With Cross & Charm

by D.L. Miles

  Chapter 2

  “I can’t believe you forgot about your game,” Delilah laughs. “How could you?”

  I consider telling her my college essay lie but decide to go with the truth. “I just did; you two could have mentioned something!”

  Beth looks apologetic while Delilah continues to giggle. Beth says, “I’m sorry; it just slipped my mind since I couldn’t get tickets this time.”

  I pout but nod; it’s not like it was an important game anyway. I ask, “What did I miss in Creative Writing?”

  “Your binder?” Delilah suggests. She passes me my notebook and I gladly take it. “Other than that we just started reading some poetry. Thanks for making me take this class too; it’s such a blow off.”

  It’s Beth’s turn to pout. She had wanted to take it with us but by the time she tried to get in it was full. I feel bad that she’s excluded, but I don’t think I could live with her cross every morning. I touch at my new burn.

  “Amelia got you with her earring huh?” Beth asks. I know she’s thinking of the scar on my arm.

  “I should have been watching her; she hugs people after every game,” I say. “It was light though, so it won’t scar. And see? My hair covers it.” I pull out my ponytail and let the strands fall in front of the mark. I shrug; no biggie.

  You always act like you don’t care, Ithinara says, it’s irritating.

  “You’re irritating,” I say aloud without thinking. Ithinara snickers and Beth looks taken aback. “Not you. Sorry.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to try another exorcism?” Beth asks. “My dad has people coming from out of town; maybe they could—”

  “No, it’s fine. Remember what happened last time?”

  We’d tried to do an exorcism once when I was ten. All it did was give me killer cramps, and weaken me enough to give Ithinara control over my body. She didn’t do anything, but she likes to remind me that she could have killed Beth and Delilah. I don’t think I could live with that.

  You should thank me more often; my brothers and sisters are much crueler.

  For a demon, Ithinara is fairly tame. She’s more of a nuisance than anything, and takes more delight in making me talk to her rather than making me kill someone. Ithinara reminds me, I only want you to kill one person. I won’t leave until you do it.

  “So are we going to talk about the dance or what?” I ask, wanting to think about anything but murder. I don’t know who Ithinara wants me to kill, but I feel it’s someone I know and that’s why she won’t tell me until I make the deal. I plan on living my entire life with her inside my head if it means I don’t kill anyone.

  Beth sighs but begins to discuss possible dress colours for her to go with Joe’s suit. As we talk my mind wanders back to Highland and the Eagle’s coach. Something about her scares me, and something else there scares me too. I wish I knew what it is.

  She’s dangerous, Ithinara warns, you should stay away from her.

  “Why?” I whisper, drawing nobody’s attention. “Why is she dangerous?”

  Ithinara is quiet again.

  Ithinara has actually saved my life before, but I don’t know why. If she says that the Eagles’ coach is dangerous, then I believe her. I chew on my lips in thought, wondering why I can trust a demon so easily compared to a human.

  Because we are one, Ithinara answers. I don’t like that answer; I don’t want to be one with a demon, even one as relatively simple as Ithinara. Who are you calling simple?

  As I leave school that day, a little sore from the game and improper stretching, I notice it’s starting to rain. The light drizzle puts Beth in a panic to get to her car and she makes us rush over. We make it before the skies really open up and give Hollow’s Point what it holds. I manage to get the front seat this time.

  “Can you just drop me off downtown?” I ask. “I need to get an umbrella.”

  “You want me to take you by Target?” Beth suggests. “I need to get some new tights for church anyway. They turn the AC up so much I’m pretty sure they’re trying to freeze the devil out of us.”

  Ha, if that were only possible, Ithinara laughs.

  “If you don’t mind. You coming Del?”

  “I have to be home for piano lessons,” grumbles Delilah. “But text me pictures before you buy anything! It needs my approval.”

  Beth and I roll our eyes, but agree to the terms.

  The Target in Hollow’s Point it brightly lit with wide aisles and decorated in white and red. It smells of plastic, but the scent of coffee drifts over from the Starbuck’s they have inside. I go right for the accessories section, always a sucker for a handbag. Beth says she’ll meet me back here once she finds an appropriate pair of church tights.

  I browse through the wallets, enjoying the new fall designs until my heart squeezes inside of me. I press a hand over my chest, sweat beginning to form on my temples despite the air conditioning. Soon my chest feels swelled, and it’s like I’m back in the Highland gymnasium.

  Danger, Willa Queen, Ithinara says half-heartedly. I can tell she’s worried, but it isn’t quite as urgent as before. The feeling dies down, and I look around to find I’m alone.

  I wipe the sweat from my brow and try to find the umbrellas. When I do I grab the first one I see; a small red one that looks like it will break as soon as the wind strikes. I whirl, ready to find Beth when I nearly tackle a tall blonde.

  “Sorry,” I cry. “I need to watch where I’m going.”

  “It’s okay,” the woman says. I look up at her and see pale hazel eyes behind thin glasses. The Eagles coach. The blood drains from my face, and my stomach churns with fear, but why? I can’t tell. She furrows her brow as I stare at her, mouth hanging open. “I know you. You play for the Wayward Tigers, right?”

  I nod. “Yup.” Still, I can’t move.

  She doesn’t seem interested in shopping anymore, and shifts the basket to her left hand. Slowly, she offers me her right. “I coach the Highland Eagles; my name’s Nico Steele.” She has expensive looking rings on her fingers, and I notice one silver one has a cross on it. I take a step back.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I stammer, “I’d shake your hand but I’m getting kind of sick. I wouldn’t want to give you anything.”

  “Ah,” she says, “well you played very well if you’re getting sick.” Nico lowers her hand, accepting my answer. It was a good thing Coach had taken me out of line; if Nico remembers that, then my lie might seem more believable.

  “Anyway, I have to go find my friend—”

  “I’m right here.” Beth appears from nowhere, package of tights in hand. She smiles at Nico, and I can clearly see Nico’s shoulders relax. Beth has that effect on people. They exchange greetings and Beth asks me, “Did you get the umbrella?”

  My breathing is uneven and it’s hard to tear my eyes away from Nico. I feel like she knows exactly what I’m thinking, knows what lives within me. I feel her trying to shake my hand was a test of some sort, because she doesn’t offer the same with Beth. “Will?”

  “Yes.” I’m nearly shouting. “Are you ready to go?”

  Beth can tell something’s wrong but doesn’t ask, not in front of Nico. “It was nice meeting you,” I say, even though I’m still frightened. She says the same to me, and I grab Beth and run out of there, almost forgetting to pay for the umbrella.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Beth asks as we step outside. She already has her clear umbrella open while mine is squeezed in my hand. I glance over my shoulder to see where Nico is, and she’s still browsing in the accessories.

  When she vanishes behind a corner I tell Beth, “I’m going to walk from here. It, uh, isn’t too far.”

  Her brow furrows with typical Beth worry. “It’s pouring out; let me drive you home.”

  “I’m not going home,” I say, “I’m heading to the library. Don’t you have your youth group tonight anyway?”

  “I ha
ve time to drive you.”

  I shake my head. “I need to walk.” I don’t know why, but I just need to be alone. I don’t want Beth around me right now; after running into Nico, Beth’s cross is almost unbearable. The burn on my neck pulses as if to remind me.

  I can see Beth struggling to leave, so I help her out and say goodbye. My cherry red umbrella opens up and I start to walk away, knowing she’s watching me go.

  I’m not sure where I’m going, and Ithinara is still quiet. I try to ask her what’s going on, but she doesn’t say a word. My fingertips brush against the cross burn, and I think that’s the reason she’s having trouble coming through. Holy water and crosses weaken her somehow; I just wish they didn’t hurt me too.

  The further I get from Target the easier it is to breathe. I stop on a street corner and wait for the light to change when Ithinara finally pipes up, I hate the rain.

  I pull my phone out and set it to silent, deciding it’s easier to pretend to have a conversation that way. “Why does she make me feel that way?” I ask.

  Some people are just more connected to spirits, answers Ithinara. Nico Steele has strong beliefs. Like Beth. Each time she say’s their names it sounds spiteful. But Beth never made me feel like Nico did.

  It will go away with time, Ithinara says. You felt the same around Beth; you just don’t remember.

  “It better,” I mutter and put my phone into my pocket just as the light changes. There was nobody around to hear my conversation, but it makes me feel better to pretend. Ithinara has taught me that you never know who is listening.

  Dad isn’t home when I arrive, and I remember he’d said he was going to be working late. Not hungry, I skip dinner and go right to my computer, opening up my college essay and seeing it is still blank. I grimace and shut the computer again.

  Tomorrow I will figure out my beginning, and it would flow out of me at my usual pace and be perfect. I climb the steps to my room and do my usual nightly routine. It’s barely past five and I’m already trying to go to sleep.

  I’d pray that tomorrow would be better, but saying “amen” leaves a bad taste in my mouth.