Page 94 of Magical Academy for Delinquents
“You sure? I thought that was just some—”
“He’s right,” Gray said. “We get water, groceries, and shopping deliveries at home. My dad always has probably thirty randoms a day go to his office. As long as they look like they’re just doing their job, nobody even makes eye contact.”
I looked back at Malcolm’s drawing, which included eggs, milk, and vinegar poured into a soda can and left to sit for a week. “But you’re gonna have to reseal these. And what about anyone that tries to drink from the cans before the party?”
Malcolm glanced at Gray. “Has she forced you into bed yet?”
Gray grinned and shook his head.
Malcolm turned to Z. “She making a big deal about the fact that you’re gonna have to magically remove that monitor around your ankle?”
Z shook his head, “She knows I stole the key day one.” But then he stage-whispered to me, “You’re in trouble.”
They all turned to stare at me. Malcolm’s magic turned my skin to ice. He was ticked. “I’m the expert, Hayley.”
I tried to backtrack. “I’m sorry. I’m just double-checking …”
“Let me be the expert.”
“She’s just worried,” Evan tried to defend me.
Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. He looked up at me and pulled the cold away. “The answers to your question are magic and math,” Malcolm looked down and placed a row of tiles on his board, filling his card and beating the guys.
I sighed and turned back to his file, stomach churning. I didn’t like annoying him. I was annoying myself with all this worry. But it felt like it was too soon.
Malcolm left the other guys and came over to sit beside me. He cracked my soda and took a sip. Then he set it in front of me and pointed his hand at it. The metal around the tab heated and melted until it thinned and smoothed across the top. Then Malcolm flipped his power. Ice crystals formed on the soda can. It swelled. And then it burst, sending soda everywhere.
“Hey, man! There’s a cleaning fee!” Gray complained.
“You can afford it,” Malcolm shot back. Then he grabbed my hand. He leaned forward and stroked my palm. “Trust me, Hales. I’ve got this.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I do trust you.”
He stared at me long and hard for a second. “You’d better. Because your life is in our hands.”
A small airplane pillow went flying through the air and smacked him in the head. We both looked over to see Z crossing his arms and shaking his head from his seat. “Way to freak her out more, dick.”
“It’s the truth,” Malcolm stood and threw the pillow back at Z, who caught it.
“You can tell the truth without being harsh.”
“Okay, you tell her.”
Z leaned over in his seat to peer around Malcolm. “We’ve got you, Hales. You can trust us. And Malcolm’s too scared to say he has feeling for you and he’d go to the ends of the earth—HOLY FUCKING SHIT! My balls!” Z collapsed, sliding out of his seat onto the floor of the plane. One second, Z was on the floor holding his crotch in agony. The next he was gone and there was an airplane blanket around Malcolm’s shoulders. An airplane blanket, tied off at the neck, and nothing else. Z had slowed Malcolm down and sped himself up enough that he’d stripped Malcolm completely naked. And I hadn’t even seen it.
Malcolm’s face was scary as he stared down at himself and then back at Z.
Oh shit.My heart raced as I glanced between the two of them. It looked like World War III was about to go down. Midair. Right in the aisle in front of me.
“Little cold in here for you, Captain Smeckle?” Z grinned.
“Whoa! Whoa—let’s not forget we’re all working together—” Evan said.
Both Malcolm and Z turned to stare at him. Malcolm didn’t bother to cover up at all. Instead, his hands went to his waist, elbows out, superhero style.
A tiara made of ice appeared on Evan’s head. “Sure thing, Princess,” Malcolm retorted. “We’ll keep it sweet.”
Gray snorted. So did Z. The two of them started laughing so hard it felt like the plane was going to vibrate. Evan reached up and touched his crown. He pulled it off and laughed. Then he set it right back onto his head.
