Freaksville (6 page)

Picking out my outfit I decide on jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and hoodie. Maybe people won’t notice me. Throwing the hood up, I make my way out the door and down the street. Devin’s usually here to pick me up, but with the New Born in his care, he probably has his hands full.

It’s not too far. I’ll be fine.

Around third period—PE time—I realize we’re going outside. Fun, wonderful, great, just freakin’ lovely. Coming out of the locker room in the hideous off-white T-shirt and shit-green shorts that don’t cover my large butt, an outfit otherwise known as
the uniform
, I get in the back of the line. Devin and Kyle join me, not saying a word at my appearance. Probably knowing I’d punch them.

“How’s everything?” I glance up at Devin, as we hang back.

“He’s here today,” is his reply, which has me nervously glancing around expecting him to show up and attack me again or worse, someone else. “He feels like shit about the other day.”

“Um-hmm.” I stumble along tensing up as I try to focus on my footing and the conversation.

“Are you sure you’re okay to play kickball?” Kyle follows us like a shadow. At least he hasn’t picked a fight with Devin.

“Nope, but I don’t have an actual excuse except I feel like shit.” I stumble over a piece of rock that jumped in front of me. I would’ve fallen if it weren’t for Kyle quickly grabbing my arm and Devin scurrying to my side, taking my other arm.

They’re both quiet for a moment then someone starts breathing in deeply. “Are you bleeding?” Kyle asks all of a sudden.

“Yep.” They both halfway carry my weight.

“Where? Are you okay? What happened?”

“Yeah, I’m peachy. Crimson curse is a bitch.” I can practically feel him blushing.

“Oh.”

I start sweating as soon as we’re on the field and the nausea returns. Fanning my hand in front of my face doesn’t stop it. Devin puts his hand on my shoulder and rubs it.

“Baits, Conner, Gilmore, Gray, Ashton, and White, you’re out on the field,” the coach yells, and I slowly make my way toward where I’m sure the ball will never go because I don’t want to be here. I’m having problems breathing. I really should’ve stayed home.

“It’ll be over soon enough,” Devin rumbles right behind me. “Whatever it is, don’t give me that look. I’m not leaving your side when you’re like this.”

“Thanks,” I muster. “And thanks for healing me.”

“Anytime.” He smirks with a wink. “If you need to focus on me, don’t worry. I won’t let a ball hit you in the face.” I blink back tears.

“It feels like I’m on fire.” I rub at my arms.

“Well, you are hot.”

“Gray, Gilmore, stop flirting and pay attention to the game!” Coach Green hollers.

When had it started? Devin keeps trying to distract me, and the burning feeling keeps getting worse. When it’s Kyle’s turn to kick, sharp pains start shooting through my back into my chest, and I want to scream. Because it keeps getting worse, until it feels like something’s trying to rip out of my back.

Warm hands rub my shoulders, down my arms. “I need to get out of here.” I start to wobble.

“Seriously?”

“Something’s wrong and I don’t know what’s going to happen,” I grind out through clenched teeth. “It might be some W thing.”

“Okay, faint,” he demands.

“Here we go with acting again.” I double over at the pain in my stomach and “faint.” He catches me before I hit the ground. I don’t know how real it seems until Coach’s footsteps approach.

Devin meets him halfway. Being in someone’s arms while they’re running is just asking for whiplash.

“She was complaining about not feeling well and then she….” he explains.

“Take her to the nurse,” Coach orders, and we take off.

“Breathe, Kyle,” I whisper as Devin carries me up the stairs, knowing Kyle can hear me. When I feel like we’re enough out of Coach’s sight, I frown up at him. “Take me to the girl’s bathroom.”

“Oh, what’re you going to do to me in there?” he jokes, which I appreciate, even though it’s not working.

As soon as we’re in there—the one outside of the gym, which isn’t used very often—he shuts the door and locks it. Without really thinking about it, I strip out of my shirt, and I’m just standing here in my bra and shorts. “Look at my back,” I demand. “Do you see anything?”

“This is moving too fast for me….”

“Devin.”

I feel his hands carefully moving over my back. Like a doctor would.

“I’m not seeing anything.” His voice trembles, “J-just calm down.”

“Ha.” More pain shoots through me, bringing me to my knees. “It feels like something’s trying to rip out of my back.”

“What?” he asks, bending down to my level.

I can’t talk anymore because the pain gets worse. A scream escapes me and then something literally springs out from my back. I exhale in relief and slump against the wall, panting.

“Holy….” Devin breathes.

“What the hell was it?” I ask in a small voice.

“I think you need to see it for yourself.” He helps me to my feet, and I peek over my shoulder at the mirror.

“Well, that’s new.”

I have wings.

~ Rumors ~

I don’t know how long we’ve both been standing in this bathroom, gaping at my reflection. It seems like an eternity, but it’s still too hard to grasp. I have wings. I don’t even drink Red Bull. This is ridiculous. It’s like something out of James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series. I loved those books but there’s no way in hell I could possibly fly.

Fly
because I have
wings
.

I don’t know who’s more shocked, him or me. But, soon enough, I shake my head. Time to clear it and get to work. Someone could try to come in here at any minute, and a girl in the school bathroom with
wings
would definitely hit the paper. So I wet some of the cheap paper towels and start wiping the blood and gunk off of my new off-white wings. Surprisingly, once I turn to the side, I notice the tips are purple. Like the color of my eyes in some places…weird.

“Can you help?” I’m trying to reach farther back, but it’s just not working out.

“Uh…yeah,” He clears his throat. Then he’s getting where I can’t reach, and the little pains shooting through my back are nothing compared to what I previously went through. “Does it hurt?” he asks in a quiet voice.

“Not really.” I wipe off my shoulders. “Did I get blood anywhere else?”

“You burst like a cherry, girl.” I hear the grin in his voice.

“I think we’re both thinking of how this conversation could be taken wrong.”

Once he’s done, he throws everything in the trash, whistling to himself. When he turns back to me, I wrap him in a hug. At first he stands as stiff as a statue but then his arms close awkwardly around me. “You okay?”

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

“Okay, we need to figure something out with….” he gestures to my back, holding up my gym shirt.

“I thought I’d just walk around in my bra for the rest of the day.” As I’m saying this, feathers spring out, on my lower back, ripping my bra. I have enough presence of mind to grab the front before he gets a show.

“As much as I’d love to see that,” he murmurs, “I’m not in the mood to bat guys away from you, and you might get into trouble.”

With a sigh I turn back toward the mirror and accidentally smack him in the face with a wing. He rolls his eyes when I grimace. When I extend my wings as far as they can go, they brush the walls on either side of us. I don’t think I’ll be able to wear a bra anymore. Lovely.

“Okay.” Breathing deeply, I grip the counter with both hands and let my head fall against it. It hurts but eventually they’re folded neatly against my back.

“Um….” He extends my shirt.

Right now, I’m too tired to care about modesty. Handing him my bra, covering my girls with my arm, I wait until he turns around before slipping my shirt back on. Yay, the question is, how am I going to change in the locker room from now on?

Thankfully, I got this shirt when I was a little chubby, meaning the shirt’s baggy and loose, comfortable against my aching back and newfound
wings
. “Okay,” I whisper and he turns around.

“I don’t even notice them,” he says.

“Cool.” I move toward the door, “You might have to carry—” I’m back in his arms. “I was kidding.”

“I don’t mind. You’re as light as a feather.”

“Hardy, har, har,” I snort, but still I wrap my arm around his neck and lay my head against his warm, firm chest. Resting my eyes for a little bit….

<<<->>>

At a loud sound, my eyes spring open. It’s bad when you wake yourself up with a snore. Blinking, I recognize the nurse’s ceiling. I’ve been here many times before. Dodgeballs to the face, cramps, headaches, you name it. I know Nurse Chambers pretty well.

“Hello, Sleeping Beauty.” Giving Devin a dirty look, I sit up. “Your clothes,” he announces passing them to me.

“Thanks.” I yawn.

“Don’t thank me. One of the girls from PE brought them.” Before he’s even finished with that sentence I’m carefully examining my clothes, wondering what said girl did to them. “Don’t be so paranoid—” I show him the bright red letters.
Freak
.

“I’m loved here, didn’t you know?” Good thing the girl who did it was a dumbass because it’s on the inside of my shirt.

“I’ll take care of it.” I shake my head. “Well, you can go change in the bathroom. My excuse for our pit stop is that you woke up and had to barf.” I give him a thumbs-up for the grotesque explanation. “Bathroom’s that way.” He gestures with his chin. Like I don’t know this, and I know Nurse Chambers is getting her lunch now. She’d probably just tell me to lie down until I feel ready to get back up.

“You’ve already seen me half-naked.” He turns pink, like it’s a big deal. All girls have the same parts, I’m sure he’s seen a girl naked before, whatever. “Thanks again.” I rest my hand on his chest and give him a kiss on the cheek as I pass. Which makes him turn red.

As soon as I took my shirt off they wanted to spring back out. In a very tiny bathroom, that wouldn’t be good at all.

When I get out, Devin’s still waiting on me.
Why is he being so sweet? Not used to sweet people here…aside from Kyle.

Walking together to lunch, every so often Devin’s arm would brush mine. Well, it’s more like his forearm would brush my shoulder. Because he’s a giant and I’m a Smurf. Now I’m a Smurf with wings.

When we walk into the cafeteria, Nicks is already sitting at their table with Kyle and Jake. Antonio’s probably being his slow, flirty self. I know I need to sit and talk with them about this new problem, but Devin’s arm brushes my shoulder again. I can’t just leave his side when he’s been so nice to me.
Gargg
.

“Nice.” He snorts.

“What?” I frown up at him.

Being very subtle about it, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and somehow lends me his vampy hearing. It’s not weird at all, being able to hear someone’s stomach growl from across the room, their hearts beating, with the blood rushing through them, too. Then, my vision shifts to outside, where I see two squirrels fighting over a nut. I can hear their loud squeaks then the blood rushing through their veins and their little hearts pounding in the excitement of a fight.

Then I’m dragged back into the room, to the conversations between groups. I hear my name. “Oh my God, look at Nessa and Devin now. They’re totally screwing.” Someone else. “The rumors must be true.” Another person. “They’re actually kinda cute together.”

“So, what exactly was the rumor to begin with?” I whisper so no one will really overhear.

“
Apparently someone saw us coming out of the bathroom together. They think you were
faking being sick so we could be alone.
” Before I can ask my other question he says, “
You’re tired, so your guard’s down. That’s the only reason I’m able to do this now.”

“What do you want to do about the rumors?” I ask, resting my head against him, barely able to keep my eyes open.

“Nothing, they’re just some bullshit an ignorant girl created to bring some excitement into her boring life.” He brushes it off easily, actually speaking this time.

“That’s the difference between us. I like messing with their ignorant minds.” I smile evilly up at him. “Would you like to play along?”

“No.” He gives me a pointed look.

“Fine, you party pooper.” I step away and go back to watching my friends’ table. Antonio’s finally there, and there’s enough room for us, too. If he’ll sit with me, that is.

Getting our trays, we move through the line and pay. I jerk my head to the guys’ table. He shakes his head and starts to go to his usual spot, outside, where he’ll be all by himself. “Please?” I ask in a quiet voice and he stops where he is.

“Why in the hell am I doing this?” He grumbles, but follows me.

“Because you secretly
love
me,” I tease cheerfully then turn back to give him a grin, letting him know I’m kidding.

He grunts.

“Hey y’all.” I slip into a seat beside Nicks in case he starts being a jerk, and I have to zap him. They blink up at Devin who couldn’t look more awkward standing there.

Kyle tries for a welcoming smile and slides over, making room, which I highly appreciate. Nicks starts to stand up, probably to leave, but I put a hand on his shoulder and give him puppy dog eyes. After a moment, he sits back down and I hug him.

“Yeah, yeah.” He goes back to eating his tacos.

“You look like shit, Nessy.” Antonio turns pink when everyone glares at him, including Devin.

“Oh, really? I thought I looked gorgeous. Thank you for clearing that up for me.” I glower.

“Sorry,” he mumbles.

“Anyway, are we all on the same page here? Something’s going on, and we need to get to the bottom of it before it gets out of control.” I glance at the guys’ faces.

“Yeah, we just don’t know where to start.” Nicks focuses on his tray.

“Does he know who changed him, Devin?”

“He doesn’t remember anything,” he replies.