The Thousand Year Curse (The Curse Books) (35 page)

"This is going to be the last big thing we do together, Ryder. Come on!" He whines and I can't object. I am basically leaving him all alone in this school. We finally fixed our friendship and I feel guilty over the whole thing.
 

"Fine. I'll wait for you after school and we can go." I give in. He beams at me and I feel good for doing this. I owe it to Junior. He has been a great friend to me my whole life. The least I can do is suck it up and be his wing woman for one more night.
 

I wait in the library during eighth period. There is nobody around, which is normal by now. Everyone who would be in the library is probably in the gym getting it all decorated or having a normal life. I find my cubicle in the back and sit down, wanting to get my homework done so I don't have to this weekend. I blast some Owl City and settle in, focusing solely on my work.
 

Half way through the period, I feel a strong presence and look up. Ollie enters the room seconds later and beelines for me. I take my headphones out and look up at him expectedly as he stops in front of me.
 

"Can I help you?" I ask him not knowing how to behave.

"I just wanted to let you know that I have a lead on your mom." He states very business like, no emotion in his voice.
 

"So soon?" I question him, acting like he does.

"Well I was thinking, Hades said look for the owl or something like that, right?"

"Um, yeah. I think I heard that." I respond, not knowing where he's going with this. I mean if he's talking to me, it must be important.
 

"The owl is the symbol of fraternity. Only one goddess uses the owl as her animal." He tells me. I wait for him to go on but he doesn't.
 

"And that is..." I say, prodding him to explain more.

"Athena." He states.
 

"Have you found her?" I ask him, my hopes raised.
 

"I haven't even started looking." He admits, my face falling in defeat.
 

"Well, that's okay." I say, trying to act optimistic. He looks at me like he is going to tell me something more and my stomach flutters wanting things to go back to normal.
 

"I'll see you around." He says, turning to leave the library. He gets to the main desk and stops to talk to Mary. I can't make out what they are talking about but I'm jealous.
 

Mary is my friend, not his. Before he leaves, he turns back and our gazes lock briefly before he drops his eyes leaving the room.

Well, that was certainly weird. At least he has an idea of who my mom is. Athena. She must be really powerful. I will have to google her later. Maybe it can give me some ideas as to who she is and where she might be.
 

The bell rings and I gather all of my books, slinging my bag over my back heading for my car. As I exit the doors, I run straight into Becca. I stumble backwards seeing her face morph into fury. She dropped a bunch of her books in the collision and her little minions rush to gather them off the floor. They're like slaves. Her gaze never leaves me, though.

"Watch where you're going, homo." She says, walking closer to where I am. She stops inches front of me and I flinch before she moves. My face gets jerked back and a warm sting creeps up my cheeks. What the hell? She slapped me?

I raise my hand to my cheek and rub it not believing that she took it that far. Of course, no teachers are around to witness. Nobody except Becca and her bitches are even here to see it. I drop my bag before lunging towards her, reaching my arms out to drag her down with me. If they can't see her hit me, they won't notice me beat her ass.
 

I can handle words. Hitting is on another level completely, crossing the line. I reach for her perfect straight blonde hair, and grab a hand full, yanking it down towards the floor. Her head falls back, her whole body dropping with her but she brings me down. We both roll on the ground. She claws at me to get me off her but I refuse to let go.

She deserves to feel pain. I keep pulling her and screaming at her. To be honest, it's all a blur. I don't remember what I say or exactly what I did. I just know that I refuse to stop. I will not let go of this bully.
 

"You stole Brent from me, you little fag." She says while her hand catches my jaw, scratching its way down. It hurts like hell but her statement catches me off guard, making me pause, pinning her to the floor.
 

"What are you talking about?" I scream out, making sure my elbow digs into her collar bone so she can't move.
 

"He wanted you, not me. And you've been paying for it ever since." She says, her eyes boring into my soul. "You untrustworthy, disloyal, slutty bitch." She finishes while attempting to get out of my grasp.
 

I honestly can't even speak. I try to focus all of my energy on keeping her down. She dis-friended me over a guy. Brent was a friend!
 

At the end of the day I would have taken her side. She didn't even give me a chance to explain. I can't believe this is why I've had no friends.
 

This revelation fuels my anger deeper and I start swinging towards her face.
 

A set of arms wrap around my stomach, pulling me away from Becca. I claw at them to get off me, swinging my arms where ever I can. "Stop! Get off!" I complain but the arms refuse to move. I keep swinging towards Becca.
 

Before I know it, I am facing the floor and the butt of some dude. He has me slung over his shoulder. I look back and Becca is standing up and straightening herself out. She looks back at me and flicks me off. She looks awful, her nose bleeding and I find pleasure in that. She deserved every second of it.
 

"I'll come back for you!" I wail to her, pointing in her direction while hanging upside down.

"You're dead!" She mouths back, both her friends flicking me off simultaneously. Some friends they are. They didn't even jump in when Becca was on the ground—like they actually give a crap. They aren't real friends. "It's not over." She mouths to me and I involuntarily shiver, knowing the truth in her words.
 

This guy keeps carrying me out towards the back lot. I am a little disoriented so I can't tell who it is. I can only see their butt. Which is nice, I might add.

"Put me down!" I shout. "I'm okay." I admit. I shut my eyes because I get a head rush as the guy plops me on the gravel. We made it outside the school by the back entrance near the courtyard. I open my eyes and see green.
 

Really? Ari has to be the one to rescue me. That's like his freaking job now.
 

He looks at me with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, Eury?" He asks, really troubled with worry. He looks me up and down, examining my body. I don't really know if I am okay. Physically I feel fine but I feel like I am about to burst out crying.
 

The adrenaline from the fight is wearing off and I can tell. I fix my shirt which was hiked up and pull my jeans up making sure everything is covered. My hair is disheveled so I throw it up into a loose bun wanting it off my face.
 

"Did she get my face?" I ask him, barely in a whisper. I'm not sure why but if I speak any louder, I will lose it completely and break down, which is now a habit in front of Ari.
 

I just got into a physical fight with Becca Roberts. What the hell is happening with my life? Thank God I am leaving this school. I don't want to come back ever again. I hate it here.
 

"Your lip is bleeding but you're okay. You're still beautiful." He tells me, swiping his finger over my lip. After he takes his hand away, I lick the spot he touched and it's coppery.
 

"You don't think I'm beautiful." I state under my breath, not really wanting him to hear.
 

"Of course I do, Eury. Are you crazy? I love you! What don't you get?" He exclaims exhaustedly, pacing around the courtyard like I've just said the most unreal thing.
 

"I love you, too." I admit shyly. This is not how I pictured the moment to be. First of all, I have a bloody, fat lip from a fight that Ari had to rescue me from. It makes sense though. Ari is always the one to rescue me. He is my knight in shining armor.
 

He grabs my shoulders and brings me in for a hug. I pull back, raising my face up to him. After a teasing moment, he leans down and meets my lips with his. I pull back instantly from the sting and pain the pressure brings me. He smiles knowing the kiss won't work and just waits for me to talk.
 

"I have to find Junior." I say to Ari, turning towards the parking lot. I don't want to run into Becca and start round two so I text Junior, telling him to meet me at the car in five minutes.

"Eury. We have to keep this a secret." Ari tells me, sadness in his voice.
 

"Why?" I ask him, not understanding why I can't be with him.

"Because, you haven't chosen." He explains. I start to object but he shushes me. "I am not asking you to choose. I don't care. I just want to be with you. But I told Ollie I wouldn't pursue you unless you chose. I have to honor that." He states.

"Why? You don't even like him." That doesn't make sense at all. Seriously what is going on in the world today? I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone.

"Because he has power over me, I would rather stay on his good side." He says. The compulsion singing thing. That time in the library. It worked on Ari. I'm so confused.
 

"Ollie said it only works on humans." I try to understand.
 

"Mostly. Compulsion is my weakness. Everyone has one." He says wistfully, clearly not liking to admit that.
 

"What is Ollie's weakness?" I ask him.

"I don't know." He confesses.

CHAPTER THIRTY

school dance

"How do I look?" Junior asks me later in the day as we dress up for the dance. He's batman and I'm cat woman. He comes out from the bathroom in his dark get up. He has on the classic batman wear—a leather jump suit with the yellow bat signal on the front with a long cape hanging down his back. He has on knee high leather boots, too.
 

We also got the half mask thing from the batman movies. It has the two peaks for ears and covers his eyes and nose. He looks pretty hot in it, I have to admit.

"Amazing. Let me go in!" I exclaim a little happier than I was earlier today. I tried backing out of the dance but I couldn't handle letting Junior down. I quickly shove myself down the leather suit and waltz out.
 

"Damn." Junior says, walking around me in a circle, inspecting me. The outfit is really cute. It also sucks in all the spots that need to be. It's a one piece with long tight pants and long sleeves. It has a zipper up the front that keeps it up.
 

Most girls would probably wear the zipper half way down but I have it all the way up holding in my boobs. I have on a pair of knee high boots and cat ears. I have a simple mask on my face, covering only my eyes. In addition to the outfit I have red hot lipstick on that hides my fat lip perfectly.
 

"You ready?" I ask him. We hop into the bat mobile aka my dented up honda.
 

I park near the front of the school before we both hop out. There's no where to hide my keys in this outfit so I put it under the wheel of my car, hoping that nobody steals it. Junior takes my hand in his as we move towards the school. We stop at the end of the long line and wait.

We arrive fashionably late, so the line is pretty long with students. We stand there in silence watching every body walk by. There are a ton of french maids and princesses. I see some fireman and policeman, too. Nobody is creative anymore. Junior and I fit in, even though our costumes are the best.

I hear Ari in front of us laughing. He is standing in line with a group of guys on the football team. Ari is dressed as Zoro, looking damn hot in black. His eyes really pop with the black mask he is wearing. He must feel me staring at him because he turns and waves over at me. Taking me off guard, I wave back smiling to myself.
 

"Who's that?" Junior questions.

"Ari." I reply back nonchalantly trying to brush it off. I have to keep it from Junior because Junior loves Ollie. He gives me a weird face but then it lights up.
 

I look where he is staring and spot Ollie. He is dressed up as a Fireman. He has on the traditional wear but his shirt is undone. His tight abs and pecks are staring out for the whole school to see.
 

Clearly they are seeing too because every girl's eyes are on him. They're asking to touch his body and to save a dance for them. Drool. They're so pathetic. I can't help the pang of jealousy that runs though me.
 

"Hey guys." Ollie says, as he walks over to stand with us. I notice Cristos and Dimitri flanking him in matching outfits. Dimitri is ketchup and Cristos is mustard.
 

For once, someone does something original and funny. Surprisingly, I want to get to know them. I feel like they know Ollie and Ari the best and I could learn a lot.