Beautiful Creatures(69)

Witches? On Halloween? How creative.

I squeezed her hand. Her expression didn’t change, but I could feel her hand shaking.

I’m sorry, Lena.

If they only knew.

I waited for the building to start shaking, the windows to blow out, something. But nothing happened.

Lena just stood there, seething.

The future generation of the DAR headed toward us. I decided to meet them halfway. “Where’s your costume, Emily? Did you forget it was Halloween?”

Emily looked confused. Then she smiled at me, the sticky sweet smile of someone a little too proud of herself. “What are you talkin’ about, Ethan? Isn’t this what you’re into now?”

“We were just tryin’ to make your girlfriend feel at home,” Savannah said, smacking her gum.

Lena shot me a look.

Ethan, stop. You’ll just make it worse for yourself.

I don’t care.

I can handle this.

What happens to you happens to me.

Link walked up beside me, yanking up his stockings. “Hey girls, I thought we were comin’ as bitches.

Oh wait, that’s every day.”

Lena smiled at Link in spite of herself.

“You shut your mouth, Wesley Lincoln. I’m gonna tell your mamma that you’re hangin’ out with that freak, and she won’t let you outta your house till Christmas.”

“You know what that thing on her face is, don’t you?” Emily smirked, pointing from Lena’s birthmark to the crescent she’d drawn on her cheek. “It’s called a witch’s mark.”

“Did you look that up online last night? You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought.” I laughed.

“You’re the idiot. You’re goin’ out with her.” I was turning red, which was the last thing I wanted to do.

This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have in front of the whole school, not to mention the fact that I had no idea if Lena and I were even going out. We had kissed once. And we were always together, in one way or another. But she wasn’t my girlfriend, at least I didn’t think she was, even though I thought I’d heard her say that at the Gathering. And what could I do, ask? Maybe it was one of those things that if you had to ask, the answer was probably no. There was some part of her that still seemed to be holding back from me, a part of her I just couldn’t reach.

Emily jabbed me with the end of her broom. I could tell the whole “stake in the heart” concept would be attractive to her, just about now.

“Emily, why don’t you all go jump out a window. See if you can fly. Or not.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I hope you enjoy yourselves sittin’ around the house together tonight, while the rest a the school is at Savannah’s party. This will be the last holiday she spends at Jackson.” Emily spun around and marched back down the hall toward her locker, Savannah and their minions trailing behind her.

Link was joking around with Lena, trying to cheer her up, which wasn’t hard, considering how ridiculous he looked. Like I said, I could always count on Link.

“They really hate me. It’s never going to get old, is it?” Lena sighed.

Link broke into a cheer, jumping around and waving his pom-poms. “They really hate you, yes they do.

They hate everyone, how ’bout you?”

“I’d be more worried if they liked you.” I leaned over and put my arm around her awkwardly, or tried to. She turned away, my hand barely brushing her shoulder. Great.

Not here.

Why not?

You’re just making it worse for yourself.

I’m a glutton for punishment.

“Enough of the PDA.” Link elbowed me in the ribs. “You’re gonna make me start feelin’ bad for myself, now that I’ve doomed myself to another year without a date. We’re gonna be late for English, and I gotta take these pantyhose off on the way. I’m gettin’ a serious wedgie.”

“I just have to stop at my locker and get my book,” Lena said. Her hair began to curl around her shoulders. I was suspicious, but I didn’t say anything.

Emily, Savannah, Charlotte, and Eden were standing in front of their lockers, primping in front of the mirrors hanging inside the doors. Lena’s locker was only a little farther down the hall.

“Just ignore them,” I said.

Emily was rubbing her cheek with a Kleenex. The black moon-shaped mark was only smearing bigger and blacker, not coming off at all. “Charlotte, do you have any makeup remover?”

“Sure.”

Emily wiped her cheek a few more times. “This isn’t comin’ off. Savannah, I thought you said this stuff came off with soap and water.”

“It does.”

“Then why isn’t it comin’ off?” Emily slammed her locker door, annoyed.

The drama got Link’s attention. “What are those four doin’ over there?”

“Look’s like they’re having some kind of problem,” Lena said, leaning against her locker.

Savannah tried to wipe the black moon off her own cheek. “Mine isn’t comin’ off, either.” The moon was now smeared across half her face. Savannah started digging around in her purse. “I have the pencil right here.”

Emily pulled her purse out of her locker, searching through it. “Forget it. I have mine in my bag.”