Curse of the Sphinx (20 page)

“School.” She blushed at her incoherence.

He chuckled, and his laughter radiated through her, bringing a smile to her lips.

“Then I’ll see you at school.”

“Okay.”

His lips touched hers again, skimming back and forth. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” His lips pressed hers briefly, then he released her, and stepped down to the walkway.

The hot shower felt great, and so did the coolness of her sheets, but all of this was lost. As she snuggled down under her blankets, she was giddy from the high, and her lips tingled with the bliss of her first kiss.

FOR THE FIRST
time since her mother passed away, Hope felt excited. She alternately floated and buzzed through her morning routine. On the short drive to school, she envisioned what it would be like to have a friend—a boyfriend. The thought made her giggle.

She opened the door and walked into the crowd of students.

“Oops.” Someone bumped into her, hard. “Excuse me.”

Her smile froze and then faded, as she turned and looked down to Krista’s venomous face.

“I totally didn’t see you there. You just kinda blend. Almost like you’re invisible.” The girl’s lips curled into a sneer. She sauntered off, giggling, with her gaggle following behind.

Something ugly bubbled up inside Hope, but she shoved it down. Krista had nothing Hope wanted. Just because Athan went with her and Scott on Saturday night meant nothing. She had told him to go. And he had kissed her last night. That had to mean something.

She got to her locker and started to turn the dial, when she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, I forgot to ask you last night, where were you Sunday?” Athan drew close; his fingers separated a lock of her hair that he curled around his finger. “I called and called, but you never picked up.”

“Oh . . . yeah, sorry.” She pulled out the new phone in its bright pink case. “New phone. I texted you, though.” She frowned.

“New number, too?” He pulled out his phone. “Ouai. Sorry. I didn’t look.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Swapping digits, huh?” Haley bounced up in a new denim skirt and flip-flops. She looked ready for the beach. “I bet you’re so glad those creeps won’t be calling anymore.”

Hope shook her head and tried to signal Haley to shut up.

“So freaky . . . What?” Haley looked back and forth between Hope and Athan, and settled again on Hope. “You mean you didn’t tell him?”

Athan frowned. “Tell me what?”

Hope pursed her lips. “It was nothing. I got a couple prank calls.”

Haley grimaced. “Nothing? You looked like you’d been chased by Apollo’s army. Freaked. Out.”

“You got a new phone because some guys were prank calling you?”

“Not just some guys,” Haley continued. “Some guys that were threatening her, like ‘We’re going to hunt you down—’”

“Do you know who they were? That’s harassment.” Athan’s nostrils flared, and he looked like he wanted to hit something, or someone.

The bell rang.

“Come on. It doesn’t matter now. New number. They don’t even know who I am.”

Haley waved good-bye, and Athan walked Hope to class.

“Seriously, if something like that happens again Hope, you’ve got to tell me. It’s not right to keep secrets from me. You don’t keep secrets from your boyfriend.”

Did he just say . . .

Athan leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Come on.”

When they got to the door, he paused, holding her back with the conversation. “Please don’t keep things from me. I’ll see you at lunch?” His gaze held her, his cadence wrapped her in silk.

“Um, okay.”

“I’ll meet you by your locker.” He turned to leave, but looked back with a wink.

She heard a nearby student giggle, but she didn’t care. She smiled and went into class.

“How many of you have seen this?” Mrs. Biggers held up a newspaper and waved it in the air. “I’m shocked. It’s just so exciting!”

Hope slid into her desk and looked around the room. Heads were down; a couple people were texting on the phones in their laps. A few students had glassy stares fixed on their eccentric teacher.

“Let me read this to you,” she continued. “This is the second sighting of the monster many think is the ancient Sphinx. Mythologists around the world are flocking to Eastern Washington to hunt for the creature.” She looked up, her face alight. “Can you imagine?”

Hope felt her face get hot.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a monster,” Krista whispered.

Hope glared at her. “Who cares what you think?”

“Everybody.” Krista tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“Do you have something you need to share?” Mrs. Biggers stared from Krista to Hope.

Hope shook her head.

“Then I suggest you let me finish my lesson, ladies.” She took a deep breath in. “Now where was I . . . Oh, yes. The sons of Apollo have been petitioned to hunt the monster. But some say there is no such organization. It’s most exciting. Krista, what are your thoughts?”

Krista looked from Mrs. Biggers to Hope. “Personally, I think all monsters should be hunted and slaughtered. Even if they look human.” She turned back to Mrs. Biggers and smiled.

“A very interesting view, Krista. You aren’t the only one that feels that way. What defines a monster? And who should make that determination?”

Hope waited until the students filed out of class to address Mrs. Biggers.

She took a deep breath. “Um, Mrs. Biggers?”

“Yes?”

“I’ll be out the last half of this week. My lawyer, Mr. Davenport, called, and I need to see him about the trust.” She wanted to sound confident, but it sounded more like a request.

“Of course.” Mrs. Biggers nodded. Students filed into the room. “You have the assignments. You can keep up.”

Chemistry was next.

While Mr. Burgess was doing a “dangerous, don’t try this at home” demonstration, whispers from Angela and Krista floated across the aisle.

“Did you and Athan have fun at the river on Thursday?”

Hope’s breath caught. She told herself it didn’t matter what they said, but her focus zeroed in on the two girls.

“So. Much. Fun. You should’ve come. Tristan and Lee were there, and Scott showed up later, too. Haley and Heather came, and Heather brought some friend of hers from the Dalles.” And then, louder: “It was perfect.”

Hope felt hot, and her stomach dropped.

“What did you guys do?” Angela asked, clearly more than a little jealous.

“Oh, you know, just hung out. Lit a campfire, told scary stories, roasted marshmallows. Did you know that Athan can play a whole bunch of musical instruments? And he can sing.” Krista’s voice dropped further, “He’s so incredibly . . . sexy.”

“Did anything happen?” Angela asked. Hope found herself shifting to get a better look.

Krista looked like she won the lottery. “Well, he took me home, and do you count kissing? And, Friday for Twister.” She giggled, and her voice dropped. “And Sunday for poker.”

“You guys played poker.”

“Mm-hmm.” She raised her eyebrows. “Strip poker.”

Hope couldn’t wait for class to end.

Angela’s eyes went up. “Really? Who won?”

Krista rolled her eyes. “Uh, when you play that game, everybody wins.”

“So did he pick you up Friday?”

“Uh, no. He was over at . . .” Krista inclined her head.

Angela’s gaze followed, and her eyes locked on Hope’s.

“What was he doing at her house?” Angela whispered.

“I don’t know. It was kinda weird. I think she was trying to get him to stay. It was sad.”

Hope gritted her teeth to stop herself from saying anything. It was torture to pull her focus back to Mr. Burgess, and despite facing front, her attention kept drifting elsewhere.

When the bell rang, she collected her books and headed down the hall. She saw Athan standing at her locker, playing with the dial. When he looked at her, her heart rate picked up.

“What’s the matter?” Concern danced across his features.

Hot with emotion, she responded, “Krista and Angela were talking about the weekend in chemistry.” She looked at him, expecting him to understand.

“They’re not your friends, are they?”

She glared at him. “No way.”

“Okay. Are you mad because you weren’t invited? I tried to invite you, but—”

“No.” She cut him off, frustrated. “Krista said that you and she kissed. And you took her home, and played strip poker . . .”

Athan suppressed a chuckle, a grin stretching across his face. “Let me explain . . . just a little.” When she nodded but said nothing, he continued. “I told Scott and Tristan I would go with them last week. I tried to invite you Thursday, but you made it clear that you didn’t want to hang out.”

She remembered the abrupt text she’d sent him and nodded.

“We played a game about truths and lies, and I’m not sure winning is really best. Anyway, I did take Krista home then, and Tristan. I dropped her off first. I’m not interested in her. Not at all. And Sunday night? I had to take off my shoes and socks. That’s all. I promise I wasn’t the one who lost that game.” The smirk remained, like he was enjoying an inside joke.

“What’s so funny?”

He shook his head. “You can’t call what happened a kiss, either. And that was all before there was an us, Hope.”

She dialed her combination, dropped in her books, and grabbed her lunch without glancing back at him. Was that supposed to make her feel better? She closed the locker, and he was still staring at her, his smile just playing at the corner of his lips.

Because it didn’t.

HOPE SLAMMED HER
locker shut, then looked around for Athan. He’d left in the middle of algebra, and she thought he’d be back by now.

She stared down the hall, willing him to appear. A group of students passed her then started laughing. Then another group.

The smell of overcooked vegetables and beef gravy wafted down the hall from the open doors of the lunchroom.

A group of girls pushed past her, bumping her shoulder. A couple of them snickered as they passed.

Someone shoved her, and she lurched forward. Hope turned and faced Krista.

“I’m sick of you always putting your face where it isn’t wanted,” Krista spat.

“Excuse me?” Hope could hardly believe Krista’s hostility. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re disgusting, you know that?”

Hope shook her head. “What did I ever do to you?”

“Ugh. Your entire life is offensive. And not just to me.” Krista looked back at her friends with a nod. They were like a horde of wannabe Barbies. “You’re a monster, and we’ve already sent a message to the sons of Apollo.”

Her heart stopped. Was she serious? “You don’t even know what you’re messing with.” Hope took a step forward.

“And when the demigods find you,” Krista sneered, “they’ll rub you off the face of the earth.”

With all the bravado she could muster, Hope closed the gap separating them, and looked down on Krista. “You’re just jealous because Athan picked me.”

Krista’s hand drew back, and this time Hope knew what to expect. She caught Krista’s wrist before it could strike.

“I told you not to do that again.” Hope released Krista’s arm with a little shove.

“You have nothing that I want,” Krista shrieked, “Nothing.” She drew her leg back.

Hope swung her arm, changing the trajectory of Krista’s leg.

Hope knew it before it happened.

Krista was too close to the lockers. She spun, then wind-milled her arms, and lost her balance. Her face bounced off the metal as she went down. Crimson gushed, and Krista’s hand flew to nose and lip.

Hope backed away, her hands up.

“What’s going on?” A cafeteria worker came up to the gathering crowd. “Oh. Oh, no.” She looked at Krista and yelled for someone to get ice. Then, surveying the group, her gazed landed on Hope. “You. You did this?”

The other students backed away.

“It was an accident.” Hope’s fear warred with her pride. “She tried to kick—”

“And yet,” the lunch lady said, “she’s the one bloodied on the floor.”

Krista’s sobbed hysterically.

“To the principal’s office.” The matronly woman’s voice was steely. “Now.” Then, she bent over Krista. “All right now. Let’s get some ice on that and get you to the nurse.”

Could this day get any worse?