Little Spark

32 - Toco Hills

I'm sweating like a sow in summertime as I stand outside the chemistry classroom the next morning. I woke up with Reign on my mind, and I was delighted to find my bike outside the front door, but as soon as I set foot inside the school building, it hit me that I have to spend my first class of the day with three of the Shadows who saw me in The Crypt last night while sitting next to Candis after practically cuddling in my closet with her arch nemesis, a boy I promised to stay away from.

"Wham Bam," Duff says as I enter. From the way he's sitting, I can tell he's been watching the door. My eyes flick to his face, and I scream inside as he runs his eyes over my frame, licking his lips like some starved Komodo dragon.

Melany's seat beside him is empty. I'm surprised at first, but then I remember how hard she hit that wall. I'm scared to find out what happened to her.

Lylah, still acting strange, stares at me, and I get a feeling I'm missing something important, like there's a gaping hole in my memory and the answer is hiding in the bright blue of her irises. She keeps them fixed on me throughout the entire class period; I can feel them digging, trying to look inside my head and find out all my secrets. When the bell rings, she stays in her seat and watches intently as Candis and I leave the room.

"Liberate me ex infernis," Candis says the moment we're out the door. "What's with the princess of prattle?"

I decide my best offense here is a good defense, so I decide to act like I didn't notice anything strange. "Huh?"

"You didn't notice Lylah's eyes on the verge of expulsion as you passed by?"

Cue noncommittal shrug. "There's probably some new rumor or something."

Candis' eyes narrow. "What kind of rumor could possibly involve you, Bliss?"

"No clue. You know how she is, Cand."

"Yeah," she says, "I guess I do." I can tell she's not convinced, but she doesn't press any further. "In other strange news, I hear Melany was in an accident."

I jam my hands in my pockets as my fingertips spark, but it doesn't stop the lights from flickering over our heads. Candis looks at the ceiling, and then at me.

"What kind of accident?" I blurt before she can ask any questions. If Melany was killed for defying Mauro when she was totally right about Reign and me, I don't know how I'll live with myself.

"Not sure exactly. She supposedly suffered a concussion and sprained her neck, but you know that girl would impale herself on a bed of Botox needles before appearing in a public space with a cervical collar."

I breathe a little sigh of relief. "Yeah. She probably fell off her skyscraper heels or something. So you excited about the carnival tonight?" Tactical subject switch.

Her eyes light up like a bulb aisle at Caldwell. "I can't wait," she gushes, drifting off into Von-is-the-center-of-the-universe land. "Cotton candy, balloon darts, holding hands with Von as inertia works against centripetal force and pins us to the wall of the Starship 4000—it's going to be so romantic..."

I try to listen to her love-struck rhapsodizing, but in some dark corner of my mind, a part of me resents Candis; not only do I have to keep everything Reign-related a secret, I'm also a little jealous of her relationship. It burns me knowing I can't have what she does with the person I want—at least not at this point.

And suddenly, there he is at the other end of the hall. Seeing him floods me memories from last night: his scent; the feeling of his heartbeat against my cheek; the tight muscles in his back; his cool breath on my forehead... His effect on me actually scares me a little bit.