Page 120 of Devils' Day Party
With my eyes closed, I just chill out for a while, letting myself get lost in the music as I try to process … well, everything.
Calix and his proposal the other night, Barron's prophetic drawings, Erina's bullshit.
You must really hate me, universe, I think, giving her a mental middle figure. You must really, really hate me.
After the album is over—it's only five songs long, after all—Luke turns down the music.
“Hey, so, where exactly are we going?”
“Let's get some guns and go shooting,” Raz repeats, and I swear to god, I almost reach over and pinch his nipple to get him to shut up. What is his fascination with guns anyway? One of these days, something bad is going to happen if he actually manages to get a hold of them. I don't have any opinion on gun control—for or against—but seriously, Raz does not need weapons during Devils' Day.
“Why don't we get tattoos?” I suggest, lifting my head up. “I mean, it's illegal for anyone under eighteen to do it, but clearly, Raz, you must have some connections?”
“Fuck,” is his response as he blinks confusedly at me. I must really be going off-script today. Even during the day we spent together at my Aunt Donna's, he didn't look at me quite like this. Like he's impressed. “Actually, I do.” Raz smirks, regaining his composure, and then leans forward to look across my lap at Sonja. “You want to call up that hillbilly cousin of yours?” he asks, and Sonja gives him a little sneer and a raised lip in response.
“My cousin in-law, but sure, Rasmus, I'll call him up.”
“Fuck you, Sonja,” Raz responds, but there's no heat to it. He's still looking at me, studying me.
“Is somebody going to tell me what's going on?” April asks, clearly exasperated at this point. “Luke is with Sonja, Karma is … apparently in love with Raz?”
Hearing those words—in love—is making my head ring. I did it today. I told all three boys. Didn't exactly go fantastic for me, but at least I know it can be done, period.
“Sonja and I … we've been sleeping together for about a year,” Luke whispers. “I don't know how Karma knows, but I should've told both of you. A long time ago.”
I flick my attention toward Sonja, but she's checked out of the conversation, searching her phone for this supposed contact of hers.
Luke pulls over into the parking lot of the only supermarket in all of Devil Springs.
“What if, instead of a tattoo, we got some snacks and went to the lake?” she suggests, turning the engine off and then swiveling around in her seat. “Even if I wanted to get a tattoo today, April can't. So how about we rethink our activity choices?”
“She's available, and she'll see us at the shop in an hour,” Sonja announces, turning back to the rest of us, her red-painted lips twisted into a smirk. She flicks her emerald gaze to Luke. “Don't bitch out on us, Lucille. Don't you want to get inked with me?”
“I …” Luke starts, her mouth slightly parted, attention wholly focused on Sonja. Slowly, she turns her brown eyes back to me, and I shrug.
“You only live once,” I say, and then I laugh because, well, that's not exactly true, is it? Luke and I have both died during these ridiculous repeats, haven't we? “Just get something small. It's on Raz anyway.”
“Yeah, sure, it's all on me,” he replies, still watching me with a sinful little smile in place. “But I think your friend has a good idea. Let's load up on supplies and then head out to Diamond Spring.”
“Nobody knows where Diamond Spring is,” I reply with a snort as Raz reaches out and grabs me, pulling me into his lap. Luke makes a strange sound, and April's eyebrows go up, but neither of them says a thing.
“I do,” Raz replies smugly, leaning forward to put his lips too near my ear for comfort. I shiver, but not in a bad way. Well, okay, it depends on context. One might say it was in a very, very bad way. “My dad owns a hunting property out here; it's how he knew about this stupid ass school in the first place. You want me to take you there?”
“Karma …” Luke warns, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of heading to an unknown, remote locale with our bullies. Then again, we're both in love with them, so they can't be all bad, right? We must see something in them worth loving.
“I'd love to see Diamond Spring,” April says, pushing her glasses up her nose. “I read an article about it online. Not only does it contain immense historical importance, but it's supposed to be a place of reflection. Some even say the waters there have magical healing properties.”
“So the hippies say about all the springs around here,” Raz quips, eyes shimmering as he reaches up a hand and cups the side of my face, running his thumb along my lower lip. My own eyes close as I savor his touch, biting down on his thumb gently. Raz shivers and shifts beneath me, like he’s perhaps a bit uncomfortable in his slacks now. “Let's get some beer and shit, stick it in a cooler, and then go get our tats.”
