Page 155 of Driftwood Daffodil

I gave him a quick lip, curl then headed off to search the crowd. There were a lot of people here, too many for me to be sure I did a thorough inspection, but that would require possibly talking to people and walking up the bleachers, none of which I was enthusiastic to do.

So I headed out into the hall hoping that I’d get lucky. And if I didn’t, at least I’d gotten away from the basketball game. I might even be able to slip away completely. I could go home and immerse myself in a bubble bath while I anxiously stared at the phone waiting for Kato to call. If I was being honest, that's what I really wanted to do.

Sure Memphis would be a little ticked off, but Maw Maw just made a fresh batch of cookies. I could part with one or two. Though two might be pushing it. He did drag me to this game after all. Meaning Memphis should be giving me treats.

Ah the things I do for my best friend.

I left the gym and turned left.

Hearing my footsteps echo off the walls was a little disturbing, but not nearly as disturbing as the empty hallway. I suddenly understood why so many horror movies took place in a school. This shit was so eerie that I missed the feel of my trusty bat.

There was no telling who might be hiding in those lockers. Every time the crowd would cheer, I found myself springing back from the vibrations and eyeing the metal doors. Killers always came from the place you least expected, though.

I jumped around a trash can on the opposite side of the hall and proclaimed, “Ah-ha!”

There was no monster hiding on the other side. That was kind of depressing. So much for having an epic battle with a mythological beast. Guess I’d just tell Memphis about my regular old walk out to my truck.

I looked around at the shadows dancing across the shiny white floor, and suppressed a shiver.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t a regular walk.

There was nothing like a bunch of religious decorations to add to the creep factor.

Turning my head, I eyed a large crucifix hung on the right wall. Why did it feel like that thing was watching me?

“Get the fuck away from me!”

My eyes snapped up to the plain white ceiling, “Jesus?”

“Are you going to punish me now?”

Okay that definitely wasn’t the son of God. Son’s didn’t typically have female voices. Although Jesus did seem to like getting punished. What with voluntarily sacrificing himself for our sins and all.

The next statement drew my attention to a door down the hall.

“For what, more fake tears and phony pleas.”

I knew that angry tone, and it definitely didn’t come from anything divine. Demonic maybe, but I wasn’t sure if even hell would accept Gio Mancini. Looks like I found him, and hey he wasn’t pissed at me for once. So that was a bonus. Or was it?

My eyes narrowed on the door. Who was this chick he was yelling at? There was no possible way she was more annoying than me. I was a heavyweight in that category.

Gio’s voice rolled down the hall, making my fists ball, “Now get out, before I have a talk with Darry.”

Now this bitch was just egging me on.

I crept up to the door to peek in at my competitor. The second I looked in the room my blood started to boil. There was a woman sprawled out on the ground as if she’d been pushed, and Gio was glowering over her. I didn’t know who this chick thought she was, but that was my murderous intent.

“You wouldn’t,” she said and her head tipped a bit.

That’s when my brow rose. She was more seasoned than I would’ve thought. Don’t get me wrong, the woman was beautiful, blonde hair and perfect facial structure, but a little too old to be wearing something that revealing under her coat. Especially when she was alone in a room with an eighteen year old guy.

Maybe Gio was into cougars? It wouldn’t be the worst fetish I’d heard of. Memphis told me about this guy at summer camp that had a thing for cars. And not in the ‘I want to drive them sense’. I had questions about that one.

The woman picked herself up off the ground, and I quickly threw myself back, flattening against the wall. As if that would somehow magically hide me. But she was already coming out of the room, so it was too late for me to make a mad dash for another place. All I could do was hold my breath and listen to the slow clap in the back of my head.

Brillant Nova, just brilliant.

Luckily, fate seemed to be on my side. The woman marched out of the room and down the hall, too pissed off to notice me standing there like an idiot.

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