Page 101 of Victorious: Part I

Phoenix throws it open, but he’s instantly hit with a blast of heat and stumbles back, shielding his face. “Shit!”

My chest tightens. “What happened? Did something blow?”

He steps in again, squinting through the steam cloud, the muscles in his back coiled tight. “Coolant hose must’ve cracked. Probably built up too much pressure sitting in the heat too long.”

I hover near the side mirror, the thick scent of coolant mixing with grease and sunbaked metal. “Pleasetell me you can you fix it?”

He wipes a grimy hand across his face, frustration radiating off him. “Not out here. No parts, no tools, no light.” He slams the hood closed with a frustrated, hard clang. “We’re not going anywhere tonight.”

The words settle over me like dust.

I glance around, and suddenly, the water park feels different.

It’s not whimsical or weird or charming anymore.

It’s a skeleton in the desert.

The slides look warped and alien.

The old snack bar is just a rusted box.

And the sky…

The sky is bleeding.

Yellows fading into orange, orange into red. The shadows are getting longer and darker as if the day is closing in on us.

With an impending sense of doom looming over me, I fold my arms over my chest for comfort. “It doesn’t look so charming now,” I murmur.

He doesn’t say anything, but I feel the same thing he does.

We’re stranded.

Night’s coming fast.

And we totally just nearly fucking kissed!

“So, we’re sleeping here?” I ask, trying to keep the concern from my voice.

Phoenix peers around, assessing our options. “Looks like it. Let’s see if one of those old buildings is secure enough to camp in,” he says, clearly avoiding the kiss topic like I am.

As if to underscore our predicament, the black cat reappears, sitting at a distance, watching us with those unnerving yellow eyes.

“Great,” Phoenix mutters. “You wanna tell me again how your little friend isn’t a bad omen?”

I can’t help a nervous laugh. “Maybe it’s good luck?”

“I think black cats are the opposite of good luck, Clo. And our situation right now proves it.”

Despite everything, I smile. “Well, a situation is only what you make it.”

He gives me a look that says our situation is screwed and then heads toward what was once the park’s main building. “Come on. Let’s find somewhere to sleep before it gets completely dark.”

Letting out a heavy exhale, I follow, casting one last glance at the cat. It blinks slowly at me, then turns and disappears into the shadows of the abandoned park.

Somehow, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of it.

“Thanks, kitty, thanks a lot,” I whisper, then take off after Phoenix because I donotwant to be alone out here after dark.

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