Grounded (2 page)

“What are you doing?” Leela’s eyebrows shot up.

“Nothing. Just letting out some of the stuffiness ya know.” Avery slammed the window shut and whirled to face her friend.

Leela was usually a mousy girl, petite with big brown eyes that spelled kindness. Lately though, she covered her eyes with thick black makeup and lost the kindness in them. It was probably just the thing to do in senior year. Leela was big at the campus parties and maybe it was expected of her. Avery just couldn’t help but see it as a red flag.

“I thought I heard someone talking.” Leela said.

Avery shrugged.

“I was on the phone a minute ago. Just Chase checking up.”

Whether or not Leela believed it was unclear but she nodded. The girl then crossed over to her bed and hopped on the mattress. It was well past midnight and if they both didn’t sleep soon they’d regret it. Avery headed to fix her own covers, mildly annoyed to find that Mason had left a few feathers in her sheets. She swept them under the covers quickly.

“Hey, I have a question for you.” Leela said after awhile.

“Shoot.”

“Do you ever have strange dreams?”

Avery flinched more than she should have. Forcing herself to act casually, she grabbed her pillow and stuffed it under her chin. Crossing her legs like she was at a sleep over, she watched Leela.

“What about?” Avery asked lightly

“About a man and a book?”

Avery’s brow pinched. That didn’t sound like Mikhail. That sounded more like Jericho and his journal, but Leela wouldn’t know about that. It was yet another harpie-related incident that should have long since faded from her friend’s memory.

“No. Why do you ask?”

Leela shrugged.

“Just wondering.” She said. “By the way, I’m going out with Nathanial on Saturday for whatever movie they’re gonna play. You should come.”

Avery, dumbfounded, agreed absently.

Two

“How about this?” Avery tilted her head while she examined her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Leela stood behind her and gave her a thorough examination as well.

The blush Avery applied made her cheeks rosy and the gloss made her lips shiny and pink. She’d spent all afternoon beating her curly hair into submission and with Leela’s help, weaving it into a high bun on her head. Bangs dangled to frame her face and her eyes looked huge from the combination of black mascara and liner.

She wasn’t dressing up for any reason in particular but for some well needed bonding time with Leela. Since class took up her days and Mason ate up her nights, she hadn’t gotten much of a chance to touch base with the girl. So far things had been running smoothly. After a little gossip and makeup drills Avery’s fears about Leela began to fade away.

“Hmm. I like it.” Leela finally gave the thumbs up. “But you should lose the jacket. It’s ruining the outfit. It’s not even cold out!”

Avery rolled her eyes and pulled the black cotton snug around her arms. Inside the warm temperature didn’t exactly warrant layers but that wasn’t the reason she’d taken to long sleeves. Awhile ago when she’d picked up the harpie amulet, it left a tattoo-like decoration up from her palm, over her shoulder, and down to her waist. Though the mark had faded significantly, it still visibly marred her skin and would beg an explanation from anyone who saw it. Avery had taken pains to hide it.

“I don’t know why I’m dressing up. I’m not trying to impress anyone.” Avery pointed out after one more look at the mirror.

“Your boyfriend?” Leela suggested, still on the track that Mason—someone she’d never even met—and Avery were actually dating.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Avery corrected quickly. “Besides, he’s not here.”

“Did he leave town or something? You should invite him. I don’t understand why you won’t let me meet him.” Leela whined.

She hovered next to the door, blocking the exit and jiggling from foot to foot.

“You can when you break up with Nate.” Avery offered, knowing it would end the conversation quickly and it did.

Leela gave her a short look.

“Nate’s waiting for us so be nice.”

“I will.” Avery said reluctantly. Nate may have been Avery’s least favorite person in the world-- even compared to Adalyn and Mikhail-- but she tolerated him for Leela’s sake. They’d just begun dating last semester and despite Avery’s hopes, it seemed to be going well.

Leela opened the bathroom door and they both walked out.

As a boarding school, Mayweather Academy came equipped with everything that six hundred students sixty miles north of nowhere would need to stay entertained. A decked out movie theater with stadium seating, surround sound, and free popcorn were some of those things. A recent blockbuster would be showing tonight and the theater was packed.

It took considerable weaving to maneuver through the jittery crowd. They slipped through the tiny lobby and snaked around a cream colored hallway to where the thick line began. Leaning against the wall, lingering in a wide empty berth, was Nate. He wore his classic leather jacket, short and slicked back hair, and sideways smirk. His brown eyes lit up immediately but he didn’t let his facial expressions change.

“Leela.” He grinned to his girlfriend but only sent a passing glance Avery’s way. Walking up immediately, he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in for a sickeningly wet kiss. After a minute, they finally broke apart.

“I thought it was date night. Why’d you bring her? I never see you anymore,” He asked Leela while holding onto her. Leela rocked backwards, holding his hands but putting some distance between them to stop the overload of PDA.

“She sees you plenty.” Avery injected, though she’d asked her friend the same thing when Leela invited Nate.

“Bull crap. I haven’t seen her all week and I don’t like being ignored.” Nate snapped harshly.

Avery opened her mouth but hesitated when unable to find a quick retort for that. While any other time she’d relish the idea that Nate and Leela failed to spend time together, she couldn’t understand where Leela’s time got burned up either. She never considered who Leela was going to all those parties with but apparently it wasn’t Nate. That was probably the problem with being so high on the social hierarchy. Leela didn’t explain. Rather, she squeezed Nate’s hands and gave him a careful, small smile.

“Tonight will be fun okay? Just chill out. Anyways, I think I’ll get us some popcorn. I can’t stop thinking about it with the smell in the air.” Leela said.

The atmosphere was thick with buttery popcorn and hot mozzarella sticks. A few breaths of it and Avery’s mind couldn’t think about anything else either. Stomach churning with emptiness, Avery added, “I’m down.”

“Okay. I can get it. Stay in line or we’ll get busted for cutting again.”

Leela didn’t give room to argue, turning and disappearing into the colorful crowd without a look backwards. Avery wrung her hands for a moment before inevitably having to face Nate. He gave her a dark glare when she did.

“You know, I put up with you because you guys are roommates but stay out of my life. I don’t need you telling Leela to stay away from me anymore.” He stood at his full height, only five inches over

Avery and not that intimidating, but the body language was clear. She heard a hush fall over the other people in line. Despite knowing the crowd could overhear, Avery didn’t forfeit the escalating argument.

“I can’t help it. You’re a jerk off, and she may not realize it now, but you’ll end up showing her your true colors.” Avery had once been with Nate herself and knew it never ended well.

“No, I only treated you badly because you were a bitch.” His words cut deeply and Avery backed off for a second.

The crowd had fallen into silence, no doubt listening to their show down in the middle of the hallway. She didn’t pay attention to that. Memories triggered, she recalled when she’d been with Nate. Granted it wasn’t as official as Leela and Nate, they still had something. Avery fell for the pretty boy hard and he shoved it back in her face when he went out with somebody else. Eyes burning, she still remembered the heart twisting, heavy emotion. Avery honestly had moved on, but hearing him disregard her like that wasn’t easy.

“Drop dead Nate.” She said, unable to conjure an appropriate retort to voice her rising frustration.

Nate opened his mouth but paused. Eyes darting behind her, he watched someone.

“Yea, I think the movie is going to blow too.” He said abruptly, his tone dropping into something polite but forced.

Avery only understood once she realized that Leela had returned.

“What are you guys talking about?” Leela asked lightly, offering the popcorn around with a circular motion.

“Nothing. Just about how pretty little Avery looks today.” Nate said, sarcasm dripping so heavy in his voice, it was painful to hear.

“You know, I told her to lose the jacket.” Leela said. Then in a second, it happened. Leela yanked the jacket straight backwards and it slid off of Avery’s shoulders before she even had time to react. Shoulders and arms bare, Avery wrapped her arms around herself but the damage had been done. The graying magical mark stood out predominantly against her lily white skin.

“Ugh, that’s hideous.” Nate spoke first and most harshly, his tone twisting with palpable disgust.

Cheeks reddening, Avery backed up, twirled to face Leela, and held out a hand to retrieve her jacket.

“Is that a tattoo?” Leela asked. Her brown eyes were glued on the mark and she dangled the black jacket absently in her arms. “Was the ink always that light?”

“No and no. I mean yes. It’s just stupid. Gimme please.” Avery finally nabbed the jacket and immediately covered up her arms before she could bumble more. That wasn’t a rumor she wanted getting around.

“You never told me about that! You’re supposed to tell me everything.” Leela insisted.

One look at Leela’s wide eyes and Avery knew her friend wouldn’t let it go.

“I’ll explain it later, okay?” Avery said. Well, she’d explain something.

The line finally began to move, a slow progression inside the dark theater. Avery backed up, about to walk when a body smacked into her from behind. She whirled, ready to tell someone off when she froze. Before her stood a harpie. He was tall with wide shoulders—the biggest give away about the species—and he wore a heavy trench coat to hide his wings. He had gold skin that shone too much to be normal and dark black eyes. His hair was trim and short around his ears but it complimented his thin angular face. He looked over her and then gave her a blindingly white smile.

“Hey, you are a sweetheart. And here I thought I was getting roped into a crappy favor. This could work.”

Dumbfounded, Avery struggled for words. Finally, she caught on. Mason had said someone was coming to protect her. During Avery’s momentary hesitation, Leela pushed around her and faced the stranger.

“Are you Mason?” Leela asked eagerly.

His dark eyes danced over Leela next, taking her in so blatantly that even Avery was embarrassed. Ready to end the situation, she didn’t let him speak.

“No, he’s not.” Avery said and pushed him backwards-- no easy task when he didn’t want to move, but she managed to isolate him in a corner. The line had continued to file inside the theater leaving the hallway mercifully desolate.

“Rough and pretty.” He grumbled when she gave one last shove that sent him smoothly into the drywall.

Bright pink now, she shook her head. Avery had managed to put a hearty gap between Nate, Leela, and themselves. Able to talk more freely, she spoke quietly.

“You’re the new-- you’re Mason’s friend?”

The playfulness drained from his face and was replaced by a more serious and bored look. He folded his bulky arms over his chest and shrugged.

“Adalyn’s friend,” he pointed out. “But yes. I was sent here to be with you.”

Luckily he didn’t use the word “babysit” but he didn’t need to since it amounted to the same thing. Avery cast a quick glance backwards. Nate, clearly uninterested, already began to walk for the movie’s red entrance doors. Leela hovered between the doors and the hallway, looking between the two. Surround sound booming, the vibrations of the movie already beginning reached into the hallway.

“Look, I appreciate it but you can’t be here. People can’t know you are here.” Avery said.

He wasn’t a member of the high school-- in fact, he looked much too old to be in high school.

It wouldn’t take long for her classmates to put the pieces together and start asking questions. His eyes slid around like he was looking for a visual explanation.

“How am I supposed to watch you if I can’t be here?”

“Look.” Avery stopped herself. “Just give me a second and go stand outside. Just outside.” She pointed out the window where a few benches rested underneath a large pine tree. White snow piled on the concrete pavement but the weather had warmed and sitting outside wouldn’t be a burden. His black eyes followed her index finger to where she’d indicated.

“I don’t want to. And you can’t make me.” He said shortly.

Avery let out a frustrated growl and the pressure behind her eyes grew.

“Please.”

He seemed to consider that. After a moment he smiled slyly.

“I’ll do it for the pretty girl then.”

Avery gratefully watched him go. Her headache had grown and her cheeks burned when he kept dropping the pretty girl statement. He wasn’t like Mason-- that was for sure. Unable to mull on it, she turned and caught up with Leela.

The small girl vibrated with excitement and the dying need for a good bit of gossip. Brown eyes wide, she looked between Avery and the door outside. Avery could hear it open and shut with a firm clack, indicating that the harpie was officially out of earshot.