Daemons in the Mist

Chapter 28 - Please Tell Me It's Not Too Late

Please Tell Me It’s Not Too Late
Tuesday, February 14th

PATRICK
                       
I had spent the morning hoping to hell my friends would be so distracted by the fact that it was Valentine’s Day that they would forget it was also my birthday. When nothing had happened by lunch, I began to think maybe they really had forgotten.

Nualla and I got to the lunch table before everyone else which was highly unusual. Even Beatrice wasn’t there yet—which had never happened, that I could think of. It was a very bad sign that made me want to bolt from the atrium. But of course, doing so would alert Nualla that something was up and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Nualla had put the other Valentine’s Day presents in her locker, but had been toting the little stuffed cat around with her all day, a giant grin on her face. The fact that no one had ever given her a Valentine’s Day present was practically a crime. So currently, I was more than golden in her eyes. However, I had a sinking feeling that something was going to ruin it at any second now.

I was about to suggest we leave the table to try and avoid the inevitable, but the second I was about to stand, a small cake with a candle was shoved in front of my face. “Happy Birthday, Patrick!” came the cheery voices of my friends, who had just royally screwed me without knowing it—in three words or less.

The girls placed the cake down and sat around me. Even Shawn and Nikki were in on the fun. Connor looked like he was going to throw up; which was about how I felt at that moment.

“Why didn’t you tell us it was your birthday, Patrick? We almost didn’t have time to get you a present,” Shawn said as he pushed something in front of me. Apparently Nikki and Shawn hadn’t done the math, because they were completely oblivious.

Everyone was smiling good-naturedly, and then all their faces fell. I was almost afraid to look at Nualla.

“Patrick, can I speak with you—now?” Nualla said as she grabbed my arm painfully and pulled me to my feet.

She dragged me through the hall and out into the back parking lot before stopping. But a quick glance around revealed a bunch of students hanging out around the cars. She huffed angrily and without releasing me marched across the street to the park. When we reached the fountain she finally stopped and whipped around to face me. “Patrick, how old are you?” she asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

I swallowed hard. “Eighteen.” I knew it wasn’t what she meant, but it was the truth—kinda.

“How old were you when we got married in Vegas?”

I just looked at her for a while and sighed, delaying this wouldn’t stop the inevitable. I braced myself and sealed my fate in one word. “Seventeen.”

“When exactly were you planning to tell me that we were never legally married?” Nualla asked through gritted teeth; her arms had moved to form clenched fists at her sides.

“I was hoping I would never have to.” It was a dumb answer, and I knew it, but it was the only one I had.

“Why the hell not?!” Nualla asked, throwing her arms out in anger.

I looked down at my black and white scuffed up Converse shoes. “I thought—I thought if you knew we weren’t really married, you would—leave.”

“You thought I was only with you because we accidentally got married?”

It sounded even dumber when she said it. So dumb in fact, that I couldn’t even answer her—but I did. “Yes…”