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Authors: Carrie Mac
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reddening cheek. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”
“You want another one, asshole?” Tears streamed down Nadia’s face. She raised her hand. “I can’t believe you did that!”
“I got the doors open, didn’t I?” Gryph raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
Nadia glared at him, her hand still poised, ready to slap him again.
“You sure you want to hit me again?” Whatever uncertainty and regret had softened Gryph when his friends were truly in trouble was diminished now as his face took on a familiar darkness.
“Absolutely.” Nadia brought her hand back, but Gryph grabbed her thin wrist in midair and stopped her easily.
“Don’t, Nadia.”
The other students on the train were still watching, the atmosphere taken up by Gryph and his exploits. They watched with the same slack-jawed fascination that Fawn had when she watched television. This is what Gryph liked: the limelight.
“Let me go!” Nadia tried to wrestle free, but Gryph held tight, glaring at her.
“Let her go, Gryph.” Phoenix took her other hand. “Come on, Nadia. Let’s sit down.”
After another long moment, Gryph let go. Nadia let Phoenix sit her down. Everyone on the train relaxed, shaking off the incident and resuming their usual morning routines of catching up with friends and trading homework answers. Nadia leaned her head on Phoenix’s shoulder and cried as she rubbed the red marks Gryph had left on her wrist.
“He almost died!”
“But he didn’t.” Phoenix stroked Nadia’s hair. “Saul didn’t die. He’s okay.” She glanced over her shoulder at Gryph. He and Neko sat slumped in their usual seats, talking about something, looking for all intents and purposes as if nothing had happened. “He’s okay.”
Saul was okay. But what about Gryph?
The Good Gryph had been losing out to the Bad Gryph lately. Where was the proud champion athlete? The doting brother, loving son, fiercely loyal friend? More and more lately, there was only this dark, dangerous Gryph. And God help anyone who challenged him. Piss him off in front of his peers, challenge his leadership, and suffer the consequences. Nadia knew all this. They’d spent several recent sleepover hours trying to figure out how he could go from being the Gryph who’d patiently taught them how to ski on the bunny hill to being the Gryph who could pull something like the stunt on the train. Someone who would put his friends’ lives in danger.
All of a sudden, Nadia sprang to her feet and stalked up to Gryph before Phoenix could stop her. Phoenix ran to her side and pulled her away.
“Come on, Nadia. Leave it.”
“You know what, Gryph?” Nadia shook a finger at Gryph’s smug smile. “You’re not always going to get away with shit like this.”
Gryph glanced around the train. Everyone’s attention was back on Gryph. And he was happy to play to the crowd.
“They’re fine, aren’t they?” he said, the smile having slipped just a bit to reveal a snarl below.
“Let’s go sit down, Nadia.” Phoenix widened her eyes. “Please.”
This was the worst Gryph, when he had a stage and the adrenalin in his system to strut across it, star of his own little drama.
“You do that, kids.” Gryph brought his phone up to his ear. His eyes still on Nadia, who hadn’t budged, he spoke into his cell. “You guys okay?” He nodded. “Cool. Pass the phone to Saul.”
“Let me talk to him!” Nadia lunged for the phone, but Gryph held it out of reach.
“Saul?” Gryph turned his eyes to his lap as he spoke, and his tone dropped too. “You okay?”
Saul must’ve told him he was.
“Good. Sorry, man. I didn’t think it’d be so hard to open the doors.”
The two friends talked for another minute or so, with Nadia pleading for the phone until Gryph finally handed it to her.
DISCLOSURE
When the train pulled into the school station, Phoenix waited with Nadia for Saul and Tariq to arrive while Gryph steered Neko ahead of him into the building, heading for the stairwell
“You want another one, asshole?” Tears streamed down Nadia’s face. She raised her hand. “I can’t believe you did that!”
“I got the doors open, didn’t I?” Gryph raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
Nadia glared at him, her hand still poised, ready to slap him again.
“You sure you want to hit me again?” Whatever uncertainty and regret had softened Gryph when his friends were truly in trouble was diminished now as his face took on a familiar darkness.
“Absolutely.” Nadia brought her hand back, but Gryph grabbed her thin wrist in midair and stopped her easily.
“Don’t, Nadia.”
The other students on the train were still watching, the atmosphere taken up by Gryph and his exploits. They watched with the same slack-jawed fascination that Fawn had when she watched television. This is what Gryph liked: the limelight.
“Let me go!” Nadia tried to wrestle free, but Gryph held tight, glaring at her.
“Let her go, Gryph.” Phoenix took her other hand. “Come on, Nadia. Let’s sit down.”
After another long moment, Gryph let go. Nadia let Phoenix sit her down. Everyone on the train relaxed, shaking off the incident and resuming their usual morning routines of catching up with friends and trading homework answers. Nadia leaned her head on Phoenix’s shoulder and cried as she rubbed the red marks Gryph had left on her wrist.
“He almost died!”
“But he didn’t.” Phoenix stroked Nadia’s hair. “Saul didn’t die. He’s okay.” She glanced over her shoulder at Gryph. He and Neko sat slumped in their usual seats, talking about something, looking for all intents and purposes as if nothing had happened. “He’s okay.”
Saul was okay. But what about Gryph?
The Good Gryph had been losing out to the Bad Gryph lately. Where was the proud champion athlete? The doting brother, loving son, fiercely loyal friend? More and more lately, there was only this dark, dangerous Gryph. And God help anyone who challenged him. Piss him off in front of his peers, challenge his leadership, and suffer the consequences. Nadia knew all this. They’d spent several recent sleepover hours trying to figure out how he could go from being the Gryph who’d patiently taught them how to ski on the bunny hill to being the Gryph who could pull something like the stunt on the train. Someone who would put his friends’ lives in danger.
All of a sudden, Nadia sprang to her feet and stalked up to Gryph before Phoenix could stop her. Phoenix ran to her side and pulled her away.
“Come on, Nadia. Leave it.”
“You know what, Gryph?” Nadia shook a finger at Gryph’s smug smile. “You’re not always going to get away with shit like this.”
Gryph glanced around the train. Everyone’s attention was back on Gryph. And he was happy to play to the crowd.
“They’re fine, aren’t they?” he said, the smile having slipped just a bit to reveal a snarl below.
“Let’s go sit down, Nadia.” Phoenix widened her eyes. “Please.”
This was the worst Gryph, when he had a stage and the adrenalin in his system to strut across it, star of his own little drama.
“You do that, kids.” Gryph brought his phone up to his ear. His eyes still on Nadia, who hadn’t budged, he spoke into his cell. “You guys okay?” He nodded. “Cool. Pass the phone to Saul.”
“Let me talk to him!” Nadia lunged for the phone, but Gryph held it out of reach.
“Saul?” Gryph turned his eyes to his lap as he spoke, and his tone dropped too. “You okay?”
Saul must’ve told him he was.
“Good. Sorry, man. I didn’t think it’d be so hard to open the doors.”
The two friends talked for another minute or so, with Nadia pleading for the phone until Gryph finally handed it to her.
DISCLOSURE
When the train pulled into the school station, Phoenix waited with Nadia for Saul and Tariq to arrive while Gryph steered Neko ahead of him into the building, heading for the stairwell
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