Sidetracked: Part 1 Page 16

I’M AWAKE.

  Why am I awake?

  It’s dark—clearly still late at night—but my phone is ringing. The dimmed screen illuminates part of my bedroom, and, as the haze of sleep clears from my mind, I recognize the ringtone.

  Okay, I’m up!

  I snatch my phone off the bedside table and tap to answer. My throat is hoarse, but I manage to say, “Hello,” without croaking.

  “Did I wake you?” Ice’s crisp voice asks on the other end.

  “No, um—” I move the phone from my ear to check the time. It’s 1:38AM. “Alright, maybe you did.”

  He laughs. “My apologies. But I wanted to ask if you’d like to go to Riverside with me tomorrow?”

  “For Music@ThePark?”

  “That’s correct.”

  Hm... He didn’t respond to the text I sent before I fell asleep, so I assumed he already had plans, but...

  “Sure. I wanted to go anyway.”

  “Wonderful.” He sounds...relieved, almost. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon. Around four?”

  “Sounds good. Thanks.”

  “Goodnight, Jayde.”

  “Goodnight.”

  The call ends. I return my phone to the table and roll onto my other side.

  Hopefully, I remember this conversation when I wake up.

  twenty

  MY PHONE GOES OFF ON the edge of the sink. A text.

  Ice Monroe

  I’m outside. Whenever you’re ready.

  Aaaaaa—

  I drop my phone into my purse and brush my hair with more vigor. Maybe I should put it up? It’s super hot out, so a bun might be more comfortable. Wearing my hair up would be cuter with my dress, anyway, and will expose more of my back.

  Hmm...

  A more elaborate style would take too long, so...

  Messy bun, it is.

  I throw my hair up into a bun that isn’t awful and stab several bobby pins into the mess to hold it in place. A dusting of hairspray I’m lucky Rose didn’t take to Arizona with her later, and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.

  My phone is in my purse.

  My purse is on my person.

  Alright, here I go.

  Ice’s silver Porsche idles in Rose’s usual parking space as I approach. The doors click unlocked, and I open the passenger side. Ice watches me, one arm resting on the steering wheel. Night sits in the back seat behind him—a surprise that doesn’t bother me.

  She smiles. “I hope you don’t mind I asked to tag along.”

  I thought this was supposed to be a date, but maybe I should stop making any assumptions.

  “No, it’s fine,” I assure her. Once buckled in the passenger seat, I turn to Ice. “So, how have you been?”

  “I’m doing well,” he says with a pleasant smile.

  “Oh, good!”

  I was a little worried, but he looks to be in a better mood than he was a few days ago. He seems relaxed. His attention on me, and his expression mild and kind.

  “You got some sleep, then?”

  “Yes,” he says with a laugh. “I am well-rested.”

  Night laughs in the backseat, but it is a relief. I guess he was just tired from his concurrent trips to Seattle after all. Though, he was awake at like 2AM last night...

  “Any luck with that necklace?” he asks, his tone casual as he checks the rear-view mirror.

  “No. I’ve been working on it, but it hasn’t done anything yet.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  He shifts the car into reverse, ending our conversation as his focus turns to driving. I fiddle with the keychain on my purse. I wore a cute dress and put my hair up, and he didn’t say anything about it.

  “Is it like a real gemstone?” Night asks.

  “Um—” I stop fidgeting and raise a hand to touch the pendant. I’ve worn it all day, but the stone is strangely cool beneath my fingers. “I think so.”

  She glances away, one hand on her jaw. “The River Sapphire... I understand it was created in a laboratory, but I wonder if the chemical composition is the same as natural sapphire.”

  Rose asked if it was sapphire too...

  I take the necklace off. The gemstone doesn’t look like glass. It’s not completely transparent, and there are several imperfections within—the tiny specks almost imperceptible—but surely glass can have imperfections too? I don’t know how to tell.

  “You wanna see it?” I ask.

  Her eyes widen with curiosity. “May I?”

  “Sure.”

  I pass the necklace to her, and she holds it carefully, like it’s something precious and fragile. After a thorough examination, she looks up at the rear-view mirror.

  “Do you know what this is made of?” she asks.

  Ice takes a deep breath, his attention still on the road ahead. “No. They explained little about the gemstone creation process. It was made in a lab, as you said, but that’s all I know.”

  “How are they attuned to the individual?”

  “Your guess as to how the necklace works is as good as mine, Night. All they told me is that it should.”

  Oh, well... Whether it worked or not, I appreciate her attempt at weeding out more information.

  “Hm...” She studies the gemstone again, turning it over and holding it up to the window for a moment. Then she sighs and returns it. “It’s a lovely pendant, Jayde. I hope you’re able to figure it out.”

  “Thanks. Me too.”

  I DON’T OFTEN CATCH myself people watching. I tend to keep my head down and avoid attracting attention while in public.

  Today is a bit different. Once again, I’m a human in a group of immortals, but I’m more relaxed than I was during my last park outing, and I find my eyes drawn toward random strangers.

  As I engage in idle conversation with Ice and Night while we sit at a picnic table beneath the shade of a tree, I sort the people who pass by close enough to reveal their eye color.

  Blue. Gold. Gold. Violet. Grey. Hazel. Blue. Gold. Brown. Green. Blue. Gold. Brown. Green. Pale blue.

  After a while, I don’t really need to see their eyes anymore. I can tell if any given person is human or immortal based on the way they walk. The way they carry themselves. Their...presence.

  Humans have very little presence. They bumble around from one place to the next, engrossed in whatever they’re doing in the moment, without giving their surroundings much consideration.

  But an immortal’s movements are deliberate. They scan their environment as they walk, though it’s hard to notice if I don’t pay close attention. They act so relaxed, carrying on conversations or checking their phone, without losing any of that passive awareness.

  Plus, the vast majority of immortals are unreasonably attractive. Keeping conventional beauty standards in mind, there’s a decent chance any given hot person is an immortal.

  Not fair.

  Maybe the difference between humans and immortals goes beyond magic abilities and shapeshifting. They seem more present in the world—more aware of it. Humans just...exist here.

  Now that I know, can I learn to emulate it?

  A pair of violet-eyed teenagers giggle to each other as they walk by. One catches me watching. Our eyes meet for an instant, Mild curiosity crosses her face only to be replaced by disinterest.

  I glance away.

  Quite a few immortals have looked at me that way—like they’re surprised to find a human perceiving them and hanging out with other immortals.

  Was it the same during the solstice festival, or is it new?

  Are they looking because I’m sitting so close to Ice? Because our eyes meet, and I laugh at his easy banter with Night? Because we talk to each other and look like a couple?

  Does that bother them?

  Music@ThePark has a reputation as a couple’s event, which makes sense, as it’s something cheap and fun to do on a Wednesday evening. Food. Music. Tons of places to sneak away from the crowd. An obvious choice for a date, especially for young people.

 
Of course, plenty of friend groups, families, and singles attend too, but... I don’t know.

  Maybe that’s why being here with both Ice and Night is so surreal. My first impression was that they didn’t get along, but everything seems fine today. They speak normally, and they smile and laugh, and I haven’t sensed any tension between them.

  So, that’s both unexpected and a huge relief.

  But am I right? Does me being here with Ice set off alarm bells in the heads of passing immortals? Just because I’m human? Ugh. If only someone would be honest with me about how strange my situation is instead of pretending it’s perfectly normal.

  Now that I think about it, Ice has the same cool awareness. I’ve been distracted by people watching and holding a conversation about carnival food at the same time, but I catch his gaze flicking away from the table for an instant—like he’s taking note of the people around. His expression shifts slightly in the middle of a sentence, though his casual tone remains unaffected.

  He must see them looking our way. Does it bother him too?

  Oh, no...

  Is he embarrassed to be seen with me?

  He never glanced around so much before—unless I missed it every other time we went out. Maybe I was too flustered to notice? Unless something has changed? Are things different now that I know about immortals? Now that I have the River Sapphire?

  Does it mean anything at all?

  “Oh, Jayde,” Night says brightly, drawing me out of my head. “Carmen is here somewhere if you want to find her and say hi.”

  I wouldn’t mind seeing her. She was unfazed by my humanity last time, and I have a feeling she’d think the River Sapphire is neat. Even if she didn’t send me a friend request after Night tagged us both in her photo, and I was too nervous to send one myself...

  I glance to Ice, who awaits my response with a notably neutral expression.

  Right. I’m here to hang out with him.

  “Maybe for a minute,” I say.

  “It’s been a while since my friends last saw you,” she says. Ice meets her gaze, and she smiles. “If you don’t mind tagging along for a minute.”

  “Of course,” he agrees.

  Night leads the way across the park, and I walk a few steps behind her with Ice. His thumbs are tucked in his belt loops. He’s not wearing the leather jacket today—just a fitted t-shirt, dark jeans, and boots. He seems kind of bored, but he watches the path ahead with the same focus he displays while driving.

  Would it be weird to tell him that he looks good?

  He glances down at me before I decide.

  “You’ve been quiet,” he says.

  “Aren’t I always quiet?” I ask, caught off guard.

  He laughs. “I suppose so, but you seem especially distracted today.”

  “I’ve been thinking about...” Uh— I glance away and spot Carmen’s bright blue hair mixed in with a nearby crowd. Oh, good, a distraction! “Oh, look, we’re here.”

  To my surprise and relief, he drops it as Night flags Carmen down. She acknowledges us, pats the person she was talking to on the back, and slips away from the group. She hugs Night before regarding me and Ice with heightened interest now that we’re all standing together.

  “Ice Monroe,” she says.

  “Carmen Choi.” His voice is smooth and personable. “I believe you’ve already met Jayde.”

  His hand rests on my back—an unexpected, soft touch—and I feel like I might burst into flames. Struggling, I manage to say it’s nice to see her again.

  Her violet eyes flick between us. “So, how’d you guys meet?”

  Ice offers a watered-down and half-accurate version of our “chance” meeting at Bargain Shop, and my eyes wander. A few pairs of gemstone-colored eyes watch us from the group Carmen left across the walking path. I look away before I have the chance to meet anyone’s gaze by accident.

  “Uh-huh,” Carmen says, clearly unconvinced by something Ice said while I wasn’t paying attention. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Night, you wanna hang out here for a while?”

  She hesitates, looking to me before she smiles. “I suppose so. I wasn’t expected to tag along in the first place. You two can handle yourselves, right?”

  I nod, still unfortunately aware of my affected breathing as Ice’s hand falls away from my back.

  “Of course,” he says.

  Her smile widens, a flash of genuine brightness, and she says I can message her if I need anything. Then she dips her head, steps away, and leaves hand-in-hand with Carmen. They slip seamlessly into the large group, which appears to consist entirely of immortals. One of the girls gives Night a bear hug.

  Ice lets out a breath beside me.

  “You said something earlier,” he says. “Do you still want a snow cone?”

  I don’t remember mentioning a snow cone, but I’m down. As we head toward the parking lot full of food trucks, the heat of the sun replaces the warmth where his hand once rested on my back.

  twenty-one

  “WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW?” I ask.

  Ice looks around.

  We’ve been standing in the grass near the large pavilion for several minutes. Music plays at the bandstand downhill. The park is full of people, both human and immortal. Families with kids. Small groups of teenagers hanging out in the shade. Couples walking down the path holding hands.

  I glance at Ice’s hand, but I don’t reach for it.

  Being with him doesn’t feel the same as being with the other guys I dated. I don’t want to think they were pushy or rude, really, but... I’ve always been shy and passive. That’s what I’m like when I’m out of my element, but I was never afraid to hold someone’s hand if they wanted to.

  Maybe because I knew it was meaningless? Because, even if I liked the guy a little, it was stupid and silly, and we wouldn’t be together for long?

  Why don’t I feel the same now?

  Why do I hope this relationship is different?

  Why does a simple touch that probably doesn’t mean anything set me on fire? Why am I too nervous to reach for his hand? Just because I don’t know what he wants?

  I hold my empty snow cone cup with both hands, wishing it did more to cool me off.

  “I don’t mind staying here,” he says. “Though, I wouldn’t mind getting away from the crowd either.”

  “So, you don’t know?” I ask with a laugh.

  He smiles, but his attention diverts to a group of young men walking by, and he frowns again. “This is more Night’s scene than mine. She enjoys this sort of busy atmosphere.”

  “You don’t?”

  He watches me with a mild frown. Then he raises a hand and points off into the distance, indicating a vast crowd of people near the top of the hill on the other side of the walking path.

  “She’s there—near the oak, with her friends,” he says. “You can go if you’d like.”

  Huh?

  Scanning the crowd, I eventually spot Night’s flower crown and Carmen’s blue hair over a hundred yards away, not far from where we left them nearly an hour ago. But I look back to Ice.

  “I’d rather stay with you.”

  He cocks his head, his lips forming a curious smile. “You know, I’m running out of interesting things to say to you.”

  “Huh?” I tip my head too.

  Then he laughs. “It’s nothing. Come with me.”

  His hand brushes my arm as he turns away, and my heart skips at the intentional touch. After sucking in a quick recovery breath, I follow a couple seconds behind. I weave through the mass of people gathered near the pavilion, careful not to bump into anyone, and eventually pop out on the other side face-to-face with him.

  Flashing a half-smile, he points toward the far end of the park. In the direction of the river. Then up.

  “Let’s go up there,” he says.

  “The bridge?” A concrete staircase off the main footpath leads up the hill and connects to the sidewalk. We could easily get to the bridge from here. It would only take a
few minutes, but— “Why?”

  He shrugs. “To get away.”

  “Ah...” Being here bothers him? Why? “Sure. We can go.”

  I drop my snow cone cup in the nearest trash can, and we walk through the short grass—the path of least resistance—toward the stairs.

  Ice talks about the work he does for MonroeWorks Global. He sorts digital documents. Applications. Inquiries. Media requests. Some dabbling in HR, forwarding employee concerns to other departments. Things like that. But he doesn’t seem to care for the work, and it sounds like more of a favor to his parents or something he does in his spare time rather than an actual position he holds within the company.

  “You’re not working this summer?” he asks.

  “I mean, I could,” I say. And I probably should. “I worked at the CoffeeStar by RHS last summer, so I guess I could do that again, but I don’t know.”

  “How do you pay rent?”

  Ha... “My dad feels bad for bailing on me, I guess. He’s doing well for himself now, so he agreed to pay my half of the rent until I graduate. Financial aid helps too.”

  “I see. Though, I doubt you’ll worry about that much longer.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He smiles. “The Human Immortal Program doesn’t come without proper compensation, Jayde. That necklace won’t be their last gift to you.”

  “Could you be any more vague?”

  His eyes widen like my comment surprised him, and he laughs. Eyes closed and mouth shielded by one curled hand, it’s the same strange, honest laugh I’ve seen from him only a couple times before. When he looks to me again, his smile carries slightly less cryptic energy.

  “I would hate to ruin the surprise,” he says without a hint of apology.

  We continue from the paved sidewalk onto the bridge walkway. Some of the aging wood slats shift ever so slightly beneath my feet. I avoid looking down and slide my hand along the metal guardrail to my left.

  Ice stops walking as we reach the bridge’s mid-point. He rests his elbows on top of the guardrail and gazes out over the water.

  I stop too.

  The water is a cool teal with a gentle current. People gather on the bank along the park side, concentrated in sandy areas. Several lounge on beach towels. Some are swimming, and I hear periodic hoots from children splashing in the shallows.