When the Heart Falls(22)

Cade squeezes my hand, pulling me back from the dark memories. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Could he tell what I was thinking about?

"Your face is looking kind of red."

"Really?" Now I'm paranoid that I look like a turnip.

"Yeah. I noticed it earlier too."

What? Earlier? Why did no one say anything? "So, I'm a walking tomato?"

"More like a rose." He spins me around before pulling me back to him.

His compliment makes my face turn even redder. And my ears are itching again. I clear my throat and make a very unladylike noise, but it doesn't help, and I'm just more embarrassed. "I need to use the bathroom."

The song ends, and I run off before my face gets worse.

I stare at my skin in the bathroom mirror. Red and splotchy. Is it a sunburn? I splash cold water over my face, hoping I don't smear my make-up everywhere.

Jenifer walks in as I pat myself dry. The water didn't help.

"Hey, I've been looking for you, girl." She hugs me from the side. "Oh, honey, you don't look too good."

"I'm just feeling a little off. It's just sunburn. I think."

"Well, you're lucky I'm here." She reaches into her purse and pulls out a pill. "This will help with the irritation."

"Thanks." I pop the pill in my mouth and swallow it with water from the sink.

"Thank me later. Right now, we need to party."



"Where did you go?" Jenifer's voice sounds squeaky, like a cartoon mouse.

I giggle and watch the lights dance around her head. "Walking. Walking and talking and planning revenge."

"Uh-huh. Okay, well, are you having fun?" Jenifer splits into two, and I don't know which one to look at.

"Fun. Bun. Fun in the sun. I can rhyme and tell the time. I'm a writer, making the world brighter." I grab her hand and pull her to the place where people mooove. "Let's dance!"

Jenifer laughs. "Guess you are having fun."

We dance. We move. We transcend time and place and rebirth the world in our gyrating. And then I stop. "I need a drink."

"Okay."

The bar is across the room, so far away. I fly to it on a rainbow. When the counter reaches for me, I embrace it. "I'd like your alcohol, pleeeeease."

"What kind of alcohol, mademoiselle?"

"The alcoholic kind, of course." Duh!

I reach for the cold glass he brings. It's iced over and blue. Ice Queen. That's what he brought me. "I'm not an Ice Queen," I tell him. "I'm hot!" I sip my drink, which burns down my throat, and nearly drop it when I look out at the dance floor. "What's he doing here?"

Rodney. Rodney, podney, lodney. Mr. Asshat, Assbat, Assrat. I hate him. That hate burns more than the alcohol. He has red flames around him, burning him up, and he doesn't even know it. I see the monster inside of him.

Fire and ice.

Jenifer follows my gaze. "He's such a jerk. I'm sorry."

"We should kill him." This is, of course, my destiny. I know it now. How silly of me to have never seen it before.

Jenifer chokes on her drink. "What?"

"I want to kill him." I pull my new toy out of my purse.

Jenifer's eyes get big, like a bug. Bug eyes. Bug. Bug. "Wait. Where'd you get that knife?"

I look at the switchblade in my hand. "What? This? I carry it in my purse."

She grabs my hand and pulls it down. "Winter, you need to put that away."

"Okay." I drop it in my purse and pull out another new toy. I have lots of toys. I can use any of them.

"Oh my God!" Now Jenifer has the red face. Haha! "What's that?"

I shake the can in my hand. "Pepper spray."

"Where'd you even get these things?" She's shaking, and grey smoke comes off her skin like she's turning to ash.

"From a giant." I met a giant in Paris. I'll write a book about it someday. Book, hook, nook.

"Winter, focus. What giant? What are you talking about?" She's shaking me now, but I don't want to be shooked. Shaked? Shaken. That's it. I don't want to be shaken.

I point at the giant. He's at least seven feet tall, with muscles everywhere and painted in colorful tattoos. So preeetty. He even let me touch one.

"Winter, we can't hurt Rodney. Put the can away."

I hold the can behind her back. If she can't see it, it's not really there. "What can?"

Her face squinches up in a funny way. "Winter, give me the can."

"No!" I stuff the can in my purse and start running away. She can't have my toys. I need them. To keep me safe against monsters.

I run into a wall. With arms. A wall of sun.

"Winter, hey. You're back." It's Cade. My Cade. "Want to dance?"

My Cade is here. He's warm and smells nice and is strong and safe. "I was just on my way to kill a monster, but it can wait." I wrap my arms around Cade, holding him close. I need to be close, closer, my body needs his, and I'll die if I don't have him.

"Winter, what's wrong?" He tries to pull back, breaking our connection. I want to cry.