“Tell your dad,” Chay finished.
I burst out laughing. “You’re gonna be a tattletale?”
“This is serious,” he said quietly.
“I know. I’m sorry. Next time I’ll wait, but you have to be on time, Chay. You were late today.”
“Geez, nagging me already.” He lifted my book bag off my shoulder and swung it over his.
***
The school day flew by. I was in and out of classes quickly, and for the most part, painlessly. Except for calculus, where we were given three pages of homework. Three freakin’ pages! There should be child labor laws for homework.
The last bell rang and we all hurried from our seats, grabbing our books and running toward the door before the teacher could pile on any more homework.
“Can you believe the calculus homework?” I complained to Muriel.
We were walking down the hall to the gym. We had a swim meet that afternoon. I had to grab my bag out of my gym locker on the way to the bus. I hated riding the bus, with its awful smell and sticky floors. But it was school policy that students ride the buses to and from sporting events. Bonus.
We grabbed our swim bags and walked toward the grime-covered, faded yellow bus.
Crap, I forgot my swim cap on the bench in the locker room.
I turned and jogged back to the school. “Save me a seat,” I yelled over my shoulder to Muriel.
“Why? What are you doing?”
“I gotta grab my swim cap.”
“Milayna! Wait for me. You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m right behind you.”
I ran through the gym and into the locker room. After grabbing my swim cap, I hurried back through the gym. I was halfway across the room when the door swung open and I realized I had a problem. A big one.
Butterflies the size of birds swarmed my stomach, and a lump in my throat sealed them in. So much adrenaline mixed with my blood that it made me dizzy and a little queasy.
Stupid, stupid! Why am I so damn dense sometimes?
He advanced on me. I backed up until the back of my knees hit the bleachers, falling with a grunt. He smiled. His face was so beautiful. If I didn’t know what lay behind those denim-blue eyes, I would’ve bent to his every whim. But he wasn’t the good, hometown boy everyone thought he was. He was evil.
I couldn’t believe I’d once thought we belonged together. Now, I could see evil running through his veins. Evil that Azazel let loose when he turned. No, we didn’t belong together. Azazel and Jake belonged together. They were the perfect match.
“Come with me, Milayna. We’ll be great together. It’s so much easier on this side.” Jake spread his hands out at his sides, palms up.
I shook my head once. “Nothing is easy.”
“This is. It’s perfect.”
“Nothing is perfect,” I bit out.
He leaned over me. His face was so close I could feel his warm breath moving my hair. It smelled like a combination of the corn dogs served for lunch and breath mints. I wrinkled my nose and turned my face from the smell.
I shoved him as hard as I could, trying to move him enough to pass by. I needed out of the gym. It wasn’t safe to be there alone with him. It wasn’t safe to be there alone, period. One of his new friends could show up any minute.
What was I thinking coming alone?
I wasn’t. But pushing him did nothing. He didn’t even flinch. I might have been the highest demi-angel at our school, but I wasn’t Superman. Or Wonder Woman. Whatever.
I heard them before I saw them. Their grunts and groans were audible before their grotesque bodies materialized. I saw the smoke in the corner of the gym, smelled the sulfur. They were coming for me.
Damn. I wish I had wings.
“Okay, okay. Call off your goons.” I sighed, feigning resignation.
With a snap of his fingers, the smoke billowing in the corner disappeared. The groans of Hell went with it.
Perfect, my butt. They don’t sound like they’re having a party down there.
“What do you want me to do?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Tell him you’ll side with him and he’ll do the rest.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Easy.”
The door banged against the gym wall, and I jumped. I was sure Azazel was there, and I was finished. I’d failed.
“What are you two doing in here?” Coach Johnson bellowed.
My breath rushed out of my lungs. I’d never been so happy to see grumpy Coach Johnson, with his perpetual case of halitosis. I could have kissed him, stinky breath and all.
“I was just leaving.” I pushed Jake away.
He stood and gave one of his dazzling smiles, holding his palms out in front of him as if in surrender. “Have it your way, Milayna,” he whispered.
“What’s burning? Have you two been smoking?”
“No, sir,” I answered, looking Jake in the eyes. “Jake was just asking me to senior prom.”
“Oh, well, you two have at it then.” He grinned and winked at Jake—his star football player.