Incandescence

24: Words of Wisdom

Liar.

           It's the only word I can think of because it's the only word that fits. All that bullshit about being clueless of Alice's motives, about her being crazy, when he'd known the truth all along! Is this the definition of true friendship? Lies and a heavy dose of manipulation?

           And if he lied about Alice, what else has he been keeping from me?

            "April? You heard all that, right?" Daniel asks, snapping me out of it. I glance up, only now tuning in to the conversation that's taken place without me. "This girl you know, Alice. We're gonna speak to her tomorrow, see if we can work something out."

            "We?"

            "You and me. It'll be daytime, so Mason can't . . ." He trails off, clearly hoping I get the picture. I look at Mason, shocked to find he's letting Daniel do all the talking for him. Wasn't it just earlier that he tried to strangle him? Oh, but apparently all has been forgiven and forgotten, because now the pair are right good buddies, aren't they?

            "Sure." I shrug, looking out at the quiet street beyond the park. "I've gotta go home."

            "Bedtime already, April?" Mason asks, smirking from beneath his hood. "Guess we better get going, then."

            I want to talk to him – no, scratch that, I need to talk to him. Need to figure out why he kept Alice's Seer status hidden from me. But my window of opportunity's growing slimmer by the second, and it's not a subject I want to get into with Daniel still here.

            Without waiting for the others to follow suit, I head for the park gates, doing all I can to appear confident and composed when, in truth, I'm shaking inside. Toxic liar. Maybe Daniel's got a point.

            Far off in the distance, a siren wails, piercing the calm night air like the shriek of a banshee. Cops? An ambulance? Fire engine? It could be any of those. An accident, or possibly worse. Whatever option, it's still a reminder that there's trouble everywhere in Hope, and it seems I'm right in the centre of it. I can't afford to lose the only friend I have left, not now.

            "Well, I'll be off now. Can't miss my beauty sleep," Mason sneers when we  reach the gate. I've no time to even respond before he turns his back on me completely and sets off. No apologies. Not even a goodbye.

            "You sure lucked out on the friendship lottery with him," Daniel mutters.

            I spin on him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

            "I mean, it's so nice of him to give a toss about your safety, considering I've seen your death. You'd think he'd at least make sure you actually get home in one piece before bolting off on his own."

            "Yeah, well, I can look after myself. I don't need protecting."

            "You sure of that?"

            "Yeah, actually, I am." I clench my fist around the strap of my bag, peering left and then right, checking for incoming traffic before crossing the road in a few quick strides. I expect Daniel to set off in a different direction, but he doesn't.

            "What're you doing? You don't live on the same side of town as me," I say.

         "I'm only going to the bus stop at the end of the street. I'd offer to walk you home, but I know you'll kill me for suggesting it." He's quiet for a moment, keeping pace with me. "Earlier on . . . you looked shocked by something."

            I offer no reply to that.

            "Who's this Alice person to you?"

            No response.

            "I need to know if I should be watching my back around her too, you know. And if you don't think this is a good idea–"

            "Mason's right. Alice'll do anything to get that book," I say. "I don't know why she wants it but she does. And you said it yourself: there's nothing incriminating in there. Maybe she just wants to read about mediums or something." Even as I tell him this, I'm not fully convinced.

            We reach Daniel's bus stop and I'm ready to keep walking, but he stops me with another onslaught of comments. "Look, I know we got off to a bad start, but can't you just trust me this once? I'm trying to help here, but you need to tell me what the deal is with this Alice girl."

            "I already told you," I snap, "there's nothing much to know about her."

            "You don't like her."

            "What makes you think that?"

            "The way you spit her name and screw up your face whenever she's brought up. If you have issues with her, why'd Mason bring her up in the first place?"

           I look down at the ground, unable to meet his gaze.

            "You don't even know, do you? You're as in the dark here as I am." Daniel laughs without humour. "So you'll call me out for acting shady, but you listen to the guy keeping secrets from you?"

            "There's no comparison," I say, suddenly enraged. Who does he think he is, questioning me like this? He's got no right. "I met you two weeks ago and so far, you haven't done a single thing to make me think I can trust you. Whereas Mason's been my closest friend since I was four. When it comes down to it, who'd you really think I'm gonna side with?"

            "That's not the point. People change, April. Lilith thought she knew William. She loved him with all she had, and yet he still –"

            "Don't," I say. "Don't even think about comparing me to her."

            "I'm just trying to point out that death can change someone. You might think you know him, but –"

            "I do know Mason!" I snap, overcome by blind fury. "It's you who doesn't know what you're talking about. You're not like normal people. I saw it in the park, the way you reacted to Mason's arm – you don't care about human life the way the rest of us do. You'll never understand what it's like to be close to someone, so don't even try to pretend!"

            I wait for it but the retort never comes, and when I look up it's easy to see why. Daniel is staring off at the road, flat expression intact. I hit a nerve this time. Sketchbook Boy isn't so uncaring after all.

            "Is that what I'm doing right now?" he eventually asks. "Pretending?"

          I could keep things going, tell him again that he's wrong, that he doesn't know Mason but I do, with all my heart. Or I could backtrack, apologise, admit to stepping out of line.

            I choose to do neither.

            "My mum's expecting me home. I better go," I say, turning on my heels. Evacuating the premises, like Mason before me.

           Funny how easy it is to walk from a mess you've made.