Something True (19 page)

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Orion

Josh and I were completely silent as we watched Wallace Bracken break from a lip-lock with my girlfriend and take off for his house. The stereo inside my car blasted an annoyingly bass-heavy dance tune, and I reached up to click it off. The tux I’d rented for homecoming was hooked by its hanger from my headrest, hanging down behind my seat in its black plastic bag.

Wallace closed the door of his house. Eventually, after touching her lips with her fingertips and smiling, Darla went back inside too. She never saw us. My car was just behind the hedge down the hill from her house, so unless she’d turned to look right in our direction, she never would have.

“Dude,” Josh said finally. “I’m sorry.”

My hands gripped the steering wheel, wringing it like I should have been wringing Wallace’s neck. You don’t just kiss another guy’s girl. You don’t do that.

But then the white-hot flash of anger passed. My hands fell to my lap, and I realized . . . I felt nothing. Slightly betrayed, maybe, because I thought Darla really liked me, but I wasn’t heartbroken. I didn’t feel crushed.

“You all right?” Josh asked.

“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“You gonna go talk to her?”

I glanced up at Darla’s brick-faced house with its many windows and huge front porch, wishing I knew what she was thinking. It was just a kiss, and I knew as well as anyone how easily a kiss could happen without too much pre-thinking it, and it wasn’t until afterward that you realized how much it could affect everyone around you. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it had just happened. If that was the case, I could let it go. She’d already let me have one slipup—not that she knew that she had—but that meant I owed her one.

“Nah. Not tonight,” I said.

Maybe she did like Wallace, or maybe she didn’t. Who knew? But I didn’t have to find out right this second. Tomorrow I’d ask her what was up. I’d find out what she wanted. Right now, I needed some time to think about what I was going to say.

I put the car in first, and quietly drove away.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

True

I was playing Bach’s Prelude in C Major at the piano in Wallace’s beautifully appointed foyer with its incredible acoustics, when he burst in through the front door. I had come over for dinner after he told me he was going to be meeting up with Darla, just to give him a last-minute pep talk.

“We kissed!” he shouted. His eyes were about to burst from his skull. “We actually kissed!”

Wow. It looked like my pep talk had worked. I got up from the piano bench as Wallace crossed toward me. He shoved his hair back, brought his fists to his mouth, turned in a circle. It was like he had no control of his body.

“Wallace, that’s great!” I cheered, my heart as light as air. “Tell me everything.”

“I told her,” he said. “I told her how incredible I thought she was. And then I almost kissed her, but then I chickened out, and then
she
kissed
me
!”

Oh my Gods. Oh my
Gods!
Darla had kissed him. There simply couldn’t have been a better outcome. Her feelings for him were confirmed. I felt like crowing my victory from the rooftops.

“I’m so happy for you, Wallace,” I said.

And then, suddenly, his face fell. “Yeah, well. She still has a boyfriend.”

“True.” I nodded, a mischievous glint in my eyes. “But things change.”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Darla

My throat was so tight I could barely swallow. There were way too many people in the bleachers. I mean, really? That many people went to this school? And why did it seem like every one of the teachers who stood along the three non-bleacher walls of the gym was looking at me? Like maybe they couldn’t believe I was really up there. I wiped my palms on my jeans as Josh sat down to rabid, psychotic applause from his teammates and the rest of the school. Veronica got up to make her speech, leaving a cloud of heavy perfume behind her.

“You okay?” Orion whispered to me.

The left side of my face suddenly felt a lot hotter than the right, as if his eyes were boring through my skin or something. Could he tell I’d kissed someone else? Did he know that was why I’d avoided him this morning? That I was planning on breaking up with him when this was done? I turned my iPad, where my speech was stored, over and over in my lap.

“Yeah. Fine.”

“In conclusion, I believe I would make a fantastic homecoming queen and represent our school to the world,” Veronica said.

What the hell did that even mean?

“When this is over, I think we should talk,” Orion said.

Veronica’s speech was over. Everyone was clapping. Which meant . . .

“Thank you, Miss Vine,” Principal Peterson said. “And now, Darla Shayne.”

“Yeah, okay,” I told Orion.

I walked past Veronica, who was on her way back to her chair in her chic blue shirtdress and high-heeled boots. I was wearing my favorite jeans, flat riding boots, and a white V-neck sweater. My hair was up in a high ponytail and I wore stud earrings, but the diamond D still glittered around my neck. I felt comfortable. I felt like me. Which was what I was going to need if I was going to get through this.

My head swam as I stepped up to the microphone. The lights above the bleachers were trained right at my eyes. I opened my iPad and glanced at Wallace, who sat in the front row of the junior section. He was completely still, leaning forward over his knees with his hands laced together. There was something very confident about his posture, which I took as a good sign.

I cleared my throat and looked down at the words I’d typed up last night after Wallace had gone. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this, but I’d made my decision. It was go time.

I kick ass on my own.

“Hi everyone, I’m Darla Shayne.” My voice blasted back at me through the speakers, and I tried not to wince. “And I don’t want to be elected homecoming queen.”

There was a wave of uncomfortable laughter. Wallace sat up straight.

“I don’t want to be elected homecoming queen because none of you really knows who I am, so your vote would be cast for someone who doesn’t really exist,” I continued, holding on to the sides of the podium to try to keep myself from shaking. “You probably think I’m the ditzy girl who dresses like her cooler best friend and landed the hot new guy, and maybe I sort of am that person, but that’s not all I am.”

I glanced over at Veronica and Orion. He looked stunned. She looked like she just swallowed her gum.

“I’m also a girl whose parents kind of suck, who spends half her time alone at her house watching Real Housewives and eating way too much ice cream.”

That got a bigger laugh, which made me smile. I was doing this. I was really doing it. And it was working.

“I’m a girl who got a job at a boutique downtown because I love helping people find clothes that make them feel good, but also because I just wanted to get out of my big, empty, boring house.”

I took a deep breath, knowing that for whatever reason, the next part was going to be hard to say, even though I knew how wrong it was that it was going to be hard to say. Because if you’re a straight A student, why not tell the world? If you’re going to graduate near the top of the class, why not own it? I took a breath.

“I’m smart,” I said, and paused. “Even though I sometimes pretend I’m not. I’m great at math and science, and I especially love my calc class. I like to talk to people and I also really like to help people so, actually, if you ever need help in math or science, let me know.”

More laughs. Wallace was grinning from ear to ear. Even True Olympia, who sat next to him, looked impressed.

“And, as it turns out, as of like a week ago, I’m also really into football.”

The football team, clumped in the middle of the bleachers, went wild, along with the cheerleaders and the half of the school that cared about sports.

“The thing is, I’m still learning about myself,” I continued. “So if I’m going to promise you anything, it’s that whether or not I’m elected homecoming queen, I’m not going to pretend to be anything I’m not anymore. Thank you.”

As I walked back to my seat, the volume of the applause nearly knocked me over. Even the teachers, who had mostly done nothing but give a respectful two-clap acknowledgment to the other speeches, were full-on applauding. I sat down in my chair between Orion and Veronica, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.

“That was awesome,” Orion said. “You totally nailed that. I’ll be shocked if you don’t win.”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling overwhelmed.

“Next up, we have Orion Floros.”

Slowly Orion rose to his feet. He looked so broad and strong walking over to the podium, and it occurred to me that even though we’d been trying to act like we were in this together, I had no clue what he was going to say. I hadn’t told him about my speech, and he hadn’t told me about his.

Orion leaned toward the microphone, looked over at me, and smiled that killer smile that had floored me from day one.

“I think you guys should vote for Darla Shayne.”

Then he sat down again, and the crowd went nuts. Stunned, I felt suddenly like I was choking on emotion. I couldn’t believe he’d just done that for me. When just last night I’d been kissing another guy. How could I break up with him now?

My eyes searched the crowd and found Wallace again. He stared back at me, his expression unreadable. For some reason, that unreadable expression opened me up. It gave me the ability to breathe again.

I turned to look at Orion. “That was amazing,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Well, I know how much this thing means to you,” he said.

I swallowed hard. There was that comment again. Like homecoming was all that mattered to me. And maybe it had been, for a while. For forever. But it wasn’t anymore. I was grateful to him for what he’d just done, but it didn’t change anything. Not really.

“Orion, you were right, what you said before,” I told him as Claudia took the microphone. “After this assembly, we really need to talk.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

True

I was filling a to-go box with cupcakes for a middle-aged couple on Thursday night, when the door opened and Orion walked in. He was wearing a leather jacket over a white sweater, his hair freshly washed and still wet around the ears. I glanced past him at Artemis, who had taken up her vigil at the table near the window again. She followed his progress with suspicious eyes.

“Hey,” Orion said as I handed the couple their cupcakes. “I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?” I jammed the buttons on the register with a trembling finger.

“I’ll wait,” Orion said with a knowing, flirtatious smile.

I was fairly certain that Apollo hadn’t told Artemis he’d threatened Orion’s life. She would have killed him for it. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t go back to wherever the two of them were holed up and tell him I was talking to Orion. And if she did, my love was as good as dead. I looked at my customers.

“That’ll be ten fifty.”

The man handed me twelve dollars. “Keep the change.”

“Thank you!” I made change, dropped the extra in our tip jar, then slammed the drawer loudly and looked at Orion. I tried to keep my expression as cool as humanly possible.

“Darla and I broke up,” he said. “After the assembly. I just . . . thought you should know.”

Instantly Artemis was forgotten. The relief that filled me flooded out everything else. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” he said with a laugh.

I knew this was a possibility, of course, but I could hardly believe it. It was over. The torture of seeing him with her every day was over. The wondering what they were doing when they were alone. The horrible turns of my imagination every time they drove off together or snuck into the back corner of the library together. But why was he telling me this? Did this mean he wanted to be with me? That my dream was finally, finally coming true?

Over Orion’s shoulder, Artemis shifted to the edge of her bench. Her teeth were clenched, as if priming for a fight. I took a step back and hit the rear counter with my butt.

“Okay,” I said.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say? Okay?” Orion asked.

“I’m very sorry it didn’t work out with Darla, but I already told you . . . I’ve moved on.” I raised my voice so Artemis could hear. “I told you it was over.”

Orion’s confidence sagged. “I know, but I figured—”

“Whatever you figured, you figured wrong,” I snapped, hating every minute of this. The tears I held back were so hot I began to choke on them. “This is never going to happen, Orion. Get used to it.”

I walked into the back room, leaving Orion stunned behind me. As soon as I got to the break room, I pressed my hands into the wall, letting the bumps in the bricks cut into my palms. I breathed in and out, in and out, telling myself it was okay. That everything was going to be fine.

Darla and Wallace had kissed. They were going to declare their love for each other soon. I was sure of it.

And once they did, Orion would be free to make his choice. He would be free to choose me.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Orion

Nothing felt real. I walked through my day on Friday like a zombie. Everyone else was hyped up for the pep rally ninth period, for the homecoming game that night, for the dance tomorrow, but the excitement couldn’t touch me. It was like everything was happening around me and I was inside a bubble in the middle of it, just rolling along.

Darla had broken up with me, and True had completely ditched me. And to top it all off, last night I’d had the worst night’s sleep imaginable. I kept falling into these horrifying, vivid dreams about wars and famines and genocides, as if I was actually there. Every time I woke up in a panicked sweat, I figured that had to be it—it had to be the last one—but then I’d fall back to sleep again and something even worse would play out inside my mind. The whole thing was so effed up that by four a.m. I’d decided I was done. I’d gone down to the kitchen and started chugging coffee so that I wouldn’t pass out again.

Now that decision was coming back to haunt me. As I shuffled toward my car after school with happy, cheering, borderline-crazy kids streaming past me, I was crashing so hard I could barely see straight. I needed to get home and nap or there was no way I was going to be able to play tonight.

I clicked the button to unlock the doors and dropped the keys on my foot. They bounced off and landed two feet under the car.

“Crap.”

I hit my knees and strained my shoulder to grab them. When I looked up again, a shadow had crossed over the sun. I froze when I saw who it was.

“Hello, Orion.”

Her cool voice sent a chill right through me. It was that girl again—the one from True’s old gang or whatever it was. She was looking at me like I was a steak and she was a starving tiger.

“Where the hell did you come from?” I asked, backing up a step. “Where’s your sidekick?”

“He’s not here,” she said. “I came alone. I just couldn’t stay away anymore.”

“Why? What do you want with me?” I glanced past her toward the school, hoping one of the security guards would spot us. “If you think you can get through me to True, you can’t. We’re not even friends,” I said bitterly.

“I don’t care about her.” She took a step closer to me.

“I care about you.”

The tiny hairs on my arms stood on end. Suddenly I was wide-awake. Adrenaline, I guess. Girl was starting to freak me out again.

“Why? What the hell is going on?”

“I know you don’t remember me, Orion, but you will. You and I . . . we were in love once.”

I laughed harshly. “Now I know you’re crazy. I don’t even know your name.”

She lowered her chin, giving me a patient sort of look. A cold breeze tugged her brown curls away from her face.

“I am Artemis,” she said. “You do know me. You know things about me that would make a mortal girl blush.”

I swallowed hard. What was I supposed to do here? How was I supposed to make her go away? Clearly she was unstable, so the best thing to do, probably, was get the hell out of there.

“I have to go,” I said, yanking open the car door. “I have to get home.”

She put her hand on my arm and held me. She was freakishly strong.

“Tomorrow night you will be asked to make a choice,” she said, leaning in so close I could smell the lilac scent of her hair. “All I ask is that you remember what we had. That you think back to those days. It was a long time ago, but you were mine and I was yours and oh, how we loved.”

“Okay, back off,” I spat, swatting her arm away. I dropped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door, relieved that she didn’t put her hand between it and the car. I started the engine and rolled the window down. She hadn’t moved an inch. “Next time I see you or your psychotic brother, I’m calling the police.”

Artemis smirked and stood back while I revved the engine. “Until tomorrow, then.”

I slammed the car into reverse and peeled out. My heart banged around inside my chest as I raced off, trying as hard as I could to focus on driving, even as I checked the rearview mirror over and over again.

This day could not have been any weirder, but at least I had one thing going for me. There was no way it could get worse.