Prologue:
Hades, the man of hatred. The man of hell. Haggard man. Headstrong. Half-witted fool. A hazard to society. Handpicked as the devil of demons. Harasser of all things good. Hardhearted, hardheaded has-been. Hasty to wreak havoc. Haughty. Heartless, heartsick. Heinous, Hell-bent destroyer.
“That’s a lot of Hs.” I murmur, already feeling a headache form. I try to get through the book, but all of the h words hold my tongue captive. I drop the book and pick a new one from the pile, hoping it’s written more like a book instead of some twisted poem based off the evil letter h.
The hour goes by fast, and I don’t find out anything new. The books are a dead end. I already knew that Hades was a power-hungry, evil man. Apparently, he’s inflicted harm on people to be spiteful or just for fun. There’s no real method to his madness.
“Professor O, the hour is up,” I tell her, placing the book I was reading back in the pile when I check the time.
“Whoa. That was fast.” She double checks the time on her wrist watch. “Did you find anything?” Her eyes are hopeful, and I feel bad letting her down.
“Not really. Hades is a bad, powerful man. That’s about it.”
“Okay. It’s okay.” She nods he head a few times. “Let’s meet here Monday. I’m going to stay and finish this book.” She flips through the book and weighs how much she has left to read. She’s a fast reader, because the book looks to be at least five hundred pages, and she’s over half way done.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to do this,” I tell her, not wanting her to feel like she has to help me out.
“I want to, sweetie!” She smiles up at me from her seat.
“I have a question,” I mutter thinking now is as good a time as any.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“Well, you’ve told me how to control my visions. And I was wondering if maybe we could try sometime. I think maybe they’ll help me look at my life with Ari and Ollie, and then I can tell who my soul mate is.”
“Your dreams will come to you when you’re ready. But if you practice enough, it may work. In fact, I think it’s a good idea.” She smiles over at me. “Practice the meditation techniques I’ve shown you. You have to master it.”
“Okay. I will! Thank you! See you Monday,” I say in leaving. I shut the door behind me, happy that I may be making progress soon with the curse, and then skip down the stairs because Junior and Ollie should be here any second.
“Hi,” I say to the man at the circulation desk before I go. “Professor Onassis is up there alone, so if you could check on her in a little bit, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Of course. Thanks, young lady,” the guy says, lifting his glasses off his nose again. Although she’s tough as hell, I don’t want her to get hurt—especially after some psycho is on the loose, murdering people. She’s been perfect to me, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to her after I left her alone.
I leave the library, only looking back briefly to take in the tall building one last time. With the sun setting behind it, it looks almost heavenly. As I’m walking towards my dorm room, I spot my beat up Honda in the parking lot and beeline towards my best friend. I see his obscure Mohawk peeking out behind the car and almost burst into tears of joy. I jump for him and land against his lean body, loving how comforting he is to me.
“I missed you so much,” I mutter into his chest.
“I missed you more, Ryder.” He squeezes me into him and twirls me around in the air like a princess. “No crying,” he says as he puts me back down on the iced-over pavement. “Let’s have fun.” He reaches for my hand.
“Where’s Ollie?” I ask him, peeking into the car, hoping his counterpart came along for the ride.
“Wow, I’m not good enough?” Junior teases me.
“Shut up,” I mutter, hip-checking him.
“He’s meeting up with us later.”
“Okay. Want to see my room?” I ask him, giddy that he’s come to visit. He nods, so I take his hand and lead him to the third floor. I unlock the door and let him into the place I now call home. He looks around and then sits himself at my desk. He spies the picture of him and lifts it, laughing at how young we are.
“Seriously, we look stupid. This is what people think of me?” He taps on the picture frame.
“Nobody even notices it. Don’t get ahead of yourself there, buddy,” I joke.
“So what are the plans for tonight?” Junior puts down the frame and then flips through all the papers on my desk.
“I don’t know. We can go to dinner with my friends and then just hang out,” I tell him, shaking my shoulders.
“Sounds good,” Junior answers. He waits for me in the room while I run into the bathroom to change. I put on some more loose pants and a new long-sleeved tee. I get my black-and-white checkered peacoat and then meet back up with Junior in my bedroom. I shoot out a quick text to Kara and tell her we’re going to meet her in the student center.
Once I’m ready, we head towards the cafeteria through the frigid cold weather. Junior wraps his arm around my shoulders, and his comforting scent brings me back to a time when we were better. When life was better—easier. I miss sitting on my bed with Junior and watching sitcoms. I miss our relationship before I learned about my curse and the boys stumbled into my life. It used to be so easy between us, and now, I feel like it’s all drama and taking sides.
“What’s the matter, Ryder?” Junior stops us just outside of the door, picking up on my mood change. He grabs onto both of my shoulders and makes me face him, fixing my slumped over shoulders so I’m standing up tall. He makes me look at him and I just stare, trying to convey what’s wrong.
“I just miss the way we used to be,” I tell him, looking up into his deep brown eyes.
“Ryder, don’t worry. We’re fine. I love you.” He pulls me into his body so I’m glued against his chest. I lean against him and try to blink my eyes and transport us to three years ago. But I know I don’t really want that. I like where my life is now. I like Kara and my new friends. I just wish Junior was a part of it, too. I guess what they say is true—you can’t have it all.
“Love you, too,” I say as we start walking in the busy building. Once inside the doors, I glance around, trying to find Kara and her friends—I guess my friends now.
I spot them in the usual table and grab Junior’s hand, tugging him along towards the table eagerly. To be honest, I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of Junior. I get all jittery inside anticipating the meeting.
“Hey,” I say, looking specifically at Kara.
“Hey girl. Who’s that?” Being the blunt person she is, Kara stares openly at him conveying her approval. She looks at him like he’s a museum piece she needs to memorize for a quiz. She looks him up and down—from his boots to his high black Mohawk.
“My best friend from home, Junior,” I say.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
never have i ever
“So, Junior. You’ve known our precious Ryder here forever, huh?” Kara shoulder bumps me as I sit in my usual spot next to her.
“Yup. She’s been my best friend forever.” Junior smiles over at me from across the table. He chooses a seat next to Megan on the end.
“I heard you’re in a band.” Kara kick starts a conversation with Junior.
“So you’ve asked about me?” Junior counters back.
“I wouldn’t let it get to your head. Either of them.” She shakes her head like she just made the best dis in the world, but I know Junior’s heard better.
“You only wish you could handle my large head.”
“Ugh, god. Shut up,” I groan, hating the turn their conversation is going. It’s like hearing my brother talk about sex. I tune out their conversation that only gets dirtier and dirtier and focus on Megan and my delicious cafeteria food.
Dinner is just about over, and the lunch ladies start closing up shop behind the cafeteria gate. Kara and Junior hit it off, and I didn’t m
iss her little flirting across our table. I can tell she’s into him. And of course, he’s into her—who wouldn’t be?
The pair are quite opposites; that’s for sure—Kara with her blonde hair and assortment of dresses, and then Junior with his Mohawk and gauges in his ears. But strangely, they have a positive vibe. I can’t say I hate it.
By the time we finish dinner, it’s pitch black outside—even though it’s only seven. As we leave the building, Junior positions himself in-between me and Kara. He slings his arm around my shoulder and then does the same to her. It’s nice and all, but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s going to like her more than me, just like what happened with Ollie.
But I need to let it go. Junior is my best friend and has been forever. He’s been there for me when I was in the worst part of my life, so I have to trust that he’s not going to dump me to the curb.
“How about a bonfire tonight?” Megan asks as we walk from building to building, aimlessly meandering around the snow-covered hills.
Being on the mountain makes the wind whip around like crazy. It’s even colder than Connecticut, despite the fact that we’re just a few hours north in New York state.
“Definitely!” Mikey loves the idea and turns around, walking backwards, his breath coming out in little puffs. He almost stumbles over a cluster of rocks, but teleports behind it. All the other guys laugh openly at him. We’re in a tight group, stealing heat from each other.
“Where?” How would we even get it together on such short notice? It’s already pretty late. Plus, we’re on campus. There’s nowhere to even have one without getting caught. With the curfew still in place, there’s a threat, and the idea of dying over a fire isn’t too appealing. But what do I know?
“Woods. Easy. We already ate. We’ll head out and get some drinks and then meet in an hour, behind boys dorm,” Carter commands as he branches off from the group with Mikey and Shane. They turn and head for the parking lot, through a patch of evergreens, where Carter keeps his mom’s van.
“You want to come with us, dude?” Shane asks Junior as they begin to walk away.
“Sure.” Junior bumps my shoulder. He shoots me a weird glance in leaving that I don’t understand and then goes with the guys towards one of their cars. They all walk slower than normal so Junior isn’t left behind.
We girls, head back to Aphro Hall, the girl’s dorm, to get ready in warmer gear. Lisa and Megan head to their room first, and Kara and I go upstairs. Kara quickly shuts the door behind us and then leans against it, sinking down until she’s sitting on the floor.
“Dude, how cute is Junior?” Kara squeals as she brings her hands up to her face.
“Oh my god,” I groan, sticking my fingers into my ears.
“What? Come on, he’s not your brother. He’s good looking.” She stands up and skips over to me, grabbing onto my hands.
“He is like my brother.” I crinkle my nose at the entire conversation.
“Set us up,” she begs, praying to me with her hands over mine. “Please,” she whines, emphasizing each letter.
“He’ll be at the bonfire, later. Just work your magic there. I doubt you need my help.” I look her up and down, hoping she can figure it out so I don’t have to play matchmaker. It’s just too weird for me.
“You’re right. He won’t be able to resist me.” She skips, yet again, to her side of the room and rummages through her closet. I do the same in my closet and try to find a decent outfit. It must be Kara who influences me to want to get dressed up, but once I have a cute dress out, I realize how stupid this is. We’re going to be outside at night; nobody will even see us.
I throw the dress back into the bottomless pit of my closet and pull out a pair of thick jeans and a heavy sweater. Kara turns her nose up at my fashion sense, but I don’t care. She’s going to be freezing, and I get to say I told you so when she cries to me, begging to borrow my sweater. I’m able to talk Kara off the ledge of going bare legged and convince her to wear thick leggings under her skirt so she doesn’t get hypothermia.
When we’re ready, I grab my cell off my desk and accompany Kara downstairs to Megan and Lisa’s room. The door is open a crack, and Kara just pushes it open, letting herself inside like she owns the place. I enter behind her and plop myself on Megan’s bed. While Megan looks more like me, wearing sweats and a fitted tee, Lisa dresses to kill like Kara in her long skirt and tall UGG boots that end just above her knees.
Lisa grabs something off her organized desk just before we leave. It’s only been about a half hour, but we decide to go outside where the fire will be and hangout before the guys get there. It’s not past curfew yet, but we sneak out anyway so the RAs think we’re inside and won’t come looking later when the curfew has come and gone.
I’m used to sneaking around now, so it’s like second nature. We get out easily, each of us jumping out our window, and then Lisa shows us to the back of the boy’s dorm where they’ve apparently had fires before. The boys aren’t here yet, so we find stumps around the pit for seats. We huddle together, trying to keep warm without a roaring fire.
“Is it just us and the four guys?” I ask the group, wondering who else is coming to this makeshift bonfire.
“I’m sure the boys have invited everyone they know by now,” Lisa mutters, rolling her eyes at Megan. I can’t see her well since my eyes haven’t fully adjusted to the darkness, but I imagine her making fun of me over there.
“As long as Junior’s here, I’m good.” I can’t let the comment slide, so I land a nice punch on her arm. She pretends that it bruised her, but I know it didn’t. I can’t handle Junior and Kara drama on top of my own.
A crack sounds from the woods and makes us all turn and look. We huddle close together as lurid figures emerge from the darkness like a clan of vampires.
“Who’s there?” Megan’s voice rings out, minuscule and shaky.
“It’s Tara,” one girl says, followed by her friends each rattling off their names. I stay silent, because I’ve never seen them before and don’t feel like introducing myself now. They can’t see me anyway, right?
They sit on the trunks across from us and chit chat within their group, not really mingling with us. More guys and girls slowly trickle over, and by the time the guys come back, there’s at least fifty kids hanging out around the fire.
Mikey finds me first and is already drunk. He sidles up next to me and lifts me onto his lap in one swoop. I’m a little taken aback, but I know it’s just because he’s been drinking, so I let it slide.
Junior’s next to meet up with us, and he goes straight for Kara. I can tell by the way he flirts with her that he’s almost at black out status. She wraps her arm around his shoulder and tugs him close to her. He goes along with it, and I pray that whatever is going on between them works out. With Junior, you just never know. He’s not a settle down kind of guy, but I guess Kara isn’t a settle down kind of girl either.
“I’m going to grab a drink,” I tell Mikey as I hop off of his lap. I feel awkward being around him when rumors are floating around that he likes me. I really have no interest, but I don’t want to hurt his feelings, since I really do like him as a friend.
As I’m walking around the area, I notice a group of guys who sit at the end of our lunch table starting up the fire. I stop and watch as they call some kid over. Immediately, I recognize him—Martin.
The fire maker. After the boys stack five logs into the pit, which is held together by a metal circle, Martin flicks his fingers and gets the fire going as the other boys add in grass and twigs to sustain it.
It springs to life immediately, heating up all the kids around it. It also helps me see since it’s four extra feet of light. I watch as they set up a table outside of the fire pit. There are a few tables around the pit with laterns on them, lighting up the games.
Two teams of two kids each play beer pong on a table near me, and it’s getting loud. I’m grabbing a beer out of a box on the ground when I feel a thick hand on my back.<
br />
“Sorry.” I keep my head down, thinking I ran into someone. I start to walk away but I feel like someone is staring at me hard. I turn and am face-to-face with my blonde god. “Ollie!” I shout and jump into his arms. “I didn’t think you were coming.”
“Well, I’m here.” He lifts his shoulders in a shrug.
“Come hang out.” I grab his hand and lead him over to my group of friends. All the girls have met him before, but he’s new to the guys, and just from the squint in Mikey’s eyes, I can tell he’s not welcome.
But I don’t care. He’s mine, and if he wants to be here, he can. Ollie sits down next to Kara and Junior and lends me his knee to sit on, which I gladly take. He wraps one arm around my waist, and the other rests on his knee with a beer in his hand. I have my beer in one hand, and with the other, I hold onto his neck to stabilize myself so I don’t topple over.
We join in when Kara and Junior are flirting back and forth, fifth grade style. Junior’s teasing her for something, and she’s being mean back.
“I’ve never met anyone with weirder hair than yours.” She touches his Mohawk making it topple over.
“Well, I’ve never met anyone with weirder hair than yours,” he counters back, slurring his words.
“That was such a bad comeback.”
“You’re a bad comeback,” he answers, giggling to himself.
“Let’s do something more fun than this.” Lisa stumbles over to the group, almost tripping over her own feet. Luckily, Megan comes over and helps her sit down. She’s not looking too well, but she just laughs it off, not realizing how embarrassing it is. The moon is full, so I can see most of her features along with everyone else around the fire.
“Like what?” Carter asks, coming out from the shadows.
“I don’t know.” She thinks hard with her eyebrows pinching until she starts giggling uncontrollably.
“How about Never Have I Ever?” Kara yells a little too powerfully. Junior covers her mouth with his hand, and she wriggles out of his grasp. But she’s not mad. She leans back against him, acting like nothing happened.
The Curse of Betrayal (A Curse Books) Page 14