“It is.”
Time ticked out between us.
“Remember junior year?” I said. “Spring? The Barnacles were playing the Smelts and weather was supposed to be a downpour?”
He nodded. He played second base for the Barnacles. I knew he’d remember.
“We got three inches of rain that day. The entire town flooded. But not the baseball field. It hardly sprinkled there.”
“Wha—”
“Thor. He had a bet riding on the outcome, picked up his power, and influenced the weather.”
“That was just a freak storm.”
“That was a god. The bus crash?” I said before he could argue. “Elementary school kids going on a field trip to the zoo. That eighteen-wheeler smashed head-on into the bus at sixty miles an hour. Should have killed them all. Everyone walked away without a scratch, including both drivers.”
“Who?” he asked.
“Bast. She was driving to a hair appointment and saw it coming. Drew on her power. Saved those children.”
“But… Jesus.”
“Hasn’t come by as far as I know. The mudslide that should have wiped out half the town, but somehow missed every house, did no damage to the roads, and instead left behind a rather nice waterfall and hiking trail? Nilus wanted a new park.The lighthouse—”
“Okay. There’s been some weird stuff.”
I nodded.
“But gods? In Ordinary? In this crummy town?”
“In this crummy town.”
“Crow and Herri?” he asked.
“And others. Aaron, Kim. Um…Zeus and Odin, obviously.” I rolled my eyes. “Heim,” I added, a little more softly.
“But Heim’s dead.”
“I know. His power isn’t. That’s why I’m here. It’s my job to make sure his power is picked up by a mortal worthy of it. A mortal who will become a god.”
“That comes with the badge?” he asked.
“Nope. That comes with being a Reed. I think you came back to this crummy town for this. For power.”
“I came back because I thought I left something behind.”
“I think you’re right.”
He rocked back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. When he dropped his palms, his smile was still confused. “I’d be crazy to believe you.”
My stomach dropped and all the butterflies turned into razor blades. There wasn’t much time left. What could I say to make him believe me? I opened my mouth, not ready to give up. He spoke before I could.
“But I’ve always been a little crazy, right?” He grinned.
I exhaled a shaky breath. “Yeah, you have, Coop. It’s one of the things I like about you.” My hand trembled as I dragged it back through my hair. “So what do you think about becoming a god?”
I could practically see the gears in his head working through hope, fear, lust, doubt, and a chaos of other emotions.
