Page 59 of Foes & Cons
“No, thank you,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Sure?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.”
He strolls back down the hall into his room, letting the door shut loudly behind him. I try Roxy again and nearly throw my phone down the hallway, but even I know that’s not a good move. I watch the door Roxy went through, waiting for her to come rushing through holding a tattoo pen triumphantly over her head, maybe even throwing in some parkour as she comes back to me, but she doesn’t. The competition starts in less than twenty minutes, and I have zero chance of winning if I’m stuck here. I yank my cape, but it doesn’t budge. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
“Charlie?” I call.
The door clicks.
“Yes, Eliza?”
“Please can I wait in your room?”
“Why of course; what a good idea.”
He heads towards me, not exactly smiling but notnotsmiling either, and there’s something in his eyes that’s way too sparkly given my circumstances. He stops in front of me, and I look up at him. I’d forgotten how tall he is, I’m so used to glaring at him from a distance. His scent hasn’t changed much; that deodorant he wears but with a new scent sprayed into the mix so he smells like an upgraded version of the boy I was friends with. We face each other for a few seconds until he slowly lifts his hand and reaches for my face. My heart clangs against my breastplate and I press myself harder against the door.
“W-what are you doing?” I manage.
“Helping you get your cloak off?”
“Oh,” I say, clearing my throat. “Cape.”
“What now?”
“It’s a cape, not a cloak, and I can do it.”
I swallow and my hands fly up to my shoulders, my fingers fumbling at the fastenings. I look down, hoping he doesn’t notice my hands shaking.
Whyare my hands shaking?
I manage to undo both fastenings, then step forwards and the cape falls from my shoulders. I’m suddenly very aware of how much flesh this costume shows without it. I swallow. Again. Why all the swallowing, Eliza?
“Here,” he says, handing me a hoodie.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re shaking.”
“I’m just . . . excited.”
“Right.”
He’s still holding out the hoodie, so I take it and put it round my shoulders, not giving him the satisfaction of using the sleeves, even though I’m actually freezing. I bite the inside of my cheek.
“Thanks,” I say.
He raises an eyebrow and turns away, so I start following him to his room, then stop suddenly.
“What about my cape?”
“What about it?” he says, walking into his room.
“I can’t just leave it,” I say, looking at it like it’s Jawfain caught in an Arachno Demon’s web (spoiler: he was fine).
