Or maybe they’re waiting for us to make a move.
Bea arrives very loudly, honking Sexy Blue’s horn way too many times. As I get in, she says, “Juan’s guys are really pissing me off. I’d pop all their eardrums if it didn’t also hurt you guys.”
I can’t help but smile. “That would be awesome.”
“So is everything okay? You sounded upset.” Bea peels out of the parking lot at her usual breakneck speed.
“It’s not okay. At all.” I lean towards the window to get more air, since the afternoons in Arizona are still warm even in winter.
“Say no more. I know what you need.” She heads to the main street diner, and we sit at the bar. Bea orders the biggest ice cream sundaes they have—it might be a small gesture, but it really is just what I need. She’s the best friend a girl could ask for. “Alright, we have sugar. Now spill it, chica.”
I sigh, wondering where I should start and how much I can tell. Sure would be nice if she just knew Seth could see me, then I wouldn’t have to give half truths. “Lately I don’t know how Seth feels about me anymore. Like, there’s all these little things that aren’t a big deal on their own, but together it’s just…”
Bea frowns. “He’s crazy about you. It’s probably all the stress from what’s going on. You should have seen him when you were locked up. He was a mess.”
I know she’s trying to comfort me, but I don’t feel like being comforted. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it was easy before this happened.”
“I get that.” She digs into her sundae, and I do the same. The cool ice cream is perfect after sitting out in the hot afternoon sun. It makes everything just a little bit better. “Did something happen?”
I pop a maraschino cherry in my mouth to stall. Seth took my admission about our physical relationship so hard—the last thing I need is for Bea to tell me I’m being stupid. “Yeah. I think I really hurt his feelings, even though he asked me to be honest with him when I knew he’d get upset.”
“Hmm, what did you tell him?”
“Well…” I cringe just thinking about how Seth pulled away from me. “I told him sometimes it’s weird to see him making out with me when it looks like he’s kissing air.”
Bea coughs on her ice cream. “You really told him that?”
“Yeah.” I put my head on counter. This is bad. I can tell by her reaction. “What if he wants to break up with me because we haven’t…you know?”
It feels like an eternity before Bea answers. “I don’t think Seth’s like that, but he’s probably not feeling so great about what you said.”
“I messed everything up.” I stuff more ice cream in my face. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, you have to be honest about it.” Bea looks away from me, seeming embarrassed. “I mean, it’s hard to take sometimes. Brady is always pushing me away physically because of his worries about hurting me. And I know that’s a real fear for him—that I should be respectful of it—but it doesn’t mean I like having to deal with that distance.”
I stare at her in surprise. I never would have guessed they had issues at all. “I didn’t know you felt like that.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t know you felt weird about the invisible thing. Now that I think about it, that’d be really hard.”
“You and Brady don’t have it so easy, either, though.” My ice cream is beginning to melt, so I take a last bite because I can’t stand when it gets goopy. “Gotta admit I’ve been kinda jealous of you guys, getting to take pictures together and stuff.”
“Aw, chica.” She leans in to whisper. “And I’m jealous you and Seth can make out without risk of death!”
To my own surprise, I laugh at that. Bea does, too. I’m so glad I called her, because while it doesn’t take away my problems it’s nice to know that she has some as well. Maybe that’s just how it is, trying to be with someone who has a crazy ability. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to deal with these stupid abilities?”
Bea nods. “If only. People with minimal mutations don’t know how lucky they are.”
“Seriously.” My life would be so much easier if I weren’t invisible. Sometimes I wonder why it had to happen to me. It sure isn’t fair. “It would be way easier to be with Seth if I could just see myself.”
“You guys will be okay,” Bea says with confidence I can’t even begin to muster. “You’re just going through a rough patch, and all this syndicate crap isn’t helping. Once this is over, you’ll both chill out and be back to your happy selves.”
“I hope so.” Because the alternative is something I’m not prepared to deal with. As mad as I can get at Seth, the thought of not having him in my life is the worst possible thing.
“Don’t wor—” Before Bea can finish her sentence, someone in the diner lets out a horrible screech. By the time I turn towards the noise more people are screaming, and that’s when I notice two hands coming through the glass windows just behind me.
I grab Bea’s arm and run for the door just as The Phantom’s face appears through the wall.
Chapter 26
I keep waiting for The Phantom to grab us, but we make it outside with no problem. Which is when I see those two guys from SuperMart. They not only followed us, but they brought a whole bunch of other friends with them, too. Several of them swallow Radiasure, which only proves they’re here for a fight. As if we weren’t outnumbered, now we have to deal with power-boosted abilities.
The Phantom’s dark eyes almost meet mine, and I wonder if he can sense my fear as he grins. “Someone has been a very busy bee since she got out of that jail cell.”
I gulp. “If by busy you mean sitting around my house recovering from starvation, then yes, super busy.”
The smile drops off The Phantom’s face. “The queen bee doesn’t have to move to get work done, does she? That’s what her…” He glances at Bea. “…workers are for.”
“You’ve been watching us—all we do is go to school,” Bea says with a heavy helping of attitude. “Stop making up crap just so you have an excuse to bother us. Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“School, yes.” The Phantom tips his chin up. “Where there is a lab full of supplies.”
Shit. Maybe he can’t see my expression, but Bea’s is enough to give her away.
He takes a few steps closer. “You think I don’t have eyes in that school? Don’t think for one second that this town is yours, because there’s only one syndicate boss around here and that’s Juan.”
The men around him cheer, and I get the sense that they’re not here for show. They’re here for blood.
My heart races, but I try to steady myself. “Can you at least tell us what you’re getting at before you attack us?”
Bea glances at me. I hope this hint has her ready to scream, because we don’t have a chance otherwise. The Phantom looks from side to side, as if he’s unsure about talking in the street. In broad daylight, no less.
“We know your friends stole lab equipment and chemicals from the school,” he says. “What could they need such things for?”
This is not good. Either there is a student or teacher who’s a spy at the school for Juan, or they have someone there posing as an Army official. That would be even better for them, so I’m betting on that. “I don’t know. Maybe you should tell me.”
His upper lip curls. He has reached the end of his patience with me. “Seems they needed to test something. A certain element, perhaps.”