Page 55 of Soul of Shadow
Before long, they came to the stands. They stopped at the bottom, scanning the bleachers for their friends. Charlie located them quickly—three-quarters of the way up the furthest aisle on the right, Abigail leading the way—but not quickly enough. Standing alone at the bottom of the bleachers was like being onstage in the school auditorium; her classmates had spotted them and were already whispering to each other, clearly still in disbelief that, of all the girls in school, Elias had chosen Charlie.
“Let’s go,” Charlie muttered, nudging Elias toward the far-right aisle.
As they climbed the rickety metal stairs, the crowd’s eyes followed them. Charlie ducked her head, praying no one would see the bright flush on her cheeks.
After a small eternity, they arrived at the row their friends had chosen. When Charlie looked up, she found Abigail and Lou grinning from ear to ear, while Mason stared in obvious surprise. Elias let go of Charlie’s shoulder and took her hand, pulling her down the row to the open spaces beside her brother. She sat beside Mason, while Elias sat on the end.
“You’ve caused quite the stir, sis,” said Mason, nodding to the rest of the crowd, which was still whispering, occasionally even glancing over their shoulders at where Charlie and Elias now sat. He grinned. “How does it feel being the hottest piece of gossip in Silver Shores?”
“Like being a monkey on display at the zoo,” she grumbled, shifting on the bleachers.
“Oh, come on, now.” Elias threw his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side and matching Mason’s grin. “Don’t tell me you aren’t having at leastsomefun stealing your brother’s spotlight for once.”
“Hmm…” Charlie tapped her chin. “When you put it that way…”
“Watch it, Everhart,” said Mason, pointing menacingly. “You and my sister might be an item now, but never forget who was your friend first.”
Elias held his free hand to his heart. “I could never.”
“Good.” Mason nodded sternly, then turned back to watch the football game.
Her brother might be acting annoyed, but Charlie wasn’t fooled. She didn’t miss the glitter in his eyes, the smile that pulled at his lips. As if he was secretly glad to have his little sister around to rib at him. As if he was just glad to have her around at all.
26
As the game went on, the boys kept drinking. Back at the house, Mason had poured the rest of the vodka into a flask, which they now passed back and forth out of sight.
“Be careful how much you drink,” Charlie hissed to Elias. “You’ll be the one at risk of revealing your own secret, not me.”
“Relax, girlfriend,” he whispered. “I’m a mare. Our tolerance is much higher than humans’.”
“That sounds like a myth made up by your own species.”
“Maybe.” He grinned. “Speaking of which, do you have to go to the bathroom?”
“I don’t see how that is a logical segue—”
Elias stood suddenly. “My girlfriend has to go to the bathroom,” he announced to their friends. “I, as her noble boyfriend, will accompany her.”
“Right.” Lou cut a sideways glance at Abigail and Mason, smirking wryly. “They’re going to go ‘to the bathroom.’” She used her fingers to mime air quotes.
Cheeks burning, Charlie grabbed Elias’s hand and pulled him out of their row before the innuendo could escalate any further.
Once they made it out of the bleachers, she turned toward the school, as if they were actually going to use the restroom. Before she could make it very far, Elias yanked on her hand, pulling her into the slim crack between the scaffolding holding up the bleachers and the two-story equipment shed that stood beside them. Before she knew it, they were out of sight, underneath the stands.
Charlie had never been under the bleachers before. It was dark, cut off from the lights of the field and parking lot by the bodies above them and the shed behind them. She scanned the area, half expecting to find students passing around a hand-rolled joint. To her surprise, they were alone—though she did spy a few tiny stone creatures with hunched backs and green caps scurrying around. One of them held what appeared to be a three-headed mouse in its rocky fist, as if they were going to roast it over a spit.
She didn’t even want to know.
Shaking her head, she turned to Elias. “What the hell are we doing?”
“Neither of us needs to use the bathroom,” he responded.
“Obviously.” Charlie looked around the dark, hidden space. “So, what on earth did you bring me down here for?”
“I was just keeping up the ruse,” he said, words slurring slightly. “They think we’re off making out.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
