness didn’t even seem fair. After so many days, we may have gotten more used to our enforced separation, but the gloating from Maddie made me want to pinch her lips shut. Every time she passed me, she smiled. Every time she went by Mac, she smirked. The subtle change in her expression had never been missed.

Sitting in my room, nine a.m. turned into ten and eleven to eleven thirty and eleven thirty-one.

Rolling over on my bed didn’t speed up time.

Getting food only killed five minutes.

Showering spent ten.

Flipping through channels on the television took almost fifteen only because of the huge number of options we had. I hadn’t ever watched much. Zoe had.

Rather than stare at any more useful shows, I went upstairs and stood in Zoe’s doorframe.

Dad hadn’t moved a single item in her room. I stepped in and breathed in my sister—her perfume, body lotion or whatever. I could almost believe she sat bouncing on her bed, kicking out her legs and laughing like some crazed banshee at something Dad or I did.

At her dresser, I fingered the necklace I’d given her for her fifth birthday; too small to wear around her neck, she’d hung it on one of her trees. Pictures lined her mirror. Me. Mac. Her friends. Clara, who had also died. Their other friend, too. A three-for-one accident that changed my life forever.

At her bedroom window, I stared out at the vastness of our lawn, extending down and to the pond, where I’d never taken Mac, but had fished for tadpoles with my sister. I remembered us sitting on the edge, dipping our toes in the water, making ripples go out into the middle with me trying to explain to her why those ‘lines in the water’ happened and her telling me our toes didn’t do it, the mermaids did.

She’d been open to so many fantasies back then. I could only wish I’d known so we could have shared more.

I sat on the side of her bed, the frame screeching a little with my weight.

“I miss you, too, Zoe.” I slid down to the floor and dropped my head into my hands.

• • •

Night before graduation day and only sixteen more to go …

I walked down the silent stairs and landed on the first floor, where my Dad and Josie—my latest keep-me-away-from-Mac-guard—ate dinner.

The fact that I even made it to school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday surprised me. Sunday had been terrible. My heart had hurt, and without Mac around to take me away from my own thoughts, I’d found myself in an almost constant depression.

“Good evening, Winn,” she said, coffee cup in hand. “Any plans for this evening?”

I could have called any of my other friends to bring me out of my funk, but I didn’t want to impose on them given my mental state. Dad tried to get me to do stuff with him, even offered to take me to the mountains or beach, but I wanted to be around in case anything changed.

Maddie took up most of my time at school, irritating me more and more with each passing day. Resentment took over anger, though I put some of that on Mac, too. If she had just read the stupid document first, we could have avoided the whole scenario.

“No,” I said after too long. “No plans.” I stood there, as bored and unmotivated as ever and nearly picked up the chocolate pop-tart on the counter. “Why are these here?”

The day had finally ended, dragging on and on for ages, but still passing the requisite number of hours. Though the last two were all graduation practice for Saturday, and Mac and I had spots in line not too far from each other, so we did get a chance to talk. A little.

“Why are what here?” Dad asked.

“These.” I picked up the box.

“I thought you’d like them,” Josie said.

“But I don’t eat chocolate … or much of it. And Zoe hated the fake taste.”

“Ah, well, then. Know anyone else who would enjoy a bit of the cocoa plant?” Josie sipped from the mug, a smile not hidden by the cup. “You could, perhaps, give them to …
her
?”

I stared up at her.
Is she saying what I think she’s saying?

“Or perhaps
Suze
would enjoy them,” she added.

She is. Oh, my god, she’s letting me go see Mac.
I ran for the door and my Jeep.

“Midnight, Cinderella, and no later,” Dad called from behind me.

Mac

“Where are you, Suze?”

He’d told me to get to his place by six, or he’d have to send a few not-so-nice-demons my way. I’d forced myself to comply by staying home until five—Alina’s official guardian-like shift change time. Of course, as I walked out, she said, “Lucas will be expecting you back here at midnight,” which didn’t make sense, if I had to stay at Suze’s.

I’d given up trying to understand the Council or their rules. If they wanted me one place, why send me somewhere else?

Ambling through Suze’s place, the lack of pink made me all happy again. Not only could he not keep to his own attire, the constant shift in everything in his crypt wigged me out a little. He’d transitioned to teals and blues, more my style than his. A huge wide-screen T.V. waited to be turned on. A black leather couch needed to be sat upon.

“Suze?” A peek in his makeshift bedroom found his bed made, fake windows streaming in light. I didn’t know how he let in light with a basement-like home under a cemetery.

“Okay, Suze. I’m just going to sit here like a good girl and pretend I have—”

The upstairs door opened and shut.

I moved to the kitchen table and sat, my hands clasped together. If nothing else, I could fake being that ‘good girl’.

The weight of the feet moving down the steps didn’t match Suze’s, though, nor did the pace.

Hair on the back of my neck stood up. I jumped from my seat, ensuring its silence, and shifted into vampire—at least then I could fight just about anyone even, in the enclosed space.

“Hello?”

Winn.

I shifted back to me and said, “Winn!”

With two steps, I reached the landing, and Winn descended the last of the steps, appearing in front of me with his hand outstretched. “These are for you.”

I took the Pop-Tarts box. “You brought me chocolate?”

His smiled brought out my own. “Someone suggested you … or Suze … might be hungry.”

“Someone?”

He moved closer, his hands running up my arms and to my neck. “Yeah. Someone.” His lips touched mine; they pressed; they crushed.

My arms went around him, dropping the box on the way. I jumped and wrapped my legs around his waist. He backed up to the wall, our fingers traveling over one another, our lips merging and blending, desperate for the others’ touch—at least me for him.

When we separated to breathe, we didn’t move far. No more than a millimeter of air kept our lips apart.

“We’re breaking some big rules, here, you know,” I said.

“Rules are made to be broken, right?”

“You sure you’re Winn Thomas? The one who would never—” I kissed him rather than continue—his groan a sigh at my mouth.

He nipped at my lip.

“Suze is going to be back any minute,” I said. “But … I could lock him out.”

Winn nodded against my forehead. I pulled away, raced up the stairs and ran my hand over the door, frame and the Mickey Mouse statue. It would seal, not letting anyone in until I let them, or I called for Suze.

Back down in the crypt, standing on the level surface, I stared at Winn.

“I have to be back at midnight. Dad even called me Cinderella.” He moved to me and took me in his arms again.

“I’ll take what I can get.” I arched my neck, letting him follow the line to my collarbone with his lips. “Maybe it’s a test. To see if we’d get together, or not.”

“Now you want to think logically?” His nibbles along my chin sent tingles through me.

“Not really. But I kinda screwed up before—”

Winn huffed a laugh but carried on with his exploration.

“So, if you’re willing to take it, I am,” I said.

“Are you?” His gaze met mine, intensity looming within his deep brown eyes.

He’d know what I meant.

He always did.

“Totally,” I said.

With me still in his arms, we walked toward the couch, bypassing it and stealing our way to the frame of Suze’s bedroom door. He’d said, ‘Mi casa es su casa’ on many occasions.

“Totally willing,” I said again.

26

Mac

The noise in the football stadium came not only from the huge number of students, staff and family members, but from the five-hundred or so of us graduating.

I sat two chairs away from Winn during practice, but we’d bribed the students between us to switch until we went up to be given our diplomas.

Of course, Maddie must have seen since she turned around a few times, sending daggers of irritated glares my way. I’d dropped to the pettiest level ever and stuck my tongue out at her.

“You’d make Zoe proud,” Winn said, “but seriously, every time you do that, I want a repeat of last night.”

In his blue cap and gown, with his ribbons and assortment of other academic nonsense, he couldn’t have been cuter.

Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but Winn in or out of formal dress made mine do a loopedy-loop.

“Welcome students!”

Cheers rang out as our Principal began the speech he’d started four or five times over the previous week.

“It’s been a long road, hasn’t it?”

Calls of ‘Yes’ and whistles zinged through the air.

“Then let’s get this ceremony going!”

• • •

Three too-short hours later, I stood with Alina and Suze. For obvious reasons, Lucas didn’t attend.

“I am so very, very proud of you, Mackenzie,” Alina said.

As she hugged me, I scanned the crowds, hoping I’d see my dad. “Thanks, Mom,” I said.

“Your mother would be incredibly proud, too. I’m sure she’s watching through whatever means she, as a goddess, has, and probably smiling and clapping and simply enjoying this moment.”

I nodded against her, still searching. Instead of Dad, I found Winn with Bernie and Josie, Caroline and Pete, and several other students.

Even after the whole of the last year, I still stood mostly alone. Mom watching from some unknown plane didn’t cut it. I wanted her there, or in her stead, Dad.

Maddie had a gaggle of geese around her, as I termed them in my mind since several seemed to cluck over her. Then again, that would be chickens. I snorted out a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Suze asked.

“Nothing.”

“I believe someone is looking for you.” Alina pointed behind me.

I spun, hoping to see Winn. My smile came out just as natural. “Hi,” I said.

He moved in and those big arms went around me. “Your mother would be so proud.”

“People keep saying that.” Heat seeped into my cheeks as my heart soared with happiness that he’d come. Knowing he’d outed himself, I hoped the Council wouldn’t take some unnecessary, ridiculous, or downright evil action against him. Josie had promised they wouldn’t, but I didn’t trust any of them.

“I’m proud, too, by the way. If you didn’t already know.” He let go and held me at arm’s length. “You look so much like her.” He blinked fast as if trying to beat back tears.

“We’re having a little dinner thing tonight at my house … if you want to come,” I said.

“It would be an absolute pleasure.” He held out his elbow. I slipped my arm through as both a smile and a pang combined. I’d wanted to celebrate with Winn.

At least I’d have my dad.

Winn

Our middle-of-the-road meet-up had been enough—at least on the surface. Hiding the constant need that plagued me took far more effort. Without school, I only had home or the library to pass time. I threw myself into her book again, reading between every line I could in an attempt to prepare for the trial. I even searched the library in the hopes I’d find something else, another book, something made-up even, to tell me just how it would all happen.

The weather had progressively worsened all week with tornado warnings and thunderstorms almost every day. As I lay on my bed reading my notes—again— rumbles shook the house.

Disbelief ran through me at the thought I would be a part of Maddie’s fate—and Mac’s. One accusation thrown at the other, and someone had to vet the truth.

Nahir. Me. Some third party I didn’t know.

For sixteen days, I searched, read, met with Raven, Cleo, Robin, Magwa and Nomas. Even went to see Saroya, Lucas and Felix. I wanted every bit of information they had about trials.