“That girl is going to need counseling because of you!” Mom starts

throwing dishes into the sink. They fall so hard that I cringe,

waiting for one of them to break.

“I’ll get it back.” I guess we really are going to school today.

“Don’t worry.” But even as I say it, I’m not sure I can convince

myself.

Dad honks twice as he pulls away, leaving Kurt, Thalia, and me

staring at the steps that lead up to the school entrance guarded by

clashing angels.

Some kids are jaywalking away from the school. It’s the first

sunny day in a week, so half the school must be doing the in-’n’-out,

walking into the building just for show before turning right around

and heading to the park, Coney, the mall, or if you’re my friends, the

kosher Mexican restaurant on Sunset with the hot Mexi-Jewish girl

behind the counter.

I’m thinking about how I can get the pearl back from Maddy when

she won’t even talk to me. Adaro and the others are probably halfway

around the world, and I’m back at high school. Some things just aren’t

right.

Someone shouts my name across the street. Kurt and Thalia’s hands

hover over the daggers at their waists, which they say are glamoured

from the human eye. My dagger is in my backpack, because I may have

seen a lot of shit in the past couple of days, but this whole glamour

business still gets me.

“Ryan!” Thalia shouts, forgetting about the weapon and taking a

step forward.

Wonder Ryan runs against the traffic. Thalia’s face is as bright

as the noon sun when she sees him. I’m surprised they aren’t running

toward each other in slow motion.

“Hi!” I know his hello includes me and Kurt, but he only looks at

Thalia. He’s wearing a T-shirt the color of asphalt and new jeans. His

hair is messier, not as slicked to the side as usual. “I missed you.”

“So did I.”

“Yeah,” I smirk, “so did I.”

Kurt shoves me away toward the entrance, and we share a laugh. I’d

never admit that watching them makes my insides feel like beef jerky,

like I’m shriveling up because I don’t have someone looking at me like

that. I can only think of one face I want to see. And when she comes

into view, my heart sinks, because she’s getting out of a white BMW

with tinted windows and a license plate that spells PUMPITUP. Suddenly

I remember Alex, the orange guido from the beach who helped find me.

Fire creeps over my skin. Even my dagger tucked into my backpack hums

as though it feels how ticked off I am.

“What’s wrong?” Layla asks, slinging her backpack over one

shoulder.

“Nothing,” I say with a shrug. If she’s not going to tell me that

she’s seeing someone, then fine. “Did you get in trouble?”

“I told my dad I was with Maddy. Her mom unplugs the phone at

night, so it’s not like they called. Still, he was super mad.”

“Hello,” Kurt says, all stiff and merman-y.

She smiles at him and says, “Today might be boring, after

yesterday.”

“I look forward to human pleasantries, actually. First, Tristan

needs to acquire something from the angry blond girl.”

Before Layla starts breathing fire at me, I go, “I’ll explain.”

The school bells chime and we ascend the steps.

“Hey, Tristan,” a girl calls out to me in the hallway. I don’t

know her name, but I wave.

Ryan slaps my arm, “Dude, Coach said he’s going to pull us out of

class again for practice. Luis texted me the announcements already.”

“Isn’t it great to be in charge?” Layla asks. They all fall into a

giddy stride walking into the school. Though arriving back home didn’t

feel any different, coming back to school does. There’s something

different about the walls, the lighting, the way my classmates’

emotions fill the sterile air. Or maybe it’s just me and my guilt

pangs over having to break my ex-girlfriend’s heart all over again.

•••

“You’re officially being weird,” Layla tells me, gathering her

hair into a bun for practice.

“I’m a weird guy,” I say, stretching my arms to either side, “in

case you didn’t notice.”

“You know,” she smirks, “I still haven’t seen you as a mermaid.”

Her laugh is small, forced. Her nervousness smells like birthday

candles after they’re extinguished.

“I’m all man, lady,” I try to joke, but it comes out angry and she

shrinks back. “I’m sorry.”

She dismisses me with her hands and says, “Whatever,” before

diving into the pool.

What the hell happened? A few hours ago she was all over me and

now…What did I do wrong?

Coach blows his whistle. “Chop, chop, Hart! Meet is tomorrow.

Gotta be ready!”

I nod, scanning the team one more time for Maddy to come strolling

in with her white T-shirt over her bathing suit. She doesn’t. She

wasn’t in school all day either.

I dive when the whistle blows again, the water being my only

comfort against the dark thought looming in the back of my mind-the

thought that it’s only my first day as a champion and I’m already

failing.

•••

The hot dog is cold and the bread is stale in my mouth, even after

I drown it in ketchup. Bertie and Angelo have found a reclining chair

with wheels and are taking turns pushing each other across the room,

because there are only two lunch monitors and they keep disappearing.

I lower my head to whisper to Layla. “Have you talked to Maddy?

She’s not in school today. I need to talk to her.”

Layla shakes her head sadly. “I bet she’s just cutting class, her

and her new bad-girl self.”

I hesitate, breaking my hot-dog bun into crumbs. “Do you remember

that necklace I gave her?”

“Yeah, that little pink pearl. She loves it.”

“It belongs to one of the oracles. I need it back.”

She exhales loudly. “You know, just when I didn’t think you could

sink any lower with her.”

“Me?” I yell indignantly. “You’ve seen what I’ve seen. I wouldn’t

do it unless this was serious.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know if she still has it. Knowing

her, she hasn’t thrown it out. Did you try her phone?”

“I tried. It goes to voice mail, and she doesn’t text back.” Layla

pushes her tray of food away from her in disgust, and my heart darkens

like the clouds that are no longer clinging to the sky.

We sit in silence and watch our friends decide to hang out on the

field after class, because Principal Quinn is supposed to be in

meetings all day and Ryan has keys to the sports equipment. Kurt

avoids looking in my direction, feeling a little guilty that he’s

having so much fun.

•••

The target rings are lined up in the middle of the field. Each one

has a different teacher’s picture taped at the bull’s-eye. Most of the

arrows are horribly off, if they make it to the rings at all. There

are only seven guys on the archery team, and they take great pride in

teaching everyone else. I’m okay at it, but I’ve never gotten a

bull’s-eye. Ryan, having taken archery since he was in junior high, is

the captain of the team.

I take a seat near the bin of arrows.

Thalia giddily unzips the oversized purple backpack my mom gave

her this morning. She pulls out a finely crafted bow and a set of

arrows. I know this is a terrible idea. I would never, ever bring

weapons to school. But Kurt insisted we have to always be prepared.

“That is a beauty,” Ryan says. His blue eyes are practically

sticking out of his head when he sees the arrows. “You guys are

certified, right?” And I quickly say yes before it becomes an issue.

“Our father was an expert archer,” Kurt says. He holds the brass