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.I won t get to graduate with my class.Iwon t be going to any Orange County high school for that matter. I won t let this happen, I say, gaze locked on hers. There s no way you re leaving.You haveto graduate with us  Well, that s very nice and all. She shrugs. But I m not sure you can stop it.It s a little out ofyour league, don t you think?I glance between her and her cat, knowing it s not at all out of my league.Finding an antidote forDamen? Maybe.Helping my best friend stay in her zip code and save her cat? Not so much.There s plenty I can do.Plenty.But still I just look at her and say,  We ll work something out.Just trust me, okay? Maybe you can move in here with me and Sabine? Nodding as though Imean it, even though Sabine would never have it.But still needing to put something out there,provide some kind of comfort since it s not like I can voice what I m hoping to do. You d do that? she squints. Really? Of course. I shrug. Whatever it takes.She swallows hard and gazes around, shaking her head when she says,  You know I d never takeyou up on it, but still, it s nice to know that even with all our rough spots you re still my bestfriend.I squint, having always assumed it was Miles not me. Well, you and Miles. She laughs. I mean, I can have two best friends an heir and a spare, asthey say? She wipes her nose again, shaking her head when she adds,  I bet I look like crap,right? Go ahead, tell me, I can take it. You don t look like crap, I say, wondering why she s suddenly focused on her looks. Youlook sad.There s a difference.Besides, does it matter? It does if you re considering whether or not you should hire me. She shrugs. I ve got a jobinterview, but there s no way I can go looking like this.And it s not like I can bring Charm.I gaze at her cat, watching the life-force energy slowly slipping away, knowing I have to movefast, before it s too late. I ll keep her.It s not like I m going anywhere anyway.She looks at me, wavering on whether or not she should leave her poor dying cat in my care.ButI just nod, coming around to her side of the counter and lifting Charm out of her arms as I add, Seriously.Just go do what you need to do, and I ll babysit. I smile, urging her to agree.She hesitates, glancing between me and Charm, then rummages through her oversized bag for asmall, handheld mirror, before wetting her finger and clearing the mascara tracks from hercheeks. I shouldn t be long. She grabs a black pencil and draws a thick, smudgy line around each eye. Maybe an hour? Two at the most? She looks at me, trading the pencil for blush. All you haveto do is hold her and give her some water if she wants.But she probably won t.She doesn t wantmuch of anything now. She coats her lips with a swipe of gloss and rearranges her bangs, beforeslinging her bag over her shoulder and heading for the door.Climbing into her car as she turns tome and says,  Thanks.I need this job more than you think.Need to start saving some money so Ican emancipate myself like Damen.I m tired of this crap.I look at her, unsure what to say.Damen s situation s unique.Not at all what it seems. And yeah, I know, I probably won t be able to support myself in quite the same style as Damen,but still, I d rather live in some crappy studio somewhere than be subject to my parentsimpulsive decisions and whims.Anyway, you sure you re okay with this?I nod, hugging Charm tighter, mentally urging her to hold on, just a little bit longer, until I canhelp.Haven slides her key into the ignition, the engine turning as she says,  I promised Roman Iwouldn t be late.And if I hurry, I might be on time. Checking her appearance in the rearviewmirror as she shifts in reverse. Roman? I freeze, my expression one of pure panic but unable to change it.She shrugs, backing out of my drive as she calls,  He s the one who scored me the interview.Waving as she disappears down the street, leaving me with a dying cat in my arms, and no wordsto warn her.Eighteen You can t do it, he says, barely having opened the door before he s already shaking his head. You don t even know what I m here for. I frown, hugging Charm tightly to my chest, wishingI hadn t come here. The cat is dying and you want to know if it s okay to save it and I m telling you it s not.Youcan t do it. He shrugs, reading the situation more than my mind, which I purposely blocked sohe can t view my visit to Roman, which would really set him on edge. Do you mean can t as in not possible? Like the elixir won t work on a feline? Or can t as in themoral sense, as in don t play God, Ever? Does it matter? He lifts his brow, stepping to the side and allowing me in. Of course it matters, I whisper, TV noise drifting down from upstairs, the twins daily dose ofreality shows.He heads into the den, plopping onto the couch and patting the space right beside him.And eventhough I m annoyed by the way he s acting, not even giving me a chance to explain, I still joinhim, rearranging the blanket, hoping one look at Charm will convince him. I just don t think you should jump to conclusions, I say, shifting my body so I m facing him. It s not as simple as you think.It s not black or white, it s mostly all gray.He leans toward me, gaze softening as he moves his thumb back and forth under Charm swhiskered chin. I m sorry, Ever.Really. He gazes at me before pulling away. But even if theelixir did work which, by the way, I m not sure it would since I ve never tried it on an animalbefore, but even if it did  Really? I look at him, surprised to hear that. You ve never had a pet you couldn t bear to partwith? My eyes graze over him, taking him in. Not one that I couldn t bear to lose, no. He shakes his head.I narrow my eyes, not sure how I feel about that. Ever, back in my day we didn t keep pets in quite the same way.And after I drank the elixir, Iwasn t interested in owning anything that might tie me down.I nod, catching the way he gazes at Charm and hoping there s room to negotiate. Fine.No pets.I get it, I say. But do you get how someone might become so attached to their kitty they can tbear to say good-bye? Are you asking if I know about attachment? He looks at me, gaze heavy, steady, fixed right onmine. About love, and the unbearable grief that comes when it s lost?I gaze down at my lap, feeling juvenile, foolish.I should ve seen that coming. There s much more at stake than just saving a cat or granting eternal life if there even is sucha thing in the animal kingdom.The real question is, how will you explain it to Haven? What willyou tell her when she returns only to find the dying cat she left in your care is now miraculouslycured maybe even becoming a kitten again, who knows? How will you possibly explain that toher?I sigh, not having thought about that.Hadn t really considered that if it does work, Charm won tjust be healed, but physically transformed. It s not about it not working I ve no clue about that.And it s not about your right to playGod you and I both know I m the last one who should judge such a thing.It s more aboutsafeguarding our secrets [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]