Chapter 9

NOVALEE

“ I don’t know why I’m helping you.”

I smiled at Memphis.

My brow arched. “I’d do it for you.”

I would absolutely help him hide a bruise. I may not do a very good job, and I would most definitely murder whoever hit him, but I would give him my best cover up attempt. Know what I wouldn’t do? I wouldn’t lecture him about it.

“Well, lucky for you, I don’t date abusive men.”

“Gio didn’t hit me.”

“Uh huh.”

“I’m serious.”

“Whatever you say.”

Ugh, why couldn’t he just believe me? “Can you just finish? We’re going to be late.”

Doing this while sitting in my truck in the parking lot of St. Agatha’s probably wasn’t the best choice, but Veda was running behind this morning. So, I didn’t have a choice. Going into the school with a big bruise visible on my face wasn’t an option. How many people would I have to talk to after that? The gossip train was bad enough already.

Memphis swept a brush across my cheek and sighed. “I don‘t know why you’re making me do this?”

“Um… because you’re better at it than I am.” Duh.

“No, I’m not. You’re just too lazy to do it yourself.”

Well, there was that. But in my defense, if he had to spend half a day explaining why he was hunting a rat with a rifle to Maw Maw, he would be exhausted too. I spent the rest of the day denying the existence of a half-naked fella that Mr. Garibaldi said paid me a visit.

Apparently Gio had no modesty. Bastard walked right outside with his stuff on display. Or as Mr. Garibaldi put it, with his one eyed trouser snake flapping in the breeze. There was an image I’d never get out of my head.

Needless to say, I was grounded for the foreseeable future. When I skipped school tomorrow to go and see Kato, I’d probably be locked in my room for the rest of my life.

I thought about waiting until Maw Maw cooled down – going for the trifecta of bad behaviour was not a good idea when it came to a woman like her – but I hid her slippers, so, at least my brain cells would be spared.

“How did you get out of the house without Maw Maw seeing this?”

That was a good question, and one I had a genius answer for. “I told her I slapped myself.”

He stopped and rolled his eyes up to mine. “And she fell for that?”

“Is it really that unbelievable?”

In the five minutes we’d been sitting here, I’d elbowed him in the gut and poked myself in the eye. The eye thing was kind of his fault, though. A little warning before coming at my face with a make-up brush would’ve been nice.

“Fair enough,” he nodded and went back to work.

While Memphis continued to perfect my ‘I wasn’t slapped in the face’ look, I scanned the parking lot.

St. Agatha’s looked extra religious in the morning. The sun crested over the cross on the roof, casting a shadow on the parking lot, as if it was trying to bless every student that parked there. Then again, it could be trying to keep out demons and vampires. Not that I believed in those things, but I could appreciate the extra caution.

I could name a few people who could use an exorcism. Like a certain asshole and his dipshit friends. Thankfully, they were nowhere to be seen. It was just the usual morning crowd milling about.

‘I think I’m cool’ guy was standing by the door in a stance that was anything but cool, like he did every morning. ‘Blushes a lot’ girl was sitting on a bench trying not to look at him, the three ‘we’re going to ruin your morning’ cheerleaders were off to the left gossiping, and ‘bush girl’ was walking up the path with her friend—‘I want to be her boyfriend’ guy.

I was a little disappointed that Bush Girl hadn’t done a single arch nemesis duty. What was the point in dubbing someone an enemy if they weren’t going to make your life hell? I shot her evil glares every day, and nothing. Then again, she seemed completely oblivious to the way her friend looked at her, so I may need to amp up my game.

My hand slammed down on the horn, sending a loud crackly blare that was closer to a gagging goose than a car horn. Everyone in the parking lot now knew that I needed to replace my horn, but I got my desired reaction. Not only did Bush Girl trip and fall while Memphis jerked back, but ‘I think I’m cool guy’ lost his not so cool stance.

Excellent.

“What the fuck, Nova!”

“What. I have to let them know I’m here.” More specifically, Bush Girl.

Memphis shook his head. “I think your muffler accomplishes that.”

“Not anymore.” Stupid Atlee, fixing my truck.

“Huh?” Memphis leaned back in to continue applying make-up. “I thought it was oddly quiet this morning.”

“Annoying, isn’t it?”

“Or peaceful.” He argued.

Pfft, who wanted peace? Certainly not Bush Girl. Based on the sneer she shot my way, I’d say peace was the last thing on her mind.

I smiled and waved at her, causing Memphis to look out the windshield.

“Did you do that just to torment Stacy?”

Stacy? That was a perfect nemesis name. “Maybe.”

“She’s student body president, Nova.”

“So?”

“Why can’t you make enemies with someone less influential?”

I turned my now dour expression his way. “You mean like Gio Mancini?”

“Fair point.” He nodded. “By the way, if Chuck asks, you guys got to talking at Chuck’s game and hooked up shortly after.”

That was oddly accurate. “And he believed that?”

Chuck seemed pretty convinced that something else was going on. Which it was, but he didn’t need to know that.

“You don’t exactly make great choices when it comes to men.”

“They aren’t that bad.”

Memphis’s brow arched. “Simon Fisher.”

“He had nice hair.”

“We are not having this argument again.”

Well not if he wasn’t going to participate. I could argue with myself, but that wasn’t as much fun.

“Anyway,” he sat back and sighed. “You’re done.”

I sat up to inspect my jaw in the rearview mirror. Memphis did a good job. If I looked really close, I could still see a faint touch of purple, but not enough to scream I got slapped .

“Thank you.” I smiled.

“Whatever. Next time Gio hits you, hide the evidence yourself.”

“I told you, it wasn’t, Gio.”

“Uh huh? And let me guess, the marks on your neck are from a scarf?”

Okay, those were from Gio, but the scarf thing wasn’t totally out there. “He didn’t hit me, Memphis.”

“Then who did?”

“Marty.”

“Who the hell is, Marty?”

“He’s Marty.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, Nova.”

“Listen, it’s not my fault that you don’t know who Marty is.” I said, and opened the door to step outside. “Maybe you should pay better attention.”

Of course I didn’t expect Memphis to have any idea who Marty was. Why would he? But, I would enjoy watching him try to find him for the next week.

“Wait,” Memphis called, and quickly followed me. “Is Marty that guy who got his foot stuck in the locker room drain?”

“No.” I kind of wanted to meet that guy though.

People weren’t too happy with us. We got glares, whispers, and the occasional sneer. Stacy lifted her hand and displayed a finger when we walked past. That one made me smirk. Arch nemesis mode had been activated.

Memphis was too busy thinking about other things to notice anything. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a Marty.”

“Impossible. Everybody knows Marty.”

“How do you know him?”

“He slapped me.” I thought we established that.

“You didn’t know him before that?”

He was getting suspicious, and I couldn’t have that. Then I’d have to find something else to amuse me for the next week.

“I didn’t know, know him,” pulling open the door, I stepped in the school halls. “But I knew him.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why do I feel like you’re sending me on a wild goose chase?”

Because I was.

“Would I do that?” Where was the faith?

“Yes.”

Sometimes, I wished Memphis didn’t know me as well as he did.

Trying to play it cool, I gave him a shrug. “Like I said, it’s not my fault you don’t know Marty.”

We came to a t-intersection where Memphis lifted his chin, and eyed me. “There is no Marty.”

Bless his heart. He sounded so sure about that.

“Oh, there’s a Marty.”

“Uh huh.” Memphis pointed at me, while backing down the hall on the right. “We will continue this discussion.”

Oh, I planned on it.

“Have fun playing mascot.”

Apparently, it was just as important for mascots to attend team meetings as it was for the players. That’s where Memphis was when I texted him to come out to the parking lot.

“Don’t worry,” he turned around and waved over his shoulder. “I’ll misspell something on your locker later.”

That was just mean.

“I’m not coming to your birthday party next month.”

“Good, maybe someone else will get some cake.” He called out before disappearing around the corner.

That’s what he thought, but I had a key to his house, and his dad always picked up the cake the day before.

Turning the opposite way of Memphis, I headed for my locker. I was almost there when a door on the right side of the hall swung open.

“There’s my girlfriend.”

Ugh, Atlee.

He stepped out, and threw his arm around me before I could walk away. “Did you miss me?”

“Why are you everywhere?”

Seriously? He was like a rash I couldn’t get rid of.

His arm squeezed my shoulders as he shot me a wink. “Oh, I can be everywhere alright.”

“Eww.” Did everything have to be sexual with him?

“Admit it, you’re a little curious.”

“I’m really not.”

His whiskey eyes lit up with a sly grin. “I think you are.”

“You highly overestimate your charm.”

That’s when the universe decided to make me eat my words.

A blonde girl ducked out of the room and rushed down the hall. She was followed by a brunette who was buttoning her shirt up, and then another blonde. That one actually stopped to give Atlee a kiss on the cheek before running off.

While my brow arched as each girl left the room, Atlee’s smug grin grew, until he was proudly displaying his ego.

“So you can lure an unsuspecting female into your web of debauchery.” I snorted. “Big deal.”

He leaned in and said, “there were three.”

“I can count.” I muttered back.

“And two of them were sisters.”

Why was he telling me this? Did he have me confused for one of his male friends?

“Do you know any of their names?” I bet he didn’t.

“I know they like to moan mine.”

My face dropped. “You disgust me.”

Unfortunately, I did need his help. If there was anyone else I could’ve asked – besides Gio – I would’ve. Atlee was literally my only option. Since I didn’t really know if he would do me any favors, I’d have to feel him out first.

“You don’t have a problem skipping school, do you?”

“Why?” His brow arched. “What do you have in mind?”

I was going to take that as a no, he didn’t have an issue with it.

“That depends, would you tell Gio?”

“Would it piss him off?” He asked back.

“Probably.”

“Then, yes.”

I did send my best friend on a hunt for the mythical super popular Marty, so I could respect that.

“Could you wait to tell him until we were out of town?”

That made him stop and eye me. “Where do you want to go?”

Well, there was no time like the present.

“To see my brother.”

“And you need me because you’re still a minor?”

“Correct.”

“Okay.”

My eyes narrowed.

That was too easy.

“Just like that?”

He shrugged. “Why not?”

I didn’t like it, but I didn’t really have another choice. If only Memphis’s birthday was last month. Or, better yet, some asshole named Snake could’ve kept his nose out of my business, then this wouldn’t be a problem. There was a chance that Kato knew nothing. But why would the universe start liking me now? Besides, I didn’t trust snakes. Not since one bit me in the ankle.

“I’m trusting you here.”

“Well darlin,” Atlee tightened his hug around my shoulders. “That’s your first mistake.”