Page 115 of Devils' Day Party
“Marry me, Karma; let's get lost together.”
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
How am I supposed to go on with my life, knowing those words, those wants and needs, are hiding inside of stone-cold Calix Knight with his dark eyes and lush mouth? That's why I went to Raz today. I can't bear to look at Calix. Or Barron, either, for that matter.
Although, now that I'm standing here, and Raz is turning to look at me over his shoulder, I'm remembering our time at my aunt's cottage, and I'm wondering why I thought this would be easier, better.
It's still hard.
It still sucks.
I just want to see tomorrow.
“Wouldn't that be a sight?” Raz snickers, shaking his head and running his fingers through his dirty blond hair. “Crescent Prep's biggest losers cutting class and getting fucked-up with us today.”
“You're calling me a loser?” I ask, standing my ground as Sonja chuckles evilly beside her bestie. “After I stood in front of Barron and Calix and admitted my feelings for you?”
The sneer on Raz's face slides right off, and he frowns, like he didn't expect me to be so fucking honest.
“Shit, okay, well …” He glances at April, and then shrugs his shoulders. “Never partied with a pregnant chick, but what the fuck ever.” Sonja pulls out a pack of cigarettes, handing one to Raz. He slips a lighter from his pocket and chuckles, talking around the cigarette tucked between his lips. “We're all sinners here, right?”
“Not Karma,” Luke says, and everyone turns to look at me.
My lips purse tight.
They might not know I'm a sinner, but I am. I'm as steeped in the devil's deeds as anyone else here. Maybe more so. There must be a reason the universe chose me to suffer.
“Not Karma,” Raz agrees, almost reluctantly, narrowing his red eyes.
“Theodore Rasmus!” One of the administrators is standing on the front steps, his lips turned down in a sharp frown. Upon closer inspection, I can see that it's actually Mr. Aldrich, the teacher in charge of the Devils' Day Committee. “Are you smoking on school property?”
“Me, smoking?” Raz asks, taking a long drag and blowing gray smoke into the cool, autumn air. “No way.”
“Be a little more defiant, it suits you,” I say, starting toward the school. Raz snatches me by the upper arm, and I glance back at him, surprised to see such blatant fear of rejection in his sharp-lined face. “I'll be right back, promise.” At least I’m making I promise I can keep. My throat gets tight, but I can’t exactly blame the boys for not knowing they were making promises to a time traveler.
He lets me go—reluctantly—and I swear, I can feel his eyes boring into my back as I make my way to Mr. Aldrich.
“I'm going to write him up, mark my words,” he grumbles, but more to himself than to me it seems. We both know he isn't going to do shit to Raz Loveren. Raz’s daddy wants him to suffer, obviously, or he wouldn't have sent him all the way out here, but he also gifts him cars worth an average person's lifetime salary, so …
“I'd like to send an anonymous Devils' Day gift,” I tell Mr. Aldrich, studying his brown bear mask with interest. It looks like it's made of real fur, but even if it is, I know Mr. Aldrich's opinions too well to think he hurt an animal to get it. Likely, it's an antique. A lot of families in this area pass down their Devils' Day masks from generation to generation. “Could you help me with that?”
Mr. Aldrich drags his attention away from Raz to look down at me, blinking like he can't quite place me. I slide my mask up into my hair and smile at him, but my face still doesn't seem to ring any bells.
Even the staff forgets my name sometimes. How nice.
But …
I glance over my shoulder to see that Raz is still watching me.
He never forgets me, not even for a second.
“Of course,” Mr. Aldrich says, leading me inside and down the hall. He takes me to the classroom where the Devils' Day Committee has set up shop.
They've pushed together several desks and covered them with glittery black tablecloths. A banner hangs across the front with the slogan Be Somebody's Little Devil, Send a Gift. According to the sign, all the profits are being donated to Ditch the Label, an anti-bullying charity.
How … ironic.
I mean, considering the cadre of people sitting behind those desks, hawking their wares. I don't know any of their names, but I recognize them—the demon-masked girls are there, along with the monster-masked boys who helped them lock me, April, and Luke in the cave. And then there’s that girl from the first day, with the raven hair and ice-blue eyes. What did Calix say her name was? Erina Cheney?
