“All we can do is make suggestions, and hope the Normals win,” he said.
“That’s very kind of you, Troy,” said Polly. “I get you.”
“Get me…how?”
She pointed two fingers at her eyes, then at his. “You just go ahead and hope. Wink.”
“Huh?”
“Speak human, Polls,” said Meikle.
“Am I the only one smart enough to translate Troy’s code? Perhaps it’s my keen sense of manners that enables me to see his chivalry,” said Polly.
Ophelia, our true Miss Manners, shook her head. “No, there was nothing chivalrous in what he said. It was mere fact, Polly.”
Polly fumed. Ophelia was everything Polly wanted to be and, perhaps, thought she was, despite her demon halves. “Didn’t. Ask. You. Like I said, Troy’s definition of ‘hope’ isn’t as innocuous as its dictionary meaning. He’s planning on ensuring our win…by throwing the competition.”
“Whoa, wait. I never said that.” Troy put his hands up. “I don’t even think it’s possible to—”
Polly tilted her head sympathetically and interrupted him. “Troy, I’m on your side. You, Benji, and Airianna plan to throw the Overfalls. The other three can’t win without you. It’s quite gentlemanly. And genius…and—”
“Stupid,” purred Katrina, slithering up behind Troy. “Do you really think there aren’t provisions for cheaters? Didn’t your captain read her little rulebook? It was in my locker when I got to school. Ah, by the gutted glances, I see she hasn’t.”
“Haven’t gotten mine,” I said. “Convenient for you, isn’t it?”
“Aw, you poor lost lambs! Since Airi, Benji, and Troy are on my team and sitting here, I’d be glad to spread my captain knowledge, for today,” she said.
“Can’t speak for the rest of us, but I’m sure not interested in what you have to spread,” Trey quipped.
Airianna’s wildly blushing cheeks drew Trey’s quick apology.
Looking from Trey to Airianna, Katrina’s mouth curled into a skank-smile. “Oh, I see. You’re interested in another kind of spread. Well, good luck with that one. Aside from her raging, disapproving father, it’s a bumpy ride to the Promised Land, Normal. By the time you realize you’re locked out, you’ll think about our conversation and wish you hadn’t made that ‘spread’ comment.”
God, the humiliation on Airianna’s face was literally painful. Giving Katrina my best bitch brow, I said, “I think when it comes down to choosing between an angel and a pit eel who’s motored around the Great Barrier Reef more times than a great white chasing a surfer, Trey will find there is no choice.”
“Nice,” said Meikle, flashing her rarely seen smile.
Katrina’s neck turned red with the rising anger. “Don’t forget, this pit eel made that swim with your boyfriend, many times, many ways.”
Oh, if only I could Savior her ass right now; I’d have her through the wall so fast it would make her fake nails fly off. “Don’t forget, the pit eel lost the guy to an inexperienced Normal, so the swim couldn’t have been all that great.” But, ya know, I’ll settle for the word whammy.
Nodding, she said through gritted teeth, “Every participant is cloaked with an invisible mental and physical measuring mist. They’ll know if you’re purposely throwing any portion of any event. Next time, make sure your captain does her job.”
As she started walking away, I tapped into my usually dormant Texas accent. “How’s your tum-tum? Hope I didn’t hurt you too bad.”
She slowly turned, an unnerving grin stretching across her face. “Actually, I should thank you for that. With that hit, came my wish. See you tonight!”
Well, damn. “That backfired,” I said.
“Yes, it did. Way to go!” said Polly, giving me a double thumbs up that could well have been a double flip off.
“Katrina deserved every bit of it. She holds nothing back, so why should Marina?” said Airianna, looking at me. “You saved me, again…this time from my stupid shyness. I owe you so many saves.”
“It’s so not an ‘owe’ kind of thing, Airi,” I said.
“It is to me,” she said in a singsong voice as I laughed and shook my head.
As lunch came to an end, all of us packed up; the Normals agreed to meet on the school steps to wait for Doctor Tenly’s car. Troy, Airianna, and Benji had their team meeting at the same time in Zale’s manor.
“I’m going to miss you,” said Troy.
“Me too,” I said, playing with his hand. “Just, uh, don’t get too swept away by the siren.”
“Not a chance. Besides, merps and sirens don’t exactly mix,” he said, wrapping his long arms around my waist. “You stay away from the feather duster.”
Laughing, I said, “I don’t like feathers because they tickle, remember?”
As he bent down to kiss me, we heard Gully’s giggle box kick in; if chipmunks could laugh, I bet they’d sound exactly like her.
“Um, before we go, I’d just like everyone to know…I have no idea what anything any of you said actually meant, but it was all very fun,” said Gully, smiling in a blissfully clueless fashion.
Troy and I lost it, as did practically everyone else, except Polly, who mouthed the words kill it at me.
After school, Trey, Ophelia, Polly, Meikle, Gully, Maile, and I met outside the front doors. We didn’t have to wait for the limo; it was already here in all its obvious fashion. Strangely, no one was even looking at it or us.
“This is the only dignified mode of transportation,” said Polly, sliding into the back.
I paused by the chauffeur. “Is it invisible?”
He smiled and shook his head. “Repellant.”
“Ah.” Whatever that means.
The drive to Hambury House was interesting. Trey was in la-la land, otherwise known as daydreaming about Airianna; Meikle tried to pull Polly’s potentially hazardous focus from Gully, who was gabbing Ophelia’s ear off; and Maile engaged the headrest in conversation, thinking it was me.
Doctor Tenly and Jex were waiting for us as we piled into the study.
“We must talk wishes,” said Doctor Tenly, wasting no time.
“I would like to talk about the lack of hot water by the time Gullivere is done in her shower,” said Polly, sitting on the couch next to me.
“Not now,” said Doctor Tenly. “We can address that at our…” Running over to a white board, he tapped it several times and placed his hand to his ear.
“Weekly Hambury House-house meeting,” said all the Normals, some more enthusiastically than others.
Once again, Meikle dragged her favorite chair from the back corner of the room, filling our ears with ungodly screeches.
When she finally stopped and straddled it, Doctor Tenly said, “Really must remember to leave the chair right there for her. Now, then, Polly, the house meeting is when we talk about living conditions.”
“Fine,” said Polly, clipping her hair back. “Then I would like to address why Troy’s demon self never tried to lure me into its soul.”
“Hello, left field,” I said. “Where’d that come from?”
“Ever since I found out he’s harboring a demon, I’ve been bothered. Today at lunch, I tried to engage his demon, see if I could swim a little.”
“What happened?” asked Ophelia.
“Nothing, obviously, or I wouldn’t be asking. I’ve never met a demon that didn’t love to dive into me or have me dive into it.”
I looked at Doctor Tenly with what some would call a dumfounded face; however, I would call it the face of the worst girlfriend in the world. It never occurred to me that Polly had the ability to inhabit, however briefly, my boyfriend’s soul and explore the part he fears most. I’m no better than a bed bug.
“It didn’t cross my mind, either, Marina,” said Doctor Tenly.
Polly flashed us an ‘are you kidding me?’ glance. “Neither of you should be thinking about demons.”
“They do have far more important things on their mind
s,” said Ophelia.
“Oh, it’s not that. Any idiot would have made the connection between Troy and me by now. It’s just…that’s my territory—demons. You have your Savior chew toy to play with, and the doctor has his overall kooky brilliance. Let me have something.”
“She’s got a point,” said Jex.
Polly slowly surveyed Jex like she would a fine piece of steak. “You’re the angel formerly known as Manakel?”
“That would be me. You can also call me ‘coach.’”
After a brief pause, Polly said, “I don’t think I like you.”
“Who asked you, pinky?” said Jex, a tad ticked.
“Pinky? How very original. How do you sleep with a brain as witty as yours?” she said, shifting her eyes back to Doctor Tenly. “Any idea how Troy’s demon is locking me out?”
“Huh, maybe your demon dipping function is faulty,” snipped Jex. Polly’s razor sharp tongue had found its match in Jex, although I doubt she recognized that fact.
“Well, Polly,” said Doctor Tenly, somewhat loudly to avoid any more word jabs between Polly and Jex, “Troy’s demon is unique. It’s not exactly the social type. If it wants to remain alone, it will. When you factor in Troy’s unwillingness to even acknowledge his demon part, then not even your talent can penetrate that shield.”
“We’ll see,” she said, leaning into the couch with her arms crossed, probably plotting a way to break through Troy’s guard.
In a way, I hoped she could crack him. If she did, maybe there would be something there to convince him of his goodness and of his demon’s usefulness. The brief thought that the opposite might be true was something I allowed to pass through my mind very quickly.
“The wish,” said Doctor Tenly. “Any help we can provide is limited, I’m afraid. Upon the moment the wish is granted, it’s yours and yours alone. You’ll take our suggestions, mix them with your own ideas, and then your mind will craft a wish from them. From there, your heart will translate your wish. Only then, will the wish be accepted as true.”
“It’s not fair, though,” I said. “We should all make this wish together. When the outcome is for all of us, it shouldn’t be left to one.”
Doctor Tenly and Jex smiled at each other. “You think so far outside of yourself, it’s almost unbelievable,” said Jex.
“Personally, I would wish for Normals to have the power of power,” Polly offered.
“Unlike that one,” said Jex.
“What do you mean, Polls?” asked Meikle.
“Well, we have powers we can’t technically use, at least not back in our world. I’d like to see those with powers be able to use them and send ruthless lawmakers to the depths of hell,” she said. “Obviously.”
“Okay, then,” said Doctor Tenly, “anyone else?”
“A life of dreams coming true might be nice,” said Maile. This time she was talking to a teapot on Doctor Tenly’s desk.
“Can’t you do something for her day vision?” I asked. “Did Maile tell you about it suddenly vanishing one day…while at the institution?”
Doctor Tenly widened his eyes knowingly. “She did, and I’m working on it. Almost got something for her.”
“My wish would be to end discrimination towards us,” said Ophelia. “No more discrimination. No more name-calling. Give us equal footing.”
“Yeah, and I’d vote for freeing the Normals from Zale’s network,” said Trey.
“I’d like justice on all of those who outlawed us,” said Meikle.
“Oh! Oh! I have one,” Gully squealed, waving her hand in the air. “I’d like for it to be Christmas year-round!”
Polly’s eyes went black for a split second.
“How would that help Normals, Gully?” asked Jex.
Biting her lip and thinking hard, Gully said, “Well…if it’s Christmas all the time, people can’t hurt you, and they have to be nice to you. It’s a rule. That’s what Christmas is all about, feeling safe.”
Bless her. Even Polly couldn’t flame on her for wanting to feel safe.
“All excellent suggestions,” said Doctor Tenly. “It’s up to you, now, Marina.”
Hurl. I wanted to do the right thing for Normals all around the globe, but…how do I do that?
Jex placed a hand on my shoulder. “Stop thinking. The time for that is over. Your brain has all the options tucked away. Now, your heart will find the right answer. Trust it. Trust yourself.”
I nodded, hoping the slightly shady member of God’s holy heaven was right.
*****
When the limo dropped me off at home, Mom was already there, cooking my favorite, spaghetti and meatballs.
“Hi, Mom,” I said, expecting her to be all upbeat after her first day of baking and selling. But when she didn’t respond, I quietly put my stuff on a barstool and watched her for a minute. When Mom frowns at her food, calls a tomato an ass-head, stirs the meat sauce with short, vigorous, white-knuckled movements, and chops a head of lettuce like she was a human guillotine, we have a problem. “Mom?”
Whipping around with a butcher knife in one hand, she said, “Oh, hi sweetie. I didn’t hear you come in. How long have you been here?”
“Long enough to see you verbally attack a tomato and behead the lettuce. What’s going on?”
She pulled a face. “Nobody bought my cookies.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was worried about that. The merps aren’t exactly looking to support Normals right now.”
“I know. I guess I hoped they would find them fun and not think of them as human- made.” She grabbed a large pink box, untied the pale yellow ribbon, and showed me her creations. “Are they ugly?”
“They’re incredible!” Her cookies were like edible works of art. “Whoa! Did that candy just blink…and wink…oh, and smile!”
Grinning, Mom said, “Yep. It’s kind of nice to have a boss with powers. She and I made the candy, then she asked what I’d like to see happen with it, and I came up with fun faces. Remind you of anything?”
“Aww, those smiley face cookies you used to make when I was a little girl, before…”
“You were my inspiration,” she said. “How your eyes twinkled…and that darling belly laugh of yours when I made the cookie talk…I thought they would make people happy, maybe even open their minds a little.” She took a deep breath. “Well…screw them if they don’t have a sense of humor. Anyway, it wasn’t a complete waste. Troy, Airi, Benji, and Bobby dropped by and bought some before their team meeting. The rest were either purchased by Eva and Doctor Tenly or came home for us to hog on.”
“They’re perfect. Things will get better.”
“Yes, they will,” she said, somewhat distantly. “Well, now, you have a present on your bed. Go take a look.”
I ran to my room and saw a large silver box sitting in the middle of the bed. Untying the blue ribbon and removing the tissue paper, I found a beautiful, flowing dress with cascading tiers in various shades of aquamarine.
“Eva and I thought you needed something special for tonight. The blues reminded me of the water—thought it could be a symbol of your friendship with Airi, Troy, and even Benji and Bobby. Even though you have to compete against them, you’re still on the same side,” said Mom, leaning against my door.
“It’s beyond perfect. Thank you,” I said, hurrying to hug her. “You and Mrs. Waterberry are too much. I’ll have to do something nice for her.”
“She figured you’d say that, and she did have a request,” said Mom.
“What’s that?”
“Win.”
*****
Mom and I ate our dinner, but it was hard to savor anything. It was one of those meals that stayed stuck in your throat like a big wad of gunk because your stomach was too dang nervous to accept visitors. As I brushed my hair in the mirror, my eyes fell upon the pāua shell necklace Troy gave me last Christmas. I never take it off; it was as much a part of me as Troy himself. But, in that moment, I knew I had to remove it. With it on, I felt him, all
of him, every second of every single day. With it off, I was naked and empty, but I was also just me. To make this wish—to make it right—it was necessary for me to be all-Normal without anything else draining my mind and heart. Setting my necklace on the dresser, I slipped on my new dress and Mom and I left our house to start the long walk down the beach. I had suggested taking the car, but Mom’s gut thought walking would do my mind and super-knotty stomach some good. As always, she was right. By the time we reached the beach behind the library, my stomach had completely relaxed, apart from the slightly nervous, gassy bubbling taking place in my lower abdomen. That would be unfortunate—dropping a stink-bomb in front of everyone in such a pretty dress. Ew. Please, God, don’t let me do that.
Hundreds of lightning whelk created a glowing pathway to two crystal stands filled with students, teachers, and townsfolk. The curvy stands were situated like bookends, and in the middle were two large rock formations with a simple Mason jar sitting on top of each.
Mom, surveying the scene, reached over and squeezed my hand; it was both comforting and unsettling. Finally, I spotted Jex, who quickly fluttered over to us.
“God, he even flies sexy,” said my mom out of the corner of her mouth.
He flashed us a sexy grin. “Mrs. Valentine, good to see you. Fletcher’s waiting just there, in the first row, closest to the request rocks.”
“Thanks, Manakel…Jex. That’s going to take some getting used to,” she said, kissing my forehead. “Right. I’m leaving. See Mom leave.”
As she lingered, still holding my hand, Jex whispered in her ear, “I’ll take care of her, don’t you worry. Angel, here, remember?”
Mom released a flustered, teenager-type giggle and reluctantly released my hand. “This is called leaving. What you can’t see is the piss-fit going on underneath. And now I’m walking.” She nodded once more and joined Mr. Gibbs in the stands.
“She’s a hoot. You look…quite lovely,” he said. Did he just blush? Nah, snarky, horny angels don’t blush. “So, ready, Savior?” he asked, putting his arm around me.
OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) Page 14