Chapter 15

RHEA

I wait outside, looking through the tourists to try and spot Jack and his brother. I should have met them outside the academy dorms rather than saying I'd meet them here, but I didn't expect it to be so busy. Especially at this time of year, it's not even the school holidays yet.

Eventually, I spot them, and wave them over to me, relieved that I don't have to stand in one spot for any longer.

Jack's face lights up as he sees me, while Eddy just looks a bit bored. Maybe the museum isn't his first choice of entertainment for a Saturday. More likely, he's just a grieving thirteen-year-old who doesn't fully understand what's happening. Losing someone is a lot to get a handle on at my age, I can't imagine how complicated it would have been a few years ago, or to have lost my primary carer. My heart aches for him in a new way.

"Hey," Jack says as they reach me.

"Hi. Sera's meeting us inside to let us into the museum. I'm not precisely sure what she's told them, but she promises me it's fine and the tickets are all ours." I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry to drag you out of bed on a Saturday."

"You're fine, I like the museum," I assure him, not mentioning that I also want to support him and this is the best way I know how. "And I didn't actually have any plans today anyway." I'd probably have just ended up staying in bed and doing nothing all day.

"Still, I appreciate it."

"Jack said your friend works here," Eddy says, looking up from his phone and staring at my hair as if he's expecting one of my snakes to make an appearance. Neither of them oblige.

"She does. She's the one who got us free tickets." I stand there a bit awkwardly, not really knowing the best way to talk to him. Maybe I shouldn't have come today after all. I clear my throat. "Shall we?" I gesture to the grand building behind me.

Eddy hangs close to Jack's side, his little shadow. It's sweet to see how much he seems to care that Jack's here for him, but makes it difficult for me to have a conversation about anything.

I push the thought aside. Today isn't about me and I need to remember that.

Sera spots us and heads straight over. "Welcome," she says brightly. "You must be Jack and Eddy," she says to the two gargoyles, making me realise she's never actually met Jack even if they were both at my birthday party.

"Pleased to meet you," Jack says.

"Likewise," Sera responds. "Come on, I'll get you checked in and then you can explore."

We follow her over to a computer and she taps on a couple of keys, producing three tokens and handing one to each of us.

"Just give them to the person at the entrance," she says, gesturing over in the direction of the turnstiles that lead into the museum.

"Is there anything we need to tell them?" I ask, already worrying about what she's had to do to get us free tickets.

"No, you're here as my guests. I have to log you in, but it's all above board. Nothing dodgy," she promises. "I get five passes a month and I barely use them."

I sigh with relief. I thought she was going to have to do a bit more persuading in order to get them, but I'm glad she's only had to push a few buttons. "Thanks, Sera."

"Any time. Or not quite any time because now I only have two passes left for the month, but you know what I mean."

"Are there any special shows on at the moment?" Eddy asks, seeming really interested.

"There's an entire exhibit on animal poo right now," Sera says, picking up a leaflet and handing it to him.

"Really?" Eddy's eyes light up as he takes it.

She laughs. "Well it's called The Feacts About Feaces Exhibit, with an e in facts, but yes. It's all about different animal droppings."

"I've got to see that," Eddy announces excitedly.

Sera points him in the right direction and he hurries off, giving his token to the member of staff at the entrance.

"How did you know that would interest him?" I ask.

"You said he's thirteen, it wasn't hard to guess," she jokes.

"I should go make sure he doesn't touch anything," Jack says. "Thank you, Sera. You've no idea how much I appreciate this."

"No problem." She smiles.

I give him an odd wave as he disappears after his brother and let out a sigh.

"All right, I have questions," Sera says.

"Like?"

"Like when did you get a boyfriend and why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," I counter.

She raises an eyebrow. "Really?" She looks over to where Jack and his brother have disappeared. "Could have fooled me."

"It's not like that," I say quickly. "I don't think. It's complicated."

"I'm not surprised. But seriously, what's going on? Isn't he the same guy you went home with on your birthday?"

"He helped me get home, we didn't go home together like that," I protest. "We met in grief support group and we've been spending a lot of time together since. We're friends, I think."

"Uh-oh, think is never good," the phoenix responds, looking past me to make sure no one needs her attention.

"I'm just confused about how I'm feeling, and everyone keeps asking me if we're together, and that's just more confusing."

"Ah, yeah, I can relate to that."

"Of course. Everyone just assumed you and Hugo were an item."

"To be fair, we were acting like it," she concedes, which is more than she did when I met her. "So are you confused about if it's more, or just wanting it to be?"

"I don't know," I admit. "I'm..."

"Confused." She nods in understanding. "I guess if you're good friends then talk to him about it."

"I will. I just need to find the right time, and I know that's definitely not when his focus is on his brother."

"No, probably not."

"Thanks, Sera."

"Any time. But I'm really sorry, I need to cut this short and go deal with some customers. You know your way around, right?" she checks.

I nod. "You know what I want to see."

She laughs and waves as she heads over to deal with her customers.

I take a deep breath and look around me. Jack and Eddy are long gone, so I guess that means I'm on my own for now. I head up into the museum and to the wing with the paintings.

For now, I ignore all of the other ones and make a beeline for the gorgon I know is hanging there.

She looks even more glorious in this version than the one in the bar. It's much bigger, almost lifesize, and I can see details that are lost in smaller versions. This wing of the museum is quieter than the others, probably because people are more interested in some of the other exhibits, but that suits me just fine.

Hiss and Rattle slide down onto my shoulders. I don't know why they've decided to make their way out of my bun right now, maybe they want to admire the painting as much as I do. Maybe they can just sense how I feel about it. I won't pretend to know the way of snakes.

"I thought you might be here," a familiar voice says.

I turn slightly and smile at Jack as he approaches.

"It's the big version of the painting your granny sent you," he says as he comes to stand next to me.

"Yes, though I think this is also a copy of the original." I look into the gorgon's eyes, reaching up to touch my glasses. How did she deal with a world that shunned her because she had the ability to destroy them?

"Do you think she was a real person?" Jack asks.

"I don't know. She doesn't have a name. Or at least, not one I've ever heard, and I've looked into just about everything I can about this painting. She's forever going to remain a mystery to me."

"Or you'll be the one to solve it. You'll be on all those shows on that channel for documentaries talking about how you discovered her name."

I laugh. "It's more likely that I'll discover she's just an interpretation of Medusa, or that she's actually a witch with some seaweed on her head and the artist added the snakes because they felt like it."

"Would that change how you feel about the painting?" he asks.

"No, I don't think so. Because what this painting, and what this painting is to me are two different things. I'm never going to stand in front of it and not think about Granny. She's always going to be with me when I see it, always telling me that I have the ability to be anything. Sometimes, I almost believe it." Which is why I'm going to treasure the smaller version she got me for the rest of my life.

"Only sometimes?"

I turn my head to look at him. "Other times, I just think about how much I have against me. Who would want to date someone who could turn them into stone by accident?"

"Someone made of stone, perhaps."

Is there a hint of hope in his voice? It's hard to tell.

"If they can get past that, then there's Hiss and Rattle." I gesture to the snakes sitting on my shoulders.

"What about them?"

"Well, if you were kissing me, wouldn't you be a little freaked out about the idea that a snake could slide over your hand?"

"If I was kissing you, the last thing I'd be thinking about is your snakes." He seems to realise what he's said, because he pauses and seems to be thinking. "What I mean is...no, I think what I mean is what I said."

"I..."

"Jack! Come see this!" Eddy calls.

I groan. That's bad timing.

"One second," Jack calls back. He reaches out and takes my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "This conversation isn't over, Rhea."

"That sounds like a threat."

He chuckles. "More like a promise. My grandparents are coming tomorrow, but Monday?"

I nod. "Okay." I think I know what he's going to say, but I want to be sure before I find myself getting too attached to the idea of anything.

He flashes me a smile and hurries over to find out what his brother wants.

I let out a loud sigh. I guess things just got more complicated. Or less complicated, it's hard to put my finger on which it might be. But after everything we've already been through, I guess I'm feeling like it's all going to be fine and slot into place just the way it should.