Miss Quick

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rebuilt

I knock on Evelyn's door at exactly 5:30 the next day. I straighten my skirt with my uncasted hand and stick my hand back in my coat pocket to keep it warm.

The door opens and Evi, carrying a large tote bag and with her hair in a braided bun, grins at me and steps out of the way to let me in. "Party's downstairs."

I pause in the middle of taking my coat off, and then burst into laughter.

Evi is laughing too. "Sorry, I had to say that!"

We had decided to throw a small party at AIGEA. By we, I mean Tara, Chaste, Evelyn and I. After we got clearance from Mr. Pulcher, we persuaded Carlos, Sadie and Laurie to come as well. (After we invited Laurie, she demanded that Becca also be allowed to go.) We decided to hold the party in the not-so-secret-anymore room so none of the other students would show up.

The purpose of the party is to celebrate Jared's defeat and the end of the kidnappings and honor Smith and Jocelyn. We also invited Mr. Pulcher to host the main event, where he'll tell us everything he knows about the pendant.

After we got back to the school at 2 a.m. four days ago, Evelyn told everything Tara had told her to her dad, who helped bandage and clean us up. He also took me to the doctor for my arm, and it turned out I'd fractured my funny bone when I'd landed on it. When the doctors has asked what happened, Mr. Pulcher lied for me and said I'd fallen down some stairs. Which, let's be honest, is a lot more believable than "Her friend used a magic necklace to amplify his super strength and escape from a metal chair he was trapped in while she was in close proximity, and she flew ten feet and landed on her side."

I got a cast and a sling on my arm, and when we got back to the school we found Carlos, shadows under his eyes, pacing and waiting for us. When he saw my cast he cursed some more and apologized several times.

"Shut up," I said. "I'm exhausted, you LOOK exhausted, we need a good night's sleep. Go lie down."

After assuring him that I didn't blame him, he reluctantly accepted and retired to his dorm room.

Mr. Pulcher made me call my mom and explain that I'd fallen down some stairs at Evelyn's. I had pleaded with him and asked if I could tell her the truth, but he shook his head. "No. Not now."

So I lied to my mom again. And even though I assured her I was now fine, she insisted on coming and picking me up. That was an exhausting and apologetic car ride, but I was more than grateful to swan dive into my bed once I was home.

The night passed and I felt extremely refreshed after I woke up at  3:00 the next day. Mr. Pulcher, bless him, had excused the five of us and all the kidnapped kids from school.

After the rest of the school found out (enough of) what happened, things were surreal. Everyone was congratulating us. Doting moms and mustached dads were hugging us and thanking us, to some chagrin of their kids. Even some of the people who had nothing to do with the kidnappings were smiling at us and thanking us.

And almost as soon as it had appeared, the attention faded. I don't think any of us minded, though. Life feels more real when you're ordinary.

So we decided to do something ordinary: throw a party. Because ordinary doesn't mean boring, not at all. And four days later, here I was, just a happy, ordinary human, walking with my tote bag-carrying best friend to our secret private party.

"So what's in the bag?" I asked as she flipped on the storage room light.

"You'll see."

I rolled my eyes. "Why can't you just tell me?"