Page 89

Week Seven

S ometimes, I forget that those of us who didn’t grow up in this godforsaken town don’t have the full picture. We don’t have years of gossip, feuds, alliances, and lore that help us understand every situation on instinct. So when Boone stops short at the sight of some bint in a Disney villain costume in a confrontation with our girl, I don’t understand why this is such a big deal. I’m not alone, of course, because Julia, her crew, Saoirse, and Haggerty are clueless as well.

Only Edgar, Wolfie, and Benjy look like the ghost of a serial killer has risen from the grave to wreak havoc.

Magpie is silent as she stares at the woman, her expression full of a fury I’ve not seen yet. When a pale, expensively dressed Chad comes up behind the mysterious chick, our girl goes even paler. Her hands are balled in fists, and if I were to check, I bet her nails are drawing blood from her palms. She’s working hard to keep it all together in front of the crowd, but I don’t know how much longer she’s going to hold back.

“Oh, Jolene. What a turn on the old song… it was me who took your man. I’ve been waiting to say that for years ! I even spoiled my costume theme so I could have flowing red locks to make it even more ironic.” The unpleasant redhead tosses her hair over her shoulder and cackles evilly.

Her companions move closer, making angry snarls and screeches as they wait for their person to give them the okay. Jolene doesn’t move or speak, she just continues staring at the bitchy woman from her past, and I can’t figure out why she hasn’t decimated her with a brutal quip.

“No witty retort? Nothing to say from the great savior of losers everywhere?” The dude with her cringes and our girl looks at him with curious eyes.

He doesn’t say a word, not to Jolene or to his nasty wife. Whoever he is, he’s as useless as tits on a bull and he seems resigned to that.

What a fucking knob.

“Sugarplum, we’re here!” My boy’s cry seems to snap Magpie out of the trance she was in and tears leak from her eyes. I’m worried that she’s going to break down, but the next thing she does is let out a scream of fury.

“ Who do you think you are?!” Her voice booms like it’s been amplified through a megaphone, and she lifts her hand, pointing at the redhead.

I frown, suddenly sensing something. When I look over at Haggerty, he nods and calls out to her. “Tíogair, you need to breathe and let it happen. Don’t fight it. I can sense your fear, but what is inside of you will protect you. Let go, and I promise, you will be okay.”

If he’s wrong, we’re all in deep shit. Emerging, even a second side, is a messy process and shouldn’t be happening in public.

“Well, isn’t this sweet! The Catastrophe has a stable of men she services. It doesn’t surprise me to find out you’ve become the town whore, Jolene. You were always running after men like you had an itch to scratch when we were younger.” The idiot continues to taunt her, and I’m half tempted to jump in and smash my fist into her mouth—female or not.

Jolene glares at her, sucking in a deep breath before she steps forward and gets in her face. “I asked who the fuck you think you are, Antigone. Have you gone deaf, or is the empty space between your ears echoing?”

Lucy tugs on Boone’s sleeve, whispering softly, “Uh, Teddy Do you see…?”

“You’ve never been anything but trash, Whitley, and I haven’t regretted ratting you out once in thirteen years. You deserved your punishment.”

This bitch wants to die. She has zero sense of self-preservation—does she not see what’s happening here?

Magpie raises her hands and I push the rest of the crew back a little as her tears run down her face. “ Den eísai áxios tou chrónou mou, adynami. Tha érthei i óra sas kai tha eínai éndoxi. Xekiniménos kléftis! ? 1 ”

Before any of us can get to her, Jolene and the two morons from her past are engulfed in a huge burst of energy, followed by a thunder clap, and everything starts to go black.

Holy fuck, did she just knock out… the entire… room?

1 ? You are not worthy of my time, weakling. Your time will come and it will be glorious. Be gone thief!