Expel (46 page)

“Mmm, the Colonel’s finest offerings.” I take in the popcorn-esque aroma. “I approve.”

“I thought you might.”

The table is set with tall amber goblets, the exact shade of Logan’s eyes, stiff cloth napkins with a twisted coil of metal gathering them in the center like the waist of a shapely woman, a fork and knife protruding from the top. I assume the flatware is a part of Marshall’s enchanted cutlery collection. I pull my fork free to observe whose effigy I might be dining with.

Logan.

“I like this one.” I wave it in front of him. The light glints off the silver as if Logan himself were fighting for my attention.

“Do you?” He adjusts his napkin over his lap before darting his crimson colored eyes into mine. “Do you desire him enough to follow him into death?”

“I can’t die—I mean I won’t.”

“My dear,” he leans in fracturing the peace with a look of repugnance, “if you haven’t learned by now that anything is possible—perhaps you never will.”

Chapter 80
 

Dress You Up in My Love

The Saturday morning of prom stretches out slow and lethargic like some ethereal dream in a quiet parade of glittering fog. I inspect the area outside my bedroom window for signs of Nevermore, but nary a shadow exists in our world on this fine morn. I press my hand to the glass, and a gentle aura of perspiration warms around it.

This is the day of possibilities, both fatal and life giving. Nothing like the thrill of ridding the world of Holden Kragger on prom night.

I glance back at the tiny velvet wonder Marshall has generously supplied me with. I have his assurance that as soon as the zipper hits the top I’ll be sporting Logan’s soul like a pair of painted on jeans. Just the thought of his skin over mine sounds disturbingly beautiful. I pet the soft velvet, run my fingers over the upholstery tacks that line the ridge before heading downstairs for breakfast.

A mountain of duffle bags line the entry. A long vinyl sack with duck tape adhered across the top marked
tent
spills into the hall.

If Mom and Tad are planning some ambush household retreat right smack in the middle of prom, they can forget it. Aside from executing Holden, I very much plan on spending a romantic evening with Gage. A hotel room may or may not be involved.

I head into the family room and open my mouth to say good morning, but a quick high-pitched scream sails out from my vocal cords instead.

“What’s that?” I shriek.
 

The mirror of terror has floated down from the attic and managed to plant itself successfully in the living room, complete with a thick red ribbon crossing over it like a pageant contestant.

“What the heck are you screaming bloody murder for?” Mom rushes out from the kitchen.

Chloe comes up, clad in her see-thru shirt and a pair of men’s boxers. “Looks like you’ve had a glimpse of what the rest of us have to put up with when we look at you.”

I don’t know what’s scarier, Chloe taking up residence, or the mirror of horrors mysteriously showing up in the living room.

“Isn’t it to die for?” Mom wrinkles her nose inspecting the thick ornate frame. “Tad gave it to me as a wedding gift.”

“A wedding what?” I gasp as he pops up behind me in the reflection.

“That’s right. I’ve been hunting everywhere for that perfect treasure,” he pats his hair down before stepping out of view.

“And where did you find this amazing work of art?” I already know the truth.

“Let’s just call it one of those lucky attic finds. Fixed the leaky roof above the entry, too.”

Just great. Now we’ll never be rid of it.

“So where will you keep it?” Chloe is quick to nail down the new locale of her jaunt to Gage’s arms. I’m sure she’ll be sweeping in and out of it, racking up some serious frequent flyer miles to the land where she can rut with Gage freely.

 
“I was thinking right here or out in the front hall.” Tad returns, clutching his coffee.

“I was thinking, next to my dresser.” Mom taps a finger beside her cheek. “I don’t have a single decent full-length mirror, and I’d love to have this up in the room. Besides, it has special meaning,” Mom reaches up and strokes Tad’s neck.

I suppose it’s the right place to sequester it since that will severely limit Chloe’s ability to storm in there whenever the hell she feels like it.

“So when will you be coming back from your trip?” Chloe doesn’t let up with her selfish inquisition. I bet she has a half a dozen fantasies lined up in the queue.

“Monday,” Mom beams. “We’re camping near the falls,” she nods into me. “Second honeymoon,” she mouths.

“Sounds fantastic.” Chloe drips a malevolent smile.

Chloe will be molesting Gage by midnight. There’s a good chance she’s already had more action with my boyfriend than I have from her last hallucinatory sprint. Shit, shit, shit.

“This isn’t fair,” I say just under my breath.

“What’s not fair?” Mom wraps her arm around me with curiosity.

“Oh, um…” Great. “You won’t get to see me in my prom dress. You know—take pictures.”

“Oh, but I will! I have a meeting with a client this evening. Tad and I won’t be heading out to the falls until later. You’re leaving at five, right? I’ll be around to take plenty of pictures. Although I’m still not pleased that you and Gage are in the business of doling out mercy dates.” She gives a harsh look of disapproval.

“I’m glad you’ll be here.” I’m not too thrilled with the mercy dates
she’s
been doling out either. “What kind of meeting are you having on a Saturday night?” I can probably guess who’ll be in attendance.

She shakes her head slightly, darting her eyes over to Tad.

I make my way to the calendar hanging over by the kitchen window, run my finger down the short list of Saturday’s until I hit this one. New Moon.

I turn back around to find both Mom and Chloe admiring the mirror.

Yes. I know exactly where my mother will be tonight.

***

  
Since Gage and I are faking this acrimonious leg of our relationship, he’s opted out of the limo ride, as arranged per Holden, and has already picked Brielle up in his truck.

I’ve hidden the contraption Dr. O developed to zap Holden out of existence, into a small sequined purse Mom bought me the Christmas I was twelve. It was sort of out of place in my life back then, but now it’s found its true purpose as a covert killing machine.

I pluck the navy dress off the hanger, gaze into it as if it were Logan himself. The depth and richness of the texture and hue hypnotize me into wanting to stare at it all night long. It holds the grandeur of the night sky, the rivets reflect like stars. It will barely cover my top and hardly reach my bottom, but I deeply appreciate the fact Logan will swim around my torso—touching me so brazenly—so intimately all night long.

But, it’s not fair to Gage, and, for sure I don’t think I’ll be reminding him that his cousin slash uncle is straddled securely over my hips. It’s bad enough I’m technically going to prom with Logan, the last thing I need to do is rub his face in the fact Logan gets to fondle me freely for the next seven or eight hours.

I slip into the velvet dress. The cool of the ironwork singes my skin as it shimmies over my curves.

“Here goes nothing,” I whisper.

I reach back and take the zipper up as far as my fingers will allow, missing the top by at least four inches.

Perfect.

I head into the hall and call for Mia. Melissa emerges from their bedroom instead, and I point over my shoulder.

“Can you?”

“Sure.” She lays her ice-cold hand over my arm and secures the zipper. “So how late do you think you’ll be out?”
She’s so stupid. I’ll probably have to reword the question three times before she gets it right
.

I turn around to gape at her but she drives up the zipper so hard it makes me jump.

A warm tingling feeling wraps itself around my waist. It shimmers through the dress from the top to the bottom in a continuous spiral of warm affection. “Logan. He’s here,” I whisper.

“He’s been downstairs for like half an hour.” She averts her eyes. “So, again, how late will you be out?”

“Oh, right. Midnight?” Probably more like a half past never, or quarter till afternoon, but I’ll never fess up to that one.

She crimps a tiny smile.

“You’re having a party, aren’t you?” Figures. Evidently you can’t turn your back on the tween scene for one hormonal second.

“Just a few friends. We’re watching a movie, and don’t worry—it’s not the one you starred in. Oh, and thanks for the nickname—
Loose Landon
—in the event your little sis forgot to mention all the love we’ve been fielding from our growing list of frenemies. And, don’t worry, no one will be allowed in your precious little room.”

Somehow I find this doubtful. And, technically, I’m not a Landon. Besides, they probably acquired that nickname all on their own trying to outdo one another in the boyfriend tug of war.

“OK,” I shrug. “Look,” I soften into her still absorbing the warm comfortable feeling of having Logan seeped around the circumference of my body. “I don’t know what exactly is going on between you and Mia, but it’s my suggestion that you both dump that loser Armistead kid and each get yourself a good guy of your own.
 
If anyone is calling you Loose Landon, it’s because you’re both putting out—to the same freaking guy.” That breeds disgust in acres.

She takes in a sharp breath. “I knew it!” She staggers. “She is seeing him behind my back!”

“No!” I clap my hand over my mouth in horror, but it’s too late she’s already locked herself in the bathroom. “Melissa, wait!” I pound on the door.

“I’m never coming out!” She screams.

The loud shrill whoop of a siren explodes from downstairs. I snap my purse off the dresser and head down.

“It’s you and me Logan,” I whisper holding myself at the waist as I descend the stairs.

A warm burst cycles through the dress.

I hear the words
I love you
echo through every fiber of my being.

Chapter 81

Promenade

“What the hell happened?” I scream.

Everyone is gathered outside the gaping mouth of a waiting ambulance, pulled up high on the driveway. Its red pulsating beams send a seizure of light hacking through the ever-darkening sky.

“Look at you!” Mom shouts with surprise. “Oh, Hon, you look fantastic! I don’t remember that dress.”

“I sort of accidentally stumbled upon it. Its vintage.” More so than she or I will ever know. “What’s with the show and tell?” I ask, pointing at the monument to medicine flaring for attention. No one appears to be injured—yet.

“That’s your date’s chosen mode of transportation.” Tad nods acceptingly.

“What?” I collide into Holden.

I take a breath and forget to exhale. Holden—
Logan
is gorgeous beyond belief, sublime in every way. I open my mouth to say something, and there are simply no words.

“Tonight’s your lucky night.” He holds his arms out and slips a greasy grin in my direction. “How you arrive to prom defines you,” he thrusts his hands at the waiting ambulance as if he miraculously made it appear.

“How does this define us? By saying we’re sick and feeble?”

“It says we’re better than everybody else,” Holden drops his chin. “We’re special—different. When we show up at the party, people are going to hear about it. They’re going to come out in droves just to see what the hell is going on.”

“Oh, they’re going to wonder what in the hell is going on alright,”
with you
, I want to add but don’t.

Going to prom in an ambulance is perhaps the biggest irony of all because, most likely, Holden will be leaving in one.

 
I give him a dirty look before panning the crowd. Mom and Tad, Drake, Emily, Chloe and Ethan. I take in Chloe and Emily, both adorned in a different version of a red glittering dress that makes my short accouterment look like proper attire for afternoon tea.

“Stand together so I can take pictures!” Mom bursts. She smacks Tad in the chest until he produces a camera, and she happily snaps away. “So we’ll be back Monday morning. No monkey business.” She glances down at her watch. God forbid she miss out on her own version of monkey business. I’m sure Demetri would be happy to morph into a chimp if she wanted. Oddly, he seems more than willing to oblige my mother’s slightest whim.

“This is effing insane!” Drake hops inside and starts slapping down switches and knobs alike. I feel sorry for the poor suffering soul who actually requires its services once he’s through damaging the equipment.

“I think
he’s
effing insane,” I whisper to Mom. “He should be going with Bree.”

“I think you’re insane for not going with Gage,” she’s quick to fire back. “I don’t get your relationship—one minute you’re engaged and the next you’re going to prom with your ex-boyfriend. It’s not right.”

“You know what else isn’t right?” I whisper. “The fact I know you’re going to pull a quickie with Demetri before taking off on your second honeymoon with your so-called husband.”

Her back straightens involuntarily. Everything in her freezes.

OK, perhaps waiting in line to file into an ambulance on prom night isn’t the appropriate time to bring up my mother’s infidelity but she started this war. And, it just so happens that my tongue is the most committed soldier in my self-defense army. Speaking of war, I pat my thigh just above my dress where I have a garter belt that rivals the abilities of duct tape. I tucked away the last disc Marshall gave me should the faction war decide to break out while I’m busy exterminating Holden. I feel very Russian spy at the moment, and apparently that makes me believe I can take on my mother and her roving marital eye.

I trot over to Mia while Tad helps Chloe into the garishly lit hospital wagon.

“I may have accidentally mentioned that you were seeing that Armistead kid,” I whisper.

“To Melissa?” Her face contorts in horror.

“It was an accident,” I duck an inch.

“You are such a bitch, Skyla! I
hate
you!” She stomps off towards the house in a fury.

“What was that about?” Mom comes at me, snapping off a few more group shots in the process.

“She’s sort of seeing Melissa’s boyfriend.”

“Melissa doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Tad steps in from behind.

Mom grabs a hold of my wrist and gently pulls me in. “When I get back, we’ll talk,” she nods into her whisper.

I know full well it’s in regards to Demetri.

“Right.” I step over to Holden’s waiting hand. “I’d better get going. You two kids have a great time sleeping under the stars.” I would add,
look out for rabid wolves
, but I’m not that lucky.

I hop into the stainless interior of the medicinal looking transport. There are probably a million different microorganisms crawling all over us right now. I’m betting Holden doesn’t put too much weight on things like hygiene and super bacteria that can crawl into your nostril and eat your brain, especially given the fact I’ve readily supplied him with a new body each time he’s needed one.

The truck starts down the road with an aggressive wobble.

“Skyla and I got a room at the Sunrise Motel,” Holden is quick to proclaim.

“The Sunrise Motel?” I gape. “Isn’t that a never-ending convention center for cockroaches? Where they proliferate freely while planning a hostile takeover of our people and government?”

“Nothing but the best for my angel,” he scowls into me as though I were an ungrateful bitch.

“You know,” Chloe starts in with a devious smile. Her lips painted a bright arrogant shade of crimson that bounces off her face like a warning. “I always thought you two were better suited for each other.” She gleams with delight, digging her steely gaze from me to Holden. “You both lie, you both cheat, and you would kill your own mothers to get what you really wanted.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Chloe.” I glance out the tiny back window. “I would never kill my mother.” Before the sentence can sail from my lips, I see my mother’s car take a turn toward the estates. She
is
going to see Demetri. I freaking knew it.

My heart starts to race at the prospect of what exactly they might be doing to together.

A vision of Demetri taking off my mother’s dress sears through my mind. She shakes her hair out with laughter.

Dear God.

I am going to kill my mother.

***

The siren on top of this rescue transport saws and wails all the way over to the Paragon Palms Luxury Resort that backs into the white sandy beaches on the south end of the island. This is a way nicer venue than the one we had for winter formal.

It’s killing me that Gage and I have to pretend we can’t stand one another, at least the first part of the night. Once I kill Holden and land Logan back in his body, we can resume our love fest right there at prom if we wanted. And, of course, the Sunrise Motel will have an empty roach-filled room waiting on Logan’s dime, but I might concede the offer. I’m sure whatever hotel room I end up in with Gage one day, won’t have a crime scene cutout of its last patron emblazoned on the carpet.

A crowd amasses outside the long awning of the resort, nothing but startled faces for miles as we scream our way to the entrance. I spot Ellis loosely holding some girl from East. Ellis has the slight look of alarm on his face, as he should because he’s normal, unlike Holden, whose idea of a good time consists of medical supplies and heart stopping sirens. But, lucky for me, there won’t be a single medic around to help when I stop Holden’s heart tonight.

The EMT on escort duty opens the twin doors and lets in the cool of the evening. Emily and Chloe bolt out so fast you’d think they came to their senses and realized who they were with, but in contrast to that lucid thought they wait acrimoniously outside the blinking vehicle for their respective dates, mortified as they should be.

“Shit,” I hiss for no good reason as Holden yanks me down to the asphalt.

“I gotta piss like a racehorse,” he hitches his thumb towards the facility. “I’ll catch you inside.”

“Sure,” I tug down my dress. Glad to know Logan’s bladder is still functioning, although his liver might be another issue—Holden reeks of booze.

Brielle gives a wild wave in my direction, and I head on over.

“Where’s your date?” I pan the vicinity for the sharpest man around and find no one that even comes close to the perfection that is Gage.

“Said he needed to talk to Logan,” she dips into me. “I totally know what’s going on.”

“You do?” I’m stunned Gage would trust Brielle with our delicate state of felonious affairs, especially since said state of affairs could involve manslaughter charges if I don’t execute them properly—execute
him
to be exact.

“Totally, I mean why else would you fake being with Logan? He’s been nothing but a turd the last few months. It’s because you really care about me.” She wraps her arm around my waist, and her stomach extends like a mixing bowl.

I take in the cinnamon scent of her hairspray, her arms and neck glitter under the lights from the awning.

“You’ve totally figured us out.” I still don’t know if I can trust Brielle one hundred percent, but for sure I’ll never forget that after Chloe aired that sleezy DVD, it was Brielle who peeled me off the ground in the middle of a downpour.

I tighten my embrace.
 

I’ll always love her for that.

We start making our way towards the entry, arm and arm. From the corner of my eye I see something white vanish into the woods across the street, subtle as lightning. It backtracks, stares me right in the face with its blood-soaked smile.

My heart seizes.

I pull Brielle quickly into the resort.

Looks like Holden and my mother aren’t the only ones I might have to kill tonight.