took a sip of my coffee and reached for the cupcake.
“It’s something the boosters and football team do together, and tomorrow I’m gonna have to volunteer us for a job.” True tugged a folded piece of paper out of the back pocket of her jeans. “I happen to be friends with the guy who’s organizing everything, so I have the list.”
She flattened the paper on the counter, and we both leaned over it. Our shoulders brushed, and my skin basically exploded. I shifted position to try to separate from her, but somehow ended up getting closer.
“Balloons, streamers, signage, cups and plates . . .” I read down the list, trying to pretend like that’s what I was thinking about. What I was really thinking about was the lock of True’s hair that was brushing the back of my hand. But then I heard a laugh across the café, a laugh that sounded a little like Darla’s. I had to get a grip. I stood up straight again and took a huge bite of cupcake.
“Design the place mats?” I asked, my mouth full of frosting.
There. Me being gross should break the mood.
“Oh yeah, apparently that’s a big thing,” True said. “Every year there’s a different school-spirit-themed design.”
“That sounds cool.” I shoved the second half of the cupcake into my mouth. “I’m in.”
“Yeah?” She fiddled with the paper. “Because it’s going to take some work. We might have to get together a couple of times to figure it out.”
My face was weirdly hot. I chewed. And chewed. And chewed some more. Then I swallowed and chugged some coffee, scalding my throat.
“Get together a couple of times?” I repeated. “Like, alone together?”
She lifted one shoulder, a little twist of a smile on her face. “Maybe.”
Damn, she was pretty. And I was not going to feel guilty for thinking it. I could have a girlfriend and be attracted to other girls. It happened all the time. The key was not doing anything about it. That was the key.
“I think I can handle that,” I said. “Place mats it is.”
“Shake on it?”
True thrust her hand across the counter. I stared at her fingers. It was a weird thing to shake on, but what the hell? I grasped her hand and tried to breathe, telling myself that I was just imagining how perfect her fingers felt inside mine.
CHAPTER EIGHT
True
“I still don’t like this,” Hephaestus said as we headed for the front door of Lake Carmody High on Tuesday morning. “They know we’re here. They’re going to come back.”
Overhead, storm clouds gathered, turning the world a murky gray. A sudden wind kicked up and someone screeched, sending my heart into overdrive. But it was just a girl chasing her lost book report up the pathway from the bus drop-off point. I lifted my hand hopefully and tried to use my powers to stop it for her, but nothing happened. My powers were still bound.
“Nothing?” Hephaestus asked.
I shook my head. “I kept trying all night. They’re just gone.”
“My mom didn’t even want me to come to school today,” a girl said to her friend as they hurried by.
“Did you hear about Mason Lange? He has a concussion!”
“What?”
“Yeah. That’s what you get for asking what the hell some stranger is doing in your school wearing a costume.”
“Omigod . . .”
Everyone was buzzing about Artemis and Apollo’s attack yesterday. The tension was almost as thick as the humidity.
“That’s the girl,” a redhead with thick glasses said, eyeing me suspiciously. “The one they were showing a picture of.”
Her boyfriend shot me a scathing look, put his arm around her protectively, and squired her away.
“Great. So glad that’s gotten around,” I said under my breath.
“It’s so chivalrous how he’s protecting her from the danger that is you, though,” Hephaestus joked. “You should at least appreciate that.”
“Fair enough.” I paused and took a deep breath. “Look, I know Artemis and Apollo are not just going to give up,” I told him, glancing
“It’s something the boosters and football team do together, and tomorrow I’m gonna have to volunteer us for a job.” True tugged a folded piece of paper out of the back pocket of her jeans. “I happen to be friends with the guy who’s organizing everything, so I have the list.”
She flattened the paper on the counter, and we both leaned over it. Our shoulders brushed, and my skin basically exploded. I shifted position to try to separate from her, but somehow ended up getting closer.
“Balloons, streamers, signage, cups and plates . . .” I read down the list, trying to pretend like that’s what I was thinking about. What I was really thinking about was the lock of True’s hair that was brushing the back of my hand. But then I heard a laugh across the café, a laugh that sounded a little like Darla’s. I had to get a grip. I stood up straight again and took a huge bite of cupcake.
“Design the place mats?” I asked, my mouth full of frosting.
There. Me being gross should break the mood.
“Oh yeah, apparently that’s a big thing,” True said. “Every year there’s a different school-spirit-themed design.”
“That sounds cool.” I shoved the second half of the cupcake into my mouth. “I’m in.”
“Yeah?” She fiddled with the paper. “Because it’s going to take some work. We might have to get together a couple of times to figure it out.”
My face was weirdly hot. I chewed. And chewed. And chewed some more. Then I swallowed and chugged some coffee, scalding my throat.
“Get together a couple of times?” I repeated. “Like, alone together?”
She lifted one shoulder, a little twist of a smile on her face. “Maybe.”
Damn, she was pretty. And I was not going to feel guilty for thinking it. I could have a girlfriend and be attracted to other girls. It happened all the time. The key was not doing anything about it. That was the key.
“I think I can handle that,” I said. “Place mats it is.”
“Shake on it?”
True thrust her hand across the counter. I stared at her fingers. It was a weird thing to shake on, but what the hell? I grasped her hand and tried to breathe, telling myself that I was just imagining how perfect her fingers felt inside mine.
CHAPTER EIGHT
True
“I still don’t like this,” Hephaestus said as we headed for the front door of Lake Carmody High on Tuesday morning. “They know we’re here. They’re going to come back.”
Overhead, storm clouds gathered, turning the world a murky gray. A sudden wind kicked up and someone screeched, sending my heart into overdrive. But it was just a girl chasing her lost book report up the pathway from the bus drop-off point. I lifted my hand hopefully and tried to use my powers to stop it for her, but nothing happened. My powers were still bound.
“Nothing?” Hephaestus asked.
I shook my head. “I kept trying all night. They’re just gone.”
“My mom didn’t even want me to come to school today,” a girl said to her friend as they hurried by.
“Did you hear about Mason Lange? He has a concussion!”
“What?”
“Yeah. That’s what you get for asking what the hell some stranger is doing in your school wearing a costume.”
“Omigod . . .”
Everyone was buzzing about Artemis and Apollo’s attack yesterday. The tension was almost as thick as the humidity.
“That’s the girl,” a redhead with thick glasses said, eyeing me suspiciously. “The one they were showing a picture of.”
Her boyfriend shot me a scathing look, put his arm around her protectively, and squired her away.
“Great. So glad that’s gotten around,” I said under my breath.
“It’s so chivalrous how he’s protecting her from the danger that is you, though,” Hephaestus joked. “You should at least appreciate that.”
“Fair enough.” I paused and took a deep breath. “Look, I know Artemis and Apollo are not just going to give up,” I told him, glancing
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