Page 49 of The Boy Who Loved Wicked
“Remember when we took you to that poetry slam and after you promised you would live in the light? Don’t slink back into your dark corner because of him, Pheeny.”
I wanted to point out that I had never left my dark corner. Not really. The light had come to me but now it was gone.
“Phoenix!” someone shouted.
“Oh, Mason’s here. Come on,” Theory said.
“Ah, I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Danny said, being led like Pavlov’s dog to a group of girls.
Theory linked her arm with mine, and we made our way over to where Mason stood near the DJ booth.
We struck up a friendly conversation, and the sense that eyes were boring into my back increased everytime Mason leaned in to talk into my ear. My tuxedo was tight, my scalp tingled from the intense bun, and my heart hurt. Add the sensation of Sebastian’s gaze searing through my suit and fanning over my skin like a bare hand to the mix, and I grew more uncomfortable by the second. And petty. I stepped in closer to Mason and shout-talked into his ear. I tensed my muscles to resist being lifted off my feet by the chill that hit me from behind.
Theory excused herself, and Mason relaxed more when it was only the two of us, and my forced smile pulled a genuine one from him. He liked me.Likedme. And my gut screamed at me to stop leading him on. He had no clue his words weren’t computing with me, because my mind was somewhere else in that gymnasium. I thought I’d be ill when his hand braved the journey to my lower back. “I’m not feeling so good. I should probably head home.”
He checked his watch. “It’s still early,” he said, but his worry overrode his disappointment. I was such a shitty person. “Did you drive?”
“Ah, no.”Could this night get any worse?Theory had driven us. No way would I be able to ditch now.
“I can drive you,” he said cheerfully.
“Really? That’d be great. Let me use the bathroom first.” I walked off before he could answer, rushing to the restroom before I broke down in front of the whole school.
“Are you all right?”
I wheeled around from where I’d been leaning my forehead against the wall, to find Sebastian by the door raising his mask to his head. I couldn’t answer him. That would’ve required breathing.
“I said I wouldn’t approach you, but you didn’t look so well heading this way.”
Who knew all I needed was a whiff of bullshit to help me find my words. “You mean you didn’t approve of me talking to Mason, don’t you?”
“You’re vulnerable right now—”
“Save it, Sebastian. You’ve always been jealous of him—”
“I’d be jealous of anyone that wanted you.” With his thumb and forefinger he rubbed harshly at his red eyes. “Of anyone that was better for you.”
“It’s your fault that I’mvulnerable,” I said. He wasn’t thinking straight. We were in a school bathroom, students and faculty on the other side of the door. Anyone that walked in here would know something was amiss. The tension and pain pushed at the walls. The wooden stall doors groaned from the pressure of it. “I’m leaving. Excuse me.”
He put his back to the door. “Where are you going?”
“That’s none of your business.” But I wanted it to be.
“Are you leaving with him?”
“What if I am?”
“Don’t make a stupid decision because of what happened between us.”
“Fuck you. You don’t get to weigh in on my decisions anymore.”
“I’ll drive you home—”
“I didn’t say I was going home.”
Sebastian’s body jerked when someone attempted to push the door open.
“Phoenix? Are you okay? What’s wrong with the door?”
