Opal was hiding a grin.
“Shut up.” Nico blushed the color of his radish outfit. He couldn’t sit properly because the body was too round, so he lolled uncomfortably to one side. A lounging vegetable. “Why couldn’t I just show you a photo of the costume or something?”
“We needed to see it in person,” Tyler said. “Definitely. Couldn’t get the full effect otherwise.”
“Wait till you see Opal’s dance,” Emma said.
Opal shook her head ruefully. “I thought you had my back.”
“I do.” Emma schooled her face to absolute seriousness. “Your routine is a masterpiece.”
“I’m excited to watch the movie,” Opal said. “And to see how many radishes Tyler can eat.”
“Which reminds me—I brought a radish pie.” Tyler placed it on the showroom floor, in the middle of their lopsided circle. “It’s actually supposed to taste good. I think there’s a whole bag of sugar in it.”
Nico made another attempt to get upright. “Why am I wearing this nightmare again?”
“We need a ceremony to formally make us Torchbearers, but I didn’t want some creepy ancient ritual.” Tyler set a bowl of raw radishes next to the pie. “No robes, no chanting or dagger kissing, no group haircuts. I’ve had enough weird for a while.”
“Well I hope ridiculous is okay.” Opal adjusted the cuffs on her outfit—a red tracksuit covered in glitter glue. They’d agreed to perform their individual festival obligations as part of the ceremony, since none of them actually got to participate. They’d all been grounded for going missing after town square got trashed.
Nico grinned. “I can’t believe my dad thought that not being a radish was punishment.”
Opal grinned back at him. There was still no official word on whether Nico’s father was getting transferred, but Nico wasn’t letting that get him down. Opal knew he was determined to enjoy every moment he had in Timbers. She said another silent prayer that the Hollands stayed put.
“It was punishment for me,” Emma grumbled. “I was ready to slay that movie.”
Opal snorted. “So now we’re punishing ourselves.”
Tyler was staring at the radish bowl. “Can’t believe I’m going to eat these things.”
“I wish Logan had come,” Emma said. They all went quiet.
Logan had been distant since the Darkdeep battle, after Opal and Nico were spit out into the pond. It seemed like he wanted to forget the whole thing. Opal was disappointed, but not totally surprised. At least he didn’t hassle Nico anymore.He said he was sorry. That’s something.
“You did invite him, right?” Tyler asked Opal.
“Yeah.” Opal shrugged. “He wasn’t a jerk about it or anything. But he said he had something else to do.” It wouldn’t be riding his four-wheelers. Those had been mangled by a giant cockroach.
Nico glanced at his watch. “Let’s get started. If I come home late again, I’m toast.”
“Right. Okay.” Tyler cleared his throat. “And thus we begin our sacred ceremony on this hallowed Saturday afternoon.”
Nico rolled his eyes. “Can I take this stupid costume off yet?”
“You have toparadefirst,” Emma scolded. “And wear the hat, please.”
“Gah. Help me up, then.” Nico held out his arms like a baby. Laughing, the girls hoisted him to his feet. He strutted back and forth along the center aisle. “I’m a little radish, walking down the street. Got a stem on my head and roots for myfeet.” He tried to do a spin but toppled over. Everyone cracked up, including Nico.
Opal laughed with the others, but something tugged at her. She glanced at the smashed wall panel, courtesy of three deadly orc figments. They’d hung a sheet across the opening, but Opal knew that a dark pool lurked underneath them, its black surface still as glass.
For now.
“You next, Ty.” Nico removed his radish cap and swatted his friend with it. “Let’s see how many you can eat.”
Emma pulled up her phone timer. “Three minutes to glory. Go!”
“I’m not going to survive this.” Tyler picked up a radish and popped it into his mouth. He made a gagging face. “Ack.Blech. Help me, I’m dying.” It turned out he could only eat two.
