Warrior Saints - Creator

by Carla Thorne

  Yeah. I was never gonna get all that.

  At the side of the dance floor, I spotted Ivy’s friend, Corey. She’d been messing with her hair too, but it looked great. It was back to its original chestnut brown color, and she’d woven the extra-long mass into a series of braids that somehow made a delicate wrap around her head and all came back together to form a line down her back. She’d tucked the tiniest pink flowers among the curves. Her smile lit up the room as her awkward date kept his eyes on the ground and pulled her toward the dance floor.

  I was caught off guard when someone tugged on my arm as well.

  Gavin grabbed my hand and whisked me to the side door of the gym and into the near-dark hallway. My skirt swished around me as I almost toppled out of my shoes. I got my balance and followed his forceful pull in little, but loud taps, as my heels and my laugh echoed in the bare hall.

  I’d pulled the thin chain out of my purse. For the moment, it was hooked around my wrist and swung like a wrecking ball against the heavy door.

  He put his finger against his lips. “Shhhhh…”

  “What are you doing? We’re not supposed to be on this side.”

  I pressed my back against the cool wall and he settled in beside me. “It’s fine.”

  “Not if we get caught out here.”

  “We won’t get caught. I needed a minute with you.”

  I tried to hold in another bubble of laughter. “A minute? We’ve been together all evening. It started in the Trimble’s mosquito-infested backyard, remember?”

  This time he laughed as he pushed off the wall and right into the space in front of me. “The trouble with large groups and someone’s parents driving us around is that there will be no time later for this…”

  I lost track of time and space as Gavin’s lips came toward me. So those were his moves… I’d always wondered, and would argue it was inevitable since we’d hovered in each other’s orbit forever.

  I wanted that kiss and hoped for that kiss, but I didn’t think that kiss would happen so early in the evening and so totally when I had no idea what to do. I mean, I knew what to do, but I wasn’t ready. And he smelled like expensive cologne and…pineapple? Maybe? I could only imagine what I smelled like since I’d eaten a mini quiche and hadn’t had a chance to chew on the whole pack of mints in my weapon of a purse.

  So much for planning.

  But his lips were on mine and I swayed from the pressure because it was so good and natural and a million times better than the awkward guys who’d attempted to kiss me at youth group gatherings and junior high parties.

  He lifted his head. It could have been uncomfortable but it wasn’t. Then it got funny when my purse came loose from my grip and banged against the wall. His opportunity to get closer and stop the noise gave him a chance to slip an arm around me.

  His glance asked permission to kiss me again, but by then I’d already pressed my mouth against his and started some arm-snaking of my own.

  Until I couldn’t breathe.

  The harder he pressed, the deeper the kiss, the longer the contact…

  I couldn’t breathe.

  Panic attack? Asthma attack? Heart attack?

  None of the above.

  The kiss was fine. The feelings were there. The time was right for that make-out session.

  But I couldn’t breathe.

  The loss of air was familiar in its black, chest-crushing way.

  It was as if Gavin sucked the life out of me… Just like Shanar.

  I pushed him away and sucked in a gulp of air.

  “I’m sorry.” He stepped back like he’d done something wrong.

  “No.” I choked. “Not your fault.” I glanced at the dark, empty hallway. Moments before, it had been excitingly sneaky and fun. Then it became an alarming brush with the demonic side—and I was wide awake.

  I’d always been in complete control unless I was asleep. But that night I was triggered into my murky nightmare by one of the most pleasant and memorable experiences so far in my life.

  It made no sense except it reminded me a lot of that day we discussed Deacon’s hands at Scout’s house. The darkness crept in that day and it was creeping in then.

  Gavin touched my arm. “C’mon. Before we get caught out here.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. I’m going to go in the next door and stop at the restroom. I’ll meet you back at our table.”

  I stumbled in the swinging door and headed for the mirror. “Pull yourself together. Isn’t this the kind of night you wanted?” A smear of naughty-nude glittery lip gloss teased the skin above my top lip. A bunch of lipstick commercials suddenly made sense to me.

  At what sounded like a herd of girls, I ducked into the last stall to get down to business.

  The scrape of shoes across the tile floor didn’t sound right, as if someone was being shoved.

  “What are you doing here?” The angry voice bounced off the walls of the quiet bathroom.

  Paige?

  “You mean the homecoming dance or the bathroom?”

  “You know I mean the dance. I told you not to come when I heard what you’d done to your hair.”

  Corey. It had to be Corey.

  I grabbed my phone and tapped out a frantic text to Ivy. Quick. What’s the deal with Paige and Corey?

  She sent back sad/mad/scared emojis and a question mark.

  “My date is waiting, Paige. I’m here because it’s our homecoming dance.” Her voice wobbled as if she was scared, but trying to stand up for herself. Another scrape on the tile and the rustle of a paper towel said Paige probably backed her farther into the room when Corey tried to leave.

  “But you disrespected me. It cost me a lot of money to fix that color mess you had with your hair and I warned you… I warned you not to mess with it.”

  “I wanted my natural color back. My cousin helped me.”

  “Your cousin? Is your cousin also the one who braided you up like some sister-wife on the prairie? And that dress. You’re bulging in all the wrong places.”

  I felt the wave of pain shatter Corey from ten feet away.

  A text from Ivy came through.

  It’s brutal.

  Help Corey.

  Explain later.

  I cleared my throat, tapped on the floor, and hit the toilet paper container for good measure so Corey would know she wasn’t alone.

  And so maybe Paige would slow down on the bullying.

  Footsteps crept toward my stall door as I righted my dress and slung the cross-body chain of my wrecking-ball purse over my head.

  Paige’s voice slinked through the door. “Mary? I thought that was you.”

  How was I supposed to casually respond to that? “Really? How did you know?”

  I saw her through the crack in the door as she bent. “I’d recognize that botched, do-it-yourself pedicure anywhere.”

  She straightened and walked away. “This isn’t over,” she spat out at her victim. “Consider yourself on probation with the Arrows, and we’ll decide if you’ll be terminated from membership. I think you know what that means.”

  An intensity of anger radiated through my body in a way I’d never experienced. I wanted to burst out, grab her around the neck, and squeeze—just like I’d grabbed that stupid snake in the garden.

  Just like I’d grabbed that snake… Why had I done that? It seemed ridiculous then when I looked back at it and realized I wanted to do the same to a human. A nasty human, but still. Where did that come from?

  My heart wanted to defend Corey and cast out Paige for her meanness.

  My head knew that wasn’t totally right.

  I pushed my way out and rushed to her side. “Holy crap, Corey, who does she think she is?”

  “She’s the leader of the Purple Arrows.”

  I grabbed a tissue from the holder on the wall and attempted to blot her face as two other girls came in. I pulled her out the door and back into the very illegal hall I’d just come from. Her stunned, blank stare chilled my white-hot ra
ging blood. “Listen to me, Corey. It’s all nonsense.”

  “It’s not nonsense to me.”

  “Sorry. You’re right. I don’t mean to offend you. What I’m saying is Paige is a bully and what she said to you was mean and full of nonsense. She’s not in charge of your hair or whether or not you come to a dance.”

  “But she is. I’m a freshman and a new Arrow. She does decide.”

  “No, she doesn’t.”

  “She decided I couldn’t sing last night, and I should have listened and not come tonight.”

  “No, Corey, that’s ridic—” I stopped my own rant. If calling it nonsense wasn’t good, ridiculous wouldn’t sit well either. “I’m sorry, but you have to understand me. Paige is not in charge of anything. You don’t have to listen to her.”

  Corey’s shocked expression didn’t change as she met my gaze. “You don’t get it. It’s already over. You heard what she said. I’m on probation and will probably be kicked out. Everyone will know.”

  “What? What will they know?”

  “You don’t understand.”

  Clearly, I didn’t. Paige didn’t scare me. Her comment about my pedicure ticked me off for a hot second, but it didn’t matter. I’d stick my do-it-yourself-pedicured foot up her butt before I’d let her pathetic jab get to me. If it was one thing Shanar had taught me, it was to fight. I came out swinging when necessary. I was tough on the soccer field, tough on myself, and tough on whatever or whoever came after others. The snake… Paige and Corey… What did it all mean?

  It meant my nighttime world and my daytime world had finally collided—for the second time—and I didn’t understand the storm of emotions it stirred.

  It also meant I didn’t understand Paige’s powers, or the ability she had to rule people like Corey. Why couldn’t she walk away?

  “I’m sorry, Corey, I guess I don’t understand. All I can say is you should talk to someone. Let me find a principal.”

  “No!”

  “Fine, but Paige isn’t in charge of this school. The Purple Arrows aren’t even a school club. I don’t know what it is, but listen to me. You look great, and you have every right to be at this dance. Paige changes her look and her hair color constantly. Why can’t you?”

  “None of it matters anymore.”

  The pitiful sound of her words called to that rage inside me. How dare Paige make her feel so hopeless?

  “Is there a problem here, ladies?”

  Corey stiffened. “No, sir.”

  Mr. Parrington had literally stepped out of the shadows farther down the hall. The lack of a banging door and the annoyed but sympathetic look on his face told me he’d heard everything.

  I’d never been so glad to see a principal.

  “This area is off limits tonight. You girls need some help?”

  I glanced at Corey.

  “No. Sir.”

  “OK, then.” Mr. Parrington held the door. “Get back inside and don’t let me catch you out here again.”

  Corey slipped away before I could speak.

  I headed for the front lobby and out the front door. Wayne stood guard to keep wandering students from going anywhere but straight into their ride home.

  “Getting some air,” I said to him and found a pillar to hide behind.

  Then I called Ivy.

  Chapter 24

  Ivy

  What the heck was I supposed to do with all the purple crap in that bag?

  While everyone else was at the homecoming dance, I took the time to finally unpack the gift bag Paige had given me. Purple socks. Purple socks with arrows on them. White sox with purple arrows on them…

  Where in the stupefied stupidity—a phrase from my old and dead granny—was I supposed to wear all those socks? The uniform dress code at school was very clear, and they didn’t exactly go with my outside-of-school look.

  There were odd-shaped soaps, purple of course, and glittery. The box and packing alone was prettier than the actual floral-scented soap. That went under my bed until Christmas for my mom.

  I ate the chocolates. They had a lavender cream filling and matching sprinkles on top. The ribboned box bragged the inside of the candy was made with real lavender from a field in central Texas.

  There was the fancy cell phone case that actually fit my older phone, a t-shirt with more arrow stuff, and assorted jewelry with purple beads and arrows and arrows and beads, and dangling arrows and a leather bracelet… Yes. It had an arrow on it.

  And let’s not forget the purple glitter nail polish.

  I pulled out a gift set of expensive lotion and shower gel. “I guess my Christmas shopping is done.” I shoved it in my nightstand drawer. “Happy Holidays to you too, Aunt Connie.”

  I kept the arrow-themed journal and pen set close by because, duh, who didn’t need another journal and pen?

  Then I tackled the paperwork the psychiatrist gave me.

  I hadn’t told him everything—not even close.

  I took the survey he handed me and got out of there as fast as I could. I knew a medication cocktail was in my future… I couldn’t deal with that yet. Not while I learned to trust what was real and what wasn’t—and didn’t I have to do that without the haze of meds?

  I flicked over the first page of the Mental Health Assessment Self-Evaluation Form.

  In the past thirty days, how often did you feel anxious?

  All of the time.

  Most of the time.

  Some of the time.

  A little of the time.

  None of the time.

  Ummmm… It was going to be a long night.

  The ding of my phone and the text from Mary saved me from a certain panic attack.

  Quick. What’s the deal with Paige and Corey?

  Maybe not.

  After a few furious texts and a long phone call with Mary, I knew the trouble between Paige and Corey had come to a head. I had to do something. I had to help.

  I spent the rest of the weekend trying to reach Corey.

  She never responded.

  Chapter 25

  Mary

  It was the worst Monday morning of all time.

  I reached to close my locker door. It slammed shut before I could grab it.

  Deacon’s piercing and serious gaze met mine in the hair-blowing whoosh of air it caused. “Number one, I’m sure you know about the crap-storm all around us about Corey and the photos.”

  “Yes, and I—”

  “Number two, Shanar and the Saint Slayers. Homecoming is over. Explain yourself.”

  “I will, but—”

  “Number three, Shanar and the Saint Slayers. Explain.”

  “That’s the same as number two.”

  “Really? Hadn’t noticed. Must be important. And now that you and Gavin have finished sucking face all over the dance, maybe you have time to talk.”

  “Stop it, Deac. You weren’t even at the dance.”

  “Didn’t have to be to hear all about it.”

  I headed for class with him at my heels. “I can’t go into the other stuff here. We’ll meet after school.”

  “Oh yeah, we definitely are. It’s time to get to the bottom of all this.”

  I made an abrupt stop. “Has something else happened?”

  “If you mean have I had an episode…” He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “Then no. But you can bet Scout and Ivy are somewhere huddled in a corner over this thing with Corey. And if those two are together, and somehow Corey keeps coming up in the middle of everything, then maybe…”

  I chewed a hole in my cheek as I stood there and stared at him.

  “What? Do I have breakfast taquito on my face?”

  “No, Deac.”

  “Then what?”

  I was as confused as I’d ever been, but I also noticed the recurring glimmer of hope that I wasn’t alone. Deacon seemed to have embraced the weirdness. The fact he’d started to see the connections… He’d sensed the bonds and the call to act on something. Something bigger. So
mething we didn’t understand. Something we couldn’t explain.

  He saw, he felt, he knew.

  I still had no idea what was happening, but at least I had a teammate.

  “It’s nothing, Deac, but thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For still being here.”

  “Where else would I be?”

  I took off again. “Forget that for now. We’ll talk after school. Right now, we need to talk about Corey. What do you know?”

  “Wellllll… Apparently our long-haired friend went to camp last summer and had herself a crush on an older guy counselor. Like maybe a recent graduate from high school or a college guy. Whether on a dare or out of actual interest, she sent a couple of photos, maybe a DM or a suggestive text or something. She was immediately sorry. And embarrassed. And mortified to the point she wanted to leave camp. Long story short—I know, too late—the guy was not a nice guy. He didn’t just report it to the directors and let it die. He shared and made it soooooo much worse.”

  “Jerk.”

  “Yep. But miraculously, in comes Paige to save the day because she was also working that camp and saw an opportunity to get her hooks in Corey.”

  “How?”

  “She made it all go away.”

  “How?”

  “That’s the magic of Paige. No one knows how she gets done what she does.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “How do you think? My persuasive charm.”

  “Pa-lease.” I stopped at my first class. “So Paige re-released the stuff yesterday?”

  “Looks like it. The text came to me yesterday afternoon. Did you get it?”

  “Yep. Did you look?”

  “Yes.” His sigh was filled with regret. “Because it came from a known number. Did you get it and look?”

  “Got it, but didn’t look because mine was a group text with a bunch of numbers I didn’t recognize. I’d already heard it was going around and didn’t want to see that.”

  “I didn’t want to either, but I looked.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “It’s bad. Corey really wanted the guy’s attention.”

  “She must be devastated.”

  Deacon leaned against the wall as the clock ticked toward the second bell. “Your turn. What do you know?”