Destiny's Witch (BxB)

Chapter 25: The Glass Menagerie

Perry

The feeling of being lost has only intensified.

The words I spoke to Porter were the truest words I have spoken in the last six months. The subterfuge and lying has started weighing on me. Lying became the norm for my father and me without much effort.

Seeing my mother's reaction was hurtful but getting a dose of my own medicine was enough to convince me to tell my friends about my powers.

The idea of unburdening myself makes me excited, but my feet have gone cold as I try to imagine their potential reactions to my new status. It is a ludicrous thought as my friends have always been supportive of me.

But this secret changes who I am fundamentally, to a degree.

The night of the Harvest Festival has come. My parents and Porter left for Wardwell Park, without me, to meet with my grandmother. Porter was excited, though I doubt he knows how fast a situation with those three could go downhill.

Charlotte and Nate show up without Eva as I finally figure out how to fit the dagger in the new leg holster Alan bought me. I am not surprised Eva is not with them. The two of us have been at odds since I announced I do not want to be around the twins. Eva refused to choose between us, so I made the choice easy for her.

Charlotte and Nate are caught in the middle. Both are confused by my sudden, staunch aversion to the twins. Charlotte tries to bridge the gap between Eva and I, while Nate is more curious what Finn and Lucas did to make me dislike them.

We arrive to find the festival in full swing. Nate advocates for us to stop by the food booths before we get started. Charlotte is quiet but agrees. She is angry with Eva and I for not including her in our rift. Never one to be left out, she finds a way to involve herself in our issue.

Charlotte's cold demeanor melts when Nate returns with a funnel cake for us to share and two corndogs for himself.

We walk around for almost an hour, visiting different booths. Occasionally, we run into other students and teachers. We spot Charlotte and Eva's dads standing with mine near the recreational area. Our mothers are not far behind, having found a table to congregate with other parents.

We eventually run into Eva and the twins in the area where the games are set up. A group of underclassmen are bobbing for apples as Finn plays skee ball. Eva watch excitedly from the side while a bored Lucas texts on his phone. As we approach, I encourage Charlotte and Nate to go to them, opting to stay behind.

A familiar burst of energy precedes David. He is a few feet away as I turn to him. Parker trails him with a turkey leg in his hand.

Parker raves about the food selection while David is fixated on me. Parker makes a joke about me being separated from the pack. Zack calls out to David and Parker. Parker excuses himself, leaving David with me.

"So, you're all by yourself? Does this have anything to do with the locker room?" David asks. "You never told me what you were doing in there with them. Did I interrupt some kind of sex thing?"

"You sound a bit jealous."

"Of them? You've had the best, why would I be worried?" He asks. "Careful, it's just you and me here right now."

"As much as I love it when you stalk me like prey, don't get weird." I say. "What's up with you? I thought you wanted to keep us a secret."

"Yeah? Well, maybe I don't care anymore." David says.

His admission catches me off-guard. We have been growing closer since we rekindled whatever is going on between us, but he has never made his intentions particularly clear.