I was home alone when it hit. My parents were still at work. Muriel was across the street; Drew had just dropped her off from school. Xavier had wanted to stay with me, but I thanked him for the ride and said I didn’t need a babysitter.
I pushed speed dial, and she answered on the first ring. “Muriel,” I said.
“I’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone without another word. I heard her walk into the house a minute later. “Vision?”
I nodded. The vision was in full swing by the time she’d gotten there, and I wished I hadn’t called her—she was part of it.
Chay. Muriel. Talking.
I squeezed my eyes closed.
Lockers.
They were talking at school, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I placed my hands over my ears, trying to drown out the sounds around me and focus on the noises in the vision. There were none. Frustrated, I swore violently. I heard Muriel’s quick intake of breath and opened my eyes. She stared at me, shocked by the words that had just spewed from my mouth. I shrugged a shoulder.
I’m watching them. Listening. I see my hand resting on the wall. The gold band on my finger gleams. They’re laughing.
Struggling to concentrate, I willed the sound of their voices to break through the vision. I had the overwhelming feeling I needed to know what they were saying.
Milayna.
It was just a whisper, but I caught it. The only sound I heard from the vision. It was Chay’s voice. When he said it, a look of disbelief washed over Muriel’s face, followed by a look of distrust.
“Milayna!” I heard him yell as the back door flew open.
“She’s in here, Chay,” Muriel called.
Muriel. Chay. Laughing.
The vision fizzled away when Chay ran into the room.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“A vision. Are you barefoot?” I looked pointedly at his feet, red from walking through the snow.
He looked down like he’d just realized he’d forgotten shoes. “Yeah.”
“How are you feeling?” I asked him.
“Like shit on a shoe.”
I blew out a breath and shook my head. “Well, it’s no wonder. You’re running around the neighborhood without any shoes or shirt on. It’s twenty degrees outside, Chay.”
“Yes, Mom,” he teased and scooped me into a hug. Even though he was shirtless, wearing just a pair of sweat pants, his skin was hot with fever.
“You need to get home. You’re still burning up. Here, take this.” I gave him one of my dad’s jackets and a pair of tennis shoes. “Go home and stay in bed.”
“Geez, you’re a nag,” he said with a chuckle. He grazed his lips over my forehead and sent shivers down my spine. All thoughts of Xavier’s touch flew out the window as soon as Chay was near.
I’m a horrible person. I can’t believe I let Xavier almost kiss me… that I almost kissed him. Chay deserves so much better.
***
I smelled sulfur before I saw them. One darted past the family room window. I was lying on the couch resting, worn out from school the day before.
Rolling off the couch, I walked to the window. I watched Friendly’s fat body run through the backyard. Scarface stalked across the snow to stand on the deck, his body wracked with shivers. I smiled. He needed to cool off a little. He was way too high strung, even for a goblin.
“Milayna!” Scarface shouted. “It’s too damn cold out here.”
“And what am I supposed to do about that?” I called through the window.
“Stop farting around and making me come up here. Just switch sides already,” he grumbled, rubbing his fat hands up and down his arms.
“That’s okay. I like the side I’m on.”
“Milayna,” Friendly sang. “Are you okay?”
My blood ran cold. “Yeah, why?”
“Did you like our game? At the mall? Did you like our game?”
My hands curled into fists. “What do you know about the mall?”
“You got stuck. Spent the night in the hospital. Got a few stitches. Whatever.” Scarface ticked each point off on his sausage fingers.
“You did that?”
Friendly looked at me, his eyes wide. It made him look innocent, cute even. “He made us.”
“Who?” I knew they wouldn’t tell me, but I asked anyway.
“Him. He said it was a warning. That worse things were coming.”
“Well, you can tell him I’m fine.”
“Who was with you?” Scarface asked, a sly look on his face.
“You seem to have all the answers tonight. You tell me.”
“Muriel and Drew. Those you can trust,” Friendly said with a smile. “The others, not so much.”
“What others?”
“If they weren’t at the mall, you should watch out for them, especially the one who didn’t want to go.”
Chay.
“Whatever. You two are wasting my time. When you have something important to tell me, come back. Otherwise, go to Hell.”
“It’s going to get bad,” Scarface yelled after me. “And not just for you.”
“For who, then?” I asked slowly. Sucking my lip into my mouth, I rolled it between my teeth.
“Everyone.”
15
The Kiss