Paranormalcy (15 page)

The person Lend was calling picked up and he started talking. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. My impulse was to go to Lend's room. I always thought the Center made me claustrophobic, but now I suspected I had the opposite problem. All that time today in open spaces and outdoors made me kind of twitchy, nervous to get back inside. How lame was that?

And I still couldn't get over what Lend had said, especially about the sterilizations. “David?” I asked, walking into the kitchen.

“Yes?” He looked up from the table.

“I—I didn't know. About IPCA, I mean. The things they do.” I looked guiltily at the floor, remembering all the werewolves I had brought in. And now I had abandoned them for this safe, happy home. “I want to help, if I can.”

“I told you and Lend, I don't want you involved in this anymore.”

“No, not the killer thing. I mean, with other things. With what you're doing here.” It hit me. “The werewolves! All IPCA's werewolves were taken out of the Center! We can help them.”

“Where?” David stood.

My heart sank. “Oh. I don't know. I made a faerie get them out so they'd be safe. I have no idea where she took them. The Center is in northeastern Canada, if that helps. Maybe she just took them outside?”

“It's in
Canada
?”

“APCA wanted it here but the other countries pitched a fit. Everyone hated APCA because you guys always had the best technology. One of the conditions of forming IPCA was that the main center had to be off US ground, so they picked Canada since it was fairly neutral.” Politics. Honestly.

He frowned thoughtfully. “If they're still unsupervised,
we might have an opening. I have a few contacts I could try. They've got to be somewhere.”

“What about the ankle trackers?”

“We've been working against IPCA for a long time, Evie. I couldn't do this without a few key people on the inside. We'll figure something out.” He smiled. I felt a little better. At least I'd done something to help Charlotte. Hopefully.

But him saying he had someone on the inside made me remember Raquel. I cleared my throat, nervous. “Umm, could you maybe find out if some of my friends are okay?”

“If you mean Raquel, I've already contacted my sources and they're going to let me know where she is as soon as they find out.”

I let out a relieved breath. “Thanks!”

I went into the family room and sat down on the couch next to Lend. Not
next
next to him like I wanted to, but close. After a few minutes he closed his phone and sighed. “I'm dead. This is going to take me forever to make up. I'll be right back. I gotta go see what books I have here so I can get started.” He grabbed the shopping bags and went upstairs.

I watched him leave, jealous of his life. I'd even take real homework.

“Oh,” Arianna said, her voice flat. She had just come in the room and looked annoyed that I was there. “I was going to watch TV.” She gave me a just-try-to-stop-me look.

“Be my guest.” I didn't move, giving her a don't-think-
you-can-bully-me-bloodsucker look.

She sat down in an armchair next to the couch and pulled out a couple of remotes. After searching through a menu, she selected a show and hit play.

“No way!” I sat up. “I totally love this one.”

“You like
Easton Heights
?”

“Umm, best show ever.”

“I know, huh?” The eyes of her glamour were lit up, excited. The dead eyes underneath even looked a little animated. “I missed a couple of episodes while I was out looking for that twit,” she said, glaring at Lend as he walked in the room.

Lend sat down on the couch—closer to me than he had been before—and then noticed the show. He sighed heavily. “Great. I am kind of trying to get some—”

“Shhh!” Arianna and I said at the same time.

After catching up on all the episodes she missed, Arianna and I had a long, slightly heated discussion over who Cheyenne should end up with. She wasn't as much fun as Lish, but she certainly knew her
Easton Heights
. I wondered what Lish would think, knowing I was talking about our show with an untagged vamp. At least Lish would have my back in the argument.

“You know she belongs with Landon,” I said.

“Oh, as if! He'll never reform. She should just accept that Alex is going to make her happy.”

“You're crazy! What about the time Alex got drunk and
went to that club where he made out with Carys before he found out they were actually cousins? Yeah, that's stability.”

Lend stood. “Evie, we've got to wake up early tomorrow for school.”

“Oh, yeah, good point.” I was pretty exhausted. “We'll talk about this tomorrow,” I warned Arianna.

Lend and I walked up the stairs together. “You can have your room back,” I said.

“Don't worry about it. It's not a full moon anymore, so Stacey and Luke can share a room again. I'll take the extra one.”

“I could take the extra one.”

He shrugged, smiling. “I already put all your stuff in there—don't worry about it. We'll get you settled more permanently tomorrow.”

I really, really liked the sound of that. After getting ready for bed, I bumped into him in the hall again. “I had a great time today. Besides the whole Reth attack, I mean.”

“Me, too.” We were both quiet, and then he leaned forward, giving me a strange look. For a second I thought he was going to hug me or—holy bleep—maybe even kiss me and I got all excited. Then he just smiled and said, “Good night.”

“Oh, umm, night,” I said back, not even managing to hide my disappointment.

I was never going to get kissed, was I?

I
woke up early the next morning, relieved after a dreamless sleep and buzzing with excitement to go to a real, live high school. I took a quick shower and got ready. It was nice to be able to do my hair and makeup—it made things feel a little more normal. I chose a shirt Lend had picked out for me (pink and sparkly, how cute was that?) and was ready to go forty-five minutes before we needed to leave. Lend hadn't even woken up yet. With nothing else to do, I went downstairs to eat breakfast.

David was sitting at the table with Arianna and the two werewolves. “Oh, hey,” I said, feeling like I had intruded.
David smiled at me, and Arianna even gave me a nod. Stacey and Luke barely looked at me. I think I scared them. Awesome.

“Cereal's in the pantry—help yourself,” David said. I did, finding a bowl and spoon and then sitting at the counter to eat. I tried not to listen to their conversation, but it was a small kitchen. “If we just knew
how
it was killing them.”

“Wait, what?” I turned around to face the group. “Are you talking about the girl that's killing paranormals? I saw her.”

“You did? How does she do it?” They all looked at me, eager and intense.

“It's weird. She just sort of puts her hand on their chests and then they're dead. Afterward, there's a handprint, all shimmery and golden, but it fades. I don't think anyone else would be able to see it.”

“Can you show me exactly what she did?” David stood up. “Are you sure she didn't have a weapon of some sort?”

“Nope, nothing.”

Arianna stepped up. “Show him on me.”

It was more than a little awkward. I wasn't all that eager to put my hand on Arianna's chest—I wouldn't have been even if she weren't undead. Not my thing. Still, David was watching intently, so I shrugged. “Okay, she walked up and put her hand out like this, and then—”

The second we touched, Arianna's eyes went wide and
she started convulsing, letting out a horrible shriek.

David jumped back and I screamed, yanking my hand away in terror. What had I done? I really was like Vivian, a murderer. I watched, stunned, for the golden handprint to show up and Arianna to crumple to the ground. And a part of me, a small, terrible part, waited to know what it would feel like.

Her convulsions shifted into giggles. “Oh, I got you bad!” She was laughing so hard now she doubled over.

I leaned against the counter and gasped for breath. Trying not to cry, I shoved her shoulder, almost knocking her over. “You stupid brat! I can't believe you did that!”

David sighed. “That was in very poor taste.”

At the table, Stacey had her head buried in Luke's chest. She was bawling, and Luke looked like he wanted to rip Arianna's throat out.

“Oh, lighten up,” she said, still laughing. “That was awesome and you know it. You should have seen the look on your face. You really thought you were killing me.”

“Yeah, well, now I kind of want to.” I glared at her. I couldn't get that dumb dream out of my head. I had actually thought of Fire Girl as Vivian again.

“Hey, good morning.” Lend walked into the kitchen, stopping as he took in everyone's faces. “What did I miss?”

“Arianna's a freaking comedic genius,” I muttered, sitting back down to finish my cereal.

“Evie was showing us how this thing kills, and Arianna
decided to make it a little more dramatic,” David added drily.

“So great,” Arianna said, finally getting her laughter under control.

“Were you talking about the poem?” Lend asked. “What have you figured out?”

David shook his head. “No, you're officially banned from listening to us. Or thinking about this. Or even thinking about thinking about this, understand?”

“But I—”

“No. I mean it. You and Evie both. This is not your problem anymore.”

Lend scowled as he got some cereal and sat next to me. Honestly, I had been under so much pressure for so long that it was a relief to turn it over to the adults. I didn't want to think about faeries or crazy burning girls anymore. I, for one, would be following David's rules. It was about time I got to be sixteen.

I pushed the image of Lish's lifeless body out of my mind with a wave of guilt. This wasn't my fight. I'd done my part already.

“Are you ready?” Lend asked.

“Oh yeah.” I was so ready. Distractions, please. “Are there are a lot of paranormals at the school, too? Vamps?”

Arianna snorted. “Why on earth would a vampire go to high school?”

“Well, then I don't have to deal with you today, so
already high school's super.”

“You'd better get going,” Lend's dad said, looking at the clock.

I followed Lend out to the car, practically skipping.

 

We pulled up to a sprawling brick building and parked in a crowded lot. I jumped out of the car, waiting impatiently while Lend gathered his backpack and books.

“We'll go to the office first to check you in.” We entered through glass double doors, and a couple of perky office ladies greeted us. Lend gave them a winning smile. “I've got my absence excuse slip and I'm checking in my guest. I think my dad called?”

“Oh, yes,” said one of the ladies, a plump woman with short, curly red hair. “Been sick, sweetheart?”

“Yup. Pretty bad.” Lend handed her a paper and she looked over it, then entered something into a computer. She handed me a visitor pass, which I rather reluctantly clipped to the bottom of my shirt. Lame.

“Okay, you're all set.”

“Thanks.” I got butterflies in my stomach as we turned and walked through the door into the main hallway.

It was
amazing
. Seriously, it was incredible. The school was kind of run-down and dingy, but the kids! Teenagers, everywhere! Deliciously ordinary, completely oblivious teenagers! I had never been around so many at one time. Lend and I cut into the traffic flow and walked down the
hall, and I realized that none of them noticed us or cared. They jostled each other, shouted hellos, insulted each other in slang I'd never heard but vowed to try out. And I was there in the middle of it all.

I was normal. It was heaven.

We turned down a side hall and Lend stopped, holding his hands up dramatically. “I give you—my locker.”

It was a sickly teal, paint chipping off the corners to reveal a previous tan coat. I reached out and put my hand on the cold metal.

“So, is it everything you imagined?” he asked.

“Everything I imagined and more,” I whispered, then busted up laughing. “Seriously, this whole place—it's incredible! I can't believe you get to do this every day!”

“Funny, because most people here, myself included, really wish that we didn't have to.”

“That's because you have no idea how precious normal is. Now.” I put my hands on my hips and looked around. “According to
Easton Heights
, a fistfight over a girl should be breaking out at some point today, followed by a tear-streaked catfight in the girl's bathroom. Should I keep my eyes open? And, more important, do I join the fight, or just watch?”

Lend laughed. “Umm, yeah, probably not going to happen. We'll go to my classes, eat lunch, go to more class, and you'll realize that high school is mind-numbingly boring.”

“Not a chance,” I said, grinning. “It's already awesome.”

 

At the end of one of my best days ever, we sat in the car waiting for the line out of the parking lot to move. “So, you like the whole high school thing?” Lend asked.

“Let's see.” I frowned thoughtfully. “History is boring—already knew that. Some classes are a joke—nice surprise. Even normal people are strange—figured that one out already. No vicious creatures I needed to subdue with a Taser—always a plus. Yup, high school's pretty cool in my book.” And it was. I even got to go to art class. The teacher made me model in front of the whole class for life drawing, which was almost scarier than facing that room full of vamps. At least I knew what the vamps were thinking.

We pulled out of the parking lot and I saw a sign on the corner advising students to buy their prom packages. “You guys haven't had your prom yet?”

“Oh. No, I guess not.” Lend fidgeted in his seat and was quiet.

Oh, crap—he probably thought I was hinting that I wanted him to ask me, and now he felt awkward because he didn't want to. We made it halfway home in perfect silence, our awesome day ruined. Brilliant move, Evie.

“So,” he said, finally speaking up. “Do you—I mean, it's kind of lame, but do you want to go to the prom? With me?”

“Seriously?”

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road. “You
don't have to, I just thought maybe you'd—”

“Yes! I'd love to! Absolutely! I mean, it'd be kind of fun, right?” I could have melted ice, my smile was so bright. Lend's face broke into a smile, too, which made me realize how nervous he had looked before. No wonder he'd been so quiet!

“Cool. It'll be fun.”

The afternoon passed quickly. Every time I thought about the prom, a sort of giddy sense of unreality descended on me. Surely this couldn't be my life. It was too amazing. I was going to the prom—my prom—with Lend.