“By the time his plan is finished, you’ll be begging to side with us. Things are getting fun now.” Scarface smiled his grotesque, deformed smile and disappeared.
Friendly ran through the yard one last time, picking up snow and throwing it up in the air before he disappeared in a small puff of white smoke.
“Interesting.” Chay tapped his finger on the patio table. “I never thought I’d say this, but it kinda kills the mood.”
“I know, right?” I laughed.
He turned to face me. Leaning in, I thought he meant to kiss me. He ran his finger lightly down the side of my face and smiled. It didn’t quite meet his eyes. There I saw worry, maybe sadness. “Whatever this is, it’ll work out, Milayna.”
That’s the second time he’s said that. Is he trying to convince me or himself?
“I know.” I shivered as his finger glided down my skin.
“I need to go. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“‘Kay.”
He gave me a quick kiss and jumped the back fence, trotting across the neighbors’ lawns to his yard.
He’s in trouble if they ever get a dog.
***
Chay was getting pops from the vending machines. I was sitting at the lunch table alone, surprised I was allowed. Since our meeting Wednesday, the group had been fanatical about making sure no one was alone. Ever. Me in particular since the threats, once again, seemed to center around me. I guess I was popular in the underworld. It wasn’t the kind of popularity I was looking for. Demons for friends? No thanks.
I felt the bench move and smelled unfamiliar cologne next to me. I stiffened. Turning slowly, I let out an irritated sigh. Xavier.
“Don’t sneak up on people like that,” I said, annoyed.
I was getting tired of him sitting with us every lunch period. It was the one time in our day that we could be ourselves. We didn’t have to worry about what we said. We all knew what each other was, there were no secrets, we didn’t have to speak in code so others wouldn’t know what we were talking about, we didn’t have to pretend, and it felt good. But with Xavier there, we had to keep things quiet. We couldn’t go around telling people we were demi-angels. We’d sound like fools and end up medicated in a white, padded cell, drooling into a cup.
“I know,” he whispered close to my ear.
I swatted him away. “You know what?”
“Who you are. That’s why I hang around.”
“What are you talking about?” I looked down at my lunch tray so I didn’t have to face him.
“You’ll see tomorrow.”
Nice, another cryptic message. I really need a decoder ring to figure these things out.
Chay walked up, and we stopped talking. He gave Xavier a dirty look—seems I wasn’t the only one tired of him hanging around—and sat down on the other side of me.
Slowly, the others drifted in. Drew and Jen were still in line paying for their lunches when Muriel sat down next to Xavier. When Drew walked to the table, he rolled his eyes. Another one who was tired of seeing Xavier, especially when he sat next to Muriel.
He really needs to tell her he likes her. Or maybe just grab her and kiss her until they’re both dizzy and neither of them can see straight. That’d do it.
Jen was right behind Drew and sat on the other side of Chay. “So I talked to Lily today.” Her tone was neutral.
My heart lurched. Lily. An Evil. She was the first of our group who turned traitor and switched sides.
“Yeah? What about?” Chay asked around a bite of burger.
Jen sucked salad dressing from her fingers, making smacking sounds with her lips. “Oh, not much. She said she’d be paying a visit to Milayna in the next few days. Has she talked to you?” she asked, leaning around Chay to look at me.
“Nope. Haven’t seen her in weeks.”
Paying me a visit? Ugh, that could only mean one thing. A fight. And if we’re fighting, it’s because Azazel wants to distract us. But who’s he after?
“Well, I’m sure she’ll give you a call.”
“Yeah.” I forced a smile. “I’m sure she will. I can’t wait.”
Xavier excused himself from the table and went to buy a dessert.
He eats more than everyone at the table combined but is still lean—and he doesn’t have bad pecs either… Stop it! I’m not supposed to notice.
“So what else did Lily say?” Muriel asked Jen quickly before Xavier got back to the table.
“That was it, really. Other than Jake would be visiting with her.”
Great. That definitely means a fight.
Jake. Another one of our team who jumped ship in favor of Azazel’s way of life. He was by far the meanest of the five that left. Azazel seemed to transfer some of his pure evil straight into Jake’s bloodstream. He turned vicious, like a rabid dog. His need to hurt the group was insatiable. He wasn’t only evil, he was sadistic. He scared me more than Azazel. Azazel couldn’t touch me—Jake could, and he seemed to enjoy it.
“That’ll be fun.” Chay reached for my hand and threaded his fingers with mine.
“Maybe that’s what the hobgoblins meant when they said he was coming.” I ran my thumb over the top of Chay’s hand.
“Maybe,” Chay said, not looking at me.
***
“Milayna, can you run to the store for me?” my mom asked.