“Speak of the devil,” says Jules.
As if we’re watching a soap opera, Allie turns the corner, flanked by her posse. From the opposite direction, simultaneously,Ryan swaggers down the hall. We bystanders freeze, holding our breath, waiting for the inevitable train wreck.
“Oh, look! What a rare sighting,” Allie says loudly. “A man-slut in the wild!” Her girls giggle in response.
Ryan looks her up and down. “Did you eatallyour feelings, Allie?”
At that, Allie propels herself at him, claws out. Just in time, a kid steps between them—James, the president of the LGBT Alliance, who has his own bow tie business and runs conflict-resolution training for student mentors. “Walk it off, girlfriend,” James says to Ryan, who shoves him into the wall.
“Back off, fairy,” Ryan growls.
Before I realize what’s happening, Oliver is no longer standing next to me. He’s heading straight for Ryan.
“Oh crap,” Jules says. “You had to date a hero?”
But Oliver rushes past Ryan, moving toward James, who’s now sprawled on the ground. He extends a hand and helps James up. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, thanks,” James replies, brushing himself off.
This is good, this is really good. Oliver has created the best reputation possible. Everyone is looking at him as if he is a champion.
Including Allie McAndrews.
Oliver puts a hand on James’s shoulder. “Fairies here aremuchbigger than I expected,” he says, delighted.
For a moment, time stops. Something flickers across James’s face—disappointment. Resignation. Pain.
What happens next is so fast I can barely see it: James pullsback his arm and socks Oliver hard so that he falls backward, knocked out cold.
Oh yeah. This is gonna be agreatyear.
I fly to Oliver’s side, crouching down. By now the crowd has scattered, afraid of repercussions. I help him sit up; he winces as he leans against the wall.
“Let me guess,” Oliver mutters. “Fairymeans something different here?”
But I can’t answer, because when I look at him I see it: the trickle of black from his nose, the stains on his white shirt.
“Oliver,” I whisper. “You’reinking.”
OLIVER
It’s been five whole minutes and my face still looks like I’ve been clobbered by a giant. I push aside Delilah, who’s holding a wet tissue to my nose. “The correct term,” she says, “isgay.”
“I didn’t mean to insult him,” I mutter. “I just didn’t know.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. This is all new to you.”
But the guilt aches more than my bruises. I resolve to find James later and offer him a gentleman’s apology. “If two people wish to be together, why is it anyone else’s business?” I ask. “Bloody hell, my best friend was a basset hound, and he was in love with a princess, and no one ever batted an eye.”
Speaking of eyes, I wonder if mine will be black soon. I lean closer to the mirror. “I don’t understand this,” I say. I’ve literally jumped into the fiery mouth of a dragon and leaped off fifty-foot cliffs into the ocean and nearly drowned, yet I recovered faster than I have from this measly blow.
Plus, ithurts.
Suddenly it all makes sense. “Delilah,” I say, swallowing, “I fear I’m dying.”
“You’re not dying. You got sucker punched.”
“I should have healed already.”
