Paradise

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-two

It felt like something was crushing the air out of me. All of the hurt and anger I'd felt just moments ago ebbed away, squeezed out of me like the breath from my lungs. My face grew hot, my eyes prickling with tears. Or had they already been there when I'd suddenly felt sad? Who knew?

Kendall's incessant chatter continued to pump through my ear.

"Hey, are you there?" she asked me. "Where are you, anyway? I hear loud music. Hey, are you at the dance?" There was sudden excitement in her voice. She gasped. "Penny, do you have a boyfriend? Is it Tyler Reynolds? I always thought you two'd look so cute together--"

"No," I said, My voice emerged weakly and full of moisture, so I cleared my throat. "I mean-- yeah, I am at the dance, but, no, I don't have a boyfriend." I made a face, mumbling, "And if I did it definitely wouldn't be Tyler Reynolds...."

"What was that?" Kendall asked. "I didn't hear what you said."

The other Kendall, the physical Kendall who was physically here-- at the dance-- left Robert and began walking back to me. The lantern-lights threw her shadow along the wall, stretching it to magnificent proportions. Suddenly I heard a noise like flapping leather, and Kendall's shadow grew wings.

In a panic, I told phone-Kendall that I needed to call her back, and clicked 'end call'.

My mind raced with fear.

All of those wild thoughts from the past few days came roaring back to life. I thought of Kendall's singing in choir, of her drastic change in personality, and of my conversation with Yvette and Ms. Albert. They'd definitely think something was up now! I needed to call them-- to get them here, but how?

I grabbed my recently-forgotten cup of punch and thought of tossing it at her as a diversion, so I could make a run for it. Then when I was a safe distance away, I could call Yvette. It was a weak strategy, but it would work. Hopefully....

Of course, I completely locked up when she finally got to me, the plastic cup slipping from my fingers and crashing to the floor where it made an ugly red splash that looked like blood. She paid it no mind and smiled her alien smile. I thought I might hyperventilate.

"Penelope," she said.

I blinked hard. "D-Daphne?" I cried.

Her smile broadened without becoming a grin. I thought she'd give some sort of villainous monologue, the kind said after an epic battle scene, when the smell of blood chokes the air and both the villain and hero lie there, exhausted and breathing hard, and it's clear to both parties that the villain's plan for world-domination are ruined. Instead, she said, "Would you like to dance with Robert?" She reached for me and I jumped back, banging my hip against the table. "I'll hold your clutch."

"Huh?" I said.

"Do you want to dance with him?" she asked me. Then she laughed a soft, musical laugh. "Why am I even asking, of course you want to. You're so deeply infatuated with him. You practically worship him."

I didn't know how to respond. I should have felt shame hearing those words come out of Kendall's mouth, but I didn't. Maybe it's because I knew she wasn't really Kendall.

"What do you want?" I asked, and that should have sounded strange. It definitely would have to someone who didn't understand the situation. Although, admittedly, I didn't exactly understand what was going on, myself.

"All in due time," Daphne said through Kendalls' mouth, in Kendall's voice. "I want you to experience joy first. The joy you have only ever dreamed about."