by Nissa Leder
Once I’m outside, I hear Claire. “Ava! Wait up! I thought we were meeting at your locker?”
I force myself to inhale before facing her. “Oh, right, sorry. I thought you might have come out here already.”
She glances at the books still in my hand. “You didn’t go to your locker?”
I want to tell her why I bolted from the hallway like a baby, but if I do, she’ll likely cuss Darien out again. Right now, I just want to forget it all.
As if a gift from the gods, when I glance behind her, I see Finn leaning against the brick building with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. Sensing my distraction, Claire looks his way.
He pushes his back away from the wall and approaches us. “Hello.”
“Hi,” I say, both shocked and nervous at the fact that he’s standing there in front of me.
Claire stares coldly at him without a word. What is her deal?
“You said you were free at three,” Finn says. “So, here I am.”
“Finn, this is my friend Claire,” I say. “Claire, Finn.”
Claire lifts her chin, her eyes narrowing into slits. “I heard you took advantage of my friend.”
“Claire!” It isn’t unlike her to be bold, but I’ve never seen her so angry at someone she’s never met. “I was a willing party.”
He just ignores her, his gorgeous hazel eyes focused only on me. “Usually gentlemen wait until after a date to kiss, but since that didn’t happen, I’m here to make up for it.”
I think of Darien. The Ava who existed before dating him wouldn’t have worried so much about flirting with someone. She would have enjoyed it for what it was.
After two years with him, I’ve changed. The rightness I felt in his arms was so perfect, the idea of even flirting with someone I barely know seems odd. But his arms aren’t mine anymore, and I refuse to fall apart because of it.
“And how do you plan to do that?” I ask.
“A date, of course.” He grins.
Claire grabs my arm. “I need to talk to you.” She yanks me a few feet away, her fingers digging into my flesh. “You don’t even know him.”
She’s right. But that’s what makes it perfect. He has no preconceptions about me and it doesn’t have to be serious. “I’ll be careful.” I hug her. “Thank you for being a good friend. But I need to do something fun. Something spontaneous. I’ll text you later.”
She hugs me back with a sigh. When she pulls away, she starts to say something but clamps her mouth shut and goes to Finn instead. “If you hurt her, you will regret it.”
He bends into a bow. “She won’t do anything she doesn’t want to. Scout’s honor.” His fingers press together, saluting her.
Their words confuse me, as if there is some deeper meaning beneath their surface. But Claire has always been protective of me, and I’m sure Finn is just trying to smooth it all over. I need to relax.
Claire heads back inside the school, leaving me alone with Finn. The nerves in my stomach ricochet like a racquetball bouncing from wall to wall.
“So, what must I do to impress you?” he asks.
I shrug, feigning nonchalance as I try to control the butterflies in my stomach. “I guess you better figure it out.”
“Hmmm …”
“One rule,” I say. “Public transportation only. You are still a stranger, after all.”
Having a cute guy distract me is just what I need, but I can’t be a complete idiot about it.
“There’s a bus stop just down the road.” Finn reaches out his hands. “As a gentleman, I must insist on carrying your books.”
I giggle like a six-year-old. “Very well.” I hand them to him.
From the corner of my eye, I see someone hesitate next to me. When I look to see who it is, my chest tightens.
Darien’s bright blue eyes look into mine then to my books in Finn’s hands, and then back to me. Those eyes watched me cry for hours when my mom left, watched every varsity basketball game I’ve played in, watched me smile at him as he teased me for singing the wrong song lyrics in the car.
My heart wants to yank the books back from Finn and retract every ounce of flirting we’ve done, but I fight the urge to run go to Darien. Instead, I break his gaze.
I turn to Finn and say, “Let’s go.”
It’s as if I’m fighting gravity as I walk side-by-side with Finn away from Darien, but I don’t look back. I can’t. I know if I do, I’ll change my mind and, right now, wanting Darien will only break me.
“Be prepared to be impressed,” Finn says as we leave the school grounds.
As we walk down the street, my body relaxes. I glance at Finn, whose eyes are focused ahead as he balances my books on one hand.
“You know,” he says as we wait at the public bus stop, “my sports car would have made me look much cooler.”
“But you could be a serial killer,” I say, trusting in my gut he isn’t.
“Pretty and smart.” Finn winks. “I knew I liked you the moment I saw you.”
“I am rather awesome. You haven’t seen the half of it.” I grin as the lightness I felt with Finn at the Brown House returns. I’ve never felt such ease with a stranger.
The bus pulls up and Finn gives the driver cash as we enter. Five stops later, we exit.
“Now where?” I ask as we linger on the sidewalk and people pass us by. Some are dressed professionally in suits and ties, pencil skirts, and blazers. Others wear jeans, cardigans, and boots.
“This way.” Finn heads down the street.
Despite the rainy start to the day, the rain clouds are taking a break right now. Puddles from earlier still fill the holes in the street and sidewalk, but at least my hair is safe. I notice an umbrella here and there—the easiest way to spot a tourist. After seventeen years living in Seattle, the gray skies and rainy days don’t even faze me. Somehow, the dreary weather highlights the beautiful landscape that surrounds the city, casting a glossy sheen on all of the rich colors. With trees for days and breathtaking mountain views, what’s a little rain?
As we walk, I smell the scent of the ocean. When we reach the end of the tall buildings hovering over us, the pier comes into view, stretching out over the water. It’s been my favorite part of the city as long as I can remember. The vastness of the water has always enlivened me.
“So, what should we do? Eat, take a stroll along the water, swim with the fishes?” Finn asks.
“Options one or two sounds okay. Three, not so much.”
“Okay, we can save that one for our second date.” He laughs.
“A little presumptuous, don’t you think? What if this one is a total flop?” I lift my arms and raise my palms to the sky. “Whatever will you do then?”
“Well, all the more reason to go on another date. I’m not one to give up easily.” He starts walking again. “Now come on, I’m starving.”
As we approach a row of restaurants, he asks, “What sounds good? Fish n’ chips? Italian? Good ol’ burgers?”
“Well, since you know nothing about me, now’s a good time to tell you I’m a vegetarian.”
“Oh, did I say burger? I meant veggie burger, of course.”
“Mmhmm. Sure you did.” I grin. “But a veggie burger sounds great to me.”
We go to a restaurant overlooking the Sound. Boats with large sails float in the distance as one of the Victoria Clippers passes on one of its tours. Every summer, dad used to take me on an ocean attraction of some sort.
At first, we took a tour of the pier. Then we did a whale watching tour. And, the last summer before mom left us, we went deep sea fishing, where I puked up every ounce of food in my stomach and then some. That was the last time we followed the tradition.
“Okay, so you’re beautiful, a vegetarian, and aren’t a fan of swimming with the fishes,” Finn says as we wait for our food. “What else don’t I know about you?”
“Well, considering that’s all you know, there’s a lot you don’t know.” I sip my Dr. Pepper.
“Ava Pierce. And well, I don’t know, a normal teenage girl.” I shrug, not sure what about me is worth mentioning.
Finn sighs. “Please. I don’t believe for even one millisecond you’re some stereotype. Let’s start small. If you were trapped on a desert island and could have only two things, what would they be?”
“Two? I thought it’s always three.”
“Exactly, everyone gives you three things and I just think that’s too easy. My rules say it’s only two.”
I press my eyebrows in mock frustration. “Well, a cell phone so I could call for help …”
“Uh, no. There is no cell service on this hypothetical island. That’s too easy.”
My mouth opens in a huff. “Fine. Matches would be handy at first, but they’d eventually run out so I’d have to learn to make a fire without them anyway, so that would be a waste. I’d want my items to be both practical and fun.” I bring my index finger to my chin. “I would bring a large, fluffy blanket, both to keep warm and to relax out in the sunshine or maybe turn into a hammock. And a knife, so I could cut into coconuts and pineapples and use it to sketch pretty designs into all of the palm trees so my island would be unique.”
“So, you’re an artist then?”
“Yep,” I say. “What about you? What are your two items?”
“I would bring a set of cards and you with your blanket and knife. We’d be set.”
“Hey, that’s cheating.”
Finn chuckles. “Nope, it’s ingenious. We’d have everything we need for a fun, relaxing life.”
The waiter brings us our food—two veggie burgers and fries—and we both eat without saying much. Finn is smooth, I must say. I can’t say I’m too surprised. He has that vibe about him that makes him seem like every girl’s dream crush. Which, of course, means he has a major flaw I just haven’t figured out yet.
But if two days ago someone would have told me I’d be laughing like this after having my heart yanked from my chest, I’d have called them crazy.
Yet here I am, actually enjoying myself.
And for now, that’s good enough.
The waitress brings us the check. I see Ava eyeing it as if she’s about to grab it. As soon as she reaches for it, I snatch it. Demon speed has its benefits.
“You got the bus fare, I can get the food,” Ava says.
“Well …. no.” I glance at the check and pull out enough cash to cover the meal and a generous tip.
“At least let us split it,” Ava tries.
“You are more than welcome to ask me on a date sometime, and I will fully expect you to pay,” I say. “But this time, it’s me taking you out.”
She opens her mouth as if to try one more time but I let my persuasion aura pulse outward and she snaps her mouth shut. It’s cheating, I know, but it’s not as if I did anything wrong to get my powers. I was born with them inside, waiting to show themselves. Now that they have, it would almost be criminal not to use them.
Once we’re outside the restaurant, I ask, “What now? Ready to swim with the fishes, yet?”
“Not quite.” Her eyes squint as she grins.
“Then I guess it’s walking along the pier.” Still carrying her books, I head toward the water.
I could use my persuasion to make her jump straight into the ocean and her only choices would be to swim or drown. Some demons would do it just for the laugh. But that’s not my style. My human side’s conscience always talks me out of the more morbid ideas that cross my mind.
But my demon side has its desires as well. Influencing others is both a power and a need. Using my gift to feed itself is always the most rewarding. Convince someone hesitant to kiss me and my demon side gets a snack. Convince her to do more and it gets a feast.
Now that I know Ava is friends with Claire, it complicates things. I don’t doubt Claire would make true on her promise. But she didn’t stop Ava from coming with me. Why? If she’d have told her what I am, then I doubt Ava would be with me now. So Claire kept my secret.
The only reason I can think of to make her do that is she has secrets of her own. Ava must be completely unaware of our world. It makes sense. Our world is supposed to be kept a secret from all humans. If the general population knew of our existence, holy water and rosary sales would spike like no other. Not that they would do any good. But humans like the idea of protection regardless of whether or not it actually works. Gives them a sense of control or something.
Obviously, oblivious targets are the easiest for us demons to hit. But even the angels are sworn to secrecy. They claim it’s to prevent hysteria, but I bet they are just as afraid of being discovered as we are. Would mortals worship the angels or would they fear them just as much?
We pass by the other people here enjoying the cool ocean breeze. The sun sneaks through the only crack in the clouds in the entire sky.
A woman points to the rays coming down and says, “It’s like an angel shining down.”
I can’t resist a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Ava asks as she eyes the woman.
“People seem to find meaning in everything.” I shrug. “Sometimes I think things are just what they are.”
“Not a believer in the supernatural?” Ava tilts her head.
“I’m not saying I don’t believe there are things that go boo in the night, I just don’t think sun rays are inherently divine.”
“Fair enough.”
“What about you?” I can’t help but ask. Normally, I focus more on the flirting, which generally leads to kissing and then sometimes to more. But something about Ava has me curious about something deeper than her favorite mascara.
“Honestly, I’m not really sure. I like to think there’s some deeper meaning to life and things will all work out, but I lost most of my optimism a long time ago.”
We approach an empty bench facing out to the sea. I go to it and sit down, setting the books between me and the bench’s arm.
Sadness engulfs Ava. Since I saw her at the football game, her aura has always had a thin layer of murky brown, but now, the dingy shade expands. I’ve clearly reminded her of something dark in her past. Usually it’s a benefit, opening someone even further to persuasion in a desire for distraction. But I’ve enjoyed today’s fun mood, so today I want things to stay light.
“You don’t seem like a pessimist,” I say. Despite the darkness that surrounds her, I sense she isn’t as cynical as she thinks she is. She also radiates a bright violet, a color that I rarely see. She’s a dreamer, filled with a loving energy that transcends the usual pink hue of love into the spiritual kind of pure goodness.
“I try not to linger on the bad stuff, but I don’t follow the whole ‘everything happens for a reason’ mantra either.” Ava stares out to a yacht in the distance. Her blonde waves sway in the wind, but she doesn’t seem bothered.
“Something in particular on your mind?” I send out just enough persuasion to relax her a little.
“My mom left us a few years ago. She was addicted to pain meds. First, people tried to convince me she’d come back and our relationship would be stronger for it. Then, when she didn’t, they promised it was something to help me grow as a human, which I guess was true. Dad does his best, but sometimes a girl just wants her mom.” Ava turns to me, her eyes glossy. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. Not exactly what you signed up for by asking me out.”
“No, I get it. My dad wasn’t part of my life for a long time.”
“I’m sorry,” she says. “But he is now?”
“Eh, sort of. More of an investor than a father.” The last thing I want to do is get into all of my daddy issues right now. I’m about to ask her about school—to change the conversation into a lighter mood—but instead, a different question comes out. “Who was that guy at your school who looked like he wanted to murder me?”
Ava takes a deep breath and swallows. “Tha
t was … my ex.”
It must be the Darien the oh-so-classy guy at the football game mentioned when he tried to hit on her. “Ex, huh? Recently?”
“A few days ago.” Her cheeks redden, the brown in her aura expanding a little further. “I probably should have told you about him sooner.”
I bump my shoulder against hers. “Please, it isn’t as if you’ve promised me anything. I can make a wonderful rebound guy.” As I say the words, I regret them. Why? I’m not sure.
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” She grins.
It doesn’t surprise me Ava has an ex. I could sense the easy-goingness in her at the party. It’s what drew me to her. “What happened between you two?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. He just broke it off completely out of nowhere.” She wipes a tear from the outside corner of her eye. “But enough about him.”
“Yeah, sorry, I don’t know why I even brought it up.” Seriously, I’m usually smarter than that. Reminding a girl of her ex isn’t the best way to seduce her.
Is that what I’m doing? Because I haven’t tried to do anything with her today.
We’re close now. Close enough I could lean in and kiss her. But I don’t.
“I should be getting home,” Ava says. “Dad will have dinner ready soon.”
“Hungry again already?” I joke. “Dang!”
She laughs. “I’m stuffed, actually. But since I know my dad will only worry if I say I went out with a total stranger, I’ll be forced to eat at least a few bites.”
Any hopes of convincing her to come to my place are gone.
But somehow, I don’t mind.
7
I thought I’d never find this stupid place, but after two buses and three blocks of walking, I’m finally here. Serious Pie. Apparently, it’s the best place for pizza in Seattle.
I examine the wood storefront and double check the sign before I push open the glass door. Inside, I’m greeted by the aroma of fresh basil, garlic, tomato sauce, and bread.
Heavenly.