Page 52 of Sweet Nightmare

There aren’t any, so she finishes with a quick thank-you for our help before dismissing us.

“So what exciting task do you think we’ll get stuck with?” Luis mutters as we wait for the ninth through eleventh graders to file out, and I swear, if he slinks down any farther in his chair, the boy will be on the floor.

“As long as it’s not stocking up the chricklers’ food supply, I couldn’t care less.” The scratch on my shoulder twinges at the thought, and part of me can’t believe I just got it yesterday. It feels like days have passed since then.

“No shit,” Luis replies with a snort. “Even your mom couldn’t be that cruel.”

“I think we both know that’s not true.”

“Okay, seniors, thank you for your patience.” Uncle Christopher takes the microphone. “Since you’re all out at the cottages, we’ve centralized your task tables in here.” He points to four tables stationed around the room, each with letters corresponding with a range of last names. “Report to your table and get your group assignment. Once it’s completed, you can come back here to pick up your dinner before heading back to your room to pack a bag and get some sleep before we portal out of here. Any questions?”

A few queries get called out, but the rest of us are already moving. The faster we get this done, the higher our chances of beating the next rainband.

I don’t mind boarding up windows or trimming trees, but I’d prefer to not do it in the pouring rain. Despite the beach towel Luis handed me earlier, my clothes and hair are still really wet from the last round.

Except, when I get my assignment, I realize it doesn’t matter if it’s still raining or not. Because it turns out I was right and Luis was wrong.

My mother really can be that cruel.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

FEELING DOWN IN

THE DUNGEONS

“You can’t be serious.” Luis looks pissed as we walk over to the east door, where my assignment says to meet the rest of the admin building group.

“At least I won’t be by myself for once,” I answer. “More people equals less of a chance I get bit.”

“By the chricklers, maybe.” He snorts. “What about the rest of the creatures?”

“I feel like the theory still stands.”

“Even the ones that get riled up with more people around?” he shoots back. “I can’t believe they gave you the menagerie. Does your family hate you or something?”

“I think so, yes.” But my answer has nothing to do with the task I’ve been assigned and everything to do with who is standing next to the east door, where we’re supposed to meet everyone else assigned to the admin building. Because, as the crowd thins out, I can very clearly see Jude, Mozart, Ember, and their other friend, Simon.

This has disaster written all over it.

“Ready to hammer some stuff?” Eva asks as she comes up from behind me and drapes an arm over my shoulders. “We can take some of our angst from last night out on those boards.”

“We can take it out on the boards,” Luis tells her. “Clementine has menagerie duty. Again.”

She looks astonished. “For fuck’s sake. You’ve really got to stop pissing in your mom’s cornflakes,” she tells me with a shake of her head.

“To be fair, Aunt Carmen said she assigned two of us down there. I figure it’s got to be Caspian.” He’s the only other student they let into the menagerie cages, though he almost never has to do anything because I’m always in trouble. “Maybe they’ll bite him instead.”

“Currently the consensus is it’s because Clementine’s mother is evil and heinous,” Luis volunteers.

“True story,” I mutter as I shove my hands in my pockets and stare at the ground. I can feel the weight of Jude’s eyes on me, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of looking up.

I’m ignoring Jude. I’m ignoring Jude. I’m IGNORING Jude.

I’m not looking at him.

I’m not touching him, even by accident.

And I’m damn sure not kissing him. Ever again.

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