ã€ŠOf Kisses and Stoneã€‹


 Poking holes in my face on my 18th birthday

    Abigail

    When you are forced to live in darkness, you must learn to conjure light.

    Between my palms, a tiny ball of pink light appears no bigger than a pea. It moves with my hands, grows when I spread my palms apart and shrinks when I bring them together. I can¡¯t take my eyes off the mesmerizing glow, and neither can the small girl sitting in front of me.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± I whisper.

    ¡°How are you doing it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really not sure.¡±

    She reaches her finger towards the light slowly, hesitantly.

    The door flies open. My hands shoot behind my back and the flame is extinguished, but it¡¯s too late. He saw. He comes barreling towards me.

    ¡°NO!¡± he screams, anger flaring in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I cry, but it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°NOT IN MY HOUSE!¡± he¡¯s screaming, ¡°NOT UNDER MY ROOF!¡±

    And then I¡¯m on the ground. Screaming fills the air - but I don¡¯t know who it¡¯s coming from.

    And then darkness finds me again.

    Quinn

    As I opened my eyes early in the morning of my 18th birthday, my thoughts drifted to the nose piercing I was going to get later on that day. I would go after school with my girlfriends to the tattoo parlor and proudly flaunt my ID. I thought of it as a birthday present to myself - I¡¯d saved my pennies for the past six months so I could afford it. But in reality, it was my first taste of freedom as a full-blown (or at least in my opinion I was a full-blown) adult. An October birthday made me the oldest of my small friend group. The others would have to wait until the new year to poke holes in their bodies and permanently paint their skin - without parental consent of course. Which none of us would ever get.

    I smiled to myself, reveling in bodily freedom and not even a little bit wary of the impending pain. That nose ring - a small piece of metal penetrating my flesh - consumed my thoughts as I got ready for school that morning. My first act of rebellion - if you could even call it that.

    Late October chill bit through my socks and hoodie as I crept through our tiny, single story townhouse. I used the flashlight on my phone to light my way down the hall and into the kitchen, unsure of where the beast had passed out the night before. Any overhead lights would surely send him into a rage, and we couldn¡¯t afford to replace any more furniture. The gentle snores by the front door told me I¡¯d been smart to keep the lights off. The beast was once again slumped across the living room couch.

    Cold pizza: perhaps the best birthday breakfast a girl - not girl - woman could ask for. I bit down on the front end, holding it in my mouth while I grabbed my backpack. I could see my friends through the window waiting for me to walk to school. I shined my phone flashlight at them, letting them know I¡¯d be out soon.

    Backpack slung lazily over my shoulder, I made my way to the front door. As I reached for the doorknob, however, I made a disgusting discovery that my earlier hypothesis had been inaccurate. The beast was indeed not passed out on the couch. Nope - the sack of shit couldn¡¯t even make it past the threshold of our humble abode. The door remained propped open on his ankles. No wonder it had been so cold. I debated dragging him away from the door by his head, but decided that we needed to maintain our status as the trashiest family in Fairview. He could stay there until the sun set for all I cared. Also, starting out my 18th year with a back injury resulting in hauling my 250 pound father across the living room floor just felt wrong.

    I opened the door wide enough to step over his legs and then let it slam back on his ankles. His snoring didn¡¯t subside for a second. I rolled my eyes again and made my way to my friends patiently waiting by the lamppost at the end of the single-car driveway. I chucked my pizza crust into the trees to feed the birds.

    Kylee and Elaina were Godsends. The only people in this town that I loved - but of course I would never say that to them.

    ¡°Bad night for the swine?¡± Elaina asked, eyeing my father¡¯s feet in the doorway.

    ¡°He¡¯s not the swine anymore, remember?¡± Kylee stated, ¡°Not since he smashed the kitchen table.¡±

    Elaina snorted, ¡°Oops - I mean beast. Bad night for the beast?¡±

    ¡°Yup, although this is the first time he couldn¡¯t even make it completely into the house. Perhaps tomorrow he¡¯ll stay on the lawn and Saturday he¡¯ll just spend the night in the bar,¡± I said.

    Kylee understood me better than anyone else, although at least she had a mom around sometimes to help with the following day¡¯s cleanup. I¡¯d been riding the dead-beat dad train solo for the past 8 years.

    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s probably the best outcome. At least you won¡¯t have to clean up the piss or vomit,¡± Kylee laughed, ¡°Oh, and happy birthday!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, happy birthday!¡± Elaina sang - handing me an extra large iced coffee.

    ¡°Oh, fuck yeah!¡± I yelled, grabbing the coffee. The 4 pumps of vanilla flavored sweetness covered my tongue, the sugar almost canceling out the taste of coffee.

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    Elain wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me in the direction of our school. The three of us made our way past the crumbling houses and cars that were all somehow engineered before our parents were even conceived.

    The sun was just beginning to rise, a hint of purple and orange tinting the sky above. The day felt so¡­ so ordinary. But this didn¡¯t surprise me in the least. The most exciting thing to happen on our rotten side of town was the not-so-occasional bar fight or carjacking. If I could go back, I would cherish this time. Cherish the feeling of comfort and routine - when the ordinary wasn¡¯t an omen.

    On the other side of Fairview existed a totally different world. I was sure there was no other town on the planet so starkly split between the rich and the poor. Our side was less than blue collar - welfare dependents, teen-moms, and drunken parents inhabited the crumbling brick townhouses west of the Fairview train tracks. On the other side, however, the people lived in luxury. Us peasants liked to call the east side of Fairview The Kingdom. As a child, my friends and I painted wild fantasies of the movie stars, billionaire bankers, and CEO¡¯s that lived in The Kingdom.

    In truth, we could never truly glance into the lives of those elite. They had gated off their community, literally. A security guard in a booth only opened the golden gates to the most deserving community members - those who drove Mazaratis and Audis and wore sunglasses more expensive than my house. When we were younger, my friends and I dreamed of becoming pop stars and making enough money to live in The Kingdom. Now, at the ripe ages of 17 and 18, we knew better. The awe felt at age 10 turned to envy by age 13 and then full-blown hatred by the time we were 16. And we truly did hate them, or the little of them we saw through those golden gates.

    We passed the front end of those gates, along with the security booth, every day on our way to school. A silent reminder of the lives we would never live, the things we could never have. We used to believe them when they told us to study hard in school and we, too, could bask in the glory of The Kingdom. That was until we realized that none of the kids that actually lived in The Kingdom would stoop so low as to attend our decrepit public school.

    ¡°Are you going to do it tonight?¡± Elaina asked, smiling coyly as we rounded the corner away from the gates and up to the front doors of West Fairview High School.

    ¡°Only if there¡¯s nothing better to do,¡± I shrugged coolly.

    Kylee snorted, ¡°Oh yeah, like you have so many options on a Thursday night in Fairview.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I retorted, ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m getting my nose pierced after school and I need at least one of you to come with me to clean up the blood. And if I don¡¯t pass out, then maybe I will consider kissing the prince.¡±

    ¡°Oh you have to! It¡¯s tradition,¡± Elaina said. She was such a fluff. As much as our little friend group complained about this god-forsaken town and the outdated minds of those who lived here, Elaina still relished certain legends.

    I rolled my eyes and pulled out a cigarette, holding it in my mouth while I searched my bag for a lighter.

    ¡°Maybe Quinn doesn¡¯t want to be whisked off by a rich, magical prince,¡± said Kylee, ¡°Maybe she wants to be a strong, independent woman and support herself stripping at the Lad¡¯s Club for the rest of her life.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed, cigarette still hanging from my lips, ¡°the West Fairview way. I¡¯m nothing if not patriotic.¡±

    Elaina rolled her eyes, ¡°Whatever - do what you want Quinn. But you better be right next to me when I kiss the prince on my 18th birthday.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I agreed sarcastically, ¡°And when the dead prince opens his eyes and declares his love to you, I¡¯ll yell good riddance, you can have her crazy ass. And then I¡¯ll go visit you in the psych hospital once a month.¡±

    Elaina huffed in annoyance but Kylee howled with laughter. Kylee and Elaina were the perfect mix of friends. As much as I busted on Elaina, I needed someone to balance out Kylee¡¯s negativity. They were yin and yang and I fell¡­ somewhere in the middle. While Kylee rolled her eyes at the 300 year tradition of kissing the stone prince on your 18th birthday, Elaina couldn¡¯t wait to partake in the fun. Kylee tended to be more practical, if not cynical, while Elaina lived fully and blissfully in the clouds. Of course, their backgrounds probably swayed their personalities most of all. Kylee¡¯s dad was like mine, but worse. At least my dad fell asleep when he got home from the bar. Kylee¡¯s shown up at my house on more than one occasion to escape her father¡¯s alcohol-fueled wrath. It was a good night when she managed to get out in time before his fists began swinging.

    Elaina¡¯s parents were pretty stable. Neither one had a substance issue, but they just couldn¡¯t stop popping out babies. I¡¯m pretty sure Elaina shared a room with three of her younger sisters, but she hasn¡¯t had us over in years so I really can¡¯t say. Her younger siblings made her broody, and some days she droned on and on about whether she wanted 5 or 6 kids of her own when she got married.

    I gave up looking for a lighter and was about to jam my cigarette back in the box in frustration when a flame appeared in front of my face.

    ¡°My hero¡± I muttered, leaning into the lighter and inhaling through the cigarette.

    ¡°Anything for you, beautiful,¡± Jamie said, winking.

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    Jamie just laughed at my crude response.

    ¡°We¡¯ll catch you later,¡± Kylee said knowingly, grabbing Elaina¡¯s hand and pulling her up the stairs of our high school.

    I turned to Jamie, who was lighting a cigarette of his own. Jamie was hot, but in a grungy kind of way. Anywhere else, he would be a 5. In West Fairview, however, Jamie was a solid 9. His curly dark hair hung close to his shoulders in a misunderstood, punk kind of way. His clothes never fit him, his t-shirts often reached his knees and his pants were too baggy. Outsiders would construe this as stylish and trendy, but the truth was that everything he owned was a hand me down from his dad or older brothers. Nevertheless, I liked his style.

    ¡°Doing anything for the big one eight?¡± he asked, smoke pouring from his mouth.

    ¡°Getting a hole in my nose.¡±

    ¡°Hot,¡± Jamie said, winking again, ¡°When can I give you my gift?¡±

    ¡°Depends,¡± I said.

    ¡°On?¡±

    ¡°Is it a real gift or is this just another way of asking for sex?¡±

    Jamie laughed easily, ¡°Definitely sex. But maybe I can steal a beer or two from my dad? The good kind, nothing lite. Would that count?¡±

    I took another drag from my cigarette, considering his proposal. ¡°I¡¯ll text you tonight and let you know.¡±

    Jamie grabbed my cheek gently and turned my head in his direction. He looked at me expectantly. I pursed my lips and slowly blew smoke directly into his face in response. I often sensed that Jamie wanted more than whatever we had at the time. But knew I could never give him that.

    ¡°See you later maybe,¡± I teased, backing away from his hand and heading towards the front door. I dropped my cig and crushed it under my foot before starting up the concrete steps. I felt Jamie¡¯s eyes on my back and, once he could no longer see me, allowed the small smile to creep across my face like a stupid blushing child.

 Rocky and Dead

    Abigail

    The room is dark except for a small candle burning on the floor next to my mat. I have no memories. No thoughts. Just pain.

    When I can¡¯t find sleep again, I watch the light from the candle flicker and dance on the low ceiling above me. I count my breaths, focusing on the number and not the pain.

    I¡¯m there - alone - for hours, days, months. I¡¯m not sure.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    Cora¡¯s quiet excitement breaks me from my stupor.

    ¡°Shh,¡± I warn, opening my arm tentatively for her.

    ¡°He¡¯s not here,¡± she says, climbing next to me on the mat.

    I let out a small sigh of relief and then wince. Cora curls up next to me and puts a small hand on the side of my face. I wonder how terrible I look to her - black and blue and exhausted.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asks, eyes shining with tears.

    I nod, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

    ¡°I thought he might¡­ he was so angry¡­¡± she trails off, her eyes scanning my body. I keep my eyes on her face.

    ¡°Shhh, I¡¯m fine now,¡± I say, trying to keep my tone comforting.

    We lay in silence for a while, watching the shadow of the flame together.

    ¡°Did you eat?¡± I finally ask.

    She nods, ¡°swiped some bread from down the street.¡±

    ¡°Cora!¡± I chastise, ¡°I told you we can¡¯t do that anymore.¡±

    Cora looks down in shame. She hates begging. She has always been delicate, smaller than the other children on the streets. But if she gets caught stealing, she¡¯ll face a far worse fate.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be better soon, I promise,¡± I whisper, flattening her hair against her head.

    ¡°I saved half for you,¡± she says.

    She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small hunk of bread. I wondered once again how long I¡¯d been out - how long she¡¯d been living off of a small piece of stolen bread.

    I split the piece in half.

    ¡°Thank you, Cora,¡± I tell her, eating my half and offering her the other.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s for you,¡± she insists, shaking her head.

    But I can see in her gaunt eyes the hunger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so hungry. I promise - I won¡¯t even eat all this.¡±

    She looks at me, unsure. I continue to hold it out for her with a smile. Finally, she reaches out and takes it. She brings the bread to her mouth and eats.

    Relief floods through me. Cora is just a child. She needs bread more than I do. Besides, when I regain my strength, I¡¯ll find a solid solution for us. I have to.

    Quinn

    ¡°Fuck Mr. Valez!¡± I screamed before taking the handle of peach vodka straight to the face.

    ¡°Fuck Mrs. Lloyd,¡± Kylee yelled, reaching her hand for the bottle.

    We were on our weekly stomp, birthday edition. The three of us roamed the dark sidewalks, fueled by alcohol and adolescence. My nose throbbed from the piercing, but Elaina had gotten the vodka to ¡°help the pain and kill the germs¡± in her words. She¡¯d even paid her cousin to get the fancy flavored stuff - peach was my personal favorite.

    ¡°Fuck the guy at the tattoo shop who carded me when I tried to get a butterfly tattoo on my ass!¡± Elaina yelled, taking a long swig afterwards.

    We burst into laughter, doubling over in our buzzed state. I wrapped my arms around both of their necks and squeezed their heads to mine, feeling the love for my childhood friends so deeply I could cry.

    ¡°Get the FUCK off my street before I called the cops!¡± A man screamed at us from his window before slamming in shut. The response only made us giggle harder, and we sauntered away, arms still tangled around each other. We walked like that for a while, enjoying the silence and drink that warmed our veins and soothed our minds. It wasn¡¯t until we were at the golden gates of The Kingdom that I realized Elaina had been the one leading us.

    ¡°Ugh, really Elaina?¡± I moaned as she smiled at me.

    ¡°Yes, Quinn, come on! This could be your chance to break the spell!¡± she sang, almost pleading.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a stupid legend,¡± I said, looking towards Kylee to back me up.

    ¡°It¡¯s tradition!¡± Elaina said, as though that made her more convincing, ¡°Please Quinn, just try it!¡±

    I looked at Kylee again who just shrugged as if to say why the hell not? Elaina looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.

    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± I said in a huff, ¡°But if I get herpes from kissing that statue, I will actually kill you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t get herpes from kissing a rock,¡± Kylee snorted.

    ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s do it,¡± I said, the alcohol giving me the confidence I needed for breaking and entering, ¡°Do you have a plan?¡±

    ¡°Of course, silly!¡± Elaina said.

    *****

    We each took turns downing the rest of the vodka before shimmying up the tree. Elaina went first, which was unlike her. She was usually the least adventurous of the three of us, but the idea of love and fairytales and princes must have really excited her. She got high enough in the maple tree that she was able to inch across the long branches and finally over the golden fence.

    Kylee quickly followed, a rebellious twinkle in her eyes. When it was my turn, I reached for the lowest branch of the tree, and then stumbled back. My head spun a bit and I knew I¡¯d overdone it with the vodka.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Kylee asked, landing on the other side of the fence?

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    ¡°Peachy,¡± I said, laughing at my own pun.

    I tried again, reaching for the first branch and hoisting myself up, higher and higher until I could work my way over the tall golden rungs of the fence. I shimmied to the end of the branch and hung down. My friends cleared the way and I released the tree, landing softly on the grass. The world spun again.

    ¡°Whoa there,¡± Elaina laughed, grabbing my shoulder and steadying me.

    ¡°You good?¡± Kylee asked.

    ¡°Great,¡± I said determinedly, ¡°let¡¯s go kiss a prince.¡±

    We walked through the shadows of the towering mansions, avoiding the street lights and passing cars. It was past 11, so most of the windows in the houses were dark. The silence was eerie and every leaf we crunched seemed to echo through the streets. It felt wrong to be on this side of the gates. We were intruders of the east side - low-class tumors who didn¡¯t belong. The grass was too green here, and our own sneakers too worn.

    Silently, we approached the biggest and most ornate house in the community. It stood three stories high with a driveway that circled from the street, to the front steps, and back to the street. Large marble pillars stood proudly on the front porch, guarding the arched wooden double doors that were taller than my house alone. There were no cars in the driveway, but they most likely were stored in the four-car garage at the side of the mansion. The manicured lawn was cartoonish - the shrubs shaved into perfect circles and each blade of glass seemingly cut to be the same length as the one next to it.

    The house of Mr. and Mrs. Ellroy.

    We may not have had much insight into the lives of the East Siders, but everyone knew the Ellroys. The richest family in The Kingdom also happened to own the very historical artifact we were there to see.

    Kylee let out a low whistle as she stared up at the beautiful monstrosity that was their house. Elaina grabbed both of our hands and pulled us around the house into the backyard. I knew I was tainting the perfect lawn with my dirt crusted Vans.

    Behind the rather modern looking house stood perhaps one of the oldest pieces of architecture on either side of Fairview. The tomb was made out of deep gray stone, crumbling and covered in a light layer of deep green moss.

    ¡°In there!¡± Elaina whisper-yelled.

    I cringed, afraid any noise might wake the owners and set off an alarm. I let out a sigh of relief when the windows stayed dark and the night stayed quiet. Maybe rich people were a little too trusting of their property. If I owned anything of value, I would guard the shit out of it.

    Elaina entered the tomb first and quickly activated the flashlight in her phone. Kylee and I followed suit. The air instantly turned colder as we stepped through the stone arches and into a dank and musty tunnel.

    ¡°Shit, this is really creeping me out,¡± Kylee whispered, barely audible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby,¡± Elaina hissed, but a glimpse of her face told me she was just as unsure in this moment as Kylee and I.

    The stone hall took us farther into the tomb, and when I was sure we were out of sight and earshot of the mansion, I said, ¡°Damn Elaina, where were these balls when we snuck into your neighbor¡¯s pool last summer?¡±

    Kylee burst into laughter that echoed off the walls. Elaina and I joined in, the alcohol making us momentarily forget that we were moving deeper and deeper into an ancient tomb. Only for a moment. The silence returned quickly, broken only by our shaky breathing.

    ¡°There he is!¡± Elaina said excitedly, rushing ahead. Kylee and I looked at each other and then quickly followed her, not wanting to be one person short in this creepy space. When we caught up to her, Elaina was standing over the supposedly slumbering statue.

    ¡°He¡¯s beautiful,¡± Elaina whispered, pretending to run her fingers through his solid stone hair.

    ¡°He¡¯s a rock,¡± Kylee said.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t always a rock though, Kylee,¡± Elaina retorted.

    ¡°Oh shut up. If you keep believing these stupid small-town myths, you¡¯re going to end up just like the rest of the old bats who never leave this place,¡± Kylee said, ¡°Er¡­ no offense to your boyfriend¡¯s mom, Quinn.¡±

    ¡°Definitely not by boyfriend,¡± I muttered, frowning. But Kylee was right about Jamie¡¯s mom - she was a town believer.

    ¡°Kylee, just because you¡¯re already a contemptuous cunt at 17 doesn¡¯t mean the rest of us have to be,¡± Elaina sniffed. I could smell an argument brewing.

    ¡°Alright, alright Elaina,¡± I said, ending the fight before it could start, ¡°I¡¯ll kiss the royal majesty. Shots first though.¡±

    I smiled deviously at them before pulling 3 airplane bottles of rum out of my pocket. I tossed one to Kylee and one to Elaina.

    ¡°You goddamn alcoholic,¡± Kylee laughed, shaking her head. Nevertheless, she untwisted her bottle cap.

    I did the same, and held my small bottle over the statue¡¯s chest. Kylee and Elaina met me in the middle for a toast.

    ¡°To the fucking prince! May he reawaken after 300 years and rescue me from this shithole of a town!¡± I said.

    ¡°And to you, Quinn!¡± Kylee quickly added, ¡°Happy Birthday!¡±

    ¡°To Quinn and the Prince,¡± Elaina agreed, tapping each of our bottles before chugging her¡¯s in one gulp.

    Kylee and I followed suit and then threw the empty, plastic bottles over our shoulders. We weren¡¯t usually ones for littering, but our shared contempt for those who owned this tomb combined with the large amount of alcohol consumed outweighed our best judgment

    ¡°Ugh, gross - I hate dark rum,¡± Eliana complained, choking.

    ¡°Same,¡± I coughed, ¡°It was all I could find in the beast¡¯s liquor cabinet.¡±

    ¡°Alright, can you kiss this thing already? I¡¯m freezing my ass off,¡± Kylee said, shoving her hands in her pockets.

    I shot her a devious smile before leaning into the statue. I stared at its stone face for a moment, taking in the elegant details. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly smiling. He really looked like a prince from the cartoons I¡¯d grown up watching on VHS. Whatever artist made this statue must have been incredibly talented. It would have sold for millions if it had been left in the hands of the west side.

    Unfortunately for us, the statue had been a family heirloom to the Ellroy family for hundreds of years. And for as long as it¡¯s been around, female peasants from the west side like us have been sneaking into this tomb on our 18th birthdays and kissing it. I have no idea how this tradition started, but girl after girl has snuck in here hoping to break the spell and bring the prince back to life.

    For some girls like Elaina, kissing the prince was a right of passage into adulthood. It was something to look forward to, a tiny glimmer of hope in their bleak lives. Perhaps magic was real. Perhaps true love existed, and there really was someone out there that could break a witch¡¯s curse and bring him back to life. But to me - whose outlook was probably more similar to Kylee¡¯s than Elaina¡¯s at this moment - it was all a bunch of BS.

    Elaina and Kylee fell silent as I slowly touched my mouth to the prince¡¯s stone cold lips. They were rough and hard, not like any human lips and definitely not something I wanted to be touching for an extended period of time. I quickly pulled away, wiping whatever dirt might have been on it with the back of my hand. I looked down at him again for a moment, and then back up at Elaina and Kylee who watched him expectantly.

    ¡°Really, Kylee? You, too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? A girl can dream can¡¯t she?¡± Kylee said defensively.

    ¡°Well,¡± I said, touching his stone chest, ¡°He¡¯s still as rocky and dead as twelve seconds ago. Let¡¯s get out of here, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    I turned to go, but Elaina stayed in place, eyes still boring down on the statue. Kylee rolled her eyes and stomped towards the exit. I threw my arm around Elaina, gently pulling her away from it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, maybe it¡¯s meant to be you! Your birthday¡¯s only a few months away. We¡¯ll try again then,¡± I said, ¡°Besides, you¡¯re much more fit for a prince than I am.¡±

    Elaina shook her head and looked up at me, ¡°Thanks for humoring me.¡±

    ¡°It was fun! Thanks for the birthday adventure.¡±

    I kissed her on the cheek and pulled her ahead, meeting up with Kylee and grabbing her hand as well. We once again burst into giggles as we ran out of the tomb and to the safety of the west side.

    *****

    My phone vibrated just as I climbed into bed that night. The text from Jamie read You still down for your birthday present?

    I sighed and rolled on my side. A night with Jamie didn¡¯t sound as enticing as usual. Plus, the alcohol was coaxing me into sleep. With one eye open, squinting at the brightness of my screen, I texted back It¡¯s past midnight, birthday over. I¡¯ll see you at school tm.

 An Unfortunate Evening

    Abigail

    Cora clings to me in fear as the wind howls against the feeble walls of our home. Cold water drips from the ceiling, slowly soaking everything. I wrap another blanket around us, but Cora¡¯s lips continue to chatter.

    I¡¯d managed to find some bread, milk, and a few eggs to get us through the next few days. But if it wasn¡¯t hunger threatening to kill us, it was something else.

    ¡°It¡¯s s-so cold,¡± Cora whimpers.

    I rub my hands up and down her arms, trying to generate friction.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯ll be better in the morning,¡± I say, ¡°just wait until the morning. Give me a minute to warm up and then I¡¯ll look for another blanket.¡±

    She shakes her head and looks at me with her wide eyes.

    ¡°No, Abby, I know what we need to do!¡± she says excitedly, ¡°Your light!¡±

    I shake my head, ¡°We can¡¯t. You remember what happened last time. We just have to figure something else out.¡±

    Cora thinks for a minute. I can tell the conversation isn¡¯t over.

    ¡°I can keep watch out the window. When I see him coming back, you¡¯ll put it out.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can,¡± I whisper.

    She looks confused and says, ¡°You did last time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I did it. I really don¡¯t know anything about this. I-I don¡¯t even know if I can do it again,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Cora I just-¡±

    ¡°Please, Abby,¡± she begs.

    I look down at my sister¡¯s frail, shivering body. Her lips are blue, her skin pale white. The mounds of gray, holey blankets draped over her shoulders are not enough to keep her warm through the night.

    Seeing her like this - suffering and helpless - brings me more pain than anything else.

    Finally, I nod my head. Her eyes light up ever so slightly.

    ¡°Just stay back, okay?¡± I ask.

    She nods and scoots away from me. I shrug the blankets off my shoulders and bring my palms together again - just like last time. I think of the sun. I think of warmth. I think of happiness.

    Nothing.

    ¡°Keep trying,¡± Cora urges.

    I sigh in frustration. I think of warmth. I think of the sun. I think of my step-father coming home and seeing me like this. Fear courses through me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t Cora,¡± I whisper.

    ¡°You can! I know you can!¡±

    I press my hands harder together and think about Cora. I think about my step-father coming home and hearing Cora encourage me to do this. What he would do to her if he saw this.

    Anger.

    And then it¡¯s there - that familiar, tingling warmth between my palms. I separate them slowly.

    ¡°Abby!¡± Cora exclaims, moving closer to me, ¡°You did it!¡±

    I offer her a smile, watching the ball of light cautiously. Cora brings her hands up to it, her hands turning pink in the reflection.

    ¡°It¡¯s so warm,¡± she breathes.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± I tell her, afraid she¡¯ll get too close and I¡¯ll lose control of it.

    ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me, Abby,¡± she says, as though it were the silliest thought in the world, ¡°I know you won''t.¡±

    Quinn

    I stared at myself in the mirror the next morning, trying to determine how many years older I looked with the nose ring. Although I was officially 18 and 1 day, I looked exactly the same as I had for the past year. I¡¯m pretty sure you stop growing at 18, meaning I¡¯d be a 5 foot 1 inch shrimp for the rest of my life.

    I¡¯d been a regular ginger as a child, but the red had faded into a brownish blond as I got older. It was too long - split ends and all - but I had no desire to cut it. Haircuts were too expensive and the last time I cut my hair by myself had ended in disaster. Elaina made me swear to never touch it again, but unfortunately that meant it was constantly unruly and tangled. I¡¯d long since given up using a brush. Instead, it hung in messy wavy-yet-straight crimps down my back. On very special occasions, I combed my fingers through it.

    I smeared mascara over my eyelashes, hoping to add at least another year onto my babyface. It didn¡¯t do much, but it was better than nothing. I knew nothing about makeup and my mom had split before I was old enough to ask for her womanly advice.

    My house was empty, and I realized my dad must have surpassed sleeping on the lawn and just moved right into the sleeping at the bar phase of his drunken career. If he didn¡¯t come back, maybe I would have Jamie over tonight.

    In all honesty, I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about Jamie. We¡¯d been friends almost since birth - it was pretty weird for everyone when we started¡­ doing whatever it is we were doing.

    But it was comforting to me. Jamie was just a warm body, somebody to play with. I¡¯d often imagined what it would be like for my dad to come home while he was over. I imagined him opening my bedroom door to check on me sleeping and finding me instead tangled up with a teenage boy. He would grab his shotgun and chase Jamie out of the house, telling him to leave his innocent daughter alone. Then, he would come back to lecture me about respect, or safe sex, or waiting until marriage, or something. I laughed at myself in the mirror. A teenage girl hoping her father would yell at her - pathetic.

    Outside, Elaina and Kylee were at our usual meeting spot, both looking sullen and exhausted.

    ¡°Can¡¯t handle your liquor?¡± I asked brightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never know how such a small person can pound so much alcohol and be fine the next day,¡± Kylee muttered grumpily.

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift,¡± I teased.

    We began the short walk to school, trudging lazily through our sad little town. Each day was colder than the one before it, and I watched a single orange leaf fall off a tree and onto the sidewalk ahead of me. I made sure to step directly on that leaf as I walked by just to hear the satisfying crunch.

    The three of us, all dazed and in our own little early-morning worlds, jumped at the sounds of sirens from behind. We whirled around to see three cop cars and an ambulance racing down the street towards our high school.

    ¡°Maybe Mr. Valez finally croaked,¡± I said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡± Kylee shouted, apparently forgetting her hangover. She ran up the street after the cop cars, Elaina and I in her wake. But instead of turning for the high school, the ambulance sped straight through the now open gates of The Kingdom. I turned to my friends, my shock matching that which was showing on their faces. Drama on the east side? This was unheard of, and we had to know more.

    The gates remained wide open, and the booth for the first time in my life was completely empty of a security guard. We dashed through the gates, following the sounds of the sirens and then slowing down when we realized where they¡¯d stopped.

    The Ellroy mansion - the same place we¡¯d trespassed the previous night - was alive. Cops stood on the front lawn, talking to who I could only assume to be Mrs. Ellroy and taking notes. A pair of EMT¡¯s entered the house carrying medical bags. A few photographers snapped pictures of the backyard.

    I turned to my friends in horror. The looks on their faces told me we¡¯d all made the same realization. We had just stumbled upon a crime scene.

    ****

    I sat on the bathroom sink, bouncing my knee and inhaling deeply from my cigarette.

    ¡°Fuck fuck fuck this is so fucking bad,¡± Kylee muttered, pacing in front of the line of stalls.

    I stuck my head out the small bathroom window to exhale before taking another puff.

    ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Elaina asked, lighting a cigarette of her own.

    ¡°Thought you were quitting,¡± I said, trying to give her a small smile.

    ¡°I was trying until we became suspects in a crime,¡± she said frantically, inhaling her cig deeply.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know it was a crime,¡± I told her, but I was trying to convince myself of this as well. ¡°Maybe someone just had a heart attack and had to go to the hospital. Or maybe¡­ maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe what?¡± Kylee asked roughly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡¯m trying to be helpful,¡± I shot back.

    ¡°Be realistic bitch! We left DNA evidence at a crime scene!¡±

    ¡°DNA evide- you mean the airplane bottles?¡±

    Kylee nodded, eyes wide.

    ¡°People sneak in that tomb all the time! They could have been from weeks ago. They have no proof that we actually did anything!¡± I said, trying to be the voice of reason. I knew Kylee was at least partially right, but I couldn¡¯t admit it to myself or them. One of us had to be the strong one.

    ¡°It¡¯s enough to be questioned by the cops! And I am shit under pressure! I¡¯ll end up admitting to a robbery or a murder,¡± Kylee cried.

    ¡°Yo, chill!¡± I yelled at her, stubbing my cig off on the window sill, ¡°Just keep quiet and try not to freak out. You¡¯re just gonna draw more attention to us.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I jumped off the sink, preparing to go back to class. Kylee grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face her. I shook her off, annoyed at being touched like that.

    ¡°I. Can¡¯t. Chill,¡± she said through gritted teeth, ¡°Your dad might not give a fuck about what happens to you, but mine will pummel me if I get in trouble with the cops.¡±

    Ouch. Kylee was really good at making you feel awful when she was mad. I didn¡¯t let the hurt show on my face, but Kylee¡¯s face fell when she realized what she just said.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Quinn I-¡±

    ¡°Just forget it,¡± I growled, turning on my heel and stalking out of the bathroom.

    Tears are my weakness, and I fucking hate it when people see me cry. I put my sweatshirt hood over my head and shoved my hands in my pocket, keeping my face tilted towards the floor. I willed my tears to go away, but of course that made it worse.

    ¡°Nice of you to join us,¡± Mr. Valez sneered as I walked into his classroom and took my seat in the back.

    Usually I would have responded with something sarcastic, but I knew my voice would crack if I said anything. Instead, I put my head down and tried to stop panicking. The truth was that we hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. We just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! But would the cops believe that? Would the cops believe three teenage girls from the hood? The odds weren¡¯t looking too good for us¡­

    The bell rang and I got up quickly, making a beeline for the exit. Mr. Valez, however, stepped in my path before I could escape. I took a loud deep breath, letting my annoyance be known. He ignored it as usual.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he said, ¡°Hang back for a minute.¡±

    I looked up at him, ¡°Oh umm¡­ Mrs. Jefferson really doesn¡¯t like when I¡¯m late. And I really don¡¯t want to miss anything in gym class.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll write you a pass,¡± he said flatly, seeing through my bullshit. I sighed again in response.

    Mr. Valez took a seat at his desk. He was the most ¡°teachery¡± looking teacher at this school. He had bright white hair and round, thin framed glasses - the kind that had recently come back in style. But Mr. Valez had been wearing them since before they were cool. Argyle sweater vests were clearly all he owned. And all of his tweed jackets had patches sewn on the elbows. I couldn¡¯t stand him.

    Mr. Valez looked up at me with quizzical eyes.

    ¡°How are you doing, Quinn?¡± he asked, ¡°I mean¡­ how is everything at home?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I said quickly, ¡°Can I go now?¡±

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he paused and seemed to think carefully, ¡°Quinn you are a very¡­ smart girl. Incredibly smart if I¡¯m being honest. But recently you have been falling behind on work and I¡¯m nervous about how this will affect your transcripts for college.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up, whatever,¡± I muttered, desperate to get out of the conversation.

    It was Mr. Valez¡¯s turn to sigh in annoyance.

    ¡°Quinn, I can¡¯t force you to care about your grades. But I know you can do better than this,¡± he said. He pulled out my most recent essay, a D letter grade sprawled in red ink across my writing. ¡°Your essays last year were insightful and¡­ and beautiful. But this looks like it was copied directly from wikipedia.¡±

    I hid my smirk because it was copied directly from wikipedia.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Valez,¡± I sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll do better next time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it for me, Quinn,¡± he said softly, ¡°do it for yourself. You have a really good chance of getting into a good university. Don¡¯t blow it your senior year!¡±

    I gave him a thumbs up, ¡°Got it¡­ don¡¯t blow it.¡± I slowly began backing out of the room.

    ¡°Wait one second,¡± he said quickly, holding up a finger. I froze as he pulled out a pink late slip and signed it. ¡°You don¡¯t want detention with Mrs. Jefferson. She makes you run laps.¡±

    I would have appreciated the sympathetic gesture if I liked this man. Unfortunately, I was destined to hate him as he was one of the few from The Kingdom to dare cross over into the wild, wild west. Why someone with that much money would choose to work at a shitty school like ours, I will never know. All I knew was that his wife was ¡°very successful¡± - the polite way of saying filthy stinking rich. And yet he still came to teach this boring English class every day without fail. What an asshole.

    When I was safely in the hallway, I crumpled the pass and threw it in a trash can. I hated gym class anyway. Instead, I grabbed my backpack from my locker and started for the nearest exit. I wanted to get out of here before Kylee and Elaina were out of their last class. Maybe it was petty, but I wasn¡¯t ready to accept Kylee¡¯s apology. She could feel bad about her comments for a little while longer.

    On my way down the steps of the school, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened the text from Jamie. Come over tonight - parents are gone. Brother got us booze. Bring whoever.

    I smiled to myself and quickly texted back I¡¯ll be there. Don¡¯t invite Elaine or Kylee. I need a break from girl drama.

    ******

    I¡¯d started drinking long before I even got to Jamie¡¯s party. The bottle of wine I¡¯d stolen from the corner store remained firmly in my hand as I entered the bass bumping house, stumbling over my feet.

    The vibes were immaculate. The music boomed, the black light lit up the living room, and kids from our town filled the space, all toting red solo cups of who knows what they stole from their parents mixed with Mountain Dew. I pushed my way through the crowd until I found Jamie shotgunning a beer with one of his stupid friends.

    ¡°Jamie!¡± I yelled over the music. He finished the beer and turned towards me, smiling sloppily. He slung his arm around my waist and leaned in for a very wet kiss.

    ¡°Ew,¡± I yelled, pulling my face away.

    ¡°Aw poor Quinn,¡± he mocked loudly enough so I could hear, ¡°Still throwing yourself a pity party?¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± I rolled my eyes, taking a long sip of the light pink wine from the bottle.

    ¡°Sugar water,¡± Jamie said, eyeing my wine.

    ¡°Goes down easy,¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Listen, uh, don¡¯t be mad but I kind of told Elaina and Kylee about the party before I saw your text not to,¡± he admitted sheepishly. ¡°So they¡¯re, uh, here.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± I muttered, taking another long swig of wine. And then another. Alcohol flooded my veins, fueling my annoyance at just about everyone. I wiggled away from Jamie and stormed away, but he didn¡¯t notice. He was shotgunning another beer.

    In the kitchen, I saw Elaina and Kylee standing closely together, whispering to each other and looking around awkwardly. Elaina saw me first and beckoned me over. Kylee offered a sheepish smile. And I know that I should have gone over to them and accepted Kylee¡¯s apology. It would have made her and I feel better. It probably would have turned into a fun night. But I am a petty bitch. So, staring Kylee directly in the eye, I finished the last quarter of my bottle of wine and turned my back on her.

    I was on the prowl for more alcohol - something stronger than beer. Shots maybe. But the house was packed and muggy from sweaty teenage bodies. I opened the nearest door, desperate for the solitude of a bathroom and walked right in on Jamie and Hannah Kelly making out, one of her hands shoved down his pants. Typical. He looked up just in time to see me close the door.

    ¡°Whoooore,¡± I slurred.

    Like I said before, Jamie and I weren¡¯t dating or even exclusive, but it wasn¡¯t fun to see him straddling Hannah Kelly. Hannah Kelly otherwise known as dry handjob Hannah. I hoped his night was as fun as her nickname sounded.

    Using the walls to support myself, I inched my way out of the house. I made it as far as the second step from the porch before I had to sit down and put my head between my knees.

    It was at this moment that I realized what a piece of trash I was. And how badly I wanted another drink.

    ¡°Tough night?¡± a voice asked from a few feet away. My head shot up and suddenly I was looking into the bright blue eyes of someone I¡¯d definitely seen before.

    ¡°Heyyyy, I know you,¡± I said, my words coming out long and messy, ¡°You¡¯re um¡­ sorry I¡¯m uh..¡±

    ¡°Drunk?¡± the man asked, finishing my sentence for me. The familiar stranger leaned against a black car, arms crossed, and examined me intently. I must be a hot mess to warrant this sort of attention.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ don¡¯t think so,¡± I said, putting my head back on my knees and praying he would leave me alone. The world continued to spin around me. I held onto the metal railing for support.

    ¡°I think you need a ride home,¡± he said. He hadn¡¯t moved from his spot by the car.

    ¡°No thanks Ted Bundy,¡± I murmured.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Serial killer. Hot serial killer. I¡¯m not falling for it.¡±

    The stranger laughed lightly. I quickly stood up, not wanting to vomit all over Jamie¡¯s lawn. Although he kind of deserved it. Walking would help. And then sleep.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± the stranger asked as I made a right turn for the sidewalk. I¡¯d never been so grateful that Jamie lived less than a block and a half away.

    ¡°Home,¡± I answered, too tired to come up with something whittier.

    ¡°Let me take you. You don¡¯t look good,¡± he said with worry filled eyes. I laughed at his sincerity. He definitely wasn¡¯t from around here.

    ¡°No dude, I¡¯m really fine,¡± I waved him off, ¡°Thanks though.¡±

    I picked up the pace, not wanting to deal with him anymore. When I was halfway down the sidewalk, I turned to make sure he was gone. But he wasn¡¯t gone - he was just following me at a slow pace.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna call the cops!¡± I yelled back to him.

    ¡°Please do! They¡¯ll get you home safely,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I yelled. I stumbled a few more feet before tripping over my own shoes and landing on my knees. I knew they were skinned and would kill in the morning. At this moment, however, I felt nothing but sour nausea.

    I leaned over to vomit rose on my undeserving neighbor¡¯s grass. Maybe I¡¯d bake them cookies in the morning or something as an apology. Everything was still for a moment as I waited to be sick, and then I felt warm hands wrap around my hair - pulling it back from my face. The surprise stopped the vomit and I looked up at the stranger.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I growled, wishing he would leave me to vomit in peace.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine.¡±

    ¡°Just leave me here to die,¡± I moaned dramatically. I waited for the vomit to start rising in my throat again, but it didn¡¯t. I took a few deep breaths, willing myself to feel better.

    ¡°Can you walk?¡± he asked.

    I shook my head, closing my eyes. A few more deep breaths.

    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯m good,¡± I sighed. He let go of my hair and took a step back, offering only a hand to help me stand. I ignored it and picked myself up, brushing my shirt off and pretending not to notice the blood trickling from both of my knees.

    ¡°I think you need medical attention,¡± he said, grimacing at the blood.

    ¡°I think you need to mind your own business,¡± I said, continuing down the sidewalk. He froze for a moment, surprised by my rudeness. Welcome to Fairview dude.

    ¡°You know,¡± he said, walking quickly to catch up with me, ¡°You¡¯re rather ungrateful considering I just saved your life.¡±

    I stopped in my tracks, ¡°Excuse me? I was minding my own business and you decided to stalk me home!¡±

    He thought for a moment, ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure I was minding my own business when you decided to fall over. And leave yourself very vulnerable to any potential serial killers - I might add.¡±

    ¡°Is that how you see it?¡± I asked, walking again.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I see it.¡±

    We walked next to each other for a bit. I kept my arms crossed and put as much space between us as possible. I stopped walking when we reached the front of my house. I turned to him, trying to come up with a snarky way to say goodbye.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked, cutting off whatever I was about to say.

    ¡°Er - don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I told him, ¡°Listen, I live here. Don¡¯t follow me inside because my dad¡¯s home¡± - I really hoped that was the truth - ¡°and he¡¯s a big scary dude. Like can knock you out with a punch scary dude.¡±

    The stranger put his hands up in defense, ¡°Got it. And I¡¯m not going to follow you inside. I was just trying to help.¡±

    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± I asked, eyeing him up and down.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re clearly not from around here,¡± I said.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not¡­ exactly,¡± he said, sounding uncertain.

    ¡°And you¡¯re in Fairview because¡­¡± I waited for his answer.

    He was quiet for a moment, and then ¡°I have family that lives here. And maybe I¡¯m looking for a change of scenery.¡±

    I nodded, ¡°Well, I recommend you go back to wherever you came from. For your sake. This town is a leech, and it¡¯ll suck everything out of you until you can never leave. Get out while you can.¡±

    He stared at me incredulously. After a moment he replied, ¡°Duly noted.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ thanks for not killing me,¡± I muttered, and then turned on my foot and began walking towards the front door.

    ¡°Your name?¡± he called one more time as I was unlocking the front door. I waited until I was safely inside and about to close the door.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± I yelled, before shutting the door and locking it behind me. I turned to see my dad once again passed out on the couch and a bit of relief washed over me. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to go looking for him tomorrow.

    I peaked out the front window before getting ready for bed. The stranger still stood on the sidewalk, staring at my house. I debated calling the cops, but by the time I got to my bedroom, he¡¯d left.

    As I fell into bed, I made one last attempt at remembering where I had seen the stranger before. But my mind was hazy from the wine, and then I was asleep.

 Spellbreaker

    Abigail

    Cora is fast asleep on the mat, but I cannot rest. The ball of light has been hovering between my palms for hours. I can change its size, and if I clench my fingers hard enough, the light gets brighter. When I relax my hands, the light dims.

    I spend most of the night playing with the mysterious fiery orb. It doesn¡¯t burn me. Its warmth is comforting.

    I stare into the light. The orb rotates slowly, with different shades of pink casting shadows over the room. I do not understand what is happening - how this is possible.

    I wish my mother were here. She would have answers. And if she didn¡¯t, she would find them.

    Cora doesn¡¯t know my pain because she doesn¡¯t remember our mother. I will never forget her gentle touch. I am all Cora has now - so I will give her everything our mother gave to me. No matter the cost.

    I lose focus for a moment, lost in thoughts of my mother. But something in the orb shifts and snaps me back to the present. I gasp.

    ¡°Cora!¡± I whisper-yell.

    She stirs, but her eyes stay shut.

    ¡°Cora, wake up,¡± I urge, ¡°Look at what it¡¯s doing!¡±

    Cora¡¯s eyes flutter open, and then they are wide as she takes in the pink fire. It is no longer an orb - it has transformed into something new.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bird,¡± Cora breathes as she moves closer to it.

    I nod, watching as the small light-bird flaps its fiery wings between my palms. I spread my hands apart and it gets bigger.

    The bird the size of a crow, and our drab, small room is brighter than it has  ever been in my entire life. No amount of sunlight pouring through the single window could compare to this.

    I spread my hands even further still until - it seems - the fire-bird gets a mind of its own. He takes off and the warmth between my hands dies instantly. Cora and I watch him fly around the room in wonder. He is alive for only moments, before the light fades into nothing, and only ashes are left scattered amongst the floor.

    Quinn

    I woke up to 5 missed texts and 3 missed calls from Elaina and Kylee. My anger towards Kylee was short-lived, and I was already ready to move past the spat when I read her first message.

    Quinn, I¡¯m so so sorry - I shouldn¡¯t have been such an ass.

    And then: Please let me know when you wake up. Elaina is worried that you disappeared last night.

    And finally: Girl it¡¯s noon! Answer

    I also had a text from Elaina making sure I was alright.

    But I think the highlight of my morning - well, afternoon - was the text from Jamie that simply read We good? I would definitely not be replying to that.

    I put Elaina and Kylee in a group chat asking to meet up at the local park. None of our houses were exactly hang-out friendly, what with the drunkards and the small-children.

    I rolled out of bed and brushed the alcohol taste from my teeth. I was still wearing the crop top and jeans from the night before, so I peeled them off and put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt - my M.O. My dad was nowhere to be found when I came out of my bedroom, but at least I¡¯d seen him the night before. Or at least, I thought I saw him the night before. Everything was murky, so I don¡¯t really remember actually going to sleep.

    Kylee and Elaina were already at the park waiting for me. Elaina skipped forward to give me a rough hug, but Kylee held back. We made eye contact and she approached me slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry dude,¡± she said, and I knew she meant it.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My dad sucks, it¡¯s no secret,¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Yeah but¡­ I didn¡¯t have to say it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Forgiven,¡± I said, offering her a smile.

    There was an awkward silence and then I remembered why we were even fighting in the first place.

    ¡°So did either of you end up getting questioned by the police?¡± I asked awkwardly.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear!?¡± Elain said, her face lighting up with excitement.

    I looked at her curiously. I hadn¡¯t exactly flipped open the newspaper when I¡¯d gotten home from school the previous day. After ransacking the house for any liquor for Jamie¡¯s party, I gave up and hit the corner store. After that, it¡¯s all a blur.

    ¡°The prince woke up!¡± she exclaimed. Kylee huffed in annoyance next to her.

    ¡°What prince?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The stone prince! The one you kissed!¡±

    I looked at Kylee for confirmation who just shook her head.

    ¡°The statue went missing. That¡¯s why the cops were at the house. Some people are apparently claiming that he ¡®woke up,¡¯¡± she explained curtly, using air quotes around the last part.

    ¡°The owners of the statue are claiming he woke up! And the very same night you kissed him!¡± said Elaina, ¡°There has to be something to it, don¡¯t you think Quinn?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ I don¡¯t know Elaina.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to crush her excitement, but she was starting to sound a bit manic.

    ¡°You have to come forward Quinn! Tell the Ellroy family that it was you who kissed him,¡± she pressed.

    ¡°But I - Elaina you saw the statue with your own eyes. It was a rock before I kissed it, and it was a rock afterwards.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but maybe it happened later! Maybe it¡¯s a long process,¡± Elaina said hopefully.

    I took a deep breath, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Elaina was fragile, more fragile than Kylee or me. When she had her heart set on something, it was difficult to say no. Her large brown eyes were wide with wonder and excitement.

    ¡°I- maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I offered.

    ¡°Quinn!¡± Kylee said in protest.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! I just think we should wait and see what happens. Let the police investigate or- or let the family give more information. I don¡¯t want to butt in on their business. And I especially don¡¯t want to admit to trespassing on their property in case the statue was, in fact, stolen.¡±

    Both of them were quiet for a minute, but then Elaina nodded. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right. We¡¯ll lay low for now.¡±

    *****

    Word about the prince¡¯s apparent awakening spread like wildfire over the weekend. The west side was divided between the believers and the non-believers, the dreamers and the cynics. I wanted to believe the logical side - the statue had been stolen, or destroyed, or encountered some sort of isolated natural disaster that led to its disappearance. Unfortunately, the very owners of the statue sent word that the prince had awoken by some sort of spell, and that they were searching for the secret kisser. And everyone who believed seemed to have their own theory about who the mystery kisser might be.

    The east side¡¯s given nickname The Kingdom wasn¡¯t entirely inaccurate. The inhabitants of the wealthy side at one point in history had in fact ruled the land as a monarchy. There was a king and a queen that oversaw all of Fairview (both east and west) and the surrounding towns. According to the town gossip, many of the people still living in The Kingdom were distantly related to the monarchy. But it had fallen hundreds of years ago, and therefore held no standing in our country. Despite this, westside inhabitants began predicting that - with the prince¡¯s reawakening - the politics of the region might begin to change. Furthermore, it was rumored that the girl who kissed the prince was from the West Side.

    The cynics, on the other hand, started scanning the neighborhood for suspicious footprints and studying recent police reports. Some even accused the Ellery family of committing insurance fraud, furthering their claims that all rich people were evil, money grabbing monsters. But the Ellery¡¯s stayed true to their word in interviews and speeches.

    ¡°We are so happy that the prince has returned to us,¡± announced Mrs. Ellery, standing in front of her mansion and surrounded by news cameras, ¡°And we will not stop until we find the wonderful girl who saved his soul.¡±

    Although the prince had yet to make an appearance, he was the talk of the school. Everyone, especially the girls, had a theory.

    ¡°I kissed him over the summer for my 18th birthday - maybe it takes a few months to sink in,¡± Kerry Sarrunds claimed loudly to her friends at her locker.

    ¡°You mean you¡¯re really not going to say anything?¡± Elaina whispered, ¡°I mean¡­ we were the only ones there that night. It had to be you!¡±

    ¡°Someone could have come afterwards,¡± I said, looking around to make sure no one heard the discussion as we walked to History. It was the only class I had with both Elaina and Kylee. Elaina huffed in annoyance, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to bicker with her.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t even a little excited?¡± she asked.

    I sighed, ¡°Elaina¡­ as nice as it sounds¡­ I just think the town is fussing over nothing. The statue will turn up sooner or later and all of this will be like it never happened. I don¡¯t want to get myself involved.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    It was the truth - I hated the idea of people talking about me. If I could get through high school drawing as little attention to myself as possible, my goal would be fulfilled. For the first time this year, I was actually excited to go to class because at least it meant Elaina and everyone else might shut the hell up about the stupid legend. I sunk down in my chair, waiting for Mr. Tanner to begin his lecture. Elaina sat on one side of me, and Kylee joined a few minutes later.

    ¡°If I hear one more person suggest their involvement in this prince thing, I¡¯m going to rip my hair out,¡± she groaned, sitting on my other side. I nodded in agreement, ignoring Elaina¡¯s annoyed sigh.

    Mr. Tanner stood in the front of the classroom and wrote in big letters on the chalkboard: Local Myths and Legends. I wanted to slam my head on the desk - here I thought class would be an escape. Kylee looked equally as disappointed, but I noticed quite a few students sit up a little straighter at their desks.

    ¡°Alright class, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ve all heard the recent news regarding the prince¡¯s statue. It¡¯s no secret that our town has many local legends surrounding the statue, so I figured today would be as good a day as any to delve into it!¡±

    Mr. Tanner seemed pleased with the amount of people paying close attention to his every word today. He certainly wouldn¡¯t miss me. I put my head down on my desk and shut my eyes, trying to block out words like ¡°spell¡± and ¡°myth¡± and ¡°witch¡± and ¡°love.¡± He gave a homework assignment at the very end of class instructing us to come up with our own theories about the statue - whether it be mythical or based in science. I knew which side I would be taking¡­

    Elaina was practically glowing by the time the bell rang and we filed into the hallway to our respective next classes. An entire class period devoted to talking about fairytales - her dream-come true. She droned on and on about the possibilities that I totally blocked her out.

    ¡°...and apparently they are having a press conference this afternoon with more details. Rumor has it, the prince himself is going to make an appearance!¡± Elaina gushed.

    I balked at the word press conference. The Ellerys were simply thriving off all of this attention. Disgusting.

    ¡°Whoopie! Do you think he¡¯ll sign my tit?¡± Kylee said sarcastically.

    Elaina ignored her, continuing on, ¡°I wonder if they know who the kisser was! I mean, maybe they have security cameras or fingerprints! Quinn,¡± she turned to me excitedly, ¡°What if they announce that it was you?¡±

    ¡°Elaina!¡± I said, exasperated, ¡°Please, please, if you value our friendship, please stop saying that! It wasn¡¯t me. It wasn¡¯t Kerry Sarrunds. It wasn¡¯t anybody. This whole thing is a PR scheme, and you¡¯re going to feel really stupid when the truth comes out!¡±

    Elaina looked crushed, but I had to say what I said. I didn¡¯t want rumors spreading about me, especially rumors that weren¡¯t true. And Elaina had a big mouth - keeping secrets was not her strong suit. We stopped walking, as I¡¯d reached my calculus class.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sorry Elaina,¡± I said, ¡°I just-¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Elaina muttered, turning on her heel and stalking away.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Kylee said dryly, giving me a playful slap on the shoulder.

    ****

    Lunch was awkward. While I hold grudges and go MIA when I¡¯m upset with someone, Elaina exuberantly pretends that the fight never happened and that everything is fine. She made sure to steer clear of the forbidden subject, but gossipped away about pretty much everything else in the school.

    ¡°And apparently Hannah sent Jamie pictures of her-¡±

    ¡°Elaina,¡± I cut her off, ¡°Elaina, I¡¯m really sorry about earlier.¡±

    She feigned confusion, ¡°What about earlier? Oh¡­ you mean that silly thing¡­ I haven¡¯t thought about it at all.¡±

    It took copious amounts of self control to stop my eyes from rolling into the back of my head. But Elaina had always been understanding when I was petty and angry. It was my turn to be the sensitive one. I put my arm around her shoulder.

    ¡°Listen, what do you say we go to that press conference together? Then we can see for ourselves what¡¯s going on. Maybe they¡¯ll even reveal the mystery kisser,¡± I said, offering her an earnest smile. I wasn¡¯t in a place to ruin friendships, and this seemed like the fastest way to show her that I really felt sorry for my outburst.

    Elaina shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but I saw the corners of her eyes turn upwards in excitement. Kylee shot me a look as if to say really? But I shot her a hard look not to push anything.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really what you want¡­¡± Elaina said, shrugging again.

    ¡°It is,¡± I told her, even though we all knew my confession wasn¡¯t in the least bit truthful.

    *****

    Elaina¡¯s facade had spontaneously disappeared by the time school ended. She waited for us in the school parking lot, practically bouncing on her toes with excitement. Kylee and I slowly made our way to our overexcited friend. We both gave her a smile, but Kylee¡¯s looked more agitated than sincere. I was a better actor than my pessimistic companion.

    Elaina led the way to The Kingdom, but it seemed everyone in the school was as eager as us to hear the Ellroy''s speak. We were just sheep in the mass of high school students careening towards those golden gates. I couldn¡¯t blame my overeager peers. Fairview was rather dull, especially on the West Side. News reporters and magic were the most exciting things to happen here since¡­ probably ever. Plus, we¡¯d all grown up idolizing and then detesting the East Side. Everyone was curious to see the Ellroy¡¯s in person - to hear the true golden voices of the elite.

    Mrs. Ellroy was already speaking when we took our place amongst the oglers. The tall and strikingly beautiful woman wore a sleek white pantsuit. Her blond hair was piled high in an elegant updo. The very tone of her voice jingled with wealth and¡­ power?

    ¡°-just so happy to bring Atlas home. These past few days have been the happiest we¡¯ve had in a while. Our humble home finally feels complete,¡± she said, beaming. As she spoke, she made careful eye contact with each and every member of the crowd. Public speaking clearly came naturally to her. She¡¯d done this before, probably hundreds of times. I wondered about her job - if she had one at all.

    ¡°Home feels complete?¡± Kylee whispered to me skeptically, ¡°This makes no sense. She¡¯s claiming he¡¯s been dead for 300 years¡­ so they¡¯ve basically let a stranger invade their space. Hoax of the century if you ask me.¡±

    I stifled a snort, not wanting to piss Elaina off again. Luckily, she was fully engrossed in Mrs. Ellroy¡¯s speech, hanging onto every word like the woman was spilling some sort of secret to eternal life.

    ¡°And now, I would like to formally introduce the prince to you all,¡± Mrs. Ellroy smiled wider, ¡°Please welcome Atlas Ellroy.¡±

    The crowd began clapping, though I couldn¡¯t understand why. Why did everyone care so much about this legend?

    Mrs. Ellroy held her arm out and another person took the stage. I felt the shock overtake my face when I recognized him from some foggy, distant memory. I knew I¡¯d seen him before. Looked into those bright blue eyes and stood nearby his muscular frame. I remember looking up at him from the¡­ floor? No, the sidewalk. And he¡¯d held my hair¡­

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered, and both of my friends looked at me in surprise. I just shook my head and they refocused their attention on the speaker.

    He - Atlas Ellroy - was the stranger from Jamie¡¯s.

    I¡¯d met the man now speaking to the crowd the other night. I¡¯d let him follow me home. I¡¯d given him my name. I slowly lifted my hoodie over my head. I doubted he¡¯d be able to pick me out in a crowd this big, but I didn¡¯t want to take any chances.

    ¡°After 300 years, I am so¡­ so thankful to the girl who broke the spell,¡± Atlas said into the mic, ¡°It¡¯s clear the world has changed so much since I was last awake. But I¡¯m ready to fully embrace the present and the progress we¡¯ve made as humans. I¡¯m looking forward to-¡±

    ¡°Who was she?!¡± someone - a woman - yelled out from the crowd.

    ¡°Yeah, who broke the spell?¡± a boy yelled.

    Atlas faltered for a moment, clearly surprised at the crowd¡¯s disturbance. But he recomposed himself quickly, his smile soft wit patience.

    ¡°He is gorgeous,¡± Elaina breathed.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine I guess,¡± Kylee muttered, ¡°If you like polished, preppy boys.¡±

    ¡°While we know the identity of the spellbreaker, we are not yet ready to release that information. We would like to give the girl privacy and peace during this time,¡± he said, and I breathed a sigh of relief. If they did think it was me, I did not want that attention.

    ¡°Furthermore-¡± he continued, but was cut off from another member of the crowd.

    ¡°But you definitely know who she is? You have proof?¡±

    Atlas looked hesitantly towards Mrs. Ellroy, who just gave a gentle nod.

    ¡°Yes, I know the identity of the spellbreaker. You see, I was frozen for 300 years but¡­ I was still cognizant. I mean to say¡­ I was able to see what was going on around me. I could see everything on the East side of Fairview,¡± Atlas admitted to the crowd. I noticed a few viewers looking at each other, unsure of whether or not to believe him.

    ¡°But your eyes were closed,¡± said someone, and I recognized Kerry Sarrund¡¯s nasally voice, ¡°What do you mean you saw?¡±

    Atlas paused again, searching for the words, ¡°Think of it as¡­ think of it as a sort of omniscience. I could see, but I couldn¡¯t feel or think or¡­ I was just an observer of the space that was once my home.¡±

    People began nodding their heads, like they believed him. How easily their opinions were swayed by his words!

    ¡°So, yes I was able to see myself in stone. For 300 years, I watched girl after girl venture into my tomb and kiss me. For 300 years, nothing changed. I was frozen and stuck and hopeless. Until Thursday night.¡±

    The crowd began buzzing quietly as everyone quietly reiterated their theories.

    ¡°But she left before I transformed. The whole process took the entire night. Slowly but surely, though, I¡­ I felt myself re entering my body. By the time the sun was coming up, I could open my eyes and move around. I couldn¡¯t believe it - all this time and¡­ and I was alive.¡±

    He paused, waiting for any additional questions. The crowd, however, fell silent. Engrossed in his every word.

    ¡°And now that I¡¯m back, I want to be as involved in this world as possible. I spent too long unable to touch and smell and taste and¡­ and feel. I want to live a normal life now. Clearly the monarchy no longer rules the region. I¡¯m excited to see how Fairview has changed and where I can fit in here. So, with the help of my parents, I¡¯ve decided that I am going to enroll in high school,¡± he announced.

    ¡°Great,¡± Kylee whispered to me, ¡°Another preppy boy joining the richy rich private schools. So original¡±

    ¡°Fairview High School,¡± Atlas clarified. A hush fell over the crowd and then¡­ everyone burst into a round of applause. Elaina cheered loudly, pumping her first in the air. Even Kylee seemed slightly impressed by his announcement.

    Atlas continued on, and the audience once again fell silent. As he spoke, he, too, looked into the eyes of each and every crowd member. He must have learned this tactic from Mrs. Ellroy.

    ¡°Thank you all for such a wholehearted welcome,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m so looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you. And to my kisser, my savior, if you are out there in the crowd right now¡± - his eyes finally met mine and my breath caught in my throat. Those blue eyes were piercing, and I couldn¡¯t look away no matter how much I wanted to. Atlas, too, seemed to freeze, but he regained his composure and breathed into the microphone, ¡°thank you.¡±

    He held my gaze from 50 feet away - him on the makeshift stage behind a podium, me a face in the crowd, hoodie up, not nearly disguised enough. I was the first to break eye contact. I backed out of the crowd as quickly as possible, not bothering to say goodbye to my friends. Nobody paid me any attention as I shoved past them. When I was free from the sea of people, I sprinted home.

    The front door slammed shut behind me. I was panicking, suffocating. I slid down to the floor, back still against the door, and put my head in my hands. I took a shaky deep breath, and then another. But my heart continued to pound in my ribs. My fingers trembled around my face.

    When Atlas had met my gaze, he knew it was I who kissed the statue that night. He probably knew when he found me at Jamie¡¯s, drunk and sloppy and pathetic. I wanted to sink into the floor - fall into some foreign place where nobody knew my name or face. Three people knew - that was all. And I trusted two of them with my life. Kylee wouldn¡¯t say anything. Elaina, it would be difficult for her, but Elaina would keep my secret as well. Atlas, though, I had no idea. He was a lying fraud for all I knew - deceiving the people of Fairview while earning their praise.

    Attending our high school was a smart move on his end - he would earn the approval of the West Side, the peasants, his subjects. People might begin believing that maybe, just maybe, some sort of alliance or even friendship might form between the two sides of Fairview. But I wasn¡¯t naive enough to fall for their games.

    Slowly, I stood up. My phone buzzed, and I had a few texts from Kylee and Elaina asking where I¡¯d disappeared to. I ignored them, shutting off my phone and heading to the kitchen. Beer - I needed a beer. Opening the fridge, I sighed in relief to see a fresh six pack. The beast couldn¡¯t keep food in the fridge, but at least we always had booze.

    I cracked open the can of shitty light beer and took a long sip, feeling the warmth flood my tongue. The fizz burned my throat on the way down, but I didn¡¯t mind. I longed for the sweet calm of drunkenness.

    On my way to my small bedroom, I stopped to peek out the front window. Across the street, a black car with dark tinted windows idled. It caught my attention because it was too nice for this neighborhood. Nobody would dare leave a car like that here, for fear they would come back and the tires would be gone. I shut the curtain quickly, taking another swig of beer and secretly hoping my neighbors knew how to hotwire a car. It would be gone - either driven away by the owner or stolen - by morning.

 Caught

    Abigail

    I had become careless. We had been left alone every night for the past week. I thought we were safe. I thought I could leave my light burning.

    My step-father disappeared each night - probably for the pub - and didn¡¯t return until the early hours of the morning. He didn¡¯t suffer through the cold nights. He didn¡¯t see Cora¡¯s blue lips or trembling fingers.

    Perhaps if he knew why I was breaking his rule, he would be more understanding.

    Cora and I didn¡¯t go to school. Nobody in our village could afford it. When the weather permitted, we went looking for food or took odd jobs from those with money to spare. We interacted with other children on the streets, and other adults who scolded and beat us for making too much noise or too big of a mess.

    But of all the people I ever met in my village, nobody could create light with their hands. I don¡¯t know if this is good or bad. I have no one to ask.

    The ball of light is floating in the corner of the room. After 2 days of experimenting, I figured out how to make it strong enough that I could leave it burning - up to 5 feet away from me - for a few hours. Cora is using its light to cast shadow puppets on the wall while I spread butter on bread for lunch.

    Neither of us heard him enter.

    And then I am on my back with his hand clamped over my mouth, knife at my neck. Cora whirls around and screams.

    ¡°PUT IT OUT!¡± he yells.

    Instantly, my fingers relax and the light disappears.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE A WITCH!¡± he screams, throwing the knife. He grabs my hair and drags me across the kitchen. I struggle to get free, but he is too strong.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Cora yells, chasing after him, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±

    ¡°I let you live in my home, I feed you and clothe you!¡± he says, pulling me into the bedroom, ¡°only to find out you¡¯re one of them?!?¡±

    He lifts me to my feet and shoves me against the wall. I am crying, sobbing so loudly I can hardly hear him.

    ¡°Please,¡± I cry, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll never do it again! Please!¡±

    ¡°Like hell you will!¡±

    He slaps me against my cheek so hard I see white. I¡¯m back on the floor - face down - and he¡¯s on top of me. I can¡¯t move, the world spins around me.

    He pulls both of my hands painfully behind my back and I can see he has a rope.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask in a panicked tone.

    He is tying my hands together - around and around and around the rope goes.

    ¡°Dad, stop!¡± I hear Cora say, and then there is a slapping sound and she cries out in pain.

    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH HER!¡± I scream, fighting against him. He shoves my face into the floor and continues tying.

    ¡°This,¡± he growls, ¡°is for your own good.¡±

    He ties off the rope and stands over me. I try to stand, but he kicks me hard in the ribs and I lose my breath.

    I watch from the ground as my step-dad drags Cora out of the bedroom and slams the door shut. I can hear him locking it - locking me in.

    Quinn

    I stayed home sick the next 2 days. The beast came and went, but I would be surprised if he even knew what year it was, much less what day of the week. I could never go to school again and he wouldn¡¯t notice.

    I didn¡¯t want to face Atlas in school. I didn¡¯t trust him to keep his mouth shut. But most of all, I didn¡¯t want to fall under his spell - the spell that seemed to overtake the rest of the town. The castaways that finally got a taste of attention from the elite. For the first time, the West Side was worthy of something more than turned up noses and locked car doors from the inhabitants of the East.

    I saw through their bullshit. It wasn¡¯t yet clear to me exactly what The Kingdom wanted with us, but they certainly did not want to be our friends.

    Kylee and Elaina both texted me multiple times throughout the days I was absent. Elaina¡¯s texts read more excited than concerned. She sent me updates about the prince¡¯s first day of school. I chose to ignore those. Kylee genuinely wanted to know how I was doing. I was prone to falling into alcohol fueled spirals under stress. She was afraid of another trip to the ER with alcohol poisoning for me, although she didn¡¯t say it. If she chose to, however, I would be swift to remind her that that was two years ago, before I knew how to handle my liquor.

    It was Wednesday afternoon when I heard Kylee banging on the door. School had recently let out, so she must have been checking in on me on her way home. I rolled my eyes at her concern, but was nevertheless grateful for her friendship. I rolled off the couch and muted whatever trash reality show was playing on the TV.

    I yanked open the door, noting the same black, fancy car still idling across the street behind her. It hadn¡¯t moved since Monday. At least, I hadn¡¯t seen it move since Monday.

    ¡°Hey Kylee,¡± I mumbled, standing aside for her to come inside. She walked past me and sat on the couch, snorting at my choice of television show.

    ¡°Do we need to have an intervention?¡± Kylee asked, noting the empty beer cans and airplane bottles littering the coffee table.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said quickly, gathering up as many as I could carry and dumping them in the nearby recycling bin.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Sick.¡±

    ¡°Too sick to answer my texts?¡± Kylee asked, sounding frustrated.

    I just shrugged, sitting in the weathered armchair across from her and putting my feet up on the coffee table. I idly picked at a thread that was coming out of the arm.

    ¡°Quinn, what¡¯s going on? I know Elaina is¡­ not all here right now¡­ but I am. You can talk to me,¡± she said, leaning forward. I knew this was probably difficult for her. Kylee wasn¡¯t good with heart to hearts. But neither was I for that matter.

    I sank lower in the chair, not making eye contact with her. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I didn¡¯t know how to express my anxiety about Atlas or the school. Kylee was silent for a moment, thinking.

    ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Kylee said quietly, ¡°and you know it was you.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question that time.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t believe,¡± I challenged, finally meeting her eyes. Blue, like Atlas¡¯s.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! I still don¡¯t! But¡­ but somehow you are involved in this - whether it¡¯s all a set up or a publicity stunt or¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, her eyes searching for answers that neither of us had, ¡°But Atlas¡­ he looked at you in the crowd¡­ he thanked you. And you recognized him. I know you did.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond. I continued picking out at the loose thread. A minute of silence passed.

    ¡°Quinn, you don¡¯t need to figure anything out right now. You just¡­ can¡¯t keep avoiding everyone. It¡¯s not healthy. Come back to school. I need you,¡± she said, and her voice shook like she was close to tears, ¡°I can¡¯t deal with this nonsense without you. And Quinn you - you can¡¯t fail out. Not now. We¡¯re so close to graduation. So close to getting out of Fairview.¡±

    Still I said nothing. I didn¡¯t know what to say. I looked up at her, hoping she could understand my silence. I wasn¡¯t shutting her out intentionally. I just couldn¡¯t put my intense feelings into words. Not when I didn¡¯t even understand them myself. Kylee stood up, offering me a small smile.

    ¡°Just think about it Q,¡± she said softly, heading for the door, ¡°I¡¯ll still wait for you before school.¡±

    ¡°Elaina?¡± I asked, barely a whisper.

    Kylee paused, and a look of hurt crossed her face, ¡°Elaina has been¡­ hanging with a new crowd. The prince has attracted a lot of attention - she¡¯s sort of joined his¡­ well I call them his groupies.¡±

    I shook my head softly, not totally surprised by the news.

    Kylee headed for the door, but turned to me once more and said, ¡°See you tomorrow?¡±

    I sighed and said, ¡°See you tomorrow, Ky.¡±

    *****

    I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. I kept telling myself I was overreacting - he probably wouldn¡¯t be in any of my classes. He probably would be surrounded by a constant gaggle of girls, so much so he wouldn¡¯t even look at me. Maybe the thank you he¡¯d given me at the press conference was the extent of our interactions. Perhaps that was the last time we¡¯d ever speak.

    Deep purple circles formed under my dark green eyes the next morning. I sighed in the mirror, annoyed at my tired appearance. I reached for some beige colored powder, but stopped myself. Who the fuck was I trying to impress?

    I threw on a sweatshirt and leggings and jammed a toothbrush in my mouth. I checked the fridge for any food, but it was empty as usual. The beast hadn¡¯t even returned home the night before.

    Kylee was waiting for me outside, alone. Behind her, the black car remained, but it was parked a bit further down the street. Sometime in the night it had been moved

    ¡°Hallelujah,¡± she yelled as I made my way to the sidewalk.

    ¡°So dramatic,¡± I said, ¡°so what have I missed?¡±

    Kylee ran her hand through her long dark hair, shaking her head in annoyance, ¡°Chaos. Every girl introduced herself to Atlas on the first day of school. A group of them - his groupies - eat lunch with him every day. Even the guys have started trying to befriend him. Anyone that he talks to becomes popular - as popular as you can get in our shithole school I should say.¡±

    We began walking in the direction of school. I listened, but kept my face neutral. I didn¡¯t want to seem like I cared too much.

    ¡°He gets dropped off in a fricken Rolls Royce every day. It¡¯s absolutely ridiculous. But the worst part is that he¡¯s charming. I want so badly to hate him. I wanted him to be some stuck-up, pompous asshole. But he¡¯s kind. He picked up my pencil in calculus the other day and made some sweet comment after I muttered thank you. He introduced himself, shook my hand and everything.¡±

    ¡°What a prick,¡± I said sarcastically.

    ¡°Seriously! He already has everything - money, power, looks, fame - why can¡¯t he be unlikeable?¡± she said, exasperated.

    I shrugged my shoulders, ¡°Nobody¡¯s perfect. Sooner or later, he¡¯ll show his true colors. I¡¯m planning to stay as far away as possible until then.¡±

    ¡°And we can give Elaina a big old ¡®I told ya so¡¯ when it happens,¡± Kylee sneered.

    ******

    I took my usual seat between Kylee and Elaina in History class. Elaina was leaning over her desk to whisper excitedly to Johana White. Kylee shot her an annoyed glance and then looked at me as if to say see what I¡¯ve been dealing with? I just looked at Mr. Tanner - eager for the day to begin so that it could end. Mr. Tanner opened his mouth to begin class when the door swung open and in waltzed the man of the hour.

    Atlas Ellroy.

    I had to stop myself from groaning outwardly. I looked at Kylee as Atlas quickly apologized to Mr. Tanner for his tardiness.

    ¡°He¡¯s in our class?¡± I whispered. She nodded sheepishly. ¡°You could have told me.¡±

    ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t come to school if you knew,¡± she admitted, ¡°He¡¯s in calculus with us next, too.¡±

    My eyes widened and I put my head on my desk, cursing whoever was in charge of making his schedule. The class fell silent and I heard his footsteps grow nearer. The chair at the desk in front of me scraped against the linoleum floor, and I knew when I lifted my head, I would see Atlas sitting in front of me.

    ¡°Hey, you!¡± I heard Elaina whisper excitedly.

    ¡°Alrighty now,¡± Mr. Tanner said, getting the class¡¯ attention, ¡°Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡±

    I lifted my head slowly, and was relieved to see Atlas facing forward, listening to Mr. Tanner and not looking at me. Of course he would be, I chastised myself. What importance was I to him?

    I doodled on my notebook, pretending to take notes and silently counting the minutes until class was over. Fifty-five minutes dragged by, made only longer and more painful by Mr. Tanner¡¯s low, slow voice. Sometimes when he spoke, his eyes would close like he was sleeping. Elaina and I had a running joke that he was so boring he could put himself to sleep. I looked at her, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention to me. Her face rested on her hand and she stared dreamily into space, a small smile playing on her lips.

    As soon as the bell rang, I began gathering my belongings and mentally planning to sit as far away from Atlas as possible in Calculus. But all too quickly, as though he¡¯d been waiting for this exact moment, he spun around in his chair.

    ¡°Quinn, right?¡± he asked, smiling at me and shaking his overgrown dark curls out of his eyes. I froze.

    ¡°Er¡­ yes,¡± I said, wondering if I should pretend I was too drunk to remember our encounter outside of Jamie¡¯s house.

    ¡°Atlas,¡± he said, reaching out to shake my hand. I just looked at it.

    ¡°I know,¡± I said flatly, hugging my books to my chest and standing up quickly.

    ¡°I guess you do,¡± he laughed, standing up and blocking my path. ¡°I just thought I should formally introduce myself. That is¡­ if you remember our first meeting.¡±

    ¡°I remember just fine,¡± I said, not trying in the least to sound polite, ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to get to calculus.¡±

    Atlas didn¡¯t move. He looked curiously at me, seeming confused. His eyes scanned my face, looked me up and down. We were starting to attract the attention of a few onlookers and I could feel my cheeks itching to blush. I raised my eyebrows in annoyance, waiting for him to move. Finally, he stepped aside. I dropped my glare and walked past him. Kylee was waiting for me in the hallway.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± she asked quietly.

    ¡°He wanted to introduce himself,¡± I said, ¡°And you¡¯re right. He¡¯s charming as fuck.¡±

    I made Kylee hang back with me until we were the last people to file into calculus class. Atlas was already seated near the front, chatting with some guy on the basketball team. The basketball guy seemed pretty excited to warrant the attention of the prince. I made sure to take a seat all the way in the back, as far away from Atlas as possible. Kylee sat behind me. Mrs. Lewis, the calc teacher, didn¡¯t waste any time getting us started on the day¡¯s lesson.

    Halfway through class, Atlas stood up from his desk and made a beeline towards me. My heart started pounding and I slid further down in my chair. But he wasn¡¯t headed towards me, he was sharpening his pencil in the back of the room. I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. On his way back to his seat, he dropped a small, folded up note on my desk.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I looked around in panic, but his gesture had gone unnoticed by anyone but me. I debated what I should do with the note. My first instinct was to chuck it at the back of his head. But that, of course, would cause suspicion. I wanted to throw it away, and I settled on that plan. The note stayed firmly on the corner of my desk where he left it. But curiosity is a burning force, and I couldn¡¯t stop my eyes from falling onto the note every few seconds. In a matter of minutes, I¡¯d managed to convince myself that I absolutely had to know what was in that note for my own sanity.

    Slowly, I unfolded the note bit by bit. I held my breath as I read is messy handwriting,

    I want to thank you - truly I do. I promise to keep your secret if that¡¯s what you desire. I¡¯m still hoping we can be friends. What do you say?

    I reread the note twice. I was relieved that he promised to keep the secret - whatever that meant - but it confirmed my fears that he really believed it was I who woke him up. I refolded the note, trying to think of a good response. First I wrote:

    I don¡¯t know you that well and-

    But I cut myself off and scribbled out what I wrote until it was incoherent. Then I wrote:

    You are a lying fraud. Leave me out of your bullshit.

    Again, though, I scribbled it out. My thoughts were interrupted by Hannah Kelly laughing loudly at whatever he¡¯d just whispered to her. Mrs. Lewis shot them a warning look, and Hannah shut up, giving her an apologetic smile. I looked back down at the note and wrote:

    You clearly have enough friends.

    I raised my hand high in the air.

    ¡°Yes, Quinn?¡± Mrs. Lewis asked.

    ¡°May I go to the bathroom?¡±

    She nodded and then turned back to the board to finish the equation. I grabbed my books, hoping Mrs. Lewis wouldn¡¯t ask me why I needed all my stuff to go to the bathroom. I was planning on cutting the rest of her class, if not the rest of the day. On my way out the door, I casually dropped the note on Atlas¡¯s desk, not meeting his eyes.

    Outside on the bleachers, I lit a cigarette. I didn¡¯t care if I got caught - welcomed a 3 day suspension more than anything. My knee bounced up and down as I took my first drag, the smoke warming my insides. I wished I wasn¡¯t so afraid of a stupid boy. I never felt so nervous around Jamie or any of the other guys at this school. I couldn¡¯t pinpoint the fear.

    I hugged my sweatshirt closer around my body, the changing October air signifying more than the quickly approaching winter. Was it change itself that I feared? The town changing? My friends changing? I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of here. This place could burn to the ground for all I cared. And I knew Elaina would come to her senses. She always did.

    I stared into the distance, passed the football field, at the cars driving by. I squinted when I recognized that sleek, black car parked on the other end of the field. It was the same model that had been outside my house for the past 3 days. I put my cigarette out and stormed down the bleachers towards the car. I looked around to make sure no one from the school was watching me. It was far too cold for gym class to be outside today. Then, I marched across the football field and to the sidewalk where the car idled. It didn¡¯t move, but I could hear the ignition was on. Somebody must be inside, but the windows were too tinted to see through.

    I must be crazy, I told myself, to be this caught up with a black car. But it wasn¡¯t any black car. Cars like this¡­ they just didn¡¯t hang around in this neighborhood. It was all too suspicious.

    I saw my reflection in the mirror as I approached the car, saw the anger and confusion in my eyes. Perhaps my feelings were misdirected, I¡¯ll admit, but I needed someone to blame. I wrapped my knuckles on the car window.

    Slowly, the glass window lowered. The man inside looked like an FBI agent. He was wearing a black suit and black sunglasses. How cliche.

    He looked up at me, tilting his head so I could see his eyes under those sunglasses.

    ¡°Yes, Quinn?¡± he asked. I backed away, startled.

    ¡°H-how do you know my name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lucky guess,¡± he shrugged.

    ¡°Are you - who are you? Why are you following me?¡± I asked, hoping that I didn¡¯t sound too crazy. Although maybe I could sound psycho enough to scare him off for good.

    ¡°You know why I¡¯m following you, Quinn,¡± he said. ¡°Now, are you going to go back to class? Or do I have to let Mr. Valez know that you¡¯ll be skipping again today?¡±

    My horror grew when I realized that this man knew my schedule. He knew where I was supposed to be and he knew my teachers¡¯ names. Before I could ask any more questions, the window of the black car slid shut. I once again saw my face, totally dumbfounded in the window¡¯s reflection.

    I made my way back to class for the sole purpose of not being alone. I arrived to Mr. Valez¡¯s room only a minute after the bell rang. I took my usual seat in the back, crossing my arms over my chest and bouncing my knee anxiously. Atlast offered me a smile from the front row of seats, but I pretended I didn¡¯t see it. Totally absorbed in my thoughts, I let Mr. Valez¡¯s lesson fade into the background. I thought about how tonight I would most likely be completely alone, with that black car and strange man waiting outside my house. I chewed on the end of my sweatshirt string.

    My thoughts were interrupted when I heard my name.

    ¡°Quinn you will be working with¡­ ah - let¡¯s see here¡­¡± Mr. Valez said, scanning his notes, ¡°Yes, you will be working with Atlas.¡±

    Of freaking course.

    A few of the girls in my class shot me envious looks and I wanted to shout back you can have him! Instead, I kept my face neutral and remained in my seat, secretly hoping my unwelcoming demeanor would convince him he was better off working by himself.

    My efforts were futile. Within a minute, my classmates were rearranging themselves to work with their designated partners on whatever bullshit project Mr. Valez had assigned us. Atlas sat at the empty desk next to mine and turned in his chair to face me. He said nothing, and I realized he was waiting for me to break the ice. I wondered if he had felt hurt by my rejection of friendship.

    I kept my mouth shut as I read the directions on the assignment sheet Mr. Valez passed out. The work would be easy enough. It was a research project on fairy tales. We were supposed to compile data on how one specific story had changed throughout the generations. The story was up to us to choose.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just do Hansel and Grettle,¡± I said, not looking at him.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we be friends?¡± he asked, ignoring my suggestion. I sighed deeply and turned my head to look at him, arms still crossed. He was again giving me an intense look. He leaned forward, waiting for me to respond.

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t want any more friends,¡± I said.

    ¡°Really?¡± he said, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware a person could have too many friends,¡± he joked. I wasn¡¯t playing along.

    ¡°Are we going to do this project or not?¡± I asked formally.

    Atlas shrugged coolly, ¡°We have two weeks to work on it.¡±

    ¡°Two weeks?¡± I repeated. He nodded and I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes. Two weeks working with him - I wanted to scream out in frustration.

    ¡°So we might as well get to know each other.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. He met my gaze and held it for a moment.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he said, leaning towards me a bit more and lowering his voice, ¡°You- you saved me. I know you don¡¯t fully understand it right now. You probably don¡¯t even believe it but - I have so much to thank you for I can¡¯t even begin-¡±

    ¡°Stop,¡± I hissed, afraid someone might hear. ¡°Just stop. If you really want to thank me, you¡¯ll just leave me alone. Just forget it all happened.¡±

    I let my gaze soften as I stared back at him, a silent plea for him to just agree. His gaze softened as well, but his lips turned into a slight frown.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Why not?¡± I pressed.

    He opened his mouth and then closed it again. His eyes darted down to his hands as he tried to formulate his response. I waited impatiently, leg bouncing again. He looked up at me sheepishly, and suddenly the bell rang.

    ¡°See you in gym,¡± he said, grabbing his books and walking swiftly out of the classroom.

    I sat there in shock. He was in my gym class, too?

    It hit me as I stood up from my chair. He was in all of my classes. And he knew he was in all of my classes. This was not a coincidence. The prince was fucking stalking me.

    Instead of turning right and heading to the gym, I made a left out of Mr. Valez¡¯s class. Mr. Valez tried to get my attention as I walked past, but I ignored him. I opened my locker and grabbed the rest of my stuff, then slung my backpack over my shoulder and stalked out of the school, hood up and head down.

    ***

    I stopped by the corner store on the way home, craving something stronger than solitude and rest. The cashier was nowhere in sight. Hood still firmly over my head, I walked past the sparse aisles of shampoo and bandaids and potato chips. In the back of the store was the wine section, the only section in the store that remained fully stocked. It was probably this section alone that kept the store in business.

    I reached for an eye-level bottle of rose and stuffed it in my hoodie, quickly closing the zipper. My mouth watered in anticipation for the drink - the warmth of my muscles and the blurry world view that came with it.

    I turned for the exit, arms over my chest holding the bottle in place. I¡¯d stolen from this store so many times, I wasn¡¯t even nervous anymore.

    I froze on my way out. There it was again - that black car with the tinted windows. I could see it through the glass door. I swallowed, considering my next move. I¡¯d decided to make a run for it when-

    ¡°Going somewhere?¡± a voice asked from behind me.

    I looked over my shoulder to see the owner of the store storming towards me, anger flaring his eyes. I tried to make a dash for the door, but he was too quick. He grabbed both of my shoulders in his hands and held me in place.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I yelled, struggling to free myself from his grasp. Although he was old, he was strong. His spidery, veined hands held me firmly in place.

    ¡°You¡¯ve stolen from my store for the last time,¡± he growled, grabbing me by the hood and pulling me towards the back of the store. My sweatshirt choked me so hard I was forced to follow his command. I moved my hands to my neck, pulling the sweatshirt away from my windpipe.

    ¡°HELP ME HELP ME!¡± I screamed dramatically, ¡°THIS STRANGE MAN IS TRYING TO KIDNAP ME!!¡±

    The owner grabbed at the telephone, but I yanked away. He grunted in annoyance, pulling me back again by the hood.

    The store¡¯s bell rang, indicating a customer entering the store. I yelled again, trying to cause enough of a ruckus that he would just let go so I could make my escape.

    ¡°Help me!!¡± I yelled.

    The man from the black car appeared from behind the shelf of candy, taking off his sunglasses calmly. He observed the situation, looking slightly amused. He straightened his tie and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Everything okay, sir?¡± he asked the shop owner.

    ¡°This rat has shoplifted from my store for the last time,¡± he exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m calling the police!¡±

    He grabbed the landline phone from the store¡¯s counter and began dialing.

    ¡°Now wait just a minute here,¡± said the FBI agent, ¡°I¡¯m sure we can come up with some sort of solution.¡±

    The shop owner paused, lowering the phone.

    ¡°Solution?¡± he asked greedily. West siders could smell money from a mile away.

    The agent nodded, taking out his wallet. He looked inside and smiled.

    ¡°Now - how much was¡­ whatever she stole?¡± he asked, giving the shop owner a twinkling smile.

    ¡°The bottle of wine would have cost $12 - but she¡¯s been stealing from me for years I suspect.¡±

    The agent pulled out a crisp hundred dollar bill from his wallet, flashing it for the shop owner. The owner¡¯s eyes swam with greed as he glanced once more at the wallet.

    ¡°That might cover a year''s worth of shoplifting. Maybe I should let the police deal with her. That way, she¡¯ll really learn her lesson,¡± he grumbled, clearly bluffing. I wanted to snort at his pathetic attempt at negotiating. But clearly, he swayed the agent.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± nodded the agent, ¡°But I really don¡¯t think we need to involve law enforcement. Here- this should cover the rest of her damages to your store¡¯s profit.¡±

    He pulled out a wad of hundreds from his back pocket rolled up in a rubber band. My mouth dropped. I¡¯d never seen that kind of money before in person. Who was this guy?

    ¡°And,¡± continued the agent, ¡°I promise she will never steal from you again.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. The shop owner grabbed the money like it would disappear if he didn¡¯t act quickly enough. Then, he looked at me expectantly, hand still firmly on my hoodie.

    ¡°Quinn, can you promise the shop owner you won¡¯t steal from him again?¡±

    I remained silent, staring down the shop owner. I opened my mouth to make him a promise, but it definitely wasn¡¯t the one he wanted to hear.

    ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°Quinn,¡± the agent cut me off in a patronizing tone, ¡°I really think it would be in your best interest to do as I am asking.¡±

    I huffed in indignation, but I knew he was right.

    I rolled my eyes and said in a monotone voice, ¡°I won¡¯t steal again.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± shouted the shop owner gruffly, finally releasing my hood. He pushed me towards the FBI agent, and then disappeared to the back of the store. I suspected he was going to count his money. The agent put a firm hand on my shoulder and escorted me out of the store.

    When I was safely outside, he took his hand off my shoulder. I debated running away, but he had a car and probably some sort of weapon hidden in his suit jacket.

    He held out his hand expectantly. I looked at him in confusion and he sighed.

    ¡°The wine.¡±

    I shook my head, ¡°No way! Listen, thanks for saving my ass - but I didn¡¯t need your help. I would have figured it out.¡±

    The agent threw his head back and laughed out loud. That only made me angrier.

    ¡°You would have spent the night in a prison cell if it wasn¡¯t for me. You¡¯re 18 now, right? Meaning you¡¯re old enough to be prosecuted. You should be weeping with appreciation right now. But, being that you¡¯re still clearly a child, all I ask in return for my kindness is that which I paid for.¡±

    I hesitated.

    ¡°Or maybe I should have let you spend the night in a cell,¡± he mused.

    I groaned and unzipped my sweatshirt, then handed him the wine. He examined it curiously.

    ¡°Curious taste,¡± he said, ¡°I have some fish that this will go beautifully with.¡±

    I watched him walk around to the driver¡¯s side of the car and get in. Before I could turn and leave, he rolled down the window.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he called.

    I turned towards his voice, ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Try to stay out of trouble.¡±

    And then he raised the window, and I was staring at myself once again in the dark reflection. Defeated, I walked home. I kept replaying the scene over and over again in my head. Who was this man? And why had he helped me? He¡¯d given the shop owner hundreds of dollars just to keep him from calling the police. I was absolutely baffled.

    When I reached home, I was still lost in my thoughts. I almost didn¡¯t notice the figure waiting for me on the front steps. Jamie stood up as soon as he saw me.

    ¡°Hey Quinn,¡± he smiled, rubbing the back of his head. He wore a loose band t-shirt, his messy curls hung around his face.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± I said, not in the mood for flirting.

    ¡°Why are you ignoring my texts?¡±

    ¡°Busy,¡± I grumbled, stalking past him and unlocking my front door.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you since Friday,¡± he said, ¡°Kylee said you would be in school today. Did you skip gym?¡±

    I nodded, pushing into the house. He followed me in without being invited. Prick.

    ¡°Is it¡­ did I do something?¡± he asked.

    I sighed, dropping my backpack on the ground and turning to look at him.

    ¡°No, Jamie, I just have a lot going on,¡± that was only half true. I was annoyed that he¡¯d ended up with handjob Hannah last Friday. But I had no claim to him, no right to be angry. We were just friends and he was free to fuck whomever he chose.

    ¡°Good,¡± he nodded, ¡°because I still want to give you your birthday present.¡±

    I crossed my arms expectantly. He smiled and pulled a fat joint out of his back pocket. A wide grin crossed over my lips in response.

    ¡°Fuck yeah.¡±

    ****

    I took a deep drag from the lit joint, holding the skunky smoke in my lungs and letting my head roll back on the couch. After a few seconds, I blew thick gray smoke into the air. My cluttered living room had turned hazy and dark. Jamie and I sat on the floor in front of the couch, passing the J back and forth. He looked at me and laughed, eyes bright red and drooping. I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t look much better.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you get this?¡± I asked. Jamie didn¡¯t have much money and had been fired from just about every job he¡¯d gotten.

    He took the joint from me and took a hit before answering, ¡°Stole it from my brother.¡±

    ¡°Bold.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t notice. He¡¯s got enough stuff to miss a little weed.¡±

    Jamie¡¯s older brother was a known drug dealer in the town. He¡¯d started selling weed when he was in high school, but quickly moved onto harder drugs after he dropped out halfway through his senior year. His brother used the money to support their family.

    The room was quiet, both of us lost in thought. Jamie took another drag and then turned to me.

    ¡°So, what do you make of this prince?¡± he asked nonchalantly, but I could tell he was trying to hide a deeper curiosity. Of course every guy in the school would be envious of the undivided attention Atlas received from the girls.

    ¡°Why? Do you have a crush?¡± I asked dully.

    ¡°Shut up - you know why I¡¯m asking.¡±

    I looked at him in confusion - what did he know? My heart rate began picking up.

    ¡°I mean¡­ our moms kind of - well at least my mom is still a believer,¡± Jamie said awkwardly. He knew better than to bring up my mom. I looked away.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ my mom is just freaking out about this - says everything is about to change. She told me to stay away from him and to make sure no one gets too close. I think she¡¯s batshit crazy,¡± he spoke quickly, like he was trying to cover up his earlier mistake.

    ¡°I think so, too,¡± I said finally.

    I felt Jamie relax in relief next to me.

    ¡°But¡­¡± he continued.

    ¡°But what?¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s so dreamy and handsome and popular,¡± Jamie cooed in a mocking tone.

    I shrugged my shoulders, grimacing, ¡°Not really my type.¡±

    Jamie genuinely looked surprised, ¡°Really? Tall, hot, and rich isn¡¯t your type?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t really do it for me.¡±

    Jamie laughed lightly and inched closer to me on the floor.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me,¡± he said, his voice growing softer, ¡°that if Prince Atlas Ellroy of Fairview was here now, you would feel nothing?¡±

    I looked at him, a small smile playing at the corners of my mouth. I should have known this was more than a friendly smoke-sesh.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said without breaking eye contact.

    ¡°Nothing? Even if the prince-¡± Jamie raised up onto his knees and hovered over me, turning his body to fully face me. He put one hand on either side of my head against the sofa. He brought his face closer to mine - so close I could feel his breath on my lips - ¡°Even if the prince did this?¡±

    He leaned in to kiss me, his lips meeting mine hungrily. I tried to match his enthusiasm, moving my own mouth with his. I ran one hand through his thick black curls, pulling lightly on the end of one.I leaned my head back, looking up into Jamie¡¯s dark, excited eyes.

    ¡°If the prince did that, I would tell him to keep his dirty, East Side, 300 year old lips off of me.¡±

 Big F-ing Mistakes

    Abigail

    I have been locked in my bedroom for 15 days. Every night, Cora sits on one side of the door and I sit on the other. I try telling her stories, singing her songs, making up silly jokes, anything to keep her mind off the cold and hunger. I will stay strong for her. We will not survive this if I cannot.

    Cora begs outside the gates of the palace during the day. Some days, she comes home with bread or even a bit of meat that she can slide under the door. Most days, we go to sleep with empty stomachs.

    I did what I had to do to keep us alive. When we were on the verge of starvation, I went to work doing things that I would die before I asked Cora to do. But now I am trapped in this room like an animal.

    I¡¯ve struggled for days to get out of the ropes, but to no avail. They are too tight. My step-father has come in to check on me a few times. I¡¯m scared of what he¡¯ll do to me or my sister if he sees the ropes untied.

    ¡°Abby,¡± Cora says through the door.

    I hurry to the other side.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I say.

    Under the door, Cora slides 2 thick slices of bread. I want to cry with gratitude.

    ¡°Thank you, Cora,¡± I say, ¡°You are saving me.¡±

    ¡°I did a bad thing, Abby,¡± Cora says softly, ¡°This bread wasn¡¯t¡­ well¡­ I¡¯m sorry Abby, but I was so hungry.¡±

    I sighed, knowing how she came home so successful. Her soft cries break my heart. I¡¯ve stolen from other families hundreds of times. But when I was able to make money in ways that didn¡¯t hurt innocent people, I stopped and made sure Cora would, too.

    Things are different now.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Cora,¡± I tell her in a soothing tone, ¡°You did what you had to do. It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Quinn

    In my dream, I was still kissing Jamie - hot and passionate. The Jamie in my dream was better than the one in real life. He knew what I wanted, knew what I liked. We were back at his house, the night of the party - but it was empty. I pulled away to ask him where everyone went, but it was no longer Jamie I was kissing.

    It was Atlas.

    I raised my hand to slap him, but he grabbed it, holding it over my head. Atlas took my other hand as well, and pushed me backwards until I was pinned against Jamie¡¯s wall. I was trapped, both hands fitting in one of Atlas¡¯s high above my head. He grabbed my face with his free hand and leaned into me, kissing me softly on the neck just once. I shut my eyes for a moment as chills ran down my spine. He pulled away to look so deeply into my eyes that I was lost for words.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he breathed. I took a deep, shaky breath.

    ¡°You.¡±

    My alarm blared and I jumped awake, looking around in confusion. When I¡¯d realized what I¡¯d been dreaming about - who I¡¯d been dreaming about, I wanted to die. I groaned loudly, lying back down and holding my pillow over my head. I debated skipping school again, but the thought pissed me off. Atlas - this boy I absolutely hated - had started ruling my life. I was becoming a recluse in my attempts to avoid him.

    ¡°Fuck you, Atlas,¡± I said into my pillow. And fuck Jamie for putting ideas into my head.

    I willed myself to sit up and get ready for school. I threw on baggy jeans and a deep green sweater. I even decided to apply mascara today. The purple bags under my eyes had subsided thanks to my deep -yet deeply unsatisfying - sleep.

    The TV was on when I emerged from my bedroom, my dad fast asleep on the couch. I doubted he¡¯d even noticed the smell from the night before. He never noticed anything.

    Outside, Kylee and Elaina were waiting for me. I was surprised at Elaina¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Not greeting the prince this morning?¡± I asked Elaina sarcastically as I met them at the usual lamppost at the end of my driveway.

    ¡°Not today,¡± she smiled, probably ignoring the sarcasm purposefully.

    On the other side of the street, as usual, sat the black car. The driver rolled down his window a crack so I could see his face. He gave me a slight nod - a warning from yesterday. Try not to get into any trouble. I promptly flipped him off, but his window was already sealed shut. I was just flipping myself off in the reflection.

    ¡°Know him?¡± Kylee asked.

    ¡°Kind of,¡± I muttered, not really wanting to get into yesterday¡¯s debacle.

    ¡°Of course she knows him!¡± said Elaina, ¡°He¡¯s part of the prince¡¯s security team. They¡¯re posted all over the town. He must have one looking after you, too.¡±

    Kylee looked at me, one eyebrow raised. This was news to me, too.

    ¡°He - ATLAS put him up to this?¡± I said in annoyance.

    Elaina smiled, ¡°Well of course - you being the spellbreaker and all. Don¡¯t look so irritated Quinn, he¡¯s just trying to protect you. He told me that if news got out, you would probably need-¡±

    ¡°You talk to him about me?¡±

    Elaina¡¯s face fell, ¡°Yes, Quinn.¡±

    ¡°Bu - Elaina! What gives you the right?¡± I sputtered, flabbergasted. ¡°We were supposed to keep this a secret! Stay on the DL.¡±

    Kylee nodded next to me in agreement, ¡°She¡¯s right Elaina. Why are you talking to Atlas? You don¡¯t even know him!¡±

    Elaina all but stomped her foot on the sidewalk, ¡°Don¡¯t be so daft! We were all there! We all saw Quinn kiss him that night, including Atlas. I didn¡¯t tell him anything he didn¡¯t already know!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything that night!¡± Kylee argued, ¡°I saw Quinn kiss a rock, and then we all went home. Right, Quinn? Is that what you saw?¡±

    I nodded, too mad to speak.

    ¡°There, Elaina. And I don¡¯t know what Atlas is telling you he thinks he saw, but he wasn¡¯t there. He¡¯s tricking you! And you¡¯re dumb enough to believe it,¡± Kylee finished, arms crossed.

    Elaina¡¯s eyes filled with tears. Kylee had done it again, she¡¯d crossed a line in her rage. But I stood by her on this one. Elaina¡¯s faltering loyalty towards the friend group stung. Elaina turned to walk in the opposite direction, but stopped a few feet away. She looked back, meeting my eyes.

    ¡°He really cares about you,¡± she said, a tear streaming down her cheek, ¡°He just wants to get to know you and-and I don¡¯t know. But you haven¡¯t even given him a chance. You¡¯re blinded by your own hate.¡±

    I wanted to tell her that she was the one who was blind, but I kept my mouth shut. Kylee had said enough. Elaina wiped her tears with the back of her hand and left us. She was headed in the opposite direction of the school.

    ¡°Should we go after her?¡± I asked.

    Kylee shook her head, ¡°Just give her space, she¡¯ll come around. I know it was harsh, but she needed to hear the truth. She had no right talking about you behind your back.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    I nodded my head in agreement. Kylee and I continued our walk to school in silence. Kylee was still stewing, probably replaying the argument in her head and thinking of all the things she should have said to Elaina. I, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t get Elaina¡¯s final words out of my head. Atlas was slowly infiltrating my life - having me followed, buddying up with my friends. It was only a matter of time before he was ripping shots with my dad at the bar. I gritted my teeth in anger.

    ¡°Kissing that goddamn rock is the biggest mistake I¡¯ve ever made.¡±

    Kylee raised one eyebrow, ¡°Bigger than when you burned off half your hair?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Bigger than when you threw Jamie¡¯s bicycle in the lake and pinned it on his younger brother?¡± Kylee challenged.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at that one, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What about when you got so drunk that you broke into Elaina¡¯s mom¡¯s car and passed out in your own vomit?¡±

    I burst out laughing, feeling a bit of weight lifted off my shoulders. Kylee could be a raging bitch, but she could also be a wonderful human being.

    ¡°Damn Kylee,¡± I laughed, ¡°I can¡¯t stop fucking up, can I? Maybe I should just kill myself.¡±

    It was Kylee¡¯s turn to laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand and we can jump off the bridge together.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a plan.¡±

    We linked pinkies and held them together, walking into History. Elaina arrived a few minutes later, her eyes puffy from crying. She sat on the other side of the room, not glancing our way once.

    Atlas walked in after her, wearing a dark blue button down shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows casually. My stomach squirmed as I remembered my dream from last night. I pushed the thought away as he took a seat directly in front of me. I waited for him to turn around, but he took too long. I looked at Kylee and she nodded, then put her hood up and opened her textbook - pretending to be engrossed in the pages.

    ¡°Yo,¡± I hissed. Slowly, Atlas turned to face me.

    ¡°Good morning, Quinn,¡± he said, not quite as chipper as the previous day.

    ¡°You¡¯re having me followed?¡± I asked him in an accusing whisper.

    He shrugged his shoulders, ¡°So what if I am?¡±

    ¡°So what? It¡¯s an invasion of privacy!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not bothering you is he? Just go about your life and pretend he isn¡¯t there,¡± Atlas said, sounding¡­ bored?

    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly, ¡°It¡¯s not cool. Tell the creepy FBI agent to leave me alone! I don¡¯t need someone watching my every move.¡±

    ¡°The first time I met you, Quinn, you nearly passed out on a lawn drunk. Then, you got caught shoplifting, and it took nearly $500 to stop Mr. Kleaver from calling the police. Clearly, you need someone watching your every move. It¡¯s a wonder you¡¯ve even lived to see your 18th year.¡±

    His directness caught me by surprise and I froze, contemplating what I wanted to say next. He raised one eyebrow, daring me to continue.

    ¡°Call it off,¡± I demanded, ¡°I can take care of my fucking self.¡±

    ¡°Like hell you can,¡± he muttered, turning around in his chair. I didn¡¯t feel like the conversation was over, but I also wasn¡¯t going to beg for his attention. I turned towards Kylee, knowing she¡¯d been listening to every word of our conversation.

    ¡°Shoplifting?¡± she mouthed amusedly, just as Mr. Tanner started class.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± I replied in a huff.

    ******

    Atlas didn¡¯t talk to me again until English when he was forced to because we were partners in the stupid fairy tale project. He took a seat to the left of me, a scowl still on his face seemingly from our spat first period. A silence fell between us, and I sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to be the first to break it. I leaned my head on my left hand and made a curtain with my hair, blocking him out.

    There was a deep sigh and then, ¡°Quinn?¡±

    Slowly, I lifted my head as though I¡¯d just realized he¡¯d been sitting there.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked innocently.

    He gave me a pleading look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at Elaina. She wasn¡¯t gossiping, it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°She was talking about me behind my back, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Er- yes, but-¡±

    ¡°Then I believe that constitutes gossiping,¡± I said.

    ¡°She only talked about you because I asked her about you - a few times actually. I didn¡¯t realize it would cause a rift in your friendship - she seemed eager to talk, especially my first day here,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°She should have kept her mouth shut,¡± I told him.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me anything I didn¡¯t already know - I swear, no secrets were spilled. We just talked about that night, when you k-¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± I cut him off, looking around. No one was paying any attention to us.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± he said quickly, and then he leaned closer to me. ¡°I just brought up that night, asked her if you knew what had happened. She said she hadn¡¯t had the chance to talk to you about it. I think she knew more than she was letting on, but she really didn¡¯t give me any new information.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all she told you?¡± I asked skeptically.

    He sighed, ¡°Truthfully, I also asked her where you¡­ frequented. We - my family and I - wanted to have people on the lookout, making sure you weren¡¯t getting into any trouble.¡±

    ¡°Stalkers,¡± I muttered, but he ignored it.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me anything. She was sweet about it, but she told me I should be the one to ask you that. In the end, I agreed.¡±

    I looked down at my hands and started picking at a cuticle. Atlas¡¯s story changed things, and suddenly I started feeling guilty for what we had accused her of this morning. I was still hurt by her - it still felt like she was siding with him. Fraternizing with the enemy.

    ¡°Accept her apology?¡± he asked softly. I looked back up at him.

    ¡°Did she ask you to talk to me?¡±

    ¡°No, I promise. I only saw her crying and asked what was wrong. She didn¡¯t ask me to do anything.¡±

    I sighed, wondering how Kylee would interpret this information. Would it change her opinion of the argument at all?

    ¡°Please, Quinn? Forgive her?¡±

    I smirked, ¡°Call off your guys.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, taken aback.

    ¡°You heard me. Have that FBI agent leave me the hell alone, and I¡¯ll forgive Elaina.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I want that fancy black car out of the West Side tonight,¡± I told him firmly, not breaking eye contact.

    ¡°Really, Quinn? You would really let a friendship stay ruined over this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know me at all,¡± I said, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms.

    ¡°Clearly,¡± he grumbled. He thought for a moment. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll have security back off.¡±

    I smiled, triumphant.

    ¡°If,¡± he continued.

    I gasped, ¡°there¡¯s no if! You get your way, I get mind. It¡¯s called a compromise.¡±

    ¡°If you hang out with me.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance. That wasn¡¯t part of the deal.¡±

    ¡°Come on, just for an hour?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather eat dirt.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good deal. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re never going to talk to Elaina again, with or without the compromise. Give me an hour of your time, and no more black cars outside of your house,¡± he said.

    The asshole had a point. I was planning on talking to Elaina again soon, even without the bargain.

    ¡°30 minutes,¡± I said.

    ¡°45 minutes.¡±

    He held my gaze, and I reached out my hand. It was enveloped in his large hand instantly. He shook my hand firmly, warmly, and then released it.

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said, beaming.

    ****

    At the end of the day, I rummaged through my locker, shoving excess hoodies and books in my backpack. I¡¯d let it get way too messy yet again. When I was satisfied by the amount of crap no longer piled up, I slammed the locker door shut and nearly jumped out of my skin. Atlas was leaning against the lockers, smiling. I¡¯d never seen such a high school cliche in my entire life.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered, my heartbeat slowing, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You never told me when. Or where,¡± he noted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, uh¡­ can you just text me later and we¡¯ll figure it out?¡± I slung my backpack over my arm and headed for the exit. Atlas followed, walking next to me.

    ¡°Er, I would,¡± he said, ¡°But I don¡¯t have a cellphone.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a cellphone?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± he popped the p.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve only been awake for-¡± he looked at an invisible watch on his wrist, ¡°a week. And last time I could interact with the world around me, electricity hadn¡¯t been invented.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± I said, my eyes forward.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get one soon enough,¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°I guess I¡¯m just hoping to have people to text first.¡±

    I snorted. He clearly was fine in that department. Every girl we passed on our way out the door waved goodbye to him.

    I paused when we got outside, eyeing the black Tesla waiting at the end of the walkway. Another one waited across the street, further down.

    ¡°You have to uphold your part of the bargain first,¡± he reminded me.

    ¡°Fine. Are you free in an hour? We could meet at the park on Riley Way,¡± I offered.

    He looked up at the gray sky, just as a gust of wind ruffled both of our hair. ¡°A little cold for a park isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t going to argue with him. He would never see the inside of my house, and I certainly was not willing to make the trek to The Kingdom - even if it was 5 minutes from me.

    ¡°Riley Park, take it or leave it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring a jacket,¡± Atlas sighed, ¡°See you in an hour!¡±

    Just as Atlas reached the sidewalk, another black car pulled up - a Rolls Royce this time. Atlas opened the door and climbed in the passenger seat. He gave me a final wave before shutting the door. The car sped off, high school students brimming with admiration in its wake.

 Childs Play

    Abigail

    The window in our bedroom - my only freedom to the outside room - is small. Even Cora, with her tiny body, couldn¡¯t escape through the frame.

    I cannot call for help. Even trapped in this room - alone - for a month, I am grateful to have a roof over my head.

    This knowledge doesn¡¯t stop me from fantasizing about breaking free for hours on end. I wonder if I could still conjure my fire light with my hands tied behind my back. I bet I could burn free of these constraints.

    But I dare not try.

    Quinn

    I regretted my suggestion as I exited my house. A light drizzle had overtaken the air, hinting at a bigger storm to come. Large gray clouds billowed overhead, but I was too stubborn to go back inside and search for a jacket. Chances were, I didn¡¯t even own one that fit. My sweater would have to suffice.

    The black car was still waiting outside my house. I smirked, knowing that in a few short hours, I would never have to see my FBI agent stalker ever again.

    It took me 5 minutes to reach the park. My hair was frizzy from the condensation and my teeth chattered. Hopefully Atlas was as averse to the cold as I was and would cut our meeting short. Maybe the rain was a blessing in disguise.

    Atlas was already waiting for me, sitting lazily on a swing.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he smiled as I approached him.

    ¡°Atlas,¡± I said, sitting on the swing next to him.

    A silence fell between us as I rocked slowly back and forth on the swing. I could feel his eyes on me, and I guessed he was trying to decide what to say next. He had asked for this meeting. I was determined not to take the lead on this conversation. We could sit in silence for all I cared - as long as Atlas called off the security.

    ¡°Have I done something to offend you?¡± Atlas asked softly. I kept my eyes on my feet, kicking a bit of wood chips back and forth. ¡°Other than the security - which I did promise to end after today.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say - how to answer his question. The offense wasn¡¯t intentional. He couldn¡¯t help that he existed.

    ¡°This has all just been,¡± I searched for the right word, ¡°a lot.¡±

    Atlas chuckled in response like he understood. I¡¯m sure he did understand, if the story was true.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have so many questions,¡± he noted. I could see his eyes searching my face in my peripheral vision. I kept my gaze to the ground.

    I tried to think of a good question. Something that would keep things simple.

    ¡°How old are you?¡± I asked, finally looking at him. His face faltered, and I could tell the answer would be complicated. Great.

    ¡°Three hundred and nineteen,¡± he said, looking me dead in the eyes.

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, standing up to leave. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for these games. If he wasn¡¯t going to at least be truthful, I wasn¡¯t going to stay. I would just have to find another way to get rid of the security.

    He stood up and hesitated, looking like he wanted to put a hand on my shoulder. He decided otherwise and I mentally applauded his decision.

    ¡°Quinn, I¡¯m telling you the truth,¡± he said.

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t believe me,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡±

    I turned on my heel, ready to make my grand exit. The rain was coming down harder now, anyway. A sign from nature.

    ¡°I can prove it to you,¡± he called after me.

    I ignore him, stomping away.

    ¡°Your mother left you when you were ten years old,¡± he said suddenly. I froze, anger flashing through my chest.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, whirling around to face him.

    ¡°Your father is around but¡­ but not really,¡± Atlas continued, ¡°And your greatest desire-¡±

    ¡°Who told you that?¡± I growled, marching up to him, ¡°Did Elaina-¡±

    ¡°No Quinn, Elaina didn¡¯t tell me anything. Nobody did.¡±

    Atlas took a step back, throwing his hands up in defense. I stopped in front of him, again searching for words to throw at him. To make him feel as vulnerable and¡­ and infuriated as I did. Who was this boy? A stalker, sent from the depths of hell to make my life miserable.

    ¡°Your greatest desire is escape,¡± he said. ¡°You crave it, dream about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very much of a secret.¡±

    He paused. Then-

    ¡°You were meant to have a sister. A baby sister, but she died only hours after being born. It tore your family apart,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°How do you-¡± but my voice cracked before I could finish, my eyes filling with backstabbing tears. No! I would not let him see me cry. I turned around again, willing my eyes to dry. Trying to regain control over my breathing.

    Nobody had known about Ayla but my mother, father, and me - save for a few doctors. It was true. My mother gave birth to her when I was only 7 years old. My mother had held her, cried tears of happiness after she was born. My father and I¡¯d gathered around them, beaming with pride and happiness as well. It was the most full my family had ever felt.

    I gasped at the memory that overtook me, the memory that I¡¯d try so hard to repress. Ayla, small and healthy and pink, suddenly turning blue in my mother¡¯s arms. Her tiny pink mouth opening and closing as she gasped for breaths. My father screaming for the doctors to help us. Me screaming for my mother as she screamed for my dying sister.

    And then she was gone. Her death came in less than a minute. There was nothing to be done, the doctors had told us.

    This had happened over the summer. None of my friends had even known my mom was pregnant. I was shy back then, not ready to share that information. I spent the rest of the summer grieving, ignoring my friends¡¯ knocks on the door. But on the first day of school, I marched in, head held high, and swore to never talk about that horrid day to anyone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said clearly, interrupting my thoughts, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to stir up painful memories. I just needed to prove to you that I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±

    I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked back the threatening tears.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± I said, barely audible.

    ¡°There was a prophecy, Quinn. Made 319 years ago. It predicted everything - exactly as it happened.¡±

    A single tear slid down my cheek, but the rain was coming down so hard now that it was disguised against droplets on my face. I turned to face him.

    ¡°Your sister¡­ I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was true. You just confirmed it. The prophecy - everything up to this moment has been true,¡± Atlas said.

    ¡°Prophecy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, the w-woman who turned me to stone made a prophecy. She was a wretched, spiteful being. But all those years, I held onto hope that her words just might be true. And then you came along.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kiss you,¡± I told him truthfully, ¡°Elaina convinced me. It shouldn¡¯t have been me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what the prophecy said - reluctant, and beautiful, and true - you are just what she predicted you would be,¡± he said, taking a step closer to me. I took a step back in response.

    I didn¡¯t want to admit that his words were making sense. Or maybe my emotions were getting the better of me. My mind was weak, I needed time to think things over. Kylee would be furious with me if she knew what I was thinking. I couldn¡¯t turn into Elaina - doe-eyed and feeble. I took another step back.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, ¡°Quinn, there¡¯s more to the prophecy I think you should know.¡±

    I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to hear anymore.

    ¡°Please, Quinn, you need to hear it. Everything will make sense if you just listen,¡± he said.

    I looked up at him through watery eyelashes, feeling more vulnerable than I ever had before. Part of me was screaming to run away. To leave him standing in the rain so I wouldn¡¯t have to hear one more word of his nonsense. The other part, however, burned with curiosity. He¡¯d known about my mom, my dad, Ayla. What other information did he have? It was the curiosity that held my feet firmly on the grass. I was frozen in place, waiting for him to speak but hoping he would change his mind - or tell me this whole thing was a joke. He didn¡¯t.

    The prince took a step closer to me, leaving less than two inches between us. Rain slid off his hair and into droplets on my face, looking up at him, desperate.

    And then he said the words I never wanted to hear.

    ¡°Quinn, we¡¯re going to fall in love.¡±

    *****

    I slouched low in the faded armchair in my living room, sipping the strong, dark liquor my father had come home with the night before. The heavy thud of the raindrops hitting roof roof, mixed with the warmth of the drink soothed me, calmed my racing heart. I picked up my phone and sent a text to Jamie, short and sweet: Come over?

    I put my phone down in my lap and took another sip. I wanted to forget the park. I wanted to forget the look on Atlas¡¯s face when I¡¯d left him in the rain. Slowly backing away from him before turning and launching home at full speed. Perhaps if I stayed hidden long enough, allowed the sweet oblivion of intoxication to take over my mind and live there for long enough, my part in the prophecy would disappear. Because I wanted nothing to do with it.

    Atlas was right about my desire for escape. I wanted to escape Fairview more than anything else. I had no money, or prospects, or family outside of my father. I was stuck here until after graduation. But for now, I could make inebriated escapes.

    Falling in love with someone from Fairview - I would never escape if that happened. I would end up pregnant at 19, just like the other girls in this town, and buy another rotting shack and raise more rotting kids. I could see their hopeless faces clearly in my mind, because I¡¯d worn that face once. The never ending cycle of hope and defeat, hope and defeat. I swore to break it.

    I checked my phone. Jamie hadn¡¯t answered. I gulped my drink and checked again. Still nothing.

    I threw my phone across the small living room, onto the couch in front of me, in frustration and chugged the rest of my liquor. The burning made me cough, but I welcomed the familiar discomfort. My throat craved water, but I ignored it, pouring more brown booze into my cup.

    There was a sound at the front door, someone fumbling with the knob. I froze. It was only 8 pm, way too early for my dad to be home from the bar. But the door swung open, and there he was, swaying tall in his drunken glory.

    He took one step into the house and his sleepy eyes fell on me. I stared right back at him, glass in one hand, liquor bottle in the other. Slowly, I brought the glass to my mouth and took a sip, daring him to say something. Daring him to rip the bottle from my hand.

    He just chuckled - a deep, husky, humorless sound. Then, he walked past me and down the hallway. I heard his bedroom door open and then the sound of him collapsing on the bed.

    *****

    Jamie showed up an hour later, hair soaking wet and tshirt clinging to his body, making him look particularly boyish. I stood aside to let him in. He gazed at the half empty liquor bottle on the coffee table.

    ¡°You started without me,¡± he said, picking up the bottle and pouring himself a glass.

    ¡°I was bored,¡± I shrugged, taking a sip of my own.

    ¡°Bored,¡± he asked as I took a seat on the couch, ¡°Is that all I am to you then? Entertainment?¡±

    ¡°Well I expect I play the same role for you - that is when handjob Hannah isn¡¯t around.¡±

    Jamie rolled his eyes and took a seat next to me.

    ¡°That was a one time thing. Had to experience it for myself, you know.¡±

    I glanced over at him, ¡°Was it as dry and horrid as they say?¡±

    He smiled, a teasing glint in his eye. Slowly, he cupped the back of my neck with his right hand and pulled me in, meeting my lips with his.

    ¡°Worse,¡± he whispered, and then went back to kissing me.

    He kissed me slowly at first, frustratingly slow. He trailed his hand clumsily down my thigh and I tried not to jerk away in annoyance. I didn¡¯t want slow. I opened my mouth, coaxing his open as well so I could slide my tongue inside. He met mine, sensing my impatience. I wrapped both my arms around his neck and swung one leg over his lap so I was straddling him.

    ¡°Shit,¡± he muttered, clearly taken aback by my urgency.

    ¡°Shush,¡± I growled, not taking my mouth away from his.

    One arm went to the small of my back, the other one tangled into my hair. He pressed me against him, and I only pressed harder, grinding my hips. I sucked his lip and put his hand on his chest, dragging it lower- lower-

    ¡°Wait, Quinn,¡± he yelled, ¡°Oh-oh fuck.¡±

    He pulled away from me, pushing me off his lap.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, but his face gave me the answer I needed. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m - fuck, I¡¯m really sorry. I haven¡¯t¡­¡± he searched for the words, cheeks turning bright red. ¡°I gotta go.¡±

    He stood up quickly, hands hovering over his crotch.

    ¡°No, Jamie, wait,¡± I called sheepishly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in school,¡± was the last thing Jamie said to me before he was out the door. It slammed shut behind him.

    What the hell?

    I laid back on the couch, groaning in frustration. I put a pillow over my head, pressing it so hard I could barely breathe. I was trapped in total darkness. Totally unsatisfied.

    I must have lost control of my thoughts when they drifted to Atlas - his blue eyes and dark hair. Atlas was muscular, manly. I shuttered as I remembered his hands holding my hair that night after Jamie¡¯s.

    Jamie.

    Oh what a disaster. Jamie¡¯s body paled in comparison. Jamie was a boy. Atlas was-

    Stop it I said to myself, taking the pillow off my face. I sat up quickly, trying to get the image out of my head.

    It took me hours to fall asleep. I tossed and turned, picturing Atlas standing in the rain, vulnerable yet strong. I kept telling myself that I wasn¡¯t different from any other girl in this stupid town. They were all restless over him. He was a conventionally attractive guy. It was only natural that I was feeling so - so attracted to him.

    It was Jamie I dreamed of that night, however. Not the Jamie I knew now, but the one I¡¯d known as a child. I dreamed of him chasing me around the playground, pulling my hair and throwing sand at me. A child, not a man.

    *****

    I slept past noon the next day, and stayed in bed until it was dark again. I had no reason to get up. I didn¡¯t want to see Kylee because I knew I would have to tell her about the previous day¡¯s encounter with Atlas. I had yet to make up with Elaina, but I needed energy to have that conversation.

    I did everything I could to keep my mind from wandering to yesterday - the conversation, the mishap with Jamie, my dreams. I scrolled mindlessly on my phone for hours. I went down a rabbit hole of true crime online. Around 7, I got a text from Kylee.

    Wanna party? Hannah¡¯s throwing down tonight.

    I sprang out of bed, feeling excited for the first time in days.

    Fuck yeah, I replied.

    I threw on a black crop top that would have been sexy if I had any boobs. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t yet have much in that department. I threw on a pair of oversized boyfriend jeans and some knockoff doc martens. I hadn¡¯t washed my hair, so it went into a loose braid in the back of my head. I smeared on mascara, and the look was complete. I stared at myself in the mirror - no boobs, no ass, but at least I was skinny. I stuck my tongue out at myself and winked.

    A knock on my door told me Kylee was ready to go.

    Dry handjob Hannah¡¯s party was raging when we arrived. It felt like everyone in our grade was crammed into her tiny house, yelling at each other over the music. The house was musty and hot from a hundred teenage bodies. I reached for the double wide I was sharing with Kylee and took a long swig.

    ¡°This is awesome!¡± Kylee yelled. I just nodded in agreement, the wine bottle still on my lips.

    The music grew louder and my limbs grew lighter. I closed my eyes and threw one hand up, swaying to the music. The bottle of rose felt heavy in my left hand. Eyes closed, I let the music take me - my hips, my feet, my neck. I felt a pair of legs behind me, and I turned my head to see Kylee dancing, as free as I felt. I turned towards her, throwing my arms around her neck. We danced closely, our legs overlapping. I could feel us catching the attention of the guys dancing closest to us.

    The song ended and we threw our heads back in laughter. A few of the guys surrounding us clapped, and continued dancing as the next song began. Kylee tilted her head back, and I stood on my toes to pour wine into her mouth. It dripped down her cheeks, staining her white crop top with droplets of pink.

    Kylee took the bottle from me. I started to lean back, but I knocked into someone in the crowd. I looked over my shoulder at Jamie, drunker than myself and obviously surprised to see me.

    ¡°Hey Jamie!¡± I yelled, flinging an arm out to give him a hug.

    He ducked underneath me and disappeared into the crowd. I gave Kylee an awkward, one-sided frown.

    ¡°Well fuck you, too, I guess,¡± I yelled in his direction. Kylee just laughed, still nodding her head to the bumping music. Something caught her eye and her face fell in disgust.

    ¡°Looks like the prince has decided to grace us with his presence,¡±  she shouted in my ear. I looked over my shoulder to see Atlas coming through the front door, looking totally out of place. While the West Side kids here wore baggy clothes and hand me downs, Atlas was clad in a black leather jacket, his hair gelled neatly to one side. Everything about him screamed ¡°East Side.¡±

    He scanned the crowd until his eyes met mine. I quickly looked away, grabbing Kylee¡¯s waist and pulling her closer to dance. I felt his eyes on me, and I looked everywhere but him. A warm presence pressed behind me. I turned my head slightly to see who it was - Jonah Saunders. We didn¡¯t run in the same friend group, but I thought he was cute nonetheless.

    I took a step back, grinding my backside against him to the beat of the music. He wrapped one hand around my front. I looked up just in time to see Atlas watching, livid. I wanted to smirk at his reaction - the fact that he thought he had any claim over me. I took another gulp of wine and turned my back on him. I looked up at Jonah and put my hand around his neck, pulling him down to kiss me.

    The kiss was messy and sweaty, and I welcomed it. I knew Atlas was watching, which only made me kiss Jonah harder. We stayed like that for two more songs. We danced on each other and shared sloppy kisses. When the second song ended, I pulled away. I scanned the crowd for Atlas, but he had disappeared.

    Kylee was only a few feet away, dancing with a boy from the year below us.

    I grabbed her shoulder and said in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m going to find the bathroom.¡±

    She just nodded and kept dancing. I squeezed through dancers, my eyes still searching for him. He wasn¡¯t in line for the bathroom. I also checked both bedrooms, and both times walked in on people doing things I never want to see again in my life. I also didn¡¯t see him in the kitchen, although I did find half a handle of whiskey. I grabbed it and went back to the living room.

    I drank and danced and drank some more. Time began to slow and then speed up. The floor was unsteady under my feet, and it was other people¡¯s bodies in the crowd that kept me from falling over. I eventually met back up with Kylee, covered in hickeys from her 11th grade friend. I wanted to say something snarky, but my lips couldn¡¯t find my mouth.

    Kylee¡¯s eyes fell to the now empty bottle of whiskey in my hand. She shot me a concerned look, but I waved her off.

    I tried to tell her I was going to go outside to get some air, but it came out like ¡°Eymgonagetsmair.¡±

    She looked like she wanted to follow me, but her beau grabbed her hand and pulled her close again. I disappeared while she was distracted.

    Outside, the cold air bit my cheeks. I held on to the side of the house, trying to keep my balance but failing miserably. I knew I was going to be sick, but my brain couldn¡¯t find my mouth. Then, the earth was coming closer, closer, closer to my face. I wanted to reach out and catch myself, but my arms were completely numb. Blackness enveloped me before I hit the ground, and I knew that the whiskey had been a huge mistake. The straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.

 Ill Take the Shot

    Abigail

    ¡°Abby.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I say, running my hand down the door like I would my sister¡¯s hair if she were next to me.

    ¡°I saw the prince today,¡± she tells me, ¡°riding a horse.¡±

    I laugh lightly, ¡°Lucky girl. Was he as handsome as they say?¡±

    ¡°I think so. But Abby, I think he can help you,¡± she whispers in excitement.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Maybe if I tell him you¡¯re locked in here, he can get you out! Maybe he can bring you to his palace and-¡±

    ¡°Aw Cora, that''s a sweet thought,¡± I cut her off, ¡°But the prince is probably much too busy for me.¡±

    ¡°No Abby - I saw him! He looks so nice. I bet he would want to help you!¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t,¡± I say, a bit too harshly.

    Cora is silent and suddenly I feel terrible for snapping. She¡¯s too young to understand. There¡¯s no harm in remaining hopeful.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cora,¡± I say quietly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it. If you ever get to see him again, tell him about me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Abby,¡± she whispers.

    Quinn

    I awoke in an unfamiliar bedroom, far nicer than any place I¡¯d slept before. The walls were painted burnt orange, all of the furniture a dark shade of polished cherry brown. Two of the walls were covered in floor to ceiling windows, deep red curtains opened to allow morning light to fade into the room. The other two walls were adorned with opulent paintings that looked like they belonged in history museums instead of a home.

    Although the room was well-decorated, it felt cold. It was too big, the furniture was too far apart.

    I sat up in the bed, head throbbing. The sheets crinkled and scratched me as if they¡¯d never been used. I wondered if I was the first person to ever sleep in this bed.

    Next to me was a large glass of water. I grabbed it and chugged greedily, trying to subside the dryness on my tongue. Hesitantly, I stepped out of bed and onto a plush red rug. One look out the tall window told me I was no longer on the West Side of the golden gates.

    The large double doors leading to the room opened and a beautiful woman floated in. The timing was perfect and I wondered if she¡¯d been spying on me somehow - waiting for me to wake up.

    I¡¯d seen Mrs. Ellroy just once before, standing just outside of the golden gates giving a speech that shook the town.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Mrs. Ellroy cheered.

    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± I asked, keeping near the window. Mrs. Ellroy¡¯s lips merged into a thin line. She clearly wasn¡¯t pleased with my lack of appreciation.

    ¡°You were¡­ very ill last night. One of our patrol officers picked you up. You¡¯re lucky it was us who found you and not someone else,¡± she said, the cheer in her voice turning sickly.

    I crossed my arms over my chest tightly, noticing I was still in my crop top and jeans from the night before.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I muttered flatly, ¡°Er¡­ can I go home?¡±

    ¡°Well of course you can, dear.¡±

    I made my way back to the bed, bending down to grab my boots. I didn¡¯t bother putting them back on as I stalked to the doorway. Mrs. Ellroy, however, stayed put - guarding my exit. I looked up at her, waiting.

    ¡°While you¡¯re here,¡± she said - here it comes. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I huffed. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at me.

    ¡°Will you - kindly - stop torturing my son?¡±

    I almost sputtered, fully taken by surprise. Who was her son?

    ¡°Atlas, I mean,¡± she said, smiling wryly, ¡°Yes - he is in fact my biological son.¡±

    ¡°H-how?¡±

    ¡°Atlas wasn¡¯t the only one frozen in time all those years ago. Atlas may have been turned to stone, but the rest of us were able to continue on with our lives. At least¡­ to the best of our abilities.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed as I began calculating, trying to guess how old she must have been. ¡°So you¡¯re three hundred and -¡±

    ¡°A lady never reveals her age,¡± she smiled, too sweet. ¡°But yes, everyone on the¡­ on this side of Fairview has remained the same.¡±

    Those residing in The Kingdom - in the same town - now claimed to have been hiding this secret? For hundreds of years? I wouldn''t have been surprised if the West Side started believing this bullshit as well. We were so starkly separated from each other - by the gate, by wealth, by power. No wonder nobody noticed.

    ¡°So, as I was saying, Atlas-¡±

    ¡°Atlas is an adult,¡± I cut her off, ¡°And if he has a problem with something I¡¯m doing, he can tell me himself.¡±

    I made to step around her, but she side-stepped me, blocking my exit once again.

    ¡°Atlas has always been such a kind hearted soul. He would never want to say anything to make you feel bad or-or pressured,¡± Mrs. Ellroy told me.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t need his mom to do that for him,¡± I spat.

    Mrs. Ellroy took a threatening step forward - towering over me.

    ¡°Listen to me, girl,¡± she said, her voice growing quieter, ¡°You may be content playing children¡¯s games with my son, but keep in mind that others are suffering with each precious day you waste.¡±

    I took a step back in response, fear rippling through me with every word she spat.

    ¡°Suffering?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. He hasn¡¯t told you. He would never say anything. But I am looking out for the greater good,¡± her tone, however, told me the opposite. ¡°We are still frozen - unchanging - unable to move forward until the spell is broken.¡±

    ¡°I thought the spell was broken,¡± I said, unable to control my voice from trembling.

    She laughed, shaking her head and looking at the ceiling.

    ¡°You stupid, selfish, blind child. Part of the spell has been broken, yes - but more remains. We remain encased in stone - metaphorically of course - until you two fulfill your end of the prophecy.¡±

    I swallowed hard, ¡°Meaning?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I was sure Atlas told me he¡¯d mention that part to you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything. He had, indeed, told me the final part of the prophecy. He just hadn''t shared with me the stakes. Mrs. Ellroy continued.

    ¡°Leave those low-life boy children alone. Fate has, for whatever reason, chosen you to be loved by and love my son. The sooner you accept it, the sooner we can move on with our lives,¡± she sneered. ¡°We are, after all, extremely wealthy. I¡¯m sure this should be a dream come true for someone from your side of the fence.¡±

    She stared me down until I looked at my feet, lost for words and dying to get out of that large room - that suddenly felt suffocatingly small - as soon as possible.

    ¡°Can I go now?¡± I asked, not meeting her eye.

    She simply stepped aside. On my way out, she grabbed my arm lightly, her red polished fingers delicate on my arm.

    ¡°This was a really great chat,¡± she smiled at me, flashing bright white teeth, ¡°We should do it again sometime.¡±

    I shrugged out of her grasp and continued down the hall where I saw a large staircase. A thought popped into my head, though, before I reached the stairs. I turned slowly to see Mrs. Ellroy was still standing in the doorway, watching me.

    ¡°Why would you want to continue aging again? Isn¡¯t immortality - smooth faces and youth - all you rich bitches want? You¡¯ll never have to pay for botox. You¡¯ll never have to worry about dying. You already have everything,¡± I said. It was a bold question, but I needed to understand her reasoning.

    She thought for a moment, crossing her arms.

    ¡°How would you like it,¡± she asked, ¡°Forever frozen? Never moving forward? Time can become a prison of boredom and chaos. I wouldn¡¯t wish immortality on my worst enemy.¡±

    I surveyed her for a moment longer and then nodded, satisfied with her answer.

    ¡°And Quinn, I would accept the security we¡¯ve so kindly allotted you. There are people that would do far worse than us, should your secret get out,¡± she said darkly, and then retreated into the bedroom.

    Anxiety filled my stomach as her ominous words sank it. I made my way quickly down the winding staircase, shoes still in hand. I wasn¡¯t planning on stopping until I was safely outside of those golden gates.

    I opened the double doors leading outside and ran smack into Atlas. He took a step back, clearly surprised by my presence.

    ¡°Quinn?¡±

    ¡°I met your mom,¡± I muttered, stepping around him, ¡°She¡¯s a delight.¡±

    Atlas stood stunned on the front porch of his mansion. I hurried down the long, circular driveway. When I reached the sidewalk, I picked up speed. The security guard must have seen me coming, because the golden gates were wide open when I reached the border of their neighborhood.

    *****

    My fingers trembled as I texted Kylee.

    Come over - SOS!

    A few seconds later, she replied with a thumbs up. I took a deep breath and put my head in my hands, running my fingers through my tangled hair. I still hadn¡¯t changed from the night before and I was in dire need of a shower. There was dirt in my hair, and I realized in horror that the Ellroy¡¯s guards probably found me passed out in Hannah¡¯s lawn.

    It only took Kylee 5 minutes to knock on my front door - one of the perks of living in a relatively small town. I opened the door to let her in and she looked me up and down, snorting.

    ¡°Dude, you look like shit,¡± she said, moving past me and plopping down on the couch.

    ¡°Kylee, I slept at the Ellroy¡¯s house last night,¡± I told her, not bothering to sit down. I was too filled with nervous energy.

    Her eyes widened, ¡°You WHAT?¡±

    ¡°They have¡­ they have security guards following me,¡± I admitted to her, the words spilling out faster than I¡¯d intended, ¡°I was too drunk at Hannah¡¯s - passed out in the yard. They found me and took me back to their house. I woke up in their guest room this morning!¡±

    Kylee looked enraged, ¡°Those freaks! We should call the cops! That¡¯s basically kidnapping!¡±

    I nodded in agreement, ¡°But Kylee - that¡¯s not all. I met Mrs. Ellroy. Like actually met her. She came to the room and talked to me. She stood in the doorway¡­ wouldn¡¯t let me leave. She told me¡­ told me when I kissed Atlas, I only released part of the spell. The rest of them, the people on the East Side - they¡¯ve all been frozen in time. Immortal. And there¡¯s this prophecy - it says Atlas and I have to - we¡¯re going to¡­¡±

    I looked down at my hands, not wanting to speak the words. Kylee just looked at me with wide, expressionless eyes.

    ¡°Quinn¡­¡± she said finally, ¡°Are you hearing yourself?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy Kylee, but they¡­ I think they might be telling the truth,¡± I said, silently begging her to understand. ¡°On Friday at the park Atlas told me-¡±

    ¡°You were with Atlas on Friday?¡± she snapped. Of course Kylee would be hurt that I¡¯d forgotten to tell her. I was digging myself into a hole I had no idea how to get out of.

    ¡°Yes but- Kylee listen!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable, Quinn,¡± she said, standing up from the couch, ¡°Elaina I understand. But you? You¡¯re getting yourself into this nonsense now as well?¡±

    ¡°Please, Klyee,¡± I begged as she headed for the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m so done, Quinn,¡± she said. ¡°Call Elaina. Put on some magic fairy wings and have a freaking tea party. But don¡¯t involve me in all this.¡±

    She yanked the door open and I whispered, ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡±

    She stared at me, eyes fiery, cheeks red, ¡°Call me when you¡¯ve come to your senses.¡±

    And then she was gone, door slamming behind her.

    I sank to the floor, eyes filled with tears. Kylee was gone. Elaina was gone. Even Jamie wasn¡¯t speaking to me. My circle of people was so utterly small, and it felt like it had been washed away in the span of a week.

    I let out a sob and sprang to my feet, desperate. My dad had stocked the freezer with a single bottle of white rum. I grabbed the bottle and flicked open the cap.

    My phone buzzed. I opened the text from an unknown number.

    I¡¯m sorry about my mom.

    Slowly, I lowered the bottle onto the counter and stared at the text. I debated deleting it. Debated blocking the number. Debated changing my own number.

    But instead, I wrote back - Finally joined the 21st century huh?

    I smirked at my cleverness, although tears still streamed down my face. Not 3 seconds later, I got a response.

    Let me make it up to you?

    Again, I turned over the message in my head. My instinct was to send something snarky or straight up cruel in response. But I was so, so lonely. Definitely not in a position to turn down friends.

    How? I asked.

    Anything you want - the world is your oyster.

    I eyed the bottle of rum.

    Meet at the park in an hour?

    Should I be scared? He asked.

    Terrified.

    ****

    The shower brought me back to life. I ran my fingers through my dirty, knotted hair and scrubbed every inch of the night before off my skin.

    I pulled on leggings and my warmest sweatshirt. The bottle of rum was waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I shoved it in my backpack along with 2 shot glasses.

    Atlas was again at the park before I arrived. He sat on the same swing, but I gestured towards the picnic table. The day was chilly, but manageable. Especially combined with alcohol.

    I sat down, smiling lightly at him as he sat across from me.

    ¡°You seem relatively happier to see me today,¡± he noted.

    I shrugged, ¡°I just had a good idea.¡±

    He rested his chin on his hands, raising an eyebrow, ¡°Enlighten me.¡±

    I reached in my backpack and pulled out the handle of rum. I let it drop onto the picnic table, and then pulled out the shot glasses. His eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you people usually wait until 5 o¡¯clock for this sort of thing?¡±

    ¡°Do you wanna play or not?¡± I asked impatiently. To be fair, he did have a point. It was hardly noon yet.

    ¡°Play? Oh, so this is a game?¡± he chuckled as I poured us each a hefty serving of rum. I met his eyes deviously.

    ¡°Truth or drink,¡± I told him, ¡°You ever heard of it?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t actually.¡±

    ¡°Surprising,¡± I murmured, swirling my shot glass a bit.

    ¡°Not really. My people tend to play more¡­ traditional games.¡±

    I wrinkled my nose, ¡°Your people.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said quickly, ¡°bad habit. Truth or drink - self explanatory.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± I stated, ¡°Has your mom always been a crazy bitch or did 300 years make her that way?¡±

    I knew I was coming on strong, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. I wondered if he was offended, but he just thought for a moment and then said -

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely gotten worse since I was - um - stoned.¡±

    I nodded, slightly disappointed. I wanted him to drink.

    ¡°My turn?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Do you believe me now? Everything I¡¯ve told you?¡± he asked.

    I downed the shot. I didn¡¯t want him to know my answer - that I was leaning towards a yes. But I also didn¡¯t want to admit it to myself. Saying it outloud - that would confirm that I was insane.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said.

    ¡°Why did you leave the party last night?¡± I asked. I was pretty sure I knew why he left, but I wanted to hear him say the words.

    Instead, he took the shot.

    ¡°What do you see in Jamie Fullman?¡± he asked without taking a beat.

    I eyed my shot glass, debating how much I wanted to give away. Finally, I shrugged.

    ¡°He¡¯s easy¡­ fun. I don¡¯t have to try with him, you know?¡± I said honestly, ¡°Plus, he¡¯s not bad to look at.¡±

    ¡°For a child, I guess,¡± Atlas said, rolling his eyes.

    I sighed in annoyance, ¡°Well, we¡¯re currently not on speaking terms, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked. Crap, I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. It was like giving him amo. I was going to have to take a shot to protect Jamie¡¯s pride when it was Atlas¡¯s turn again.

    ¡°Not your turn,¡± I said. ¡°Who turned you into stone? And why?¡±

    ¡°Pick 1.¡±

    I huffed, ¡°Fine. Who?¡±

    ¡°A¡­ I guess you could call her a manipulator of the elements. She was a stranger from the West Side - I¡¯m not even sure of her name. She was incredibly powerful. But she was woefully untrained. That kind of power takes years to hone. She was never taught and one day¡­ one day she snapped.¡±

    I stared at him, surprised at his brutal honesty. And that he¡¯d answered the second part of my question without realizing it.

    ¡°Sorry, I know that was a lot at once,¡± he said, offering me a small smile. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you and Jamie speaking?¡±

    There it was. I took another shot. Jamie would have to thank me for this one.

    I thought of something I really wanted to know, but then I remembered that I wanted to get Atlas drunk. I searched for a question he wouldn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°What¡¯s your deepest, darkest secret?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not fair,¡± he protested with a smile.

    ¡°Drink up, then.¡±

    He did as he was told, swallowing the shot and then pouring us each another one.

    ¡°What about the other one? What do you see in him?¡± Atlas asked, not breaking eye contact with me.

    ¡°Other what?¡±

    ¡°That boy¡­ from last night.¡±

    It took me a minute to recall the memory. The sloppy kisser that I¡¯d clung to the previous night. I cringed at the memory.

    ¡°Jonah?¡± I laughed, ¡°Nothing¡­ nothing at all. Again, easy.¡±

    Atlas furrowed his eyebrows, looking at me more intensely than before. He shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I shrugged, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just old fashioned.¡±

    ¡°Could be. Your turn.¡±

    ¡°Have you kissed anyone? Since waking up?¡± I asked before I could stop myself.

    He smirked at me and took the shot. That bothered me more than it should have.

    ¡°You have!?¡± I almost yelled, ¡°Who?¡±

    He shook his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled wider. His turn.

    ¡°Why do you say easy like it¡¯s a good thing?¡± he asked.

    That question would take us towards dangerous territory. Daddy issues. Abandonment issues. Self-esteem issues.

    I drank.

    ¡°What¡¯s a manipulator of the elements? How does that work?¡±

    Again, it was two questions. He let it go.

    ¡°300 years ago, people were¡­ different - more powerful. Some were more in touch with nature than others. They found they could bend energy to their advantage. No one really knew how it worked. You were either born with it or not. The manipulation began to show itself around puberty. It is - was more common in girls, but some boys have been known to possess the ability as well.¡±

    I thought for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Can you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s another question.¡±

    ¡°Two for two?¡± I asked, burning curiosity getting the best of me.

    ¡°Deal,¡± he said. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t born with it. My mother, however, was very powerful. As were many members of the East Side. The one who turned me, she was the first and only manipulator born on the West Side.¡±

    I waited for him to say more, but he fell silent.

    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± I said, not totally sure I understood.

    ¡°What can I do to make you see I really am telling the truth?¡± he asked.

    I drank. He rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Fine, number two,¡± he said, thinking, ¡°Why did you agree to see me today so willingly?¡±

    I wanted to drink again, but I was ahead of him. I needed to pace myself. The game would be short lived if I became incoherent.

    ¡°Kylee and I had a fight,¡± I admitted, looking at my hands. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like that we¡¯ve been interacting.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he said, ¡°And Elaina?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get around to it,¡± I muttered, feeling my cheeks blush.

    ¡°High school girls,¡± he mused to himself, ¡°So much drama - it never seems to end.¡±

    ¡°It was worse in middle school,¡± I shrugged.

    My turn.

    ¡°Why do you say your mom was very powerful? What happened?¡±

    ¡°When I was turned to stone, everyone else ceased to age. They also lost their manipulation. The prophecy does talk about the return to mortality, but it says nothing about the powers coming back. Everyone assumes they¡¯re gone for good. That she somehow washed it all away.¡±

    ¡°That sucks,¡± I said, although I was finding it difficult to feel any pity for his mother.

    ¡°They¡¯ll live,¡± he said, ¡°Especially with today¡¯s technology. No one needs that kind of power anymore.¡±

    The warmth of the liquor slowly started taking over. I felt the tingle in my fingertips and the slight pressure in my head.

    ¡°Why do you dislike me?¡± he asked.

    I opted for honesty. ¡°It¡¯s not just you¡­ it¡¯s everyone on the East Side. We call it the Kingdom. Everyone there is so¡­ isolated. They look at us like we¡¯re garbage. My dad and I couldn¡¯t afford to heat our home one winter. That same winter, your people threw a days long winter celebration within the gates. Everyone on my side seems to have a story like that.¡±

    Atlas¡¯s face fell.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he breathed, ¡°Really. I understand why you hate them¡­us. We must seem so heartless.¡±

    I looked down at my hands again, feeling embarrassed by his compassion. I wanted to tell him that it wasn¡¯t his fault - that he hadn¡¯t had any part in that as long as I¡¯d been alive. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say the words. Instead, I asked the question that had been burning on my tongue all day.

    ¡°So, the only reason you want to spend time with me¡­ is so your family can get better,¡± I said, realizing that it didn¡¯t come out like a question at all.

    It took him a full minute to think of a response. I almost told him to just take the shot so we could move on. But finally, he looked up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯ve had a lot of pressure to - say - woo you from my parents. But it¡¯s been more difficult than I¡¯d expected. Honestly, there¡¯s no timeline on the prophecy. My people aren¡¯t hurt or sick or in danger. They¡¯re just bored. Maybe they secretly hope they¡¯ll get their manipulation back once they can age - once they¡¯re more in tune with nature. I refuse to force anything.¡±

    I nodded, not sure what to make of his answer.

    ¡°I will say,¡± he added, ¡°that I have no expectations of you. I would like to be your friend, but after everything my mother put you through today - just say the word and I will back off. And again, I¡¯m sorry she threw all of that at you. It wasn¡¯t fair.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± was all I said.

    ¡°Where do you see yourself in a year?¡± he asked casually.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ not in Fairview, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I snorted, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice the twinkle of sadness that spread across his face momentarily. Or perhaps I just imagined it. ¡°Maybe in university¡­ if I can get into one. My grades haven¡¯t been great lately. Or I¡¯ll get a job far away from here - maybe working with kids or animals or art.¡±

    And then I took another shot for good measure. Atlas raised his eyebrows, accepting the challenge. He took his and then poured both of us another.

    ¡°Question me,¡± he said, a lazy smile finding its way onto his lips.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± I thought, tapping my chin. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite position?¡±

    ¡°In football?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be daft,¡± I told him.

    He only smiled at me and took his next shot.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not a virgin are you?¡± I asked in shock, ¡°I mean¡­ I know you¡¯re from the past but like-¡±

    He cut me off, ¡°It¡¯s not your turn, Quinn.¡±

    I shut my mouth, smirking. I held out both hands, allowing him to take the stage.

    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite position?¡±

    He should have seen this one coming. I took my shot as well. He raised one eyebrow.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to taint your virgin ears,¡± I said, giggling.

    He laughed back at me, humorously. I wondered again if I¡¯d offended him with my question. I looked up at him, debating whether or not to apologize. I caught him looking at me, intensely. I couldn¡¯t read his face, though I continued to study it.

    His phone chimed, breaking the silence, and he looked down at it.

    ¡°I need to go in a minute,¡± he told me. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more question.¡±

    I thought for a moment, knowing I would regret asking a stupid question. Knowing I would regret asking something he wouldn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Why me?¡± I asked finally, ¡°I mean, I know you don¡¯t know the answer to that but¡­ why do you think it was me?¡±

    He rested both arms on the table as he thought.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. And you¡¯re right, I don¡¯t know the answer. But I wonder if there¡¯s a reason it was you - something about you or¡­ or us? Compatibility, maybe? Or perhaps this was all arbitrary¡­ a coincidence. I would like to think it¡¯s deeper than that. But that would make things more difficult.¡±

    I wanted to ask what he meant by difficult, but he had to go.

    ¡°Can I ask you one more?¡± he asked.

    I nodded.

    ¡°When can I see you again?¡±

    I tried not to blush like a schoolgirl, ¡°I¡¯ll be in school tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The prince looked like he was going to stand up, but I was wondering one more thing and the alcohol convinced me to blurt it out.

    ¡°Do you wish it had been someone different? Someone¡­ nicer or more open? Maybe Elaina?¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to think to answer that question.

    ¡°No, definitely not. I¡¯m glad it was you.¡±

    Atlas stood up, grabbing his jacket and phone. I threw him a questioning look. He just walked around the picnic table until he was standing directly over me. I turned around in my seat so I was facing him. I had to lean my head back slightly to meet his eyes. He looked at me with such intensity that I was nearly taken aback. I felt frozen in place as he hovered over me. It looked like he was debating whether or not to say something.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Quinn,¡± he said softly, ¡°Or¡­ I¡¯m not like what you say you are.¡±

    My mind was stalling. I couldn¡¯t make sense of his words. My heart thudded in my chest and I prayed he couldn¡¯t hear it.

    ¡°Like I said, I have no expectations,¡± he repeated, but then he leaned closer - just inches away from my face, ¡°but I do like a challenge. Even before the stone, I never went for easy.¡±

    My heart picked up as his words sank in. My stomach dropped, mind went blank. What was he doing to me?

    The prince pulled back slightly, but then changed his mind and came close again. I could hear his deep, rugged breathing as he brought his lips an inch from my ear.

    ¡°And I am definitely not a virgin,¡± he whispered.

    He pulled away, leaving me stunned.

    ¡°See you in school tomorrow,¡± he offered, his voice returning to its normal pitch.

    ¡°See you,¡± I muttered, barely audible.

    I watched him walk away - tall and confident and muscular. Somehow feeling like he had won a game that had no winners.

    What the fuck just happened?

    ****

    I woke up for school on Monday in a frenzy of emotions. Nervous to face Kylee on our walk to school. Frustrated at Elaina and my classmates for the drama they¡¯d caused throughout the school. But I was also - in some strange way - excited to see Atlas again.

    I felt like yesterday we¡¯d come to an understanding, although it was never put precisely into words. I could breath deeply for the first time in over a week as I pulled on a pair of jeans and a red and black flannel. Atlas only wanted friendship - and it was up to me when and if that had ever happened.

    This was at least what I told myself, trying to forget his final words to me the previous day. I do like a challenge.

    I shook my head to get the words out of my brain, yet unable to ignore the flutters in my stomach.

    My stomach sank when I realized Kylee wasn¡¯t waiting for me at our usual spot. I stood under the lamppost for 5 minutes, but had to give up when I realized I would be late for school.

    I was making a plan in my head to talk to Kylee again - practicing how I was going to explain everything to her. Atlas hadn¡¯t told me to keep any secrets. Kylee was my best friend. Anything anyone told me, Kylee got to know, too. I had to swallow my pettiness today. After I worked on Kylee, I would go to Elaina next. Kylee and I would go together. That would be best.

    The school was buzzing with chatter as I entered the double doors that lead to a locker lined hallway. But the students fell silent, one by one as they watched me enter. Their eyes - the way they landed on me and then quickly looked away, finding an excuse to whisper to a nearby friend - told me one thing: the secret was out.

    I pretended I didn¡¯t notice their stares or the word ¡°spellbreaker¡± being whispered over and over again. I kept my attention on my phone as I made my way to my locker.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± I heard Elaina¡¯s voice from behind me. I decided that I didn¡¯t need to go to my locker this morning. I continued walking past the stares and into the girls bathroom.

    I was pleased to find the bathroom empty. I threw open the window and whipped a cigarette out of my back pocket. I struggled to light it, the cold air blowing in and putting out my lighter. My hands trembled.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered in annoyance.

    The bathroom door opened and Elaina walked in, alone. Anger flared through me when I caught her sheepish face.

    ¡°You told them,¡± I growled, marching up to her.

    ¡°No Quinn, I swear!¡± she yelled, putting her hands up in defense but not backing away.

    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± I yelled in her face - sizing her up.

    ¡°You- you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Elaina admitted, ¡°I-I¡¯ve been a bad friend to you. I didn¡¯t listen to what you wanted. And I should have warned you this morning that someone talked - but I didn¡¯t. I was too cowardly. I¡¯m sorry Quinn.¡±

    She¡¯d admitted all of that to me in one breath.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say a word?¡± I asked, making sure I heard correctly.

    She nodded, eyes wide. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. I felt her breath a sigh of relief - I wasn¡¯t usually so forgiving.

    ¡°But,¡± I said, pulling back, ¡°You know who talked, don¡¯t you?¡±

    She nodded again.

    ¡°Atlas?¡± I whispered, hoping she would say yes. Because the alternative was far worse.

    Elaina looked down at her feet and shook her head.

    I felt sick with rage. I stopped caring that everyone was talking about me. I stopped caring that I was in school. I stopped caring about everything.

    I stormed past Elaina, red hot with anger. My fists shook, my breathing grew choppy.

    ¡°Quinn, wait!¡± I  heard Elaina say from behind me. I could hear her following me, but I didn¡¯t listen to her protests. Kylee had done the one thing I had made her promise not to do. Even Elaina had managed to keep her mouth shut. And Atlas - who I barely knew! Rage grew thicker.

    I burst into History class, knowing right where Kylee would be.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± I yelled, fists balled. I moved quickly towards her, ready to knock her off her chair with a punch to the face. I felt Elaina¡¯s hands on my arm, trying to pull me back. ¡°Who did you tell!?¡±

    Kylee jumped out of her seat, backing up in fear.

    ¡°Oh they were going to find out sooner or later!¡± Kylee shouted back, ¡°You really think you can trust him and his freak family?¡±

    I took another step towards her, ¡°Well I can clearly trust them better than you!¡±

    ¡°Clearly! Why don¡¯t you go spend another night at their house then - if you trust them so much!¡±

    I froze - everyone in the class now knew where I¡¯d been Saturday night. They would only assume the worst.

    ¡°Kylee,¡± I heard Elaina whisper in disapproval from behind me.

    I got as close to Kylee as possible and then pushed her backwards. She tried to stand her ground, so I pushed her again.

    ¡°You piece of garbage!¡± I screamed.

    ¡°SLUT!¡± she yelled at the same time.

    I drew my fist back, ready to beat her fucking face in. Elaina couldn¡¯t stop me now.

    Arms wrapped around my body, pinning my elbows against my side. I didn¡¯t look to see who it was as they pulled me backwards.

    ¡°Stay away from me!¡± I screamed. Kylee tried to chase after me, but Elaina stepped in front of her, preventing her from moving forward.

    ¡°Enjoy The Kingdom bitch! Enjoy being the prince¡¯s WHORE!¡± she yelled. Her words made me fight harder against the arms restraining me.

    I was dragged from the classroom just as Mr. Tanner was entering, briefcase in hand. He¡¯d missed the entire thing - and it was sheer luck that kept me from getting suspended.

    ¡°Good morning Mr. Tanner,¡± I recognized Atlas¡¯s voice, ¡°Quinn isn¡¯t feeling well this morning so I¡¯m just going to take her home.¡±

    Atlas didn¡¯t wait for Mr. Tanner¡¯s response as he pulled me down the hall. I stopped struggling as soon as we were out of the classroom. He kept his arms around me, pinning my arms down until we were all the way outside.

    I chewed on my lip, anger and adrenaline still pulsing through me.

    ¡°If I let go of you, are you going to go back in there and try to rip Kylee¡¯s head off?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I growled.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he said, a warning.

    ¡°Bitch.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your friend,¡± he told me, ¡°plus, she¡¯s bigger than you. She could probably knock you out quickly if she were really trying.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my friend.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not at this moment,¡± he agreed.

    I willed myself to take a deep breath.

    ¡°Can I let go now?¡± Atlas asked me cautiously.

    I nodded, feeling more in control outside in the cool air. Slowly, Atlas let my arms go. He took a step back, watching me. I didn¡¯t go back into the building. Instead, I sat on the step and took out a cigarette, hands trembling. I tried lighting it again, but the breeze kept blowing out the lighter.

    ¡°Damned thing,¡± I grumbled, switching the lighter over and over again.

    Atlas stood in front of me, using his hands to shield my lighter from the wind until I could light my cigarette.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered, not looking at him. I inhaled deeply, willing the nicotine to calm me.

    ¡°This is probably not the best time to mention that smoking is terrible for you, is it?¡± Atlas joked.

    ¡°Not in the mood,¡± I told him.

    Atlas took a seat next to me on the step.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I dragged you into all this,¡± he said sadly.

    I shook my head, ¡°Not your fault. You kept your mouth shut.¡±

    ¡°True - but I also infiltrated your life. I came to your school, I befriended Elaina. I could have - should have stayed away,¡± he said. ¡°You deserve a normal life.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, Elaina and I made up. You can call off the guards now,¡± I said.

    ¡°I already had - didn¡¯t you notice after Friday?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t,¡± I said, looking up at him, ¡°I hadn¡¯t fulfilled my end.¡±

    He shrugged, ¡°I felt bad anyways. The only reason they saw you outside of that party on Saturday was because they were watching me. Your old security guard recognized you and picked you up.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°I wish they had brought you to me instead of my mother. But their loyalty remains to her I guess.¡±

    I stayed quiet, bouncing my knee and staring at the cars driving by the school. I counted them - one, two, three, four¡­

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± he asked me.

    ¡°You got a shot?¡± I asked, not wanting to share.

    He chuckled, ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t.¡±

    I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ how could she do that to me? After everything we¡¯ve been through together?¡±

    He nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s threatened,¡± I continued on, ¡°Kylee lets very few people in. Those she does, she keeps very close. Maybe she¡¯s afraid of losing me - and in some backwards way it made her push me away further.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very intuitive,¡± Atlas said. ¡°Do you think you guys can come back from this?¡±

    I inhaled the last of my cigarette, rubbing the end on the concrete.

    ¡°It depends.¡±

    ¡°On?¡±

    ¡°How the school reacts to all this. A bit of staring and whispering I can handle. But anything past that¡­ I don¡¯t know if I could forgive Kylee,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°She can¡¯t help how they react,¡± he said. ¡°She can¡¯t take back what she did. But I¡¯m sure she regrets it, even if she doesn¡¯t realize it yet.¡±

    I snorted. This man had been sleeping for 300 years. What did he know about girl drama?

    ¡°I think you would be a lot to lose, Quinn,¡± Atlas said, ¡°She¡¯ll realize that sooner or later. And then she¡¯ll be sorry.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed and I turned towards him. There was no sarcasm or malice written on his face. Just honesty. I wanted to address what he¡¯d just said, but I felt too embarrassed. I shut my mouth and pulled another cigarette out of my back pocket.

    ¡°There¡¯s something else,¡± I said.

    Atlas looked at me curiously.

    ¡°Your mom said something to me on Sunday - something about there being people that would do far worse to me if they knew the truth,¡± I said, barely a whisper.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare you,¡± Atlas said.

    I shook my head, ¡°No, I need to know the truth. I¡¯m already knee deep in this - there¡¯s no going back.¡±

    Atlas took a deep breath, and then began.

    ¡°Back in the days of manipulation, that kind of power was something to be coveted, desired. People born without the abilities - which were most, keep in mind - some of them went to extremes to try to form the manipulation in themselves.¡±

    ¡°Extremes?¡± I asked, needing clarification.

    ¡°Er¡­ don¡¯t freak out¡­ this is an extreme really - but,¡± he looked at me, ¡°some people think drinking the blood of a manipulator can allow the drinker to possess some of those powers as well.¡±

    I felt my face turn into a grimace at the thought of drinking blood. Atlas continued on.

    ¡°Lots of young manipulators were targeted, kidnapped before they could learn to defend themselves. There were a lot of innocent lives lost during the craze.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°And now¡­ my mother thinks that it might happen again, especially because so many people think they might get their manipulation back since I¡¯ve been reawakened.¡±

    My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I tried to piece everything together.

    ¡°But what does that have to do with me?¡±

    He sighed again, looking up at the sky.

    ¡°There are¡­ talks on my side that - whoever it was that reawakened the prince and broke the original spell might be a manipulator - the first one to exhibit powers in 300 years,¡± he said.

    ¡°But I¡¯m not¡­ I don¡¯t have¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, ¡°they¡¯re just rumors. People on my side love to speculate. My mother was trying to give you a warning¡­ in the nicest way she knew how.¡±

    I felt the anger flaring inside me again. I squeezed my first tightly, taking a long drag of my cigarette.

    ¡°So Kylee didn¡¯t just spread gossip throughout the school. She¡­ I mean¡­ Am I in danger now?¡±

    ¡°No, Quinn,¡± he said quickly, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯ve got watchers all over the neighborhood. We can put someone on you again.¡±

    I felt myself starting to hyperventilate. My leg bounced faster and I ran a shaky hand through my hair. I could handle gossip and rumors, but this was a whole different ball game.

    ¡°Quinn, are you alright?¡± Atlas asked, sounding panicked.

    ¡°So what does this mean, Atlas?¡± I asked, ¡°Do I have to spend

    my whole life now looking over my shoulder?¡±

    ¡°No, Quinn! We can help you,¡± he stressed, ¡°We will help you. And then after you graduate, if you want to move away where people don¡¯t know who you are, you are free to do that. We¡¯ll give you whatever you need. Please, don¡¯t lose a minute''s sleep over this.¡±

    His pleading eyes made me want to trust him so badly. So I nodded, trying to push down any fear.

    Silence filled the space between us, though Atlas kept glancing down at me, probably to check if I was hyperventilating. I puffed on my cigarette and bounced my knee, not sure where I should go from here.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Atlas asked me suddenly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get food?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ now?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ¡°Or I could take you home. I would prefer to take you out to eat, though, so you don¡¯t start drinking at 9 in the morning.¡±

    I ignored the jibe.

    ¡°Fine. Food,¡± I said, putting out my second cigarette.

    *****

    ¡°Um¡­ who¡¯s going to eat all this?¡± I asked in awe, staring at the 10 different dishes sitting on the table between us.

    I¡¯d gone to the restroom when we got to the diner, and when I returned to our table, Atlas told me he¡¯d taken care of ordering. I didn¡¯t realize that meant he¡¯d ordered the entire menu.

    Atlas looked up from piling pancakes onto his place and grinned.

    ¡°Us,¡± he said, ¡°Duh.¡±

    ¡°But this is¡­ I mean¡­ we¡¯re just two people!¡±

    Atlas paused for a moment and set his fork down.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he began, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat for 300 years. 300 years without tasting sugar, or salt, or butter, or anything. I need this.¡±

    I stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t ask me to roll you out of here when you go into a food coma,¡± I said, scooping eggs onto my own plate.

    ¡°No promises,¡± he said with a mouth full of pancake.

    Atlas had devoured half of the food by the time the bill came out. I couldn¡¯t eat more than 2 plates worth.

    ¡°You eat like a bird,¡± he said, judgment glittering his tone.

    Atlas didn¡¯t even look at the bill as he handed the waitress a shiny black credit card. I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you pay on the next date.¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°Wh- This was not a date!¡±

    Atlas threw his head back and laughed at my frustration.

    ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t, I¡¯m only teasing you.¡±

    He stood up from the booth and I followed, punching him in the arm.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked, fake rubbing his arm,

    I walked past him and out the doors of the restaurant. When I could feel him closely behind me, I stopped abruptly and turned around. He froze in his tracks. It was my turn.

    I looked up at him through my eyelashes and took a step closer, holding his gaze. Just like he had done at the park the other day, I stood on my toes to bring my lips close to his ear, touching his shoulder lightly with one hand. I took a breath, and then -

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to be teased,¡± I growled softly. I felt his arm tense underneath my light touch.

    Then I pulled away and threw him a pleasant smile.

    ¡°See you at school tomorrow,¡± I chirped, backing away.

    Atlas looked baffled, and I turned on my heel. Once more I called over my shoulder, ¡°Thank you for the food!¡±

    ¡°Any time,¡± I heard him say shakily.

    I smiled deviously to myself, though I couldn¡¯t help the blush that crept onto my cheeks. The smile stayed on my face for the entire walk home.

 Unexpected Visitors

    Abigail

    My mother had red hair. That¡¯s what caught my father¡¯s attention, she told me once when I was very young. For him, it was love at first sight. She knew she loved him when he nursed her back to health after she¡¯d fallen ill for a week.

    My mother only spoke of my father¡¯s kindness and love in those rare moments she brought him up. With so few words, she made me believe he would come back for us. She made me believe he would rescue us from my step father and bring us back to his large house where we would never run out of food.

    But at 13 years old, I¡¯ve figured out the truth. My father never loved my mother. Or me.

    You don¡¯t abandon the people you love.

    Quinn

    For the first time in days, there were two people waiting for me by the lamppost before school. I recognized Elaina, and was shocked - shocked and pissed - to see Kylee there, too. I froze on my front porch, observing the two of them with my arms crossed. They were clearly arguing about something.

    They froze when they noticed me on the step. Kylee shot Elaina a dirty look before turning on her heel and marching in the direction of the school by herself.

    ¡°Yeah, keep on walking asshole,¡± I yelled after her. She threw a middle finger in the air, not even turning around to ensure I saw it.

    I moved to Elaina, who offered me a small smile.

    ¡°What was she doing here?¡± I spat, not smiling back.

    ¡°I was waiting for you when she walked by,¡± Elaina said simply, ¡°I tried to convince her to apologize.¡±

    I huffed in frustration, ¡°She¡¯s going to have to do more than apologize.¡±

    Elaina and I made our way to school. I could sense Elaina¡¯s continuous glances in my direction - probably trying to gauge how far my forgiveness of her went.

    ¡°It was all true,¡± I told her, trying to break the ice, ¡°The prince¡­ the spell¡­ only there¡¯s more. So much more.¡±

    The words felt strange on my lips. It was the first time I¡¯d admitted it. Even to myself.

    Elaina¡¯s eyes widened. I could tell she was about to hound me with questions by the way her mouth opened and closed. But she contained herself, and instead asked -

    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    I felt a pang of appreciation towards her. A week ago, she would have pressured me for any and all information.

    I shrugged my shoulders, ¡°There¡¯s a prophecy. It predicted everything that happened, according to Atlas. The prophecy knew things about me¡­ things I haven¡¯t told anyone.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Elaina breathed. She kept quiet after that, leaving me space to say more.

    ¡°It also predicted¡­¡± I paused, realizing this was the first time I was saying it outloud, ¡°that Atlas and I were going to¡­ fall in love.¡±

    I watched Elaina cover her mouth with her hand out of the corner of my eye. This was the kind of romance shit she loved. But her next words surprised me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I looked over at her in confusion, slowing my pace. We were almost at the school.

    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡± I asked.

    She was silent for a moment, and then, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of pressure. And it¡¯s not fair. I don¡¯t think he should have told you that.¡±

    I paused thoughtfully and then nodded my head in agreement. We were almost at the school. Swarms of kids were entering through the large double doors at the front.

    ¡°The worst part is,¡± I began, stopping, ¡°that I think I like him. We hung out yesterday. And¡­ and Sunday¡­ and Friday. I wanted so badly to hate him. I do hate him but¡­ I also¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±

    We stood next to each other, facing the school together - wondering what the day would bring. Elaina grabbed my hand, finally, and gave it a squeeze. I squeezed back.

    A black car rolled up to the school, gaining attention from onlookers. I knew who was going to come out of it before I saw him. Atlas, in all his cool and swagger and confidence, stepped out of the car and slung his backpack over one shoulder. He looked sleek and put-together in his navy blue bomber jacket and deep green jeans.

    I watched him shake his dark hair out of his face.

    ¡°Not the type you usually go for,¡± Elaina whispered, smirking.

    ¡°First time for everything, I guess,¡± I muttered.

    Hand in hand, Elaina and I walked into the school. With Elaina by my side, I ignored the looks and whispers of spellbreaker from the other students. Still, we felt incomplete without Kylee there as well. I tried to push that thought out of my mind. At least I wasn¡¯t friendless anymore.

    In History, Kylee sat in the front, far away from her usual seat. Elaina and I took our seats in the back, directly behind Atlas. He threw me a smile and I felt my heartbeat speed up. I ignored the feeling, giving him a cool half-grin.

    School passed in a blur. Atlas sat next to or near me in every class, occasionally leaning over to point out something funny.

    I made it to my last period gym class for the first time in a week. My teacher gave me a look of disapproval as I emerged from the locker room.

    ¡°What did you do to piss off Mrs. Jefferson?¡± Atlas asked, coming up from behind me.

    ¡°Skipped gym every day for a week,¡± I shrugged, unbothered.

    ¡°So¡­ was it also prophesied that you would be in every one of my classes?¡±

    Atlas laughed, ¡°No - that was my mom¡¯s doing. She can be very¡­ influential when she wants to be.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the school secretaries could be bribed,¡± I said. He just laughed, silently telling me that bribery was exactly how he ended up in all of my classes.

    Atlas, as it turns out, was incredibly athletic. He offered to be my partner for the 2 on 2 volleyball match. I stood back while he hit every ball that went over the net, while still somehow managing to carry on a conversation with me.

    ¡°We did have a game like this,¡± he told me, ¡°Before the stone-age. Although it wasn¡¯t called volleyball. And we played with an inflated cow¡¯s bladder - not a ball.¡±

    I grimace at the mental image. We¡¯d taken to calling the time he was under the spell the Stone Age.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that¡­ bothered,¡± I noted when he returned, breathing heavily, from spiking the ball, ¡°to have missed all that time.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    He shrugged, running a hand through his thick black hair.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I missed anything. I could see everything - hear everything around me. Nobody died. Everything is just how it was before, but more modern. All of the changes -  it was easy for me to accept them because I watched the world slowly evolve over time,¡± he said, looking down at me. ¡°Or the small part of the world I was granted.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. I glanced at our rivals on the other side of the net, who seemed to be in some sort of debate over who should serve next.

    ¡°There are a lot of things I missed,¡± he told me, ¡°Food for one - taste. And smell.¡±

    He took a step closer to me. I observed his face curiously. His eyes were a bit glazed over, as though he were lost in his own memories. I wondered if he even remembered where we were. Gently, he grabbed a lock of my hair and held it between his thumb and forefinger.

    ¡°And touch,¡± he said, meeting my eyes intently.

    He fixed the hair behind my ear. I jumped when I saw the ball flying full force towards the back of his head. My face alerted him and he quickly spun around, smacking the ball over the net before it made contact.

    ¡°That was a dirty play,¡± he growled. He stalked to the net and waited for the next move.

    ****

    ¡°What¡¯s your father like?¡±

    Our conversation continued after school, and Atlas had just waved the car off that usually brought him home. I started in the direction of my house and Atlas just continued along next to me.

    ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯ll take the shot,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Atlas asked.

    I nodded, ¡°What about yours?¡±

    ¡°My father is dead. He died before the stone age. The man that lives at my house¡­ well I guess you could call him my step father. My mom remarried during the stone age. I don¡¯t know him well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be - he died when I was a baby. I don¡¯t remember him at all.¡±

    I sighed, debating whether or not I should offer any personal information. It only seemed fair.

    ¡°My mom left when I was ten,¡± I said, ¡°She was always a free-spirit. Kind of a hippie I guess. She ran off to find herself and never looked back.¡±

    ¡°You truly don¡¯t know where she is?¡± he asked as we arrived at the short walkway leading up to my house.

    I shook my head, ¡°I got a postcard with some mountains on it for my 11th birthday. She signed love mom but nothing else. That was the last we heard from her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± Atlas breathed, meeting my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± I told him, ¡°But my dad¡­ he might as well have left right along with her. I don¡¯t remember the last time we¡¯ve said a word to each other. And we live in the same house.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s hurting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah but¡­ I mean he acts like we all died. I haven¡¯t gone anywhere.¡±

    Atlas looked up at my small house. There were no cars in the driveway because we didn¡¯t own any cars.

    ¡°Where is he now?¡± Atlas asked.

    ¡°Probably at the bar,¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    I looked over my shoulder, unsure what to say next. Part of me wanted to invite him inside, for no other reason than to keep hanging out with him. I knew my dad wouldn¡¯t be home for hours - wouldn¡¯t even care if he did come home. But I didn¡¯t know what inviting him inside meant. He¡¯d told me he had no expectations, but I didn¡¯t want him to get the wrong interpretation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll um¡­ see you in school tomorrow,¡± I told him softly.

    He nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the slight disappointment on his face. I wondered if he¡¯d been having a similar internal debate. To stay or to go. I looked into his eyes, wanting so badly to read his thoughts.

    We¡¯d been very vulnerable with each other today, and it had a lasting effect. I felt almost naked in front of him. Perhaps I shared too much. But he didn¡¯t seem bothered by the new information. He listened when I spoke and seemed to internalize my every word.

    I was lost in his gaze, and he in mine. Slowly, his hand began to raise towards my cheek. It came so close that I thought he was going to rest his hand on my face. I almost welcomed the warmth. I wanted to lean into it, inhale the smell of his skin.

    But instead I took a step back, looking down at my feet and then directly above him.

    ¡°Bye,¡± I said, turning on my heel.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, but I could feel him watching me again as I walked up to my front door, similarly to when he first found me that night outside of Jamie¡¯s.

    Everything about Atlas felt good. I was comfortable around him. I felt joy when I talked to him. But I couldn¡¯t shake the thought of the prophecy - it had predicted this might happen. Love. I grimaced at the thought as I unlocked my front door. I didn¡¯t want to be in love - not with him. Anything we might feel for each other¡­ it must all be fake. Manipulated by some forces 300 years ago - and now we were just feeling the side effects. Was the attraction placebo? Or was it contrived? Either way, it wasn¡¯t authentic love. It never could be.

    These thoughts rushed through my mind as I entered my house and

    closed the door behind me. I was so absorbed in my musing  that I didn¡¯t at first notice the unfamiliar figure sitting in my favorite armchair. His movement, rising from the chair slowly, caught my attention.

    I¡¯d never seen this man before, but the very look of him made my stomach lurch. He had darkness in his eyes as he smiled at me. It wasn¡¯t a kind smile. It was a selfish smile - he was happy for whatever he was about to take from me.

    ¡°Hello, princess,¡± he said, lunging for me.

    I let out a blood curdling scream for just a second, and then

    his hand was pressed over my mouth. His other arm wrapped around my waste, pinning my arms down. I tried unsuccessfully to escape from his grasp. I bit down hard on his finger and he yelled, snatching it away from my lips.

    I took the opportunity to scream again, but he wrapped my face in the crook of his elbow next. Atlas would be too far away by now to hear anything. The beast - my father was god knows where. Bile rose in my throat as I realized I was utterly alone in this situation.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± he growled in my ear.

    ¡°I told you to keep her quiet,¡± a female voice said from the kitchen. A woman emerged, wrinkled and weathered. Her hair was long and black, slitted eyes lay too close together on her pointed face.

    ¡°She¡¯s feisty,¡± the man said, pressing harder on my mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girl,¡± the woman said in a high pitched, too sweet tone, ¡°We¡¯ll be fast.¡±

    My eyes fell to the woman¡¯s hand, and horror flooded me when I realized she was holding a serrated kitchen knife. I only struggled harder against the man.

    ¡°Hold her still,¡± the woman instructed. The man squeezed my body so tightly that I couldn¡¯t take a breath. Tears pooled in my eyes and fell freely down my face.

    The woman gave me another smile, and then grabbed my left arm. She held it to the lamplight, examining it. I tried to pull it away, but she dug her nails into my skin.

    ¡°Enough!¡± she growled at me.

    And then, she took the knife and plunged it into my skin. She dragged it from my wrist halfway up my forearm. I screamed into the man¡¯s elbow, the pain more intense than anything I¡¯d ever felt in my life.

    Blood was gushing down my arm, staining the beige carpet when the woman finally took the knife away. So much blood. Then, the woman brought my forearm up to her lips-

    And started drinking my blood.

    I felt the suction of her lips, watched her cheeks stain crimson red. This was something out of a nightmare. I stopped struggling, too shocked to move.

    The woman¡¯s lips remained on my arm for no more than thirty seconds. But the pain - the wound combined with the suction - made me light headed. I was dizzy when the woman finally pulled away. The front of her shirt was stained with my blood. It coated her teeth and lips. She didn¡¯t even look me in the eyes. She looked above me - to the man holding me still.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± she said, dropping the knife on my floor.

    The man let me go and I crashed to the floor, unable to support myself. I watched their feet as they ran past me and out the door.

    As soon as they were gone, I took a sharp, deep breath and then let out a sob. My face was flat against the carpet, but I couldn¡¯t sit up - couldn¡¯t find the energy to. I took long, jagged breaths mixed with sobs, my right hand wrapping tightly around my left arm. The pain was growing worse. It traveled further and further up my arm. But a tingling numbness was reaching my finger tips.

    I knew I needed help. I was losing too much blood, but I was too weak to move. I let go of the wound and reached into my pocket with my right hand. I unlocked my phone, leaving bloody fingerprints on the screen. My hand was shaking as I pulled up my most recent text - Elaina. She¡¯d sent me a message about hanging out later in the week. I clicked the call button and held the phone to my ear, praying I wouldn¡¯t pass out before she answered.

    ¡°Hey!¡± she said cheerfully on the second ring.

    ¡°Elaina,¡± I gasped, my voice rough and panicked, ¡°Elaina I need help. I was attacked! I-I-¡±

    I¡¯d gotten the words out, but I couldn¡¯t continue. I couldn¡¯t even hear if she was responding. The darkness found me quickly, enveloped me in its warm embrace, and promised to take away the pain.

 The Aftermath

    Abigail

    I wonder what would happen if the walls caved in around me. Would I suffocate under the weight, or are they light enough that I could crawl my way out? Would I even try to crawl my way out, if they did collapse?

    At night, I am surrounded by complete darkness. I cannot light the candle with my arms tied behind my back. I cannot see the stars from the small window.

    I cling to my sister¡¯s voice. Her stories. Her hope.

    There¡¯s a knock on my bedroom door. In the darkness, I find my way there.

    ¡°Cora?¡± I whisper.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± she says.

    I smile, tears pricking the corner of my eyes. She¡¯s here. She¡¯s safe. She made it through another day.

    ¡°What did you see today, Cora?¡± I ask, like I do every day.

    ¡°We snuck onto the palace grounds today, Abby!¡± she begins excitedly.

    ¡°Cora!¡± I begin to reprimand her.

    But she cuts me off and says- ¡°They¡¯re just like you over there, Abby!¡±

    I pause, and Cora takes it as a sign to continue.

    ¡°They can make fire, too!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± I ask, heartbeat picking up.

    ¡°The girls in the palace! I saw them practicing with light. But they can do other things, too! With water and air and-¡±

    There is a crash and Cora stops speaking. I hear the booming footsteps of my step-father coming through the front door.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he yells, ¡°Get away from there!¡±

    Quinn

    I opened my eyes in a place I¡¯d never wanted to see again. Atlas¡¯s mother¡¯s guest room was as bright and ornate as the first time I¡¯d slept there. I looked around the room, trying to figure out how I¡¯d gotten there. At first, I thought I¡¯d drank myself silly again. But the sharp pain in my left forearm sent a pang of remembrance through me.

    The woman, the knife, the blood - it all came flooding back.

    I gasped sharply and sat up, my heart beating wildly.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    Atlas had been sleeping in the chez lounge chair to my left.

    ¡°Elaina?¡± I asked - it came out as a whisper.

    ¡°She left an hour ago - she had to take care of her sisters,¡± Atlas said, rising from the chair. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at my arm. I followed his gaze.

    My arm was clean - free from all the blood. A bright white bandage was wrapped tightly around the wound. I was sure underneath it I would find stitches.

    ¡°My¡­ my dad?¡± I asked, not sure what happened to my attackers. Fearful that they would come back.

    ¡°We have a watcher at the house,¡± he assured me. ¡°Quinn I am¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to¡­ to express - ¡°

    He looked down at his hands, lost for words.

    ¡°Quinn I am so sorry,¡± he said finally, meeting my gaze.

    ¡°Who were they?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly. Our patrol is out looking for them - they can¡¯t have gotten far. This is a very small town,¡± he said.

    I nodded, my eyes falling. I was so tired, but I would never be able to get back to sleep here.

    ¡°Quinn, I swear to you,¡± he said, moving a few inches closer to me, ¡°I swear that something like this will never happen again.¡±

    I kept my eyes down, willing the tears to stay back. I couldn¡¯t get the woman out of my brain. The knife in her hand. The thick red blood - my blood on her lips, in her teeth.

    Atlas reached for my cheek with his right hand. I unintentionally flinched away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I said flatly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t I at a hospital?¡±

    Atlas dropped his hand and moved backwards an inch on the bed.

    ¡°We thought you¡¯d be more comfortable here. Bringing you to the hospital would raise alarms - this shouldn¡¯t get any more attention than necessary. But we did have a doctor treat you - a trained surgeon. Our house is fully stocked with medical supplies.¡±

    I wanted to snort - of course this place had everything, including a personal doctor.

    ¡°Those people¡­ they thought my blo- thought I could help them get it back?¡± I asked quietly, ¡°Their manipulation, I mean.¡±

    Atlas nodded, looking sick. My breath caught in my throat and I had trouble taking another one. I clenched my fist around the bedsheets, trying to subdue the sob that was threatening to escape.

    ¡°Shh, Quinn,¡± Atlas said in response to my panic. He tried to reach for me again, but I held up both hands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I warned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered for the millionth time, ¡°What can I do, Quinn?¡±

    ¡°When can I go home?¡±

    His eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°You want to go back there?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I told him, ¡°I can¡¯t stay here. Those people¡­ they can¡¯t be the only ones.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you should stay here,¡± he argued, ¡°We can offer you much more protection here.¡±

    ¡°Those kinds of people live in your neighborhood, not mine.¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°No - I won¡¯t be a prisoner here. I want to go home. Send a watcher,¡± I said firmly, using my good arm to drag the blankets from my lap.

    ¡°Quinn, please! Just let me-¡±

    I was abruptly overcome with anger, and I let my hatred show on my face.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough,¡± I spat.

    And then I left him alone - just like I¡¯d left his mother alone here only a few days before.

    *****

    The bloodstain on the carpet was gone when I got home. I was sure Atlas had something to do with that. The knife was cleaned as well - back in its spot in the kitchen drawer. It was like nothing had even happened.

    I slammed the drawer shut in frustration. The sound of disorganized metal utensils clanging together from within cut into the silence of my house. But it quickly died, and the quiet returned.

    I had no idea how those people had gotten into my house. I went around to every window, making sure the locks still worked - they did. The backdoor was still deadbolted. And I knew the front door had been locked when I got home yesterday.

    I couldn¡¯t stomach the thought that I was unsafe here. Those people had found a way in - undetected even now - which means they could easily do it again. I had survived the first attack, but would they be back? Would others try the same thing? I choked at the thought of the woman coming back. My arm throbbed.

    I crept to the window in my living room facing the street. The sleek black car was back, and that provided me some relief. But for how long would it stay there? The driver surely had to eat and sleep and take showers. Maybe he would switch off with someone else - but for how long? How long would they have to watch over me? The news was out - I¡¯d awoken the prince. There would be more attackers - perhaps ones that might not leave me alive.

    I didn¡¯t notice that my whole body was trembling until the sob I¡¯d been suppressing all morning cut through my throat. I fell onto the couch, trembling. I needed something - anything to calm down.

    The fridge was empty. The freezer was empty. I ransacked the kitchen in search of a drink, but found nothing. Under the sink I found some rubbing alcohol and debated drinking that. But I wasn¡¯t that desperate¡­ yet.

    I pulled out my phone and texted Elaian.

    Come over - bring booze.

    It was still early in the day - a little past noon. I was able to gain control over my body with the comfort of the bright light fading through the windows - there were no shadows, no places for people to hide. But I knew without a doubt that I couldn¡¯t be sober when the sun went down.

    An hour later, there was a knock at my door. I checked through the window to make sure it was Elaina before opening the door and letting her in. She held a bottle of something at her side, hidden by a brown paper bag.

    ¡°Quinn!¡± Elaina gasped, throwing her arms around my neck. ¡°Oh my gosh Quinn! Are you alright?¡±

    I hugged Elaina back lightly with one arm and then pulled away.

    ¡°Er- yeah I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied, putting my bandaged arm behind my back.

    ¡°Atlas told me everything - about those psychos that attacked you! After you called me¡­ oh there was so much blood I couldn¡¯t believe¡­¡±

    Elaina was lost for words for a second as she observed the living room, probably replaying the previous day¡¯s events in her head.

    ¡°Atlas¡¯s mom did a great job, though,¡± she noted, eyes pointed towards the carpet, ¡°I don¡¯t even see a stain.¡±

    ¡°Atlas¡¯s mom cleaned it up?¡± I balked.

    Elaina shrugged, ¡°He claims she did - honestly I don¡¯t see her as the type of person to get on her hands and knees and scrub a floor. But what do I know?¡±

    I sat down on the couch, beckoning Elaina to do the same.

    ¡°Why was Atlas even involved?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t mad at Elaina for involving him. I was actually grateful for her - for the fact that I didn¡¯t end up in a hospital.

    ¡°When you called me, I was still at the school. I started running as soon as I heard your voice over the phone. I ran past him at the gates and he saw the panic on my face - saw the direction I was running in. He didn¡¯t even ask, he just started running, too,¡± she said, her expression distant.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°It was horrifying - the scene we walked in on. There was so much blood. I was frozen but Atlas - he picked you up without hesitating. He was on the phone with someone in the next second, ordering them to get a doctor and be prepared. I said we should take you to the hospital, but Atlas said his house was closer and their doctors were better. After he dropped you off, he was out half the night looking for your attackers. He was so angry when he got back. And now¡­ well I saw the security car outside just now¡­ Quinn, you must be so frightened.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I muttered.

    My phone started buzzing and I looked at the caller ID. Atlas. I clicked end and turned my phone off.

    ¡°He feels terrible,¡± Elaina whispered.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said angrily.

    ¡°Really - he was beating himself up all night. Said he never should have listened to you when you asked him to relax security. But how c-¡±

    ¡°Elaina,¡± I cut her off, grabbing the cheap bottle of wine she brought and unscrewing the lid with my good hand, ¡°Please, please as my now sole best friend, can you please do a huge favor for me?¡±

    She nodded, clamping her mouth shut and looking nervous. I tried to soften my face before I said the next words - not wanting to be harsh.

    ¡°Can we please not talk about Atlas for the next few hours?¡± I asked, ¡°Can we just pretend things were how they were 2 weeks ago?¡±

    Elaina smiled softly, ¡°Of course, Quinn.¡±

    Elaina stayed true to her promise. We spent the remainder of the day drinking and talking about nothing - pointless high school gossip, trash TV, whatever else was as far as possible from the east side of the golden gates.

    But Elaina couldn¡¯t spend the night. She looked at her phone as the sun was setting and jumped up.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Quinn, my mom leaves for work in 10 minutes. I have to go watch my sisters.¡±

    My heart sank, but I kept my face smiling. I nodded.

    ¡°Okay, no problem,¡± I told her, ¡°Thanks for today, Elaina.¡±

    Elaina gave me a lazy one armed hug and then made her way for the door,

    ¡°Any time babe,¡± she said on her way out.

    And then I was alone, buzzed at best but nowhere near the oblivion I wanted to- needed to find myself in. I decided to try to sleep. I made my way around the house, double checking every door and window to make sure they were secure and locked. The watcher remained outside in his car.

    Lying in bed with the lights still on, I turned on my phone for the first time all day.

    Quinn, I¡¯m so sorry. How can I make this up to you?

    Atlas had sent the text hours ago. I rolled my eyes.

    I went to turn off the lamp next to my bed, but froze, suddenly fearing the darkness that would come. I put my hand back down on my bed, biting my lip.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby,¡± I whispered to myself. I snapped off the light and fell back on my pillow.

    The darkness was worse than I¡¯d expected. Every small sound had me jumping to turn the light on. Every time I turned the light back on, I would check the windows, doors, and watcher out front. I gave up on the prospect of sleeping by 1 am. My dad still wasn¡¯t home. I switched on every light in the house and sat on the floor of my living room watching TV.

    Sleep never found me.

    I was deliriously tired as I got ready for school the next morning. The already dark circles under my eyes were even more purple - the rest of my face too pale. In the mirror, I glanced at my nose ring and wanted to laugh. It had seemed so important just 2 weeks ago - a marker that my life was changing, getting better. I hadn¡¯t thought about it in days now. The excitement I felt for it once now seemed childish.

    I made sure to wear a long sleeve shirt and pull the sleeves down over my fingers.

    Atlas, strangely, wasn¡¯t in school that day. I felt relieved that I wouldn¡¯t have to face him today. I didn¡¯t want to hear any more useless apologies. I didn¡¯t want to see the pity on his face when he looked at my bandaged arm.

    But another small part of me was hurt by his absence. I wondered if he¡¯d given up on trying altogether after I ignored his text yesterday. I felt so much anger towards Atlas for what he was putting me through - but I still missed his presence.

    I shook my head, trying to erase the ridiculous thought. If Atlas was permanently out of my life, I could move forward. I could fix things with Jamie, Kylee would probably come around, and maybe we could all enjoy our goddamned senior year.

    The bell rang, ending English class. Only one more period before I could go home and hopefully get some sleep.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± Mr. Valez said as I passed his desk, ¡°Hold back for a minute?¡±

    I nodded, too tired to feel annoyed. I sat on a desk, waiting for the room to clear, my arms wrapped around me.

    ¡°I heard what happened,¡± he said as the last student left, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    My eyes shot up to meet his. ¡°How did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think sewed up your arm?¡± he said, offering me a small smile.

    ¡°You¡­ are a doctor?¡±

    ¡°Was,¡± he corrected, ¡°I outgrew the profession about 50 years ago. But I still practice in emergencies.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I said awkwardly, not wanting to press him for more information. Not wanting to do anything but sleep.

    But 50 years didn¡¯t make any sense¡­ he only looked to be about-

    ¡°Wait¡­ you-you¡¯re from the East! I forgot¡­¡± I blurted

    ¡°I am,¡± he said, smiling a little brighter.

    ¡°So you haven¡¯t¡­ aged?¡± I asked quietly.

    He shook his head, chuckling, ¡°Physically, no. Not in 300 years. Perhaps mentally, though.¡±

    ¡°Then why do you work here?¡± I asked. Why do you work at this shitty ass school was what I really wanted to say.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had many different professions in my lifetime,¡± he admitted, taking off his glasses, ¡°About 20 years ago, after I lost interest in carpentry, I figured I¡¯d give teaching a try. Turns out I really enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re rich,¡± I said, ¡°Why have any profession at all?¡±

    Mr. Valez folded his hands under his chin.

    ¡°I would go crazy without work,¡± he said kindly, ¡°300 years is a lot of time to do nothing.¡±

    I nodded in understanding. ¡°And you¡¯re hoping that I¡­ that Atlas and I break the curse.¡±

    He waved his hand casually in front of his face. ¡°Oh, I could give a rat¡¯s ass about that - pardon my language - 30 years, 300 years, heck give me a thousand - I am one of the few who enjoys immortality without manipulation.¡±

    I nodded again, relieved, and then asked, ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±

    He sighed, ¡°The East Side can be a¡­ complicated place. I just want you to know that you have someone in your corner. If you choose to become more introduced to our lifestyle.¡±

    There was silence for a beat. I didn¡¯t know if I could say thank you and mean it.

    ¡°Do you mind if I check your stitches?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Um, sure, yeah.¡±

    I extended my arm towards him, and Mr. Valez gently slid my sweatshirt sleeve up, revealing the long white bandaid. He lifted the bandaid to inspect the wound. I caught a glimpse of red and purple and black and looked away quickly, not wanting to puke in his classroom.

    Mr. Valez placed the bandage softly back on my skin.

    ¡°That should heal nicely,¡± he said, ¡°just let me take a look at it every few days. And I¡¯ll give you some fresh bandages. Try to replace it every day.¡±

    ¡°Okay um¡­ thank you,¡± I said.

    He searched around in his desk drawer for a moment before pulling out a stack of long white bandages. I quickly shoved them in my backpack before anyone could walk in the classroom and see me accepting a gesture of kindness from my proclaimed least favorite teacher.

    ¡°I should get to gym,¡± I said, sliding down off the desk.

    ¡°You should,¡± he agreed, ¡°A graduation requirement - which means you need to watch how many times you skip.¡±

    I waved him off casually as I left the classroom. He chuckled quietly behind me.

    Maybe ¡®least favorite teacher¡¯ was just a bit dramatic.

    ****

    Elaina was busy, my dad still wasn¡¯t home, and the sun was setting. Pure fear kept me awake. I debated texting Jamie out of desperation as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I¡¯d given up trying to turn the lights out.

    An idea hit me - and I took out my phone. My mind was racing with all the reasons I shouldn¡¯t be texting Atlas Ellroy. I was only adding fire to the flame. He was the reason I couldn¡¯t sleep. Him and his East Side freaks. He had - albeit unintentionally - unleashed an unknown world upon me. I was unprepared and undesiring for this world.

    But still, I texted him Come over.

    It was a stupid idea, but I didn¡¯t trust the watcher waiting outside. He didn¡¯t have any view of our small backyard or the windows that faced it. And I couldn¡¯t live my life in fear of the dark.

    Atlas owed me this.

    Ten minutes later, Atlas appeared on my front porch. I opened the door to let him inside, not saying anything. He looked around my tiny living room - it probably looked like a broom closet compared to where he lived. Embarrassed by the outdated furniture and clutter, I cleared my throat to get his attention.

    ¡°Where were you today?¡± I asked him quietly, leaning against the doorframe and crossing my arms.

    ¡°I was¡­ dealing with them,¡± he muttered, his eyes darkening. I started to ask who, but then I realized - he meant my attackers.

    ¡°You found them?¡±

    He nodded, ¡°One of our watchers did. They were hiding out in some abandoned house on the outskirts of Fairview. They left a trail of blood.¡±

    I shuddered - my blood.

    ¡°What did you do to them?¡± I whispered, debating if I wanted to know the truth.

    His mouth thinned and he said in a strained voice, ¡°The East Side has our own way of dealing with the wicked. Trust me, Quinn, you will never see those people again.¡±

    I nodded, looking down at my feet. Silent.

    ¡°There could be others,¡± I said finally.

    ¡°I doubt there will be - not after word gets out about what happened to the first ones,¡± he said, clenching his fists and then flexing his fingers, ¡°But still, you¡¯ll be protected - at all times.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t know that,¡± I argued, feeling myself begin to panic. ¡°They came in here without breaking any windows. My doors were locked. The windows were locked. There¡¯s no way they should have been able to - but they did.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Quinn, I-¡±

    ¡°And what about when I¡¯m not at home? What if I ever want to go somewhere else? Am I just supposed to live with this? Live in fear of people getting to me to fucking drink my blood? Just spend my life looking over my shoulder? Hoping the security guard doesn¡¯t fall asleep? I c-can¡¯t live like that!¡±

    The tears were overflowing, pouring down my face. I didn¡¯t care that he was seeing me cry. I stared at him desperately, waiting for answers. Hoping he had some sort of solution.

    ¡°I know, Quinn,¡± he whispered, taking a step towards me. When I didn¡¯t flinch away, he came closer. ¡°I know. And I know apologizing doesn¡¯t help, but just for my own sanity I need to tell you once more how sorry I am for everything. I would change myself back into stone if it meant you could go back to living your normal life. Truthfully, I would.¡±

    He put both of his hands on the sides of my face and used his thumbs to wipe away my tears. I looked up at him, letting him speak - finding a strange comfort in his voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find a long term solution - I swear we will. I¡¯ll hire a personal bodyguard to follow you around if I have to,¡± he said.

    I closed my eyes, his hands still on my cheeks, and one final tear slipped out. He brushed it away with his thumb, and then wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace.

    I¡¯m not sure if it was sleep deprivation or utter desperation, but I hugged him back. For the first time in 2 days, I felt safe. Safe in his warmth and strength.

    But the feeling wasn¡¯t real.

    I was the first to pull back.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to sleep,¡± I admitted, ¡°Would you mind - um - spending the night?¡±

    The request had sounded better in my head when I was still mad at him. Now, asking Atlas - asking the prince to spend the night on my dingy green couch felt wrong. I opened my mouth to take back the request.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± he said before I could change my mind.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.

    He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. Is your dad going to come home and be concerned about the stranger sleeping on the couch?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on a bender¡­ hasn¡¯t been back in days.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not concerned?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said truthfully, ¡°He does this all the time.¡±

    Atlas laughed lightly and then sat on the couch. He bounced a few times and made a face of approval.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± he said.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I cringed, wondering if he would be too tall to sleep comfortably on the couch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. Please.¡±

    ¡°We could switch - you could take my bed and I-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about finishing that sentence.¡±

    I smirked.

    ¡°What about your parents? Will they be fine with you sleeping over a strange girl¡¯s house?¡± I asked, a smile playing at the corners of my lips.

    ¡°Psht, my mom will be thrilled. Although this will definitely put the wrong idea in her head. She¡¯s probably getting her hopes up already,¡± he said.

    My face fell. I¡¯d forgotten the part about an entire neighborhood of people relying on us to gain back their mortality. Stop torturing my son she had told me, accept fate so we can all move on. I swallowed thickly and turned away from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to sleep,¡± I said, ¡°Do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°A pillow?¡± he asked gently, sensing my change in mood.

    I nodded and went to my bedroom, taking the spare pillow from my bed. I grabbed the throw blanket at the end of my bed as well and brought them out to him.

    ¡°Thank you, Quinn,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told him, ¡°Er¡­ Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Quinn,¡± he said as I disappeared into the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

 Men vs Boys

    Abigail

    I drop to my knees, all sense of power and control I felt before completely wiped away. I open my arms for Cora.

    ¡°Cora,¡± I whisper, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. Please come here. He¡¯s not hurt, see?¡±

    My flame didn¡¯t touch my step-father, but damage had been done. For the first time in her life, Cora is afraid of me. She is frozen in place.

    ¡°I promise, Cora, I¡¯ll never do it again,¡± I cry, tears streaming down my face.

    She can¡¯t be afraid of me. She¡¯s all I have. I¡¯m all she has.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I whisper.

    And then I am on the ground, sobbing. My entire body shivers and aches. I whisper ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± over and over again until I feel small arms wrap around my neck. I scoop Cora into my arms and cry into her hair while she cries into mine.

    Quinn

    It took little convincing to get Jamie over to my house - a simple text with a flirty smiley face. It was once again raining, and I was bitterly reminded of our last encounter. I tried telling myself it was a one-time thing. I prayed that it was a one-time thing. Jamie was easy, Jamie was simple. I needed Jamie.

    I was surprised to see that Jamie had actually put a bit of effort into his appearance. His normal baggy band t-shirt was replaced with a black button down. I looked him up and down, raising my eyebrows in confusion.

    Jamie shrugged, ¡°Thought I¡¯d clean up a bit.¡±

    I suppressed a laugh and told him, ¡°You look nice.¡±

    He rolled his eyes and flopped down on my couch. He folded his arms over his chest and looked around the room as though it had been years since he was here last. I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Listen, about last time-¡± I started, but he cut me off.

    ¡°Ahh, god Quinn, can we just - not talk about it,¡± he cringed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry okay? I was just really into it¡­ really into you.¡±

    Jamie stood up, offering me a half-smile. I smiled back and tried to blush at his compliment.

    ¡°So we¡¯re good?¡± I whispered.

    He nodded, ¡°Yeah, deff.¡±

    Ew - deff. I internally cringed at his slang.

    ¡°So¡­¡± he began, taking another step towards me. He put his small hand on my shoulder and pulled me closer. I let myself move less than an inch away.

    He smelled like weed, reeked of it actually. I tried to put the thought out of my mind as he leaned down to kiss me. His lips were loose and sloppy. I put my hand on the back of his head, ran my fingers through his long, curly hair, and stood on my toes to be closer.

    With one hand on my waist and his lips still on mine, he led me to the couch. Gently, he pushed me back until I was horizontal and climbed on top of me. I wrapped my legs around him, kissing harder. I heard him groan with pleasure. So quiet I barely noticed, but he didn¡¯t stop kissing me. I smiled under the kiss - thank gosh.

    Jamie broke the kiss for just a moment so he could unbutton his shirt until it was loose enough to pull over his head, revealing his thin body.

    I waited for the anticipation I usually felt when things got heavy - the rugged breathing, the sweaty palms. But I felt nothing. It was like I had died inside. What the hell?

    I ground my hips against him as he threaded his fingers through my hair and began kissing my neck.

    Where was the excitement?

    There was a pounding on the door that made both of us jump. I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Just ignore it,¡± I whispered, pulling Jamie¡¯s face back to mine.

    There was a beat of silence, and then the knocking sounded again, even louder than before.

    ¡°Let me in, Quinn,¡± Atlas yelled from the other side. Jamie quickly backed away from me, his eyes wide.

    ¡°Just ignore him,¡± I said to Jamie. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Come on, I just want to talk!¡± Atlas yelled, cutting me off.

    Annoyance flashed through Jamie¡¯s eyes when he realized who was on the other side of the door. He pushed off the couch.

    ¡°No, Jamie don¡¯t,¡± I warned too late.

    ¡°Bro what the hell!?¡± Jamie yelled, flinging the front door open.  Atlas moved inside instantly, forcing Jamie to take a step backwards. It was almost comical to compare the two, especially with Jamie being shirtless. Atlas towered over Jamie. Where Jamie¡¯s arms were lanky and boyish, Atlas had filled out - his skin taught over his muscles.

    Atlas froze, taking in the scene. I was on the couch, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Jamie was shirtless.

    I huffed in annoyance and shouted ¡°I told you to go aw-¡±

    Atlas swung his arm back, and then punched Jamie square in the face. Jame collapsed to the ground, clutching his cheek. I stood up from the couch, not sure what to do.

    ¡°Dude!¡± Jamie shouted. He quickly got back to his feet and took a step towards Atlas. Atlas remained where he was, fists trembling.

    ¡°Get out,¡± Atlas growled. ¡°Now.¡±

    Jamie stared at Atlas clutching the left side of his face. His cheeks - well the visible cheek - flushed with anger. But Atlas stared him down. Even Jamie wasn¡¯t dumb enough to pick a fight with him. Jamie grabbed his shirt from the floor without looking at me. He shot one more enraged look at Jamie before scooting around him and out of the house. The door slammed behind him.

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I asked Atlas, exasperated.

    Atlas turned his attention towards me. His eyes were dark. There was no humor on his face. I¡¯d never seen him so serious.

    ¡°Why,¡± he asked, stalking towards me, his voice deep and quiet, ¡°do you play with little boys when you have a man at your beck and call?¡±

    My face was in his palms again, and although his eyes looked dangerous, his hands were gentle. His eyes bore into mine. I was lost in the stare, my lips frozen and my mind blank.

    The anticipation I¡¯d been looking for ignited inside my stomach like a flame.

    But I pushed away from him, and he dropped his hands.

    ¡°Are you delusional?¡± I asked him, ¡°You rejected me la-¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t reject you,¡± he cut me off.

    ¡°Well you made it clear how you felt,¡± I spat at him, and then turned away, crossing my arms.

    ¡°You were trashed,¡± he growled from behind me, and I suddenly felt his warmth as he took a step closer. ¡°You think I was going to do it like- like that?¡±

    ¡°What, was it too easy for you?¡±

    ¡°Easy!?¡± he reeled. ¡°You are the most difficult human I have ever encountered in 300 years!¡±

    In a strange way, I was flattered by the insult.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch you last night,¡± he growled from behind me, lowering his voice again, ¡°because you wouldn¡¯t have remembered.¡±

    Suddenly, he was in front of me - looking down at me again with those eyes.

    ¡°I always remember,¡± I whispered angrily.

    ¡°No¡­ not like that,¡± he said, ¡°I wanted you to remember the feeling. Every touch every¡­ every caress.¡±

    His hands were on me, one cupping the back of my neck, the other on the small of my back, pulling me towards him.

    ¡°You would take this for granted if you were drunk,¡± he whispered breathlessly in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. My arms were around his neck without my commanding them to do so. I couldn¡¯t break eye contact with him, couldn¡¯t look away from that deep blue.

    His hands were in my hair, pulling my head back until my neck was exposed. He brought his lips to my ear, his breath causing chills down my entire body this time. My eyes rolled into the back of my head on their own accord.

    I waited breathlessly in anticipation, waited for his lips to meet my skin - my neck, my ear, my face, anything.

    ¡°Yes or no?¡± he breathed in my ear.

    I was slow to answer, trying to find my own lips, ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Is this what you want?¡± he said, his voice low.

    I pressed myself closer to him in a silent response - yes. And I could feel on my lower stomach that this was definitely what he wanted.

    But that wasn¡¯t enough for him. He put a half an inch of space between us. He began to unthread his fingers from my hair.

    ¡°Atlas,¡± I breathed in frustration.

    He paused, eyes boring into mine. He was asking me again. He wanted me to speak.

    ¡°Tell me what you want,¡± he pressed.

    ¡°You know,¡± I whispered. I couldn¡¯t find the words for what I wanted. I didn¡¯t know the words. This was all new in some strange way.

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    I thought for a moment, and then unclasped my hands from around his neck. My left one landed on his chest. I brought it lower, lower. His breath hitched as he watched it slide down his shirt. His eyes snapped back to mine when I landed on the hardness under his pants.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he whispered, and then his hands were back in my hair. His lips met my neck and I melted in his grasp. He trailed kisses down my neck and shoulder, his smooth lips surrounded by rough stubbled skin leaving tingles in their wake. I bit down on my lip to stop from moaning.

    Atlas led me gently to the couch without breaking contact. He pushed me down onto the cushions and then kneeled in front of me. I let him unbutton my pants, helping him pull them down and off my legs when I became frustrated with his unhurried pace.

    My shaky fingers found the buttons on his pants, and I fumbled for a moment to get them off. His hands met mine and he pushed them away, back onto the couch.

    ¡°What are you-¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Slow,¡± he whispered simply. I didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but I let him take the lead - suddenly wondering if he really did have more experience with this stuff. With Jamie it was messy and quick and¡­ almost robotic?

    I pushed Jamie out of my mind as Atlas leaned forward and began kissing the inside of my thigh. I knew I should feel self conscious - I barely knew this person. Jamie and I hadn¡¯t really ever done this. It¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t experiment, but I just wasn¡¯t a fan of-

    ¡°Oh!¡± I gasped as Atlas¡¯s finger slid inside of me, guided by my wetness.

    My head fell backwards as pleasure coursed through me. I could feel his eyes on my face as he began bringing his finger in and out, in and out, still kissing the inside of my thighs.

    I clamped my hand over my mouth to suppress my moans and arched my back towards his fingers.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Atlas muttered against my thigh.

    He began moving his hand faster and faster inside of me until my toes curled. An unfamiliar burst of sensation flooded through me and I let go of everything.

    ****

    Atlas and I lay face to face, cramped on the small couch. His fingers trailed lightly up and down my bare arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He watched my face, a soft smile gracing his lips. The ravenous, commanding man was replaced with a gentler version.

    ¡°Are you still upset with me?¡± he whispered, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the past 15 minutes.

    ¡°No,¡± I told him softly.

    ¡°Even though I punched your friend?¡± he teased.

    I bit my lip, ¡°Oh yeah¡­ I sort of forgot about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad it won¡¯t have a lasting effect on our friendship,¡± he chuckled, resting his hand on my cheek. Interesting choice of the word friendship, considering what we¡¯d just done. Well, what he¡¯d just done to me.

    ¡°Maybe not on ours, but Jamie will never speak to me again. That was the final straw.¡±

    ¡°Is that really such a loss?¡± Atlas asked.

    I smirked at him and said, ¡°He¡¯s a cool guy once you get to know him. And I¡¯ve known him since I was a baby. Our um¡­ moms were really good friends.¡±

    Silence drifted between us again. Atlas remained quiet, thoughtful for a few moments.

    ¡°So why weren¡¯t you talking to him before?¡± he asked.

    I groaned, ¡°Ugh, you remembered that?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The curiosity has been eating me alive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°So what did you do to the poor kid?¡± he asked.

    I scoffed, ¡°Why do you assume it was me?¡±

    Jamie raised an eyebrow. Of course it was me.

    I sighed in frustration, not sure if I should be embarrassed by the last encounter we¡¯d had before tonight. But Atlas had kept my secrets so far.

    ¡°Well, we hung out last week,¡± I admitted, looking down, ¡°And he sort of¡­ well we started like¡­ doing stuff¡­ and he um - ended it prematurely.¡±

    Atlas looked at me in confusion. But as my words sunk in, understanding grew on his face. He burst into laughter that shook the whole couch.

    ¡°Ugh, stop - you can¡¯t say anything to anyone,¡± I muttered, my cheeks turning red.

    He kept laughing but said, ¡°Of course I won¡¯t, Quinn. I just¡­ I mean it doesn¡¯t surprise me if I¡¯m being honest. But I promise not to punch him again - unless he actually deserves it. That boy has faced enough humiliation for the year.¡±

    ¡°Ever heard of toxic masculinity?¡± I asked rhetorically.

    ¡°Yes, actually. The changing ideologies over the years were quite fascinating to observe. In my day, men solved all their problems with their fists.¡±

    ¡°Good thing they weren¡¯t given manipulation,¡± I joked.

    He thought for a minute and then said, ¡°That¡¯s a very interesting theory. I never never actually considered that. Or perhaps that¡¯s why we become violent - we didn¡¯t have manipulation to defend ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Men are violent everywhere - it¡¯s not just a West Side thing. I think my theory stands taller than yours.¡±

    ¡°Touche,¡± he agreed.

    His phone chimed from his back pocket and he reached around to grab it. I watched him slide open the text. His expression turned annoyed and he rolled his eyes, sighing deeply.

    ¡°You need to go?¡± I asked, trying to hide the panic. I wasn¡¯t sure I was ready to spend the night alone.

    He shook his head, ¡°No it¡¯s just my mom.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s having a party tomorrow - for me actually,¡± he told me.

    ¡°How fun,¡± I said flatly.

    ¡°She wants you to come,¡± he told me, quieter than before.

    A deep frown formed on my lips.

    ¡°No thanks.¡±

    ¡°I thought you would say that,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a partier,¡± I shrugged. He raised an eyebrow, challenging me. ¡°Well¡­ not that kind of party.¡±

    ¡°Quinn¡­ I think the party would be good for you - for us.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance.¡±

    ¡°I figured. It was worth a shot,¡± he offered me a smile. He typed a response to his mother one handed and hit send.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I told you - no expectations.¡±

    ¡°Even now?¡± I asked.

    He nodded.

    ¡°Good,¡± I said, smiling lightly, ¡°Because I don¡¯t love you.¡±

    He chuckled at my dark humor, ¡°I don¡¯t love you, too.¡±

    I readjusted myself and my hand grazed Atlas. I felt the same hardness beneath his pants, causing his entire body to stiffen. I smiled.

    ¡°Do you want-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he said, catching my hand in his and holding it.

    ¡°But you-¡±

    ¡°Not tonight,¡± he told me softly, kissing my forehead.

    Once again, Atlas was proving him to be nothing like Jamie, or any other guy I¡¯d ever met. I wanted to repay him for his¡­ services? But I wasn¡¯t going to force anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re a weirdo, you know that?¡± I muttered sleepily.

    He just laughed lightly, pulling me closer to his chest.

    It was I who drifted off first, comforted by the warmth of Atlas¡¯s body and the safety of his arms. I slept dreamlessly, but the smell of him lingered in my mind. Neither of us appeared to mind the too-small couch, and we stayed smushed together, legs tangled through the night.

    *****

    A loud rapping on the door caused both of us to jump awake. I looked at the clock on the wall - it read 9 am. I was glad it was Saturday, or we had slept through first period.

    Slowly, I pulled myself away from Atlas. He held my hand when I was fully off the couch, silently asking me to stay.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I whispered.

    I pulled the door open, shivering at the cold air that flowed inside. I was instantly embarrassed by my oversized t-shirt and no pants ensemble.

    Atlas¡¯s mother, in her tall, blonde, pantsuited glory stood before me. I instinctively took a step back and she let herself in, scanning the living room for her son.

    ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯re both here,¡± she smiled.

    Atlas sat up quickly, his eyes widening. I tugged at the bottom of my shirt, willing it to cover up more of my thighs.

    ¡°Mom?¡± he asked incredulously.

    ¡°Good morning dearest,¡± she said.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Mrs. Ellroy turned to me, smiling even wider than before.

    ¡°Well I came to invite Quinn to our party,¡± she said.

    ¡°I told you she couldn¡¯t come,¡± Atlas said, rising from the couch to stand next to me. When he got close enough to touch me, I took a step away from him. I didn¡¯t want his mother getting the wrong idea about us.

    ¡°I know, but I thought I would try to convince her otherwise,¡± Mrs. Ellroy told her son in a bittersweet tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs. Ellroy, I¡¯m pretty busy,¡± I said, not making eye contact.

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Mrs. Ellroy cooed, ¡°Surely you¡¯ll be able to clear your schedule. Especially after my son so kindly told you what was at stake.¡±

    She read the confusion on my face. I looked at Atlas who was shooting his mom a look as if to say shut up.

    ¡°Oh? He didn¡¯t?¡±  she asked, pouting a bit.

    ¡°Mom, leave Quinn out of this. We can handle it on our own.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like we¡¯ve been able to handle it so far?¡± she asked, clearly sarcastic.

    ¡°What stakes?¡± I asked before an argument between them could break out.

    Mrs. Ellroy turned her attention back to me.

    ¡°The East Siders are growing¡­ frustrated at the rate things are progressing,¡± she told me frankly, ¡°We need to give them something.¡±

    I was not following her. With every word, Atlas just looked more and more annoyed. He huffed loudly.

    ¡°Quinn doesn¡¯t need to give-¡±

    ¡°Rate of what?¡± I cut him off, daring her to explain.

    ¡°You know what,¡± she sneered. ¡°The immortal want their lives back. And if it were up to them, you two would be locked in a cell until you came out hopelessly in love with one another. Unfortunately, I think that tactic would have the opposite effect. And I care for my son too much to lock him up.¡±

    This woman enraged me. I don¡¯t know how Atlas stood her being his mother. Her sweetness so quickly turned to bitterness and disgust.

    ¡°And the party will do what? I hate to break it to you, lady,¡± I growled, ¡°But I¡¯m not in love with your son. And he isn¡¯t in love with me either.¡±

    Mrs. Ellroy looked at her son. He said nothing, shooting eye daggers at her instead. Her eyes then fell on me and my bare legs. She smirked and turned her attention back to her son.

    ¡°Be that as it may, we still need to give off the appearance that we¡¯re trying,¡± she said.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked harshly.

    Mrs. Ellroy met my eyes ¡°B-¡±

    ¡°Because my mother wants to maintain her high social status. She might not be a queen in a political sense, but the loyalty towards her from our side remains the same,¡± Atlas explained, cutting her off.

    I shot her a look of annoyance. Of course this was all about her.

    ¡°This is not about my status,¡± she countered angrily, ¡°You want the East Siders to leave her alone, don¡¯t you? Because when I come up answerless for the hundredth time, whose door do you think they¡¯re going to come knocking on next?¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not at all - it¡¯s a fact.¡±

    I looked at Atlas for clarification. He only looked down at me apologetically.

    ¡°So what, I¡¯m supposed to come to this party or the townsfolk will come knocking? Pitchforks raised and ready to lock me up?¡±

    ¡°No, Quinn,¡± Atlas said, at the same time his mother said-

    ¡°More or less.¡±

    Atlas scoffed at his mom and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so lax,¡± his mom growled, ¡°I know these people better than you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure of that,¡± Atlas retorted, ¡°Quinn is not going to the party. She doesn¡¯t want to, she has plans, she¡¯s sick - whatever excuse will convince you she isn¡¯t going.¡±

    His mom turned to me and took a step closer.

    ¡°Five thousand dollars,¡± she said simply.

    ¡°What?¡± Atlas shouted.

    ¡°Five. Thousand. Dollars.¡± she repeated, slower this time.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to bribe her now?¡±

    ¡°What is that too low? Fine, ten thousand.¡±

    ¡°Are you ki-¡±

    ¡°Atlas, shut up,¡± I snapped at him.

    Atlas closed his mouth in surprise. His mother smirked and looked at me.

    ¡°Keep your damn money,¡± I told her, not wanting to owe this woman anything, ¡°I¡¯ll go to your fucking party.¡±

    Mrs. Ellroy¡¯s lips formed a tight smile.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± she whispered.

    I turned away from her.

    ¡°Atlas can see you out - I have to get ready for school,¡± I muttered rudely.

    ¡°On a Saturday?¡± she asked sweetly.

    I rolled my eyes, not caring about being caught in a lie.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± I said, turning away.

    ¡°Wait, Quinn,¡± she said, her voice going sweet again, ¡°There¡¯s just one more thing.¡±

    I raised my eyebrows, frozen in place.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ please don¡¯t take this the wrong way but¡­ I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what your clothing situation would be. I bought a dress for you to wear. It¡¯s out in the car, I¡¯ll just run and grab it.¡±

    I watched Mrs. Ellroy leave the house quickly and then turned to Atlas for clarification.

    ¡°Dress?¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders, still clearly angry at his mother. She returned a minute later, a long garment bag in her hands. She dumped it in Atlas¡¯s arms.

    ¡°The car will pick you up at 7,¡± she said, more cheerful than before, ¡°Ta-ta!¡±

    And then we were alone.

 A show of a lifetime

    Abigail

    There¡¯s a knock on the front door and Cora and I look at each other in horror. Time slows down as I debate whether or not to open it. Who heard the fighting? Who would care enough to investigate?

    ¡°Don¡¯t open it!¡±

    My step-father gets slowly to his feet as the knocking sounds again. Cora and I are completely still. He doesn¡¯t even look at us.

    Daylight floods into the front room as he opens the door. A man more nicely dressed than I¡¯d ever seen in my entire life stands before my step-father. His clothes are clean. His face is full - like he hasn¡¯t gone days without having a meal. His eyes are¡­ happy?

    ¡°What the fuck do you want?¡± my step-father sneers.

    ¡°Abby,¡± Cora whispers to me, ¡°That¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± I ask, barely audible.

    ¡°The prince.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, sir. I am here with some members of the royal army investigating-¡±

    ¡°Fuck your royal army!¡± my stepfather yells, taking a step closer to the prince. The prince backs away in alarm.

    ¡°Excuse me?

    Cora tries to separate herself from me, but I hold her back. The situation seems too dangerous.

    ¡°He came for you,¡± she tells me, ¡°He¡¯s here to save you!¡±

    I cover her mouth with my hand and shoot her a warning glance. This is not the time to interfere.

    ¡°I said fuck your army, fuck your investigation, and fuck your people! An affront to nature - that¡¯s what you all are!¡±

    There is a commotion at the door as my step-father lunges for the prince, but a soldier steps in front of him. He is suddenly being restrained. Cora whimpers into my hand as one of the soldiers brings a sword to our step-father¡¯s face.

    And then the prince looks directly at me. I don¡¯t avert my eyes, even though everything inside me tells me I should. I stare right back at him - hoping he sees what my sister and I and all the others in our town have become. The hunger and hopelessness and shame.

    ¡°Let him go,¡± the prince says quietly, not taking his eyes off me.

    ¡°But your majesty-¡±

    ¡°Let. Him. Go.¡±

    The soldiers drop my step-father and begin to walk away. The prince finally looks back towards my father. He offers him a slight nod and then turns away.

    If my step-father was smart, he would have stayed silent. He would have thanked fate for being on his side today. He would have let the prince go.

    My step-father is not a smart man.

    ¡°AND STAY OFF MY PROPERTY!¡± he screams.

    The prince looks back in surprise, just as my father spits directly into his face.

    Quinn

    The dress was worth more than my house - of that I was certain. To touch something so silky and elegant felt illegal. I ran my hands over it gently, worrying the sweat on my palms might stain the material.

    Atlas, on the other hand, was unfazed by the expensive dress. He had tossed it on my bed carelessly, still annoyed at his mom.

    It was 6 pm and I was too afraid to put the dress on. Afraid my lanky arms and flat chest would strip the dress of its beauty. As the seconds ticked closer to the start time of the party, my panic grew deeper.

    Atlas and I had spent the majority of the day doing homework. Or at least, Atlas was doing homework. I doodled and paced around and did everything except my work.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± Atlas sighed, eyeing my rapidly bouncing knee, ¡°You can cancel. You can just stay home.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I growled, ¡°I said I would go so I¡¯m gonna go.¡±

    Atlas put his hands up in defense.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry again. About my mom.¡±

    There was a knock at the door. Atlas was on his feet opening it before I¡¯d even registered the sound.

    ¡°Your tux, sir,¡± a voice said.

    I watched Atlas step outside and then reemerge with a black, heavy looking garment bag. I internally groaned - a tux?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, giving the delivery guy a wave. He shut the door behind him and then turned to me, giving me a sheepish shrug.

    I stood up quickly from the couch, determined to stop being a little bitch. I could feel Atlas¡¯s eyes on me as I marched into my bedroom to get ready.

    I used my best drugstore makeup to paint my face. I knew I would never hold a candle to Mrs. Ellroy or the other beauties of The Kingdom. The clock told me I didn¡¯t have enough time to do anything special to my hair. I ran my fingers through it like I did everyday, hoping it didn¡¯t look too frizzy.

    Then it was time for the dress. I stripped my clothes off with trembling fingers. I held the champagne colored, floor-length piece of silk in front of me, sighing in frustration. It had been years since I put on a dress.

    I held it low so I could step inside it, and then lifted the dress over my body. My arms slid through the champagne straps that were way too revealing for the frigid November weather. At least it fit - Mrs. Ellroy was a good guesser.

    A pair of strappy nude stilettos lay at the bottom of the garment bag. I wanted to cry for my poor feet. If I was smart, I would have spent the day trying to break them in. Unfortunately for my feet, I was a fucking idiot.

    I observed myself in the mirror. Everything from the neck down somehow worked. The silky champagne material combined with the 6 inch heels made me look curvier than I actually was. But my face didn¡¯t match the attire - it was too natural and pale and tired-looking. A dead giveaway that I didn¡¯t belong in this dress. I huffed in frustration - I needed a drink.

    I sulked out of the room, clenching my knees to prevent myself from wobbling on the too-tall heels.

    ¡°Shot?¡± I asked Atlas, hardly glancing at him on my way to the kitchen.

    Atlas didn¡¯t reply. I ripped the freezer open to find a bottle of vodka, half empty. So the beast had been home at some point. I reached for the bottle and then two shot glasses. Atlas would drink whether he liked it or not.

    I set the glasses on the counter and poured us both a shot, and then looked up at Atlas expectantly.

    Atlas was staring at me, eyes wide. He¡¯d gotten into his tux already and his hair had a fresh layer of gel to sleek it back. He ran his hands through his hair.

    ¡°Quinn, you look-¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t,¡± I huffed in frustration, not wanting to hear his lies.

    ¡°I-okay,¡± he said, confused.

    I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°Are we doing this?¡±

    He eyed the shots, ¡°Do you really think drinking tonight is a good idea?¡±

    My frustration grew - I didn¡¯t like to be told what to do. In defiance, I held his gaze while I took not one, but both shots - two in a row. My throat burned, but I kept my face neutral. He rolled his eyes in response. I just looked away and folded my arms, tapping my foot with nervous energy.

    ¡°Why did you agree?¡± Atlas asked me. I could tell he was trying not to sound annoyed, trying to keep his tone in control.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± I shot back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he said defensively. ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯re acting like you¡¯re being forced into this. You¡¯re not. You agreed.¡±

    The two of us faced each other in my cramped kitchen, the fluorescent light above flickering. I was reminded of our fight the previous day. Whoever made the prophecy about us falling in love was a damn idiot. We couldn¡¯t go 24 hours without fighting.

    I snorted at him, ¡°Of course I was forced. You think I was gonna accept your money?¡±

    ¡°You could have!¡±

    I laughed loudly this time, humorously, ¡°How pathetic do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± he argued, ¡°But it¡¯s clear that this party is the last thing you want to do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± I spat, ¡°Taking anything from your bitch of a mother is the last thing I want to do. The second this damn party is over, I¡¯m throwing her dress back in her face.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift,¡± he growled.

    That surprised me - I thought for sure he would be more upset that I called his mother a bitch.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡±

    I kept my gaze forward as I went to sit on the couch in the living room. Atlas followed and stood in front of me as I sat down. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

    ¡°Quinn, can we just¡­ can we just try to get through this without ripping each other¡¯s throats out?¡± he asked, ¡°Can you just try to be a bit more mature tonight?¡±

    My eyes widened and I shot right back to my feet. My legs groaned in protest from the heels.

    ¡±Mature?¡± I yelled,  ¡°Fuck you, Atlas. Fuck your 300 year old ass.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Quinn,¡± he yelled back.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I said through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m not mature enough. Maybe you should find someone to escort you to this party your own age, sir,¡± I added for good measure.

    ¡°You know what, Quinn? You¡¯re right. Maybe I should find someone that won¡¯t drink themselves silly whenever things don¡¯t go their way,¡± he shot at me.

    ¡°Please do,¡± I said, not showing that his words were getting to me, ¡°I hope you do so you can leave me the hell alone!¡±

    ¡°I wish I fucking could,¡± he growled.

    We stared at each other, both too angry for words, our breathing heavy. My fists were balled tightly at my sides. Atlas¡¯s stance mirrored mine. I opened my mouth to say something offensive, but there was a gentle knock at the door.

    ¡°Car¡¯s here,¡± Atlas said quietly, breaking eye contact.

    He took a deep breath and adjusted his face into a pleasant smile. I watched him strut to the door casually, still glaring. Before he opened it, he turned to me once more and said in a strained tone -

    ¡°It¡¯s show time.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have time to ask what he meant as he reached for the door knob.

    ¡°Hey Williams,¡± he said cheerfully when the door swung open.

    ¡°Are you ready sir?¡± Williams asked politely.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re good,¡± Atlas said, and then he turned his attention to me. All anger was lost from his eyes. He gave me an encouraging smile. ¡°Ready, Quinn?¡±

    I just nodded once, curtly. I didn¡¯t trust myself to speak - didn¡¯t know if more angry words would come or just plain, embarrassing tears.

    ¡°Then right this way, sir,¡± Williams said, stepping aside and holding out an arm gesturing to the black Mercedes waiting for us.

    Atlas made his way towards the car and I followed him, keeping a few feet back. The driver ran ahead and opened the door for us. Atlas stepped aside so I could climb in first. I was still so angry I didn¡¯t notice the chill outside. Didn¡¯t admire the sleek, dark interior of the Mercedes or the black leather seats. I sat down rigidly and stared out the window.

    Atlas got in next to me and the driver closed the door behind him. Within seconds, we were speeding down the street towards The Kingdom. It felt ridiculous to drive. The walk to his house was less than 10 minutes.

    In the car, Atlas grabbed my hand. I yanked it away, shooting him a death glare. Atlas gave me a warning look and then looked to the rear view mirror. I followed his gaze. The driver was clearly throwing us glances every now and then, telling me that he, too, must have been a member of the East Side.

    I tried to control my sigh of annoyance as I set my hand back down on the seat. Atlas snaked his fingers through mine, offering me a small smile. I looked back out the window, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a smile.

    The car ride was too short. I felt my heart thudding in my chest as we made our way up the circular driveway to the too-big front doors. The driver swiftly exited the car and moved to the backseat doors. He went to open the door, but Atlas rolled down the window a small crack.

    ¡°Can you give us a moment, Williams?¡± he asked kindly.

    Williams nodded. He stayed outside the door, hands folded behind his back. Atlas closed the window.

    ¡°We need to be in love,¡± Atlas said after a moment of silence.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Atlas moved closer to me on the seat and stared into my eyes, his face serious.

    ¡°We need to be- we need to seem so in love,¡± he whispered, ¡°Or they¡¯re never going to leave us alone.¡±

    I furrowed my brows, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°They have expectations of us,¡± Atlas explained, ¡°And we need to show them that we are¡­ working to meet those expectations. They need to think we¡¯re on their side, not working against them.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I challenged, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make more sense to show them that this stupid curse is full of shit? That it¡¯s never going to happen?¡±

    He shook his head and said, ¡°if they think we¡¯re in love, but nothing changes, then they¡¯ll know the prophecy was wrong. But if they think we¡¯re not even trying¡­ well let¡¯s just say my mom wasn¡¯t exactly overexaggerating this morning. If it were just me, I could spew whatever lies I know they want to hear. But you¡¯re here, too, now.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would have to put on a performance,¡± I muttered, further regretting my brash decision to attend the party.

    ¡°I know,¡± he said, ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. Again.¡±

    I just nodded, looking down at my lap.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he said softly, ¡°After tonight¡­ If you want me to leave you alone, okay. I will - I swear. Just say the word. Last night was¡­ I don¡¯t know what came over me. But if you don¡¯t want it to happen again, don¡¯t want to stay friends, okay. You¡¯ve given me enough - I won¡¯t ask for anything more. Not after tonight.¡±

    I said nothing, not wanting to admit the fact that part of me - a bigger part than I wanted to acknowledge - hated the thought of him leaving me alone. Instead, I just looked at him.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    He nodded and then knocked on the window twice. Williams pulled the door open and I was hit with the sound of live music from within the house. Atlas got out first, and then held his hand out for me. I took it, allowing him to help me out of the car. Williams shut the door behind me and got back into the driver¡¯s seat.

    As he pulled away, Atlas touched his right hand to my left cheek, stroking it with his thumb.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he breathed, barely audible.

    We were being watched. A few people lingered on the front porch with martini glasses in their hands, smoking cigars. Another car had pulled up behind us, and I heard more people get out.

    Atlas leaned in to kiss me on the other cheek. Quickly, I turned my face to meet his lips - a silent notion that I would do my part. Our lips brushed together softly.

    I stood up on my toes and pushed my lips to his ear. I felt him tense, his thumb frozen on my cheek.

    ¡°I don¡¯t love you,¡± I whispered, a reminder.

    He chuckled, ¡°Me too, Quinn, me too.¡±

    Atlas grabbed my hand and turned to face the house. It was lit up with fairy lights. We moved up the front steps and a man in white gloves opened the front door for us. Atlas gave my hand a reassuring squeeze that did little to slow my pumping heart.

    Our silent entrance had gained the attention of the loud crowd. At first, a few guests noticed us, their conversations halting. The silence spread through the large front room like wildfire. I felt myself blushing, unsure where to look. Suddenly, the crowd broke out into applause. So many unfamiliar faces beamed at me. I tried smiling back.

    Atlas was at ease next to me, as if he was used to this crowd. He laughed and gave the spectators an easy wave.

    I wanted to cringe at how I must have looked next to him - tall, confident, handsome Atlas next to me - West Side trash.

    The applause died and Atlas made a short speech.

    ¡°Thank you everyone, for your encouragement. I am so excited to introduce you all to my savior and spellbreaker, Quinn Callahan,¡± the crowd clapped again at my introduction. I squeezed Atlas¡¯s hand, warning him that I didn¡¯t want to speak.

    ¡°Please,¡± Atlas continued effortlessly, ¡°Enjoy the festivities tonight. We will be around!¡±

    The music and conversation picked back up at Atlas¡¯s request. Atlas led me away from the front door. We moved to a quiet room on the side of the house, away from the crowd.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing great,¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do this,¡± I told him, ignoring his encouragement.

    ¡°What do you mean?

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I mean I¡¯m not-¡± I searched for the words, ¡°I¡¯m not put together like you. I don''t know how to talk to people! Not strangers!¡±

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    ¡°Quinn, take a deep breath,¡± he said calmly, putting his hands lightly on my shoulders, ¡°No one expects anything from you.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I snorted, ¡°Except to be some doe-eyed girl who¡¯s in love with you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing,¡± Atlas said earnestly.

    ¡°How? I can¡¯t just¡­ make up stories! Can¡¯t just prattle on about how glad I am to have saved you and how happy we are!¡± I argued.

    Atlas shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. No one expects that from you. They know you¡¯re not from the East Side, not used to any of this attention.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Atlas,¡± I said shakily, stepping away from his gentle grasp, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for this. Everyone was just staring at us! How do you stand it?¡±

    I truly believed my words. I couldn¡¯t handle staring or attention or judgment from people I didn¡¯t know - especially these people. I knew I¡¯d made a terrible mistake. I was going to puke all over the floor sooner than I could impress a single person at the party.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to throw up,¡± I moaned, covering my face with my hands.

    ¡°Quinn, please, listen to me,¡± Atlas pleaded, ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll make sure you get through this night. I¡¯ll take the lead on everything.¡±

    I shook my head, keeping it buried in my hands.

    ¡°I need a drink,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need a drink. Quinn, just¡­ just focus on me okay? When people are in love it¡¯s like¡­ I mean they say it¡¯s like they¡¯re the only two people in the room right? We can work with that - we can put on that show for them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a terrible actress,¡± I said.

    ¡°Lucky for you, I¡¯m pretty good at faking things,¡± Atlas sighed, ¡°We¡¯ll keep the talking to strangers very minimal, okay? Just¡­ be a lovesick teenager for the night.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I asked honestly. I¡¯d never been in love before.

    Atlas took a step towards me, placing his hand on my cheek. Again, he let his thumb stroke my cheek. I took a deep breath and met his gaze as he began leaning in - closer and closer until his lips met my neck. He lingered for a moment, his breath hot and thick. I felt my eyes begin to close and I wanted to lean into the sensation as I was reminded of the night before.

    ¡°Attraction and love can certainly be very different,¡± Atlas whispered, bringing his lips to my ear, ¡°But they often look - to the outside observer - exactly the same.¡±

    A shutter rippled through me as he pulled back. I waited to see the smug smile fill his face, but he remained serious. I took a shaky breath and nodded once.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered.

    The side door flew open suddenly, and I jumped backwards as Atlas¡¯s mom once again appeared without warning.

    ¡°What are you lovebirds doing in here?¡± she asked in a voice that I assumed was meant to sound sweet, a wide smile planted on her perfect lips. ¡°Everyone is dying to see the happy couple.¡±

    ¡°We were just coming out, mom,¡± Atlas said, his eyes still on me. I looked at him and nodded again, holding out my hand. Relief crossed his features as he quickly took it in his own. He gave me a small smile and then leaned down to kiss my cheek.

    Atlas¡¯s mom¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter once as she held the door open for us. Atlas took the lead, as he said he would, walking me back out into the crowd of people. As we walked towards a table of fancy looking food, Atlas casually threw his arm around me and began whispering about the people we passed.

    ¡°That¡¯s Morgan Alster,¡± he told me quietly, pointing to a gray-haired woman whose face seemed to be permanently sneering. ¡°She was one of the people who lost her manipulation - thank god. She used to charm acorns to pelt themselves at any kids who stepped foot on her lawn. I swear I still have a scar on the back of my neck.¡±

    I felt myself crack a genuine smile for the first time all day, the panic subsiding slightly.

    ¡°And that over there is Charles Cunningham. I¡¯m surprised to see him today, he usually never leaves his house unless gambling is involved. He picked up the habit about 100 years ago. The sad part is, he hardly ever wins. And when he does, he throws it all back into the pile and loses instantly. Like clockwork.¡±

    I laughed at that one, and Atlas joined me.

    ¡°Sir Ellroy,¡± a noble looking man in a dark blue suit stepped in front of us.

    The slight man - who looked to be in his late 60¡¯s but was definitely much older - wore horn-rimmed glasses and a thick gray mustache. He held out his hand expectantly. Atlas gave him a firm handshake, followed by a warm smile. My heartbeat picked up, but Atlas tucked me firmly into his side, brushing his fingers against my shoulder.

    ¡°Mr. Carlisle,¡± Atlas greeted him, ¡°I¡¯m so glad you could come.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± Mr. Carlisle said, ¡°And this is the lovely Quinn, I presume?¡±

    ¡°She is,¡± Atlas sighed, looking down at me, ¡°my spellbreaker.¡±

    Something like pride flashed in his eyes and I would have punched him in the arm if we were at school. Instead, I smiled back up at him.

    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I said quietly, glancing at Mr. Carlisle.

    ¡°Oh, yes. Quinn, dear, I have so much to ask you about yourself and your life on the West Side. I don¡¯t get out much, you see, as I¡¯ve been avidly studying the history of our own people. And - oh I should ask, how much do you know about us? Because I can tell you, I am quite knowledgeable,¡± he rambled on, clearly more interested in what he had to say than whatever my answer was going to be.

    ¡°Er, I don¡¯t know much,¡± I admitted. His eyebrows raised with delight, as that was clearly the answer he¡¯d been hoping for.

    ¡°Excellent! Well, you see, oh, where should I begin?¡± Mr. Carlisle took a small, leather bound notebook out of his back pocket and started flipping through the pages. I glanced up at Atlas, who seemed to be holding in a laugh.

    But before the man could continue, Atlas reached down and placed a kiss on my cheek. Then another and another, before his lips started trailing lower. I let my eyelids close a bit as they found my neck, blatantly pretending I no longer noticed Mr. Carlisle in front of us.

    ¡°Perhaps later,¡± Mr. Carlisle grumbled, clearly uncomfortable from our sudden burst of PDA. He stashed his notebook in his pocket and inched towards the bar, clearly eager to find someone else to corner.

    Atlas pulled away and gave me a subtle wink. I rolled my eyes, but a smile crept on my face.

    ¡°Maybe I wanted to hear the history of ¡®your people,¡¯¡± I teased.

    Atlas snorted a laugh, ¡°You should be thanking me. That man is bland. I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know.¡±

    Atlas leaned close to my ear, ¡°And I¡¯ll make it way more interesting,¡± he breathed.

    His teasing sent chills down my spine, and I leaned in to him, furthering the act we were putting on for those around us. I caught a few people glancing at us and then looking away quickly, not wanting to be caught staring at our pretend affection.

    A server walked by, offering us a flute of champagne from a tray. I automatically reached for it, suddenly feeling a bit more optimistic for this party. But Atlas caught my hand in his and shook his head lightly at the server. He dipped his head in understanding and walked away.

    ¡°Come on,¡± I growled under my breath.

    Atlas just chuckled and placed a kiss on my palm, looking around to see if we had an audience.

    ¡°Underage drinking is not a good look,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Neither is me biting your hand off,¡± I whispered back.

    He laughed again, just as another East Sider pushed their way up to us, hand outstretched. Atlas shook it dutifully, and I followed.

    The woman in front of us was another older looking character. She was covered in silver sequins, her cocktail dress shimmering with each movement.

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, darling,¡± she cooed, ¡°I¡¯m Magdelina DuFrane - but you can call me Magda.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, too,¡± I said, giving her a smile. I batted my eyelashes a bit and threw a sideways glance at Atlas for good measure.

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you two just the sweetest,¡± she chimed. ¡°You must come have lunch with me sometime Quinn, dear. I¡¯m sure you have so many interesting stories from your time on the West Side.¡±

    Magda¡¯s tone dropped when she said west, as though it was some dirty secret between us  she didn¡¯t want others to hear. My eyes narrowed.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be sure to do that,¡± Atlas said, starting to steer me away before I could make a rude retort. ¡°So nice to see you here Mag.¡±

    Magda gave a small bow, clearly unaware of the offensive comment she¡¯d just made. Making the West Side seem like it was some exotic, third world place I¡¯d traveled to and not the hellhole in which I grew up.

    ¡°She means well,¡± Atlas sighed. I said nothing in response.

    Dozens of people, all dressed to the nines, introduced themselves to us before cocktail hour was over. Most were just out of politeness, and Atlas consistently found some way to steer us away from anyone looking for a longer conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t come looking for me yet,¡± a voice said from behind us.

    Atlas turned around, pulling me with him. Suddenly, we were facing perhaps one of the most beautiful girls I¡¯ve ever seen. She looked my age - although I knew she was much older - and had at least 5 inches on me. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, the ends curled neatly. She looked up at Atlas with large blue babydoll eyes.

    ¡°Octavia,¡± Atlas said, throwing her a genuine smile. He let go of my hand to give her a hug. She hugged him back, cupping the back of his head with her hand. I wanted to gag.

    ¡°It¡¯s been too long,¡± she said when he pulled away. He was the first to pull away, I noted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit preoccupied,¡± he said, and then they both laughed. Octavia laughed like it was the funniest, most darndest thing anyone had ever said. I let a fake smile come over my face and reached out to grab Atlas¡¯s hand again. He took it in his and then glanced down at me.

    ¡°Quinn, meet Octavia,¡± he introduced us.

    Octavia¡¯s smile faltered a bit as she looked at me. She pursed her lips and stuck out her hand. I shook it, and couldn¡¯t help but notice how hard she gripped my hand. I flexed my fingers behind my back when she let go, wondering if Atlas had noticed.

    ¡°The infamous spellbreaker. Thank you so much for bringing Atlas back to us,¡± she said with a cheeriness that didn¡¯t meet her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, it was nothing,¡± I joked. Atlas laughed, but Octavia remained quiet.

    ¡°Atlas, when was the last time we saw each other? It must have been after that party at Bonner¡¯s - oh do you remember how much fun we had?¡± she asked him sweetly, taking a step closer to him.

    ¡°How could I forget?¡± he asked. I noted the slight smile on his face, the way he almost leaned into her as she spoke. I wanted to squeeze his hand - a warning. People were watching.

    But something else was eating at me as I observed their conversation. They¡¯d clearly had some sort of close relationship prior to the Stone age. But he had chosen not to seek her out afterwards - why? Why would he choose not to continue their friendship?

    I¡¯d zoned out momentarily, and only snapped back into reality when I watched Octavia laugh and put a hand on Atlas¡¯s chest. Anger filled me and I tried to suppress it. The charm - whatever manipulation was guiding us - clearly was making me feel some sort of possession over Atlas. He was nothing to me - maybe a friend - but nothing else. He could flirt with whoever he pleased.

    But we- I - was at this party for a reason. And Atlas clearly needed some reminding. As Octavia was retelling some ridiculous memory that they clearly shared, I stood on my toes to whisper into Atlas¡¯s ear.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to be teased, remember?¡± I breathed, letting my bottom lip graze his earlobe so lightly, nobody but him would have noticed. I knew that would wake him up.

    Atlas¡¯s attention went to me instantly, his eyes flashing. Octavia went silent as she realized neither of us were listening any longer. Atlas looked down at my lips, clearly aroused by what I¡¯d whispered to him.

    I shot Octavia a pretty smile and said, ¡°So nice to meet you, but we have some things to attend to.¡±

    I looked back up at Atlas who gave me a sudden, knowing smile. He turned away from Octavia and pulled me through the crowd again.

    We were by the appetizer table again, although most people lingered by the bar. Atlas stopped me there and put his hand behind my neck as he leaned in to kiss me. He was clearly hungry, his fingers pressing into the side of my neck.

    It was I who pulled away first.

    ¡°I think you made your point,¡± I said, my cheeks red. Hardly anyone was looking at us.

    ¡°I like it when you''re jealous,¡± Atlas said, his eyes boring into mine.

    I scoffed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t jealous. I was playing my part - something you were clearly forgetting to do!¡±

    Atlas rolled his eyes, ¡°Sure. Octavia is harmless.¡±

    I threw my head back in mock laughter and put a hand on his chest, as Octavia had done just moments before.

    ¡°Ah ha ha ha,¡± I said with a sarcastic sweetness, ¡°Oh Atlas, you are just so funny and handsome and princely.¡±

    ¡°At least she can admit it,¡± he shrugged.

    ¡°Oh is that how you want me to act? All ditzy and giggly and flattering?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt sometimes,¡± he said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

    I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer.

    ¡°You¡¯re just so funny and we have so many memories together. What a noble, high prince you are!¡± I mocked, ¡°Oh Atlas, just take me into the bedroom and-¡±

    Atlas cut me off with another kiss.

    ¡°I should make you jealous more often,¡± he muttered, his lips

    still on mine.

    ¡°Not jealous,¡± I told him, stepping away from him playfully,

    ¡°just pointing out the obvious.¡±

    I threw him another teasing glance before turning away from him and heading back towards the crowd. My confidence was beginning to resurface just a bit. And I knew Atlas would follow, or I wouldn¡¯t have ventured alone. His hand found mine and he stepped quickly to walk next to me.

    After what felt like 100 different introductions, Atlas fell back into a golden armchair in the sitting room, and then pulled me onto his lap. I felt my cheeks turn red. We were the only ones sitting, so clearly the most informal guests. Atlas didn¡¯t seem to mind. His fingers trailed up and down my arm again, leaving goosebumps. He had learned my weakness for the gentle tickles - how my skin seemed to melt beneath his touch.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you were having a good time,¡± Atlas said quietly.

    ¡°My acting skills are improving - perhaps I¡¯m learning from the best,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m the best?¡± he teased in my ear.

    ¡°At being a charming, pompous flirt? Perhaps,¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing.¡±

    I just shrugged, enjoying the fingers on my arm. His fingers stopped suddenly, lingering just above my skin.

    ¡°Wanna make her jealous?¡± Atlas asked me, a devious smile on his face. I followed his gaze until I saw Octavia, who had clearly been watching us. She shot us a too-sweet smile and then turned back to her conversation with Mr. Carlisle. Bitch.

    ¡°Who was she to you?¡± I asked, as his hand found its way onto my thigh.

    ¡°Easy,¡± he breathed in my ear, ¡°too easy.¡±

    ¡°Then why-¡±

    But I didn¡¯t get to finish asking why. My breath caught in my throat as Atlas¡¯s hand clamped more firmly on my leg, sliding to the more inner-part of my thigh. His thumb caressed my leg, and though a layer of silk separated our skin, my heartbeat quickened.

    Fine, I would play his game. I slid back on his lap, pressing my backside against him.

    ¡°You play dirty,¡± he whispered in my ear.

    His other arm snaked around my waist and he only pulled me closer. The thumb on my inner thigh began making lazy circles over the silk against my skin. I suppressed a moan.

    I wrapped one arm around his shoulder and raked my fingers through the hair on the back of his head. He pushed his head further into my hand, clearly enjoying the contact.

    His hand slid further up my thigh and I fought not to squirm under his touch. Memories of the previous night flashed through my mind. This was a game I would not let him win.

    I leaned into him like I was going to whisper something in his ear. He tilted his head towards me in curiousity, but instead, I grabbed his earlobe with my teeth, gently pressing down. He did squirm, clearly not expecting me to pull that move out.

    I slid my tongue over his ear and pulled away in time to hear him let our a breathy ¡°fuck.¡±

    I smirked in triumph. But he wasn¡¯t ready to admit defeat. I could tell by the darkening look in his eyes. He released my stomach to brush his fingers through my hair, pulling me close to his lips.

    ¡°Have you been thinking about last night, Quinn?¡± he purred, ¡°Because I have. I can¡¯t stop. Even when you were being an absolute brat today, all I wanted to do was-¡±

    A deep breath finished his sentence. Atlas¡¯s hand moved dangerously up my leg - he was running out of leg to hold. I didn¡¯t realize I was biting my lip, my eyes half-closed.

    ¡°If you play your cards right,¡± I told him, turning my face to meet his gaze, ¡°maybe I¡¯ll return the favor.¡±

    I grinded against him ever so slightly and whispered in his ear, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t want to make it too easy.¡±

    It was then and there that I knew I¡¯d won. Atlas let out a soft sound somewhere between a moan and a laugh and took my face in his hands. Suddenly, we were kissing. But this kiss was different - less like the sweet, performative ones we¡¯d been giving each other all night. It was deep and passionate and urgent. So urgent, I started asking myself if it was even a game we had been playing in the first place. And if it had been, what was it now?

    Again, applause erupted around us. But this time it was more enthusiastic. The greeting applause had been polite and restrained. This time, people cheered and whistled and whooped. I pulled away from Atlas, sure my cheeks were bright red. I¡¯d forgotten we were in a room full of people. In any other circumstance, I¡¯m sure they would have been offended by the over the top PDA - but here they were ecstatic. How in love we must have seemed to those around us. How certain they must have been that they would once again begin aging. Their immortality a thing of the past.

    They would be sorely disappointed if they knew the truth - the performance we were putting on for them. Perhaps we had taken it a step too far, but they didn¡¯t mind in the least.

    I giggled like Octavia would have, not missing her reluctant claps from the crowd as well. Then, I hid my head in his neck like a blushing schoolgirl.

    ¡°I don¡¯t love you,¡± I said into his neck.

    He turned his head and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t love you, too.¡±

    The party guests didn¡¯t notice our exchange. They soon went back to their drinks and cigars and gossip. We had done our job. The play was over - they were convinced.

    ¡°-will be returning to normal any day now.¡±

    ¡°- maybe I¡¯ll have to start getting botox!¡±

    ¡°- I don¡¯t even care that she¡¯s from the West Side. I just want my life back.¡±

    Our fake love was the talk of the party. But I could only eavesdrop on their conversations for so long - knowing sooner or later they would say something offensive about me and my side of town. And then the facade would drop. I couldn¡¯t handle the judgment. Would surely lash out at anyone who dared insult what they didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Well played,¡± Atlas congratulated me as we made our way to the dining room.

    Circular tables filled the room and guests began taking their seats. Food to feed an army piled the tables. I balked at the exorbitant variety. I had never been poor enough to starve, but had also never seen this much food in my life. My diet consisted of pizza and cheap sugar. I couldn¡¯t even name most of the dishes beautifully plated before us.

    ¡°The worst part is,¡± Atlas started, clearly noting the surprise on my face, ¡°most of this won¡¯t get eaten. There¡¯s enough here to feed thousands of people - but there were only 200 on the guest list.¡±

    ¡°What will you do with the rest?¡± I asked

    ¡°It gets thrown out.¡±

    ¡°Disgusting,¡± I whispered, low enough so only he could hear.

    We sat with Atlas¡¯s mom and step father at dinner, as well as some other people their age that I had met but already forgotten the names of.

    Atlas¡¯s mom didn¡¯t look totally pleased when she saw us. I thought I heard her whisper ¡°try to maintain some degree of decorum¡± in her son¡¯s ear as we sat down. He only shrugged her off. Perhaps our PDA had been a bit too much for some people at the party. I bit my lip to hide my smile. Pissing his mom off was an added bonus.

    The adults surrounding us became drunker and drunker as the night went on. The wine continued flowing until dinner ended, and then the drinks became darker and heavier. Atlas and I drank none of it, although I wanted desperately to throw back a glass or two.

    Atlas kept one hand on my thigh throughout dinner, whispering gossip about one person or another. I had to choke back my food a few times to keep from laughing at the outrageous secrets he revealed of the elite.

    The drunker those around us got, the less they noticed us. I felt like I could breathe a sigh of relief without having all those eyes on me.

    ¡°Want to go somewhere else?¡± Atlas asked me quietly.

    I nodded without a second thought. I¡¯d done my part. And leaving the party early together - well that would only reinforce their beliefs.

    Atlas took my hand and led me from the large dining hall. We were once again in the main entrance where servers were cleaning up the mess. Away from the party, the house felt unusually quiet. Atlas led me through the large foyer and up the stairs. Down one end of the hallway, I saw the entrance to the room I¡¯d spent two nights in. Atlas¡¯s room was at the other end. He opened the door for me and stood aside so I could enter first.

    ¡°This is your room?¡± I asked, eyebrows raised.

    The room was nearly identical to the guest room. The color scheme was similar, the furniture was oriented the same. It didn¡¯t feel like a teenage boy¡¯s bedroom. It was too clean. There weren¡¯t any personal touches.

    ¡°It is now,¡± he said, kicking his shoes off. ¡°We had a - don¡¯t laugh - palace before the Stone Age. My room was a bit homier before then. This was a guest room until a few weeks ago. My mom gave it to me because it was the biggest one.¡±

    ¡°No naked pictures of supermodels on the walls?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten around to it. I¡¯ll take any recommendations you have though.¡±

    I just laughed and watched him sit on his bed. I debated where to sit, stalling by saying, ¡°Octavia is going to be upset you didn¡¯t say goodbye.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll live.¡±

    Atlas tugged off his tux jacket and flung it to the foot of the bed. He rolled sleeves up. I tried not to glance down at the arms beneath - even his forearms were toned and muscular.

    I said nothing, biting my lip and looking down at my feet. I wasn¡¯t sure where to go from here - what to say. I felt Atlas¡¯s eyes on me from the bed.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± he said simply.

    I laughed, ¡°The shows over dude, you don¡¯t need to say that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not just saying it,¡± he told me earnestly, ¡°you, I mean¡­ you always look beautiful but¡­ that dress.¡±

    I opened my mouth to protest. To tell him to shut up. That I didn¡¯t want his complements. But instead, I held my tongue and just said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re thinking?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ confused,¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Confused?¡±

    ¡°By¡­ us,¡± I admitted, looking up at him sheepishly. It was the truth - our relationship was tumultuous. Toxic even. But despite the fact that we¡¯d fought all day and then spent the night pretending to love each other, I didn¡¯t want to leave his bedroom. And he didn¡¯t seem to want me to leave either.

    He nodded in understanding, ¡°Me, too.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ now what?¡± I asked.

    Atlas thought for a moment.

    ¡°Can I show you something?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Show me what?¡±

    Atlas took a deep breath and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to read the prophecy.¡±

 The Prophecy

    Chapter 14

    Abigail

    We all know he messed up. My father is pale as he watches the prince wipe his face and retreat. When the prince is out of sight, his soldier grabs my father by the collar and pulls him close.

    ¡°You will pay for this,¡± he growls.

    Quinn

    The above ground portion of Atlas¡¯s house was modern and stylish. The outside looker would never know that hidden in the basement was a labyrinth of stone hallways lit by long metal torches. The under part of his house stretched in every direction, and I wondered if it connected to any other houses in the neighborhood.

    Atlas held my hand as he guided me down the basement stairs. They started out a modern gray wood color - but quickly led to a bolted wooden door. Atlas pulled the key out of his back pocket.

    ¡°Are you going to murder me and hide my body down here?¡± I asked, trying to make a joke that actually sounded quite feasible.

    ¡°If I was going to kill you, Quinn, I would have done it a long time ago,¡± he said.

    The torches lining the basement hallway were already lit, and I wondered if they were always like that. The dark hallway reminded me of Atlas¡¯s stone tomb.

    ¡°This is freaking creepy,¡± I said. Atlas just laughed.

    We only walked for a minute before we reached another wooden door.

    ¡°The Ellroy family secrets,¡± Atlas said in a pretend-spooky voice.

    Atlas pushed the door open and led me inside. This small room had a single electric light hanging from the ceiling, and it looked more like a room that belonged in a museum rather than in a house. Dozens of documents were displayed around the room, clearly protected under thick glass.

    ¡°The prophecy is here?¡± I asked, looking around. For whatever reason, I hadn¡¯t expected the prophecy to be written on a physical piece of paper. A crystal ball seemed better suited to hold information so dire.

    The documents were clearly aged, many of the papers a yellowish color with inky scrawled handwriting.

    Atlas nodded and explained, ¡°There were only 6 people present when the witch made the prophecy. My mom was one of them of course. Another - Mr. Carlisle actually - copied the entire thing down as she spoke it.¡±

    ¡°And everyone else just believed it?¡± I asked, incredulous.

    ¡°There were some skeptics at first. Of course, when people stopped dying or aging altogether, they began to believe. Plus, manipulation was incredibly prevalent back then - this isn¡¯t the only prophecy that was ever made.¡±

    Atlas walked to a singular podium in the center of the room. Under the glass case laid the prophecy, written on a small piece of paper. It was the size of the notebook Mr. Carlisle had pulled out of his back pocket earlier. He clearly was a creature of habit.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Atlas asked me.

    I nodded and swallowed.

    ¡°Everything in here - it¡¯s all been true so far.¡±

    ¡°So whatever it says is supposed to happen will happen then?¡± I ask.

    ¡°No, Quinn. There are prophecies that have been rejected or broken - very few but it has been heard of. They¡¯re also misinterpreted pretty frequently. Do with the information what you will, but don¡¯t let it drive you crazy,¡± he said, clearly nervous.

    I nodded again, eyeing the glass case. Atlas became silent, observing me.

    I took a step forward and looked down at the unassuming piece of paper. Taking a deep breath, I began to read.

    For thousands of years we have suffered so

    My people on the west, as your powers grow

    The east side must pay for the pain they cause

    For they will now know a similar loss

    Today he who would sit on the throne

    Lies cold and still, frozen in stone

    For hundreds of years the prince shall wait

    While those closest to him see a similar fate

    With these words, I strip your ability

    The cherished manipulation shall die with me

    You, too, will be frozen in time

    Immortal, unchanging, a natural crime

    Do not be alarmed, nobility of the west

    For this is your time to repent and reflect

    Your state is temporary, you have not been beguiled

    Stay aware, your fate is in the hands of a child

    Abandoned, neglected, though she will save you all

    The hardship of the west she will well recall

    Her mother will leave her, her father turns hollow

    Because of the death of their infant daughter

    Your savior is she who you fear and abhor

    A girl from the west, unknowing and poor

    When her lips meet stone, the prince will be freed

    Only when she loves him will your time proceed

    Reluctant, and beautiful, and true is the girl

    Who will surely determine the outcome of this world

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I asked. I¡¯d read the whole thing through 3 times before I felt ready to speak.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°That¡¯s everything,¡± Atlas said, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It seems¡­ incomplete,¡± I muttered, squinting at the document. ¡°The stanzas each have 4 lines¡­ the last only has 2.¡±

    Atlas looked over my shoulder at the document.

    ¡°The witch died immediately after she finished the declaration. Perhaps she had more to say, but her body gave out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± I said softly.

    ¡°She was dying when they brought her to see my mother. She was the first and only west side resident to exhibit manipulation. They think she couldn¡¯t figure out how to hone it. She buried it deep until it all came flooding out,¡± he told me.

    ¡°I remember you saying she was the only one. I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d died.¡±

    He nodded from beside me.

    ¡°Why do you think she got it? Manipulation I mean?¡± I didn¡¯t mean for the word manipulation to sound like some sort of a disease, but it did.

    ¡°Someone from our side must have had an affair with her mom. It¡¯s still not known who it was - no one has come forward yet. But that was the only way it would be plausible,¡± he told me.

    I nodded,  recalling all of the people I¡¯d met this evening. Was one of them harboring this great secret? They had fathered the one who would go on to destroy their world.

    ¡°I began turning to stone within an hour of her speaking the prophecy. My mother tried to stop it. She begged anyone with manipulation to help her, but as I became stone, their powers disappeared. When the transition was complete, they were powerless. Immortal, but powerless.¡±

    ¡°The prophecy doesn¡¯t say anything about manipulation returning. Only time,¡± I noted, resting my hand on the glass that covered the small sheet of notebook paper.

    ¡°Many are hopeful that once they can age again - if they age again - it will return. But everything in the prophecy has been explicitly stated. I don¡¯t foresee anything hidden in the words.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, scanning the lines over again. Atlas continued.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t give specifics about love. The timing, the manor, anything. That part is pretty vague,¡± he said.

    ¡°But it will happen,¡± I muttered, not taking my eyes off the scrawled words, ¡°The prophecy will make it happen.¡±

    Atlas shrugged, ¡°What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Was it always going to happen, and the prophecy just had foresight? Or will it happen because of the prophecy? Who¡¯s to say?¡±

    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t happen? Do you even consider that a possibility?¡± I asked in frustration.

    ¡°Of course. Before I really got to know you, I might have felt differently. But if there¡¯s someone that can defy the force of manipulation out of sheer pig-headedness, it¡¯s you,¡± he said, a smile playing at the edges of his lips.

    I rolled my eyes. The obstination wasn¡¯t in the least bit arbitrary. I¡¯d raised myself since I was 10 years old. I answered to no one. Up until this ridiculousness, my life had been completely my own. Or had it?

    Was it manipulation that led me to the prince¡¯s tomb on my birthday? Elaina had pushed for it, but I eventually agreed. Everything that night felt like it came from my own volition. If the knowledge of the prophecy had been readily available to the public, or at least the West Side of Fairview, would I have done anything differently? Probably not. It still would have felt like a local legend - something conjured up to excite teenage girls and encourage rebellion.

    ¡°Quinn, can you tell me what you want? You¡¯ve done everything I asked and more tonight. And, well I¡¯m not going to pretend that I don¡¯t like you. I think I¡¯ve made that more than clear. But I stand true to my promise - if you want me to leave you alone, okay. I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°I never said that¡¯s what I wanted,¡± I argued. He raised his eyebrow as if to say really? ¡°Okay, I haven¡¯t said it recently. I just hate how intense everything has to be. Can¡¯t we just, like, hang out?¡±

    Atlas was nodding before I finished my last sentence.

    ¡°Of course, Quinn,¡± he chuckled.

    I looked up at him and his eyes caught mine. The smile that was lingering on his lips slipped. His face became serious again and he took a long step forward, covering the distance between us. I didn¡¯t step backwards.

    His eyes still on mine, Atlas raised a hand to delicately trail his curled fingers down my arm. I took a shaky breath.

    ¡°And what about this?¡± he whispered.

    I wanted to ask what ¡®this¡¯ meant, but I already knew the answer. He was referring to the attraction. There was a chemistry between us that neither could deny. Pretending I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about was a waste of my breath.

    ¡°Um,¡± I said breathlessly as his fingers continued up and down my arm, ¡°Play it by ear?¡±

    That was the best answer I had. Atlas laughed again and nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s a plan,¡± he agreed.

    ¡°Cool,¡± I whispered, probably sounding like a total dork. His hand, his touch, the intensity was making my mind spin.

    ¡°And what do you hear right now?¡± he asked, ¡°How shall we play?¡±

    My heartbeat quickened at his blatant suggestion.

    ¡°Well, I still owe you,¡± I said.

    He shook his head, ¡°No, don¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Do what?¡± I asked in confusion.

    His fingers traced down my arm from my shoulder to my hand. He threaded our fingers together.

    ¡°Act like you were the only one who got something out of last night,¡± he said lowly in my ear.

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°This,¡± he continued, wrapping his other arm around my waist, ¡°is why you should stay away from boys.¡±

    Atlas grabbed a handful of my silk dress and then slowly started to pull it up my legs, over my ass. His eyes only left mine for a moment when he lifted the dress off over my head and tossed it to the side. Wetness pooled between my thighs as he dipped his head until his lips met mine.

    He kissed me once. Twice. I shivered under his firm lips.

    ¡°Quinn,¡± he breathed against my mouth.

    One by one, I undid the buttons on his shirt. From his deep kiss, my fingers felt like jelly by the time I reached the last button on his shirt. He helped me undo it and then his shirt was on the floor next to my dress.

    His fingers found their way to the clasp of my bra, and then it was unhooked. I was impressed by how quickly he was able to take it off. Usually boys fumbled around until I just gave in and did it for them.

    But Atlas wasn¡¯t a boy.

    He kissed down my neck and I moaned when his facial hair scratched against my sensitive skin. I felt him smile against my shoulder.

    The kisses trailed lower and lower - over my breasts and down my stomach. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I could stand. My knees trembled and I had to grab onto his shoulder for support as he got on his knees in front of me.

    His fingers found their way into my panties. I gasped as he slowly started rubbing his fingers in a circular motion against me. His mouth planted kisses all over my lower stomach.

    ¡°Atlas,¡± I breathed.

    ¡°Look at you,¡± he said in response. His eyes were wide and hungry as he took in my body.

    He began moving his hand quicker. My legs threatened to buckle at any moment as unfamiliar pleasure coursed through me.

    All too soon, I found release from his touch. My knees gave out and I collapsed in his arms, my breathing shaky and uneven.

    He held me like that for a moment in total silence.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said finally.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said in agreement.

    ¡°You liked that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Liked it?¡±

    He grabbed my hand and brought it to his pants, ¡°You feel what you do to me, Quinn?¡±

    I felt a throbbing hardness beneath his pants. I pressed against it and he moaned slightly, eyes closing. I moved my hand up and down against him a few times, and then brought my fingers to his pant button. I began to undo it. He grabbed my hand.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡± he started.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± I told him, freeing my hands and unzipping his pants.

    I reached into his boxers and wrapped my hand around him. That was all it took before Atlas was ripping his pants completely off.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said again when I actually saw him.

    He seemed to like that, because he brought my mouth to his and kissed me with a new intensity. We were on our knees in front of each other, but then I put both hands on his shoulder and gently pushed him to the floor. He let me guide him until he was resting on his forearms.

    I knelt between his legs, my hand still wrapped around him. He moaned again at the sight. I kept my eyes on his face as I lowered myself down and then finally took him in my mouth.

    His head fell back and he moaned my name.

    I worked him with my mouth and my hand, nearly coming again at the sound of him moaning my name over and over. He weaved his fingers through my hair gently as I moved up and down.

    ¡°Fuck, Quinn,¡± he muttered. I opened my eyes to meet his, and I could see in his expression he was close to the edge.

    Finally, he found release - long and hard. When it was over, he pulled me against him tightly.

    We lay together in silence for what felt like hours. I glided my hand up and down his toned stomach. He played with the ends of my hair. We had finally reached peace for the first time all day. I wanted the moment to last forever. I thought no matter what happened after this, at least I would always remember this. Laying with Atlas on his old, dusty basement floor, staring up at the fluorescent light bulb, holding each other.