Peppermint

Chapter 20 - One Slip

***ALEX***

Rain starts to fall again by the time Ahmad brings our ride to a stop in front of my house. Trying not to think about how likely it is that we in Spellman will get flooded out next, I lead the way to the front door and almost fumble my keys while trying to unlock it.

No sooner does a certain thought pop into my mind than AK says, "Don't you have gloves?"

"I do, yeah..." I finally get the key in place and turn it. "But I got out of the house this morning thinking I was going to the movies. Gloves and buttered popcorn don't mix, cuz."

Beyond the front door, Mom is already waiting for us. She hugs me hello, then looks over my shoulder and gasps. "You didn't tell me-"

"It's only five people," I tell her.

"No, I didn't...it's nothing to do with how many people. Why didn't you tell me one of them was your cousin?"

I turn around to see AK leaning against the doorjamb as Josh, Firdaus, and Ahmad file in past him. "I've just been his tagalong buddy today, I guess," AK says brightly.

"What's that smell?" Ahmad points his nose into the kitchen. "Smells like Christmas in here."

"Hey, be polite," Josh says with phony sternness. "Ask before you go nuts with the...what is that, almond cookies?"

"Oh no, it's a cyanide leak!" Firdaus cries, but luckily she winks at the rest of us - I almost legit thought she was serious for a second.

"Not cookies, no..." Mom shakes her head. "I was roasting almonds, though. Alex, you need to start doing that yourself. You're the one who eats them after dinner all the time!"

I shake my own head, but not casually like Mom does. I'm on the verge of a meltdown, or at least the closest I usually get to one. A bit of a panic attack, emphasis on flight over fight.

"You all right?" Leave it to Josh to pick up on my problem.

I'd say something, but I'm afraid it'll come out as a grunt or a scream. It's not often that I get stressed to the point of non-verbality, but it does happen more often than I'd like.

"Did you get in touch with Luca yet?" Mom asks.

I reach for my phone and gaze into the screen for a moment before clicking it so it comes back on. "Uh...no. I've been trying, but he's not answering."

"Keep trying," Mom says. "Don't fail him now, huh?"

"Okay, okay..." Rather than stick around where everyone can see me, I run upstairs and retreat to my room before attempting that call once again. After so many tries, though, I get a busy signal and not an endless cavalcade of rhythmic ring...ring...rings, which tells me at least somebody's getting through to him. Probably Gideon. Out of curiosity, I call Gideon and get the same busy signal, practically confirming this guess.

"Hey, Alex?" Firdaus knocks on my closed door. "Are you okay?"

Please, everyone, stop asking me that, it's just going to make me worse. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." It's Josh's voice. "But if you were, you wouldn't be angel, would you?" He chuckles softly. After a long pause, he adds, "Sorry, does that one not translate so well? I mean, we know they say 'you're only human' all the time on Earth, but...and why'd I say 'translate?' It's technically the same language-"

I open my door, and that manages to shut him up for a moment. "If you're freaking out as much as I am, then welcome to the club." I stand back to let him and Firdaus in, then click my speakers' remote to put on some ChronoWulf because who else would I club to? "Where's Ahmad? Trying to hook up to the Wi-Fi? How much can we pay him to service it too? It's always screwed up these days."