The Unholy Trinity

The Unholy Trinity-Chapter Sixteen

For the first time all year, Fallon didn’t have to ride the bus to school. Lucian came to pick her up in his new car. Of course her mom made a big deal about him being an inexperienced driver, but Fallon convinced her to let it go. The looks they got when he pulled into the parking lot and stepped out of his Escalade made all those arguments worth it. As they walked to her first period class hand in hand, people called out to them. Most of the greetings were for Lucian who’d become even more popular since his birthday party. Guys and girls alike said hi to him and told him what a great car he had or what a great party he threw or both. There was only one part of the attention Fallon didn’t like. The way some of the girls looked him up and down didn’t sit well with her. Watching them look at him like they wanted him stirred the insecurities in her gut, but she tried to shove them aside. Lucian loved her. They were best friends. They were soul mates.

The only people who didn’t seem interested in their new found popularity were the God Squad. Wendy wouldn’t even meet Fallon’s eyes when she walked into English class. It wasn’t until Griffin sat down beside her that she caught sight of Wendy’s customary mournful look. Griffin must have noticed it too because he blew a kiss in her direction. Fallon couldn’t help laughing as she watched Wendy’s eyes widen before she averted her gaze. Before that moment, Fallon never thought of herself as the kind of person who’d enjoy tormenting someone, but this was different. This girl tried to exorcise her. Because of this girl, she had a scar on the back of her hand, a permanent reminder of the second worst night of her life.

At lunch time, their group was back together at their favorite picnic tables. While Fallon and Lucian sat together, Corina made it a point to move to the opposite end of the bench when Griffin sat down beside her. Then she gave Fallon the first genuine smile she could ever remember getting from her.

“I had fun the other night, Fallon,” Corina said, and both guys frowned at her.

“Me too,” Fallon said, though she was still a little leery of the instant friendship.

“We should do it again sometime,” Corina said.

“What is it you’re doing again?” Miles interjected. “Because if it involves a slumber party with a naked pillow fight I’m in.”

All of the guys started cracking up. The only one not really laughing was Griffin. He just sort of chuckled in this half hearted way as he cut his eyes to the end of the picnic bench where Corina sat. Instead of looking back at him, Corina offered Fallon another smile. As she smiled back at her, it occurred to Fallon this was the first time she didn’t look at Corina and wish she’d drop dead.

“What’s with you and Corina?” Lucian asked.

They were on the way to his house to hang out. When she told her mom that’s where she’d be after school, Fallon expected an argument. Rather than argue, her mom said it was great. After she thought about it for a little while Fallon figured her mom probably thought it was safer in a place where other were people around. If she and Lucian hung out at her house while her mom was at work they’d be totally alone. Fallon didn’t bother to tell her mom she and Lucian had been alone in their house a million times. She played the dutiful daughter and assured her they were just going to do their homework and get something to eat before he took her home.

“We just had a long talk and decided to put all that stuff between us in the past,” Fallon said.

He pulled up to his gate and rolled the window down to punch the code into the key pad. “That’s good, but be careful,” he said as he parked the car. “So, what do you want to do?”