Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, #1)(34)

I had thought I was in the clear; the show was almost over and the last of the royals were dying rather poorly-acted deaths in the middle of the stage.

“I know what you did, you little freak.” I spun around to face Cynthia, her face almost maniacal in frenzied excitement.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster.

“I think you do. You’re a freak. I’m going to find out why, and make sure everyone knows.”

I just froze, her acidic voice washing around the space.

“Knows what?” Wyn bounced into the conversation. I could have kissed her for arriving with such perfect timing.

Cynthia flinched a bit, her resolve lessening at my added support.

“Freak,” she repeated before strolling off to join the cast for the curtain call.

“Ugh. She bugs me,” Wyn spat. “It’s like she thinks she owns the world.”

“Yeah, well, maybe she does,” I whispered to myself before going to remove a large wooden throne.

When the bell rang, the cast and the rest of the class stormed out of the room, leaving Wyn and me to finish putting the set pieces away. Even the teacher had disappeared.

“You were right, by the way,” Wyn spoke out of nowhere. “Cynthia McFadden is an atrocious Ophelia. How do you think she got the part?”

“No one would pay the price of admission if there were a whole bunch of nobodies in the cast.” It was honest, that’s how all high school shows were cast, no matter how much I practiced in Ry’s room.

“I bet you know every speech by heart, don’t you?”

I paused, holding a large foam block in my hands and looked around me.

“Do you think everyone is gone?”

“Ooooo, yes!” Wyn’s eyes glittered as she dropped what she carried and ran to the first tier of the audience space.

My confidence shuttered for just a moment before coming back tenfold. Wyn’s excited face super-charged me. I moved to center stage and dropped my head. I ran through the entire piece in my mind before I began. I knew how I wanted to hold my hands, how I wanted my voice to sound. I just hoped it came out right.

“O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's, scholar's, soldier's, eye, tongue, sword, Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form.” I recited each line with all the purpose and emotion I felt, my body and hands moving as I pleaded to myself and the invisible characters around me. Even though I was no good, my body still felt alive.

“That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me. T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see!”

I finished as I was taught, head down, arms to the side; but I was jolted out of my closed position by not one but, two pair of clapping hands. My head jerked up just as Wyn’s hands stopped their furious applause to see Ryland. My heart calmed for just a moment, glad that it wasn’t Cynthia or some other irritating senior, before going into turbo-drive at the sight of Ry standing in the doorway.

“See! I told you! You were amazing!” He rushed in and swept me up in a giant bear hug, his arms crushing me against his chest. “Wasn’t she amazing?” He turned enthusiastically to Wyn who only nodded at him.

“You must be Wyn.” He dropped me before rushing over to her, his big hands outstretched.

“How did you know about Wyn?” I asked, interrupting the enthusiastic handshake Wyn had been sucked into. I hadn’t mentioned her to him at all.

“Well, see, someone has been avoiding me all week, and I have to hide from my father somewhere, which means that your mother and I have become the best of friends. And, I know where the cups are kept in the kitchen now.”

“No!” I shrieked, my hand flying to my chest. Wyn stuffed her hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle a laugh.

“Yes, it’s true. I can now tell you where cups and plates are to be found in my own kitchen. I know it’s a shock, but soon I may even be able to locate a bowl.” Ryland spoke seriously, like he was announcing a death, his voice causing Wyn’s laugh to come unplugged.

“It’s a scandal,” Wyn said between laughs.

“Not about that! Have you really been talking to my mom this whole week?”

A wide smile spread across his beautiful face, verifying the truth. My mom knew that Ryland had been calling me without even looking at my phone. She was up late this morning on purpose, knowing that Ryland was going to take me to school. I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but it did.

“No,” I whispered. “What did she tell you?”

“Absolutely everything! She even showed me your naked baby pictures.” I yelped in horror and did what any other logical girl with a crush would do; I slugged him in the shoulder. Unfortunately, my hand was weak and his shoulder was very strong. My hand exploded in pain as the muscles and bones separated from the rough impact.

“Ouch! Darn it, Ryland! Not fair.” I shook my hand, waiting for the sting to go away, stomping my foot in the attempt to distract my mind from the centralized pain.

“Oh, you’re such a baby. Come here.” Ry grabbed my hand and placed it in between his big, warm ones. The warmth of his hands grew and moved into my hand as the pain melted away. It was comforting to have him hold my hand so tightly, his warmth moving through me like it was something tangible.