Chapter 20

The rest of that day and well into the evening, my mind raced. A multitude of emotions floated through my mind like leaves in a wind storm, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to grasp hold of one long enough to properly analyze it. I could only focus on the pull, the gravity. It was the wind that carried the others and with each whip it made, images resurfaced. Brady's grip, the feel of him so close to me, his lips on mine, that electric current. It swept me away and stole the breath from my lungs.

Then, Brady's words. I want you to know. I didn't plan that. He'd stopped and brought me back. He'd moved away the moment I asked even though we both knew it wasn't what I'd truly wanted. He could have had me. I was no match. One more touch, one more kiss, and I'd have been done for.

Despite this, I didn't trust him. How could I? History didn't lie, and I couldn't set aside years of torment just because my hormones reacted to his new appearance.

It had to be a trick. Magic. He was obviously using some freaky, genie voodoo on me. Lord knows how long I stayed in bed going over the same thoughts, coming to the same conclusions, before Red came strolling through the door.

"There you are!" she said as she walked over and dropped at least ten shopping bags onto the end of her bed. "You missed it. I went shopping."

I looked at the pile, then back to her. What a shame. "Did you have fun?" I didn't listen to her response. It was an automatic question. One of those asked simply to be polite. Instead, my thoughts drifted back to the lake, to him.

The bed dipped as Red took a seat beside my outstretched form and pulled my attention back to her. "What's wrong, Boo Kitty?" She pushed my mess of hair away from my face. "Is it the demon?"

I groaned. "He's not a fucking demon."

Red's eyebrows lifted. "You said he."

"It! It's not a demon!"

She bit her lip, then focused her attention on her newly painted nails. "Okay. If it's not a demon, what the hell is it?"

My lips set into a flat line as I gave her a long, steady look. Should I tell her? Should I involve her? Well, she was pretty involved already.

Red waited patiently, but the suddenly vacant look on her face lead me to believe she was a million miles away. What went on inside that mind of her's? I could imagine it bounced around more than five kids on a trampoline.

Whatever. Fuck it. Might as well. "He's a genie."

Red's attention snapped back into focus. "Like Aladdin?" She scrambled closer, which was saying something given the lack of space to begin with. "Like, wishes and shit? Can you get me a sexy demon? Wish me a sexy demon, best friend!"

"No! Not like that!" I shoved her back. "Like the evil kind that just scare the hell out of you one minute, then use pervert magic on you the next!"

Red's eyebrows rose as she stared at me. "Pervert magic?"

I groaned again. "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Okay! Fine! Food! You need food. Food always makes me feel better." She jumped up and grabbed my arm.

I didn't have a chance to catch myself before she pulled and I was sent unceremoniously crashing to the floor.

Red's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh shit!" I could hear the humor in her words, practically feel her battle not to laugh. "I'm sorry! I thought you– I didn't think you'd fall."

I shot her a glare that I maintained until standing. "Makes sense," I said dryly.

She grinned sheepishly. "Someone's hangry. I'll make it up to you. Everyone is over at Big Al's Burgers. It's right on campus."

The minute she mentioned food, my stomach let out a loud, gurgling growl, and I had to agree with it. I nodded, letting the anger fade. I wasn't angry at her. I was angry at Brady, at my life, my traitorous body.

Red lead the way. We travelled by foot, and it ended up only being a few blocks away, inside a strip mall I hadn't even known was there. Big Al's was spelled out in white overtop the door, and inside was a mismatch of old furniture, every grandma's knick-knacks, and a variety of paintings, each one equipped with one of those little neon price tag stickers.

My eyes scanned the surroundings, catching on Rick's familiar face. The same group that had gathered around the ouija board, now circled a booth in the far back corner. I prayed no demons would pop out of it.

"Have you ever seen a troll?" Red asked, pulling my attention back to her.

I furrowed my brow. "Surprisingly, no."

She smirked. "You're about to. If you want to eat that is." She pointed to the counter, the the tiny woman stood behind it, looking very much fit to play the part. "Big Al is actually Alice, and she's the grumpiest troll you'll ever meet."

I looked back to the woman who couldn't have stood more than four foot four inches and barely cleared the cash register. "She doesn't seem too intimidating."

Red grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." She took my hand, shoving a twenty into it then rolling my fingers over top the bill. "Get me a cheeseburger," she paused, smile widening as an idea appeared to dawn on her. "Extra pickles."

I shot her a funny look and shrugged. "Alright."

She maintained eye contact, even after she started to walk away, then joined the group at the table.

I shook my head as I approached the counter.

Alice's face swung up to me, reminiscent of an angry bulldog. "How many?" she grunted, face pursed.

"Two cheeseburgers, please."

She turned away, walked over to the grill, and pulled two foil wrapped wads from a plastic drawer above it.

I remembered Red's request. "Oh! Sorry. One with extra pickles."

Alice froze, each muscle stiffening , and you would have thought I'd insulted her mother by the way her head slowly turned to look at me. "No special orders!" She slammed the burgers onto the counter, then popped the register open with a loud bang.

I took a step back and revisited the urge to raise my hands out in surrender.

She counted the change like it offended her, then slapped it down to join the food. "Don't steal my ketchup bottles! Don't steal my shakers! And if you have to use the restroom, no bags allowed!"

I darted forward to grab the burgers like a mouse reaching into a trap. In that moment, Alice truly did resemble a troll, and I made a mental note to never order again. "Thank you."

Another grunt left her chest as I turned to find the group laughing at me.

Red stood when I made it over, ignoring my glare as she forced me into the booth so she could keep the end. She sat back down, scooting over and squishing me between her and Rick. I rested my arms onto the table to try and make myself more narrow, but it still left me with the awkward feel of personal space invaded, strange bodies flush against mine from hips to shoulders.

I unwrapped my burger and eyed the contents warily.

"It's good," Red said around a bite of her own. "Trust me, no one would deal with her shit if it wasn't."

I took a large bite, setting in place a course of events that had me ravenously finishing it before I even said hello to anyone.

When I finally swallowed the last bite, I noticed Rick grinning down at me. "Someone was hungry."

I took in his baby face, slightly stubbles jawline, and laughing, light green eyes. My cheeks heated. "I guess I forgot to eat."

Rick pushed his tray of fries in front of me, and turned his attention back to the boy across from him.

I stared at the offering. It was only fries, but the gesture struck a cord with me. It had been so natural, as if he hadn't even thought twice about it. Is this what it's like? Having actual friends? "Thank you," I said, and something about my tone made him look back over at me.

"Don't mention it." He gave me a wink, then once again focused his attention elsewhere.

I listened in as I ate the salty snack. They were discussing politics. I had no idea what they were talking about, but the longer they debated, the more heated their words became.

I focused heavier on my food, not wanting to get involved, and made a mental note to avoid the subject altogether in the further. Then again, I had other things to worry about, like the whole extra fucking world I'd just discovered existed.

When their voices grew too loud, Red intervened. "Calm down! Jimmy! Just shut up already! Nobody agrees with you. You can't force them to. Get over it!" She threw her wrapper down onto the table. "Can't we talk about something else? Like the fucking demon that popped out of a piece of wood!"

A series of groans lit up the room. "Not this shit again, Red!" Rick said. "It didn't happen, and you know it."

"Amelia saw," Red countered with a smug look on her face. Her eyes shot to me, and when I looked over so had everyone else's.

I put three fries in my mouth then chewed them extra slow. Why would she do that? On one hand, if I said I didn't, I'd make her look crazy. I knew how it felt to have no one believe you, and I didn't want to do that to someone I considered a friend. On the other hand, if I said I saw it, then I'd look crazy.

Everyone stared at me as I continued to chew. My eyes darted around the many faces, my time dwindling like the world's most awkward hourglass. The potatoes were nothing more than a nasty mush inside my mouth, and I no longer had any desire to to swallow them.

Large hands gripped my shoulders. "Did you miss me?"

I startled, sucking in a surprised breath that was more potato than air, then spluttered as I tried to dislodge it.

No one seemed concerned with my life. Their eyes all shot to the new arrival.

Red's widened significantly. "That's it!" she shouted, pointing a finger at Brady. "It was redder and less clothed, but he was definitively it!"

Brady rubbed my back, and my airway cleared. I looked back at him, and he grinned, the same one he always got when he was about to do something bad.

"Red. You sound insane," Rick said.

Brady's attention drifted to Rick, and the close proximity in which I sat to him. The grin dulled, and I could have sworn I saw storm clouds gathering within his eyes.

"But it's true! He's a genie!"

Brady grimaced, then shot me an accusing look before turning a more frightening one towards Red.

She met his dark look head on, not an ounce of fear in her tiny frame. "It's true, right? Admit it!"

His eyes rolled towards the ceiling. Everything about him screamed annoyance, but his lack of verbal cues as to what he was thinking made me nervous. I held my breath and looked around to the many gazes fixed on him.

Silence fell, and I watched his attention once again shift to where Rick's side met mine. He turned back to Red. "I need you to move," he said, tone even.

Red held a determined expression. "Not until you admit it."

Brady's jaw clenched. Yep, definitely annoyed. Very annoyed.

"Red," I said, my voice quiet, as if too much noise could detonate what felt like a ticking bomb. "You should move."

"No," she sang.

The bomb went off.

Brady burst into fiery red, and the demon was back, only this time, he was far less playful. He let out a roar, directing the sound at every other person at the table. They scrambled away, jumping up and out of the booth.

To my surprise, when I looked around, no other patron in the diner seemed to notice. Red still didn't move an inch, too focused on the fact he'd proven her right.

The moment the rest of the booth was clear, Brady looked down at me. "Climb out," he said, his voice once again that magical command.

I, of course, couldn't argue.

I scooted around the crescent seat and out the other side where Brady stood waiting. He heaved a sigh as he gripped my waist, then returned to his normal appearance and looked around the scattered group. "That didn't happen. You're all going to sit back down. The red head is trying to trick you. She knows she's lying." The whole time he spoke, the group muddled back to their original spots. I watched his eyes dart between each head like a fox counting a line of baby chics.

Then, his whole demeanor changed. "Hi you guys!"he said in a very sarcastic attempt at chipper. "I'm Amelia's boyfriend," he directed at Rick specifically.

"You are not!"

Brady smirked at me, then looked back at Rick. "I'm Amelia's boyfriend," he repeated, his voice once again changed. "And I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to steal her for a while. She's very clingy. If I spend too much time away from her, she goes a little," he paused, then mock whispered. "Crazy."

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