My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy) (7 page)

Kai gave me the once over and his eyes darkened. With an insolent grin, he stuck out a hand for me to shake. “Pleased to meet you, Sophie,” he drawled.

I stared at his outstretched hand and thought about my disheveled hair, dirty clothes, and general unkempt appearance. If I’d ever thought I’d see him again, it would have been wearing something very different. One of those “bet you’re sorry you can’t have me” outfits. Not a “bet you’re glad you don’t want me” one.

“Sophie, where are your manners?” Principal Doucette asked.

Gone, I supposed. Along with rules one and two. I was going to wipe that smirk off Kai’s face if I had to kill him.

5

Truth is stranger than prediction

ε
’

Principal Doucette cleared his throat. “I was hoping you could show Kai around the school.”

“Sorry, Principal. I'm late for supper.”

“I'll do it,” Bethany purred, inserting herself between Kai and me. With a subtle stomp on my toes as a special bonus.

I stepped around her into Kai’s eyeline in time to see him brighten.

“Works for me,” he told the Principal.

Jerk. Just because I was dead, didn't make me any less his girlfriend, did it? Considering the circumstances of my demise, I was the only one allowed to be in a snit. He should have been Mr. Adoring, kissing me, not Mr. Asshat flirting with another girl. No. No thinking about his kisses. That way lay madness.

“Great. Enjoy yourselves.” I stomped off, but not soon enough to avoid seeing Bethany take his arm to lead him away.

Hannah and Theo were still having dinner when I dumped my tray on their table. The cafeteria had the standard buffet set-up complete with classy plastic trays to carry our food.

“More death creatures?” Hannah whispered.

“Worse. Kai is here.”

“How?” Theo demanded.

“Beats me. He's our newest transfer student.”

Theo swore. I'm guessing in Greek.

“You're really gonna have to teach me some of those. I think they may come in handy,” I said. “Bethany has glommed on to him like a parasite.”

Hannah craned her neck around.

“You aren't seriously looking for him, are you? That violates all kinds of rules in the best friend handbook.”

“I'm curious. You go from not liking any guys to getting all hot and bothered about this one. I'm dying to see the attraction.”

“It's not attraction,” I retorted. “It's genetic conditioning. Persephone was, so I am too.”

“Don't think it works like that,” Theo said. “Like it or not, and I don't, your Sophie self is attracted to him on its own.”

“No. I refuse to have anything in common with Bethany.”

“I’m more interested in the nature of his feelings for you,” Hannah said.

I caught sight of them coming our way and scootched down in my seat. “Frak it all,” I swore. “Play it cool.”

By cool, I meant ignore them. Apparently, I should have detailed it in a memo.

“Hi,” Hannah said brightly, forcing Bethany and Kai to pause by our table. “I'm Hannah Nygard.” I kicked her, the traitor.

She shot me a “don’t be stupid” look.

“Kai.” He slid his gaze over Hannah and Bethany. “You ladies are definitely a sight for sore eyes after the last school I went to.”

What was I? Chopped liver? Also, he was a giant liar. Kai had grown up roaming Hades and pestering its inhabitants, gods and dead humans alike, for their knowledge. Hey. Look at me all remembering stuff.

He shook his head sadly and added, “All boys school. We drew lots to see who had to go in drag to the school dances. It wasn't pretty.”

Bethany tittered.

“Especially when you stole your dad’s wine and kissed that nymph only to discover that she wasn’t …” I trailed off, vaguely remembering that Kai had told me—well Persephone—that story at some point in strict confidence. Underworld Jr. looked thunderous. Theo was highly amused. He fake coughed, trying to cover a laugh.

Kai regarded Theo and stuck out his hand. More in a “take it or I’ll kill you” way than in a “nice to meet you” kind of way. “We haven't officially met. Kai.”

Theo looked at Kai's hand like it was a snake coiled to strike but reluctantly shook it. “Theo.”

Kai's eyes widened at the contact. “Theo, huh?” he mused.

Theo didn't flinch. Or break eye contact. “That's my name,” he said.

“Names are so interesting.” I said to Kai. “Yours is Greek, isn’t it? I’d love to learn all about where you come from.”

Totally ignored. Kai turned his focus back to Hannah. More precisely, to her chest.

Hannah arched an eyebrow as she not-so-subtly cleared her throat.

Kai raised his eyes to hers. “I like a woman with a big …,” he pointed at her T-shirt which read “well endowed” over a picture of a giant brain. “… cerebellum.”

Hannah leaned forward, seemingly thrilled that he appreciated her science humor. “What’s your first class?”

“Biology.”

“Me too. We could be lab partners.”

Kai nodded. I wondered where this was leading.

“We’re studying praying mantises. You know, how the female devours her mate? Just rips the head off.” Hannah batted her eyelashes at him. “Maybe you could help me do a live recreation.”

That was my girl. Always going in for the kill.

Kai didn’t bat an eye. “As long as it involves mating.”

What a dog.

“I love Greece,” Bethany declared, slow on the uptake, pushing her way firmly back into Kai’s attention. “My dad took me there last summer. Beautiful people.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” Kai replied. He was good.

I failed to suppress a groan.

“We done here?” Bethany asked, shooting me a disdainful stare.

Kai fixed me in his gaze for a split second. “For now,” he murmured low enough for only me to hear. I pulled my gaze away from his eyes and found myself staring instead at his full lips and stubbled jawline. For some reason, the sight of this made me very cranky.

“I'll catch you later,” Kai promised Theo.

“Knock yourself out,” Theo replied.

“Check you out, Bloom,” Anil interjected, doing just that. He stopped beside our table and balanced his food-laden tray on one hand. “New hair cut?”

“Something like that,” I replied breezily.

Hannah smirked at the wrestler’s abrupt switch from hitting on her to hitting on me. “Doesn’t she look amazing?”

I scratched the side of my neck, which only Hannah could see, using my middle finger.

“It’s a definite upgrade,” Anil agreed.

I patted my hair and smiled. “Thanks.” Not that I cared about Anil, but all compliments welcome and besides, Kai didn’t look too thrilled. Anil gave me a thumbs up and moved on.

“Lead on,” Kai directed Bethany, who was only too happy to comply.

“Ugh.” Hannah groaned when he left. “You've got to be kidding me.”

I stared at her, confused. “You felt nothing at his voice? His eyes? His body?” I fanned myself.

“Penisaurus Rex is not my type,” she said. “Could he have hit on me more blatantly? In front of you?”

I cheered up. Best friends were the greatest.

“That was the point,” Theo said. “Make Sophie jealous. See how she reacted.”

“I was Jack Frost, “I replied. “But speaking of reacting, he made you, didn't he?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that going to be a problem?” I wondered.

“Not as long as we don't leave the grounds,” Theo assured me. “But the sooner you get your memories back and master your powers, the better.”

“Theo,” Hannah mused, “why can't you just take up your real form and protect us all that way?”

He shifted, uncomfortable. “I just can't.” Abruptly he stood up and carried his tray off.

“Junior year has just gotten much more complicated,” Hannah sighed.

Had I any idea how much, I may not have slept as soundly as I did that night.

I awoke on Monday morning ready to face the day. Or, at least, Guidance class. I'd have my ally Ms. Keeper after all.

I stumbled into the room with seconds to spare before the bell and took my seat. Everyone was buzzing about Kai, who thankfully was not in this class. Which I had counted on, my careful attention to my appearance revealing nothing beyond the desire to please myself.

Yeah, I hadn’t fooled Hannah earlier, either.

Ms. Keeper entered and shut the classroom door. “Good morning, everyone,” she said. “For those of you who haven't met me yet, I'm Ms. Keeper. I'll be replacing Mrs. Rivers.”

There was silence for a second as everyone took in the hip, very attractive woman standing in front of them.

“Whoa. Trade up,” one of the guys muttered.

Bethany narrowed her eyes at her competition. Which to Bethany was any good looking female in the same room as her.

In my opinion, Keeper totally won that battle.

“I want to start today with an exercise.”

“Kegels,” guffawed Anil, kicking one of his buddies across the way. I ignored him.

“Now, this is a communications exercise about self-image. I want each person to write down three truths about the others in their group. They should reflect how you see each person. Don't immediately just bash them. Be thoughtful in your comments. They won't be read aloud. Then distribute the comments accordingly.”

People were already starting to complain so she held up her hand for silence, keeping it in mid-air until we'd all complied.

“When you get yours,” she continued, “I want you to consider those truths and see if they match your perception of yourself. And if not, why not? You will have to hand in a written summary of the differences or perhaps, things that were in agreement.” She put us into small groups of three.

I considered my group. Cassie, me, and Bethany. Delightful. Gee, could this have anything to do with Keeper wanting me to speak up about Bethany? Was she thinking she’d arranged a safe venue for that?

While it felt good to have someone trying so hard to be in my corner, I would never have ratted Bethany out. The Bethanys of this world always landed on their feet. And my life would have gotten worse, not better. It was all irrelevant now, anyway.

What to write then for this flake fest assignment?

Felicia had once dated some guru and I'd spent a summer putting up with “positive language” and “I statements” which was all fine and good but didn't do much to hide the fact that he was a hypocrite who was cheating on his wife with two other women and had a not-so-secret drug problem. Wheat germ didn't disguise the smell of pot. Oh well. I could play this game.

Bethany leaned over and hissed, “Fake contacts and a dye job aren’t going to help. Kai is out of your league, junior.”

Even if I couldn’t actually kill her, I could think about it. In great detail.

I sighed. No time for fun right now. I leaned over to Cassie. “Can we talk later?” As in, you’re going to share why you knew who I was.

Cassie, skittish, opened her mouth to speak but—

“No talking, girls.”

Cassie turned her attention back to her paper, looking like she’d just dodged a bullet. I’d corner her after class.

I considered the assignment.

Might as well get the hard one over first. I regarded Bethany from under my lashes, then wrote, “you project confidence.” Because bullies projected confidence. Confidence that they were going to beat you down. Next I went for “you lack interpersonal skills.” See the previously mentioned bullying.

I watched Bethany twirl a lock of hair around her finger as she thought. She caught me looking and in one fluid motion disentangled her digit and flipped me the bird. Ah-ha! “Your motor skills are admirable.” There. Nothing that could get me in trouble and even all true.

Cassie was tougher but I managed to find three “truths” for her as well. Then Ms. Keeper called time and had us exchange our papers.

Bethany’s observations about me were concise. “Short. Stupid. Suck.” I looked up from the note to see her smirking at me. “Got three for you,” I said softly. “Giant, gelatinous, glutes.” I left her working it out.

A second later a wadded up paper ball hit my head. Guess she’d gotten it.

I unfolded the “truths” Cassie had written about me. “A girl of exceptional power.” O-kay. Next one. “Confused about her true self.” This was getting creepy. Her desk was empty so I scanned the room to see where she’d gone. She was having a quiet but intense conversation with Ms. Keeper.

Ms. Keeper seemed to be patiently trying to calm Cassie down while Cassie kept shaking her head “no.” Keeper saw me watching and gave a small smile, trying, I guess, to let me know Cassie would be all right.

I returned to the last truth that Cassie had written. “The instrument of our destruction.” I dropped the note like I’d been scalded.

Excuse me? Destruction? I was supposed to save humans, not destroy them. Unless … is that how I was planning on stopping the war? Just destroy earth? Theo never actually said I had a way to save everyone. Just stop the war. I swallowed hard to keep the nausea from rising in my throat. I was really going to have to start carrying around some Tums.

Also? What the hell? How could she have known any of this? I hadn’t even been clued in until yesterday. So was Cassie in on it too? But then why didn’t Theo mention her?

My hands were trembling. Terrified that I was going to do something inadvertent, like freak and take out the second floor, I shoved them under my butt.

I had to talk to Cassie. But when I checked back at Ms. Keeper’s desk, she was gone. I figured she must have gone to the washroom, but she never returned.

I had no idea what else was discussed in class that day. I was a giant ball of nerves, staring at the clock and dying for the bell to ring so I could talk to Theo. Or find Cassie. Or do something resembling anything to figure out what was going on.

The shrill bell indicating end of class had never been so welcome. I grabbed the piece of paper with Cassie’s “truths” on it, shot out of the classroom, and barreled my way down the hallway to my English class, which I had with Theo and Hannah.

I slid onto the low couch next to Theo and shoved Cassie’s “truths” at him. “Explain this,” I hissed. Hannah dropped her books on the sofa arm next to him and peered over his shoulder to read it.

He blankly returned it to me. “No clue.”

“Did you see the part that said ‘destroyer?’”

“Yes.”

“Am I gonna blow up the earth?”

“It wasn’t part of my plan but since everything is screwed, anything is a go.”

“Was it part of my plan? I told you I could stop the war. Not save humanity. Was this how I meant to do it? Was I some kind of human racist?”

Theo thought about it. “No. I don’t know. Maybe? You do get extreme about your likes and dislikes.”

Hannah snorted. I ignored her.

“For the one person who is supposed to know what the deal is, your intel sucks.”

He stared at me in distaste.“Don’t like what I got? Find a new source. Sixteen years of planning just went out the window. I’m not sure it’s worth the bother.”

“Hey!” Hannah protested. “Human being. Sitting right here.”

I patted her hand reassuringly. “What’s the skinny on Cassie anyway? She’s not part of our wacky gang? Venus, maybe? Or Diana?”

“Obviously not either, since they’re the fake names those pretender Romans gave us. Get your gods right,” he snarked.

“Listen Rockman, I’m a pissed off teen with unstable powers. You really want to discuss semantics with me?”

The bell rang. “Thank God,” Hannah muttered.

Our teacher, Mr. Locke, launched into some diatribe on
Romeo and Juliet
. Luckily, I was an expert at tuning him out while appearing to pay rapt attention so I could focus on the important matter at hand. Namely, me.

I tapped my pen anxiously against my leg. Hannah plucked it from my grasp to write in Theo’s binder.
Could
Cassie be from Olympus and you don’t know?