by J. M. Briggs
16
Third Date Unlucky
Central Diner wasn’t as simple as coffee or the school food court for a date, but it had the benefit of still being a popular hangout on Friday nights. Jenny had been here often enough that it didn’t feel awkward. The checkered black and white floors were slick from tracked in snow and frequent mopping by the staff. Rowdy groups of students had slung their coats and scarves over almost any available surface other than the tables and long main counter. TVs were on around the dining area with various sporting events playing, and groups of students were watching with craned necks.
Jenny toyed with the straw of her iced tea and tried not to feel nervous as she waited for Lance to return to the table. He’d been caught by another member of the football team, and judging from the tight expression on his face the conversation was about Arthur. A soft sigh escaped her right before the other player looked over towards her with a sour look. Jenny did her best to ignore him and not grimace, but she understood how this would look to Arthur’s old teammates. He suddenly leaves Ravenslake despite already holding a strong position on the team and his ex-girlfriend is quickly seen dating his friend and teammate Lance. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together, and it was horribly close to the truth.
Determined to ignore him, Jenny pulled out her phone and checked through her text messages. Lately, the texts from her fellow spirit squad members and old high school friends were becoming rarer and rarer. Things had changed; she’d changed somehow in a way she didn’t completely understand yet, and she couldn’t find it in herself to blame them for drifting away. Over the last year she hadn’t been the best company, and in all honesty, she still wasn’t.
Yet she had a smile at the latest text from Alex, which was a simple “have fun on the date” with a smiley face. Nicki had sent her a reminder that everyone was getting together for training at Morgana’s house in the morning and to let her know if she wanted a ride. There was another text from Bran to schedule when they could work on her latest journalism project that she’d decided to do on Korean American culture in the Northwest. There weren’t many other messages and she took a moment to delete some of the older ones.
“Sorry about that.” Lance slid back into the booth across from her with a soft smile. “Ryan can be a little hard to escape from sometimes.”
“Plus he didn’t like the company you were keeping.” Giving him a knowing look, Jenny slipped her phone back into her purse.
“Ignore them,” Lance said. Reaching out, he took her hand and gave it a soft squeeze before releasing it. “It doesn’t matter Jenny. They don’t know what was going on.”
“But they’ve got a point: we were cheating. I was cheating on Arthur and he was your friend.”
“He was also using us as part of a charade.” Lance’s tone was cautious and a little too affectionate for Jenny’s mental state. “He’s even admitted to using magic on you. There’s nothing to feel guilty about.”
“Don’t you worry I’ll cheat on you?” Jenny asked, avoiding Lance’s eyes as she spoke. “I mean, a cheater is always a cheater.”
“Honestly I haven’t even been sure if you consider us dating,” Lance said honestly with a frown. “But if we are officially dating then no, I don’t worry about you cheating.”
Fighting back a blush, Jenny wasn’t sure what to say in response to that. For a moment they just sat there in silence with downcast eyes until the waitress brought their food. She picked up a fry and tried to get excited before she gave up and sighed.
“I do consider us dating, Lance.” Jenny gave him a nervous smile. “I guess it’s time we tried talking about all of this, huh?”
“Yeah, we do just fine when we keep it to classes, music and even current events, but the elephant in the room is demanding some attention.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I get why you feel some guilt and concern, Jenny, I do. What happened on the surface with Arthur was wrong on both our parts; we lied to someone that we cared about and that we thought cared about us, but I just don’t see the point in staying angry at ourselves. In the end, I’m just focusing on being grateful that we’ve got a real chance this time around. Arthur wasn’t really the Iron Soul and he was a creep that almost killed Alex and Aiden.”
“But-”
“Look, this time around the Iron Soul is Alex, and while I like her and hope we become good friends in the future, it’s different with her. Besides, you don’t seem to have romantic feelings towards her and she doesn’t have any towards you, so we’re in the clear there.”
“I know.” Jenny groaned and shook her head. She struggled to find words for what she wanted to say, but nothing sounded or felt right. “I guess it’s just going to be a process. Knowing that even when manipulated I am a cheater… it’s just not something I like about myself.”
Lance reached over and caught her left hand with his right hand. He said nothing as he used his left hand to awkwardly pour ketchup on his burger and sent it dribbling over the sides. Smiling softly, Jenny held back a giggle but didn’t release his hand.
“It’s up to you, but maybe it would be best if we helped things along with a story of some kind,” Lance said. “Something to explain why Arthur suddenly ditched.”
“Like what? Everyone loved him,” Jenny muttered tightly. “He was handsome, smart and charismatic: he even fooled the professors.”
“I know, and that still freaks me out,” Lance agreed. “But people don’t always believe in seemingly perfect people. I bet if we were to say that Arthur was abusive plenty of people would believe it.”
“Lance that’s not really true,” Jenny argued weakly, glancing around to make sure that no one was paying attention to them.
“Yes it is and he was, though maybe not physically… well, not until he tried to kill Alex, but he manipulated everyone around him. Abuse isn’t just about hitting someone. I don’t know if it’s the result of his mother or the Queen or whatever is going on there, but he’s a psychopath: a monster.”
“That I slept with,” Jenny reminded him. Her stomach turned and her fish tenders looked a lot less appetizing. “As did Alex.”
Lance grimaced and glanced down uncomfortably, but he took a deep breath and looked up her. His brown eyes locked onto hers and Jenny felt a flutter in her chest at the warmth and determination in them. There was anger, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her.
“Let’s not talk about Arthur,” Jenny said. “We can’t just focus on that ugly part of our lives.” She paused and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Let’s be honest, this is almost our first date; it’s the first time we’ve ever gone off campus together.”
“Right. Are you going up with the others tomorrow?”
“I promised Alex that I’d help however I could, even if it means reading through mythology books while they practice magic.”
“Aren’t you interested in watching?” Lance asked.
“I’ve seen them fight.”
“Yeah, but they can do other stuff too.” Lance gave her an excited grin. “I’m looking forward to seeing something other than fireballs, ice shards, and lightning bolts.”
“I don’t know…” Jenny hesitated, once again toying with her straw. “It’s all still so strange. Some days I have a hard time even trying to wrap my head around all of it.”
They fell silent and Jenny focused her attention on eating some of her food. It was tasty but somehow muted. Around them, the sounds of other people having fun and rapid conversations seemed to weigh down on her shoulders.
“Still awkward isn’t it?” Lance asked in a defeated tone that made Jenny look up in mild alarm. There was a sad and resigned look on his face that made her feel like someone was squeezing her heart. “It’s okay, Jenny.”
“Yeah, it is still a little awkward,” she admitted softly.
“I feel like I have to ask: would you even be here if we weren’t…” He gestured between them uneasily. “Reincarnations?”
“It wouldn’t be this a
wkward if we weren’t reincarnations.” Jenny forced a small smile and prayed that she didn’t look scared and panicked. “But I really do want to try to work through the awkwardness,” Jenny assured Lance.
His expression eased at the look of determination that must have been on her face. Lance nodded and a small sigh of relief escaped him. “I’ll be honest, after Wales and that… funeral, I was a bit overwhelmed,” Lance said. “I got some books about reincarnation. Most of it really seems to be junk though, more like the theory and how to connect with your previous lives.”
“I talked with Bran a bit about reincarnation.” Jenny cast her eyes around to make sure no one was listening. “It helped a little, even if it was weird.” She shrugged and smiled a little. “He’s pretty smart about that stuff.”
“Well if you think about it and his powers… I mean, he’s got a lot of traditionally psychic sort of powers, so I’d guess that indicates that he’s more spiritual than the others.”
“I wonder if that is really how it works?” Tapping her fingers against the table, Jenny pursed her lips together in consideration. “Seems a bit cliché.”
A warm laugh escaped Lance and she looked back to him, raising an eyebrow. “Cliché? Really Jenny?” He just grinned at her and shook his head as he picked up the uneaten half of his burger. “We’re juggling clichés, story tropes, ancient legends and new shit that doesn’t seem to make any sense. Should we really discount anything?”
“Fair point. Okay, we’ve gone a little off topic.” She took a deep breath and gave her body a small shake. “I’m sorry if I’m seeming a bit… flighty. I do want us to try. I think we can make this work.”
The smile he gave her made the awkwardness all worth it, and Jenny had to fight back a blush and a grin of her own. They kept eating their dinners, but the atmosphere of Central Diner didn’t seem to be mocking their issues now. After a few bites of her own dinner, Jenny turned the conversation to broader topics, interested in learning more about her boyfriend beyond his previous life as Lancelot or whatever his name had been.
By the time they finished their meals their voices had reached the same loud level of the rest of the college students. Jenny couldn’t help but notice a hint of nervousness still shining in Lance’s eyes, but she guessed that it was mirrored in her own. Central Diner was becoming more crowded with every passing moment, and when Lance picked up their bill Jenny had to wonder if they’d surpassed capacity. Lance had only taken a few steps away from the table as Jenny checked her phone and grabbed her coat when an angry voice could be heard.
“Seriously Lance, what is going on with you and her?” she heard someone ask. Her spine instantly straightened in response. Jenny kept herself from looking towards Lance and finding the speaker, but it was difficult. “Have you even heard from Arthur?”
“Look Pete trust me on this one: Arthur was a nasty piece of work,” Lance’s voice cut through the noise of the Diner, which seemed to quiet in response. “In fact, if you hear from him for any reason do yourself a favor and hang up and let me know.”
“Lance what the hell-”
“I’ll see you later man,” Lance said. “We’re finished and have a movie to catch.”
Jenny could feel eyes on her as she pulled on her coat and moved towards the door. Lance paid their bill quickly and rushed to join her, dismissing a couple of his teammates with a quick wave. As she began to open the door, Lance put his arm around her shoulders and pushed the door open for her. The cold night air hit them both and Lance let out of long sigh of frustration before shaking his head. Jenny offered him a small smile and they began to head down the street towards Lance’s truck.
“One sec.” Lance shifted around to her other side. “Let me walk on the street side.”
“A gentleman.” Smiling up at him, Jenny embraced the little bubble of happiness rising in her chest. “Very nice.”
“My dad was also pretty serious about manners.” Lance’s smile made his own happiness at her reaction obvious. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind? Why would I mind?”
“Well… some girls don’t like it; I guess they think it means I think they’re weak,” Lance explained in a slight rush, looking a bit uneasy.
Reaching over, Jenny wrapped her arm around his and offered him a warm smile, ignoring the fact that neither of them were looking where they were going. “I don’t think that’s the case; it’s just you trying to be courteous,” she assured him. “Now, you try to order me around then we’ll have to talk.”
“You’re the former queen,” Lance teased. “I know who will be wearing the pants.”
“And don’t forget it.” Jenny giggled. Then she looked around in mild surprise. “Did we just joke about our own reincarnations?”
“Yes, yes I think we did.”
Grinning up at him, Jenny ignored the sidewalk for a moment so she could stretch up and kiss his jaw. Even in her heels, he was just a little too tall for her to easily kiss. The peaceful haze was broken as strange, echoing giggles rolled down the street, and Jenny felt her whole body freeze in recognition. Lance’s hand tightened around hers for a moment before he released it and he slipped his hand back under his coat. Swallowing, Jenny glanced around at the other humans who were calmly walking down the street with their friends or chatting on cell phones.
“That sounds like fairies,” she whispered. “Do you think they’ll attack us out here in the open?”
Other people were stopping and looking around in confusion. One person was pointing to one of the speakers hooked up on the lamppost as if that was the answer, and Jenny felt herself internally scoff. Her own hand shifted into her purse and searched for the smooth cool leather of her own dagger’s sheath.
“Should we move?” Jenny looked into the nearby alley. The bulb above the back door of the shop was flickering and she could see tiny violet eyes peering out at them. “Will they come into the street?”
“I don’t know.” Lance sounded just as uneasy as her. Then he took her hand and began to tug her towards his truck. “I think we should move; these things… they seem to attack when they’ll be unseen.”
“They attacked at Stonehenge.” Jenny tightened her grip on both his hand and the handle of her dagger. She wished for a third hand so she could text the mages. “They might here too.”
“I think Stonehenge was special.” Lance fished out his keys. “Let’s not stay to find out.”
“But they might attack the other humans!” There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “We aren’t mages and they seem to be after us.”
“Maybe it’s Arthur,” Lance growled as his eyes darkened. “Trying to get at Alex through us.”
“Yeah,” Jenny heard herself say. “That would fit him.”
“Keep your dagger ready,” Lance ordered as he pulled out his keys and quickly unlocked the passenger side door. “And get inside.”
Biting back a retort, Jenny clamored up into the passenger seat and drew her dagger out of her purse. She wrapped fingers tightened around the handle and rested the dagger on her lap. Somehow the streets were clearing as people moved into the buildings as if compelled by some kind of instinct. In the alleys and spaces between the buildings and along the rooftops the shadows seemed to be shimmering and moving. More tiny violet eyes appeared in the shadows and Jenny’s breath caught in her throat.
“Lance!” Knocking on the window frantically, she tried to alert him to the danger. “Lance!”
Thankfully he nodded and began moving around the truck. Jenny kept her eyes sweeping over the collection of eyes, trying to count the pairs. There were at least ten and she could feel her heart pounding hard in her chest. Then the driver’s side door opened and Lance climbed in with a huff. He started up the car just as a loud shriek echoed outside. Jenny turned sharply to look outside and gasped as something lunged for her window. They roared away from the sidewalk as something struck the side of the truck.
“Okay, bad fairies in Ravenslake!” Lan
ce’s hands gripped the steering wheel and he glanced between the window and the road. “Any idea how many?”
“At least ten!” Jenny dug out her phone with shaking hands. “I’m texting the others!”
Something landed in the truck bed making Jenny look over her shoulder. A small twisted creature with a dingy red cap on its head with long talons snarled at her. As her eyes widened, the creature leapt forward and began to claw at the back cab window.
“Jenny?!”
She grimaced at the terrible sound of the talons against the window. “Keep driving!” Forcing her eyes off the creature, Jenny sent a text to Alex.
The cars around them didn’t seem to notice anything, though one person did slow down as another Redcap jumped into the back of the truck and joined the other one in attacking the back window. Jenny saw the campus flashing by in the corner of her eye. She saw the dorms and briefly considered parking and making a run for it, but she dismissed it.