“Which time are you referring to?” I carefully watch for any emotion to cross her face as I continue with a neutral tone. “Since when? From the time you abandoned me? How about when you disowned me? Or wait, do you mean since Elayna died and I got your note?” I fire off. Because yeah, there’s a whole lifetime between when she abandoned me out in the woods alone when I was two. And when I was ten she publicly disowned me in front of Nova’s street fair. She didn’t even show up at JP's mom's funeral, her best friend, and only sent a note to our house, saying: “Good luck finding someone to love you now.” It was addressed to me and written in teal paint. I know I can be slow at times, but even my twelve-year-old self knew who that came from. I saved the note as proof of the type of person she is, just in case.
“Oh, I see. Well Monikaloy, I am sorry you’re still holding onto the past. Some people are unable to let go, and I was hoping for more from you, but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case right now. Try to be better and let that go. Let bygones be bygones. Ever heard that expression?” she asks but doesn’t wait for me to respond. “Humans tend to use it all the time. It’s a funny concept, but it works. It’s as if we just wipe the slate clean and start over.” She beams up at me and my stomach sours. “I’ve heard that you got into Purgatory Prep. Congratulations! I was hoping we could plan a celebration party. Oh! Or how about a small family dinner?” she says, pulling out a planner and laying it on the desk. “You can invite your friends. Maybe even the Princes and their parents since you have grown so close to them lately. I’ve heard the boys have been keeping some interesting company as of late.” Her eyes shift over to Rez before resting back on me. “I’m not sure if that is something you should be associating yourself with, but it does help to get you noticed, so I believe I can overlook that minor detail.” She gives me a disapproving look before she starts to jot stuff down in her book. She continues to talk but I drown her out as I start to have an insider attack. Isn’t that what it’s called?
I don’t think I can do this. Why is she doing this all of a sudden? I feel myself falling apart and getting whiplash from the turn of events. I can’t pretend to be this strong person anymore. My heart starts pounding so hard in my body that I’m sure the devil sitting across from me spewing rainbows and farting hearts can hear it. Before I even think of jumping out of my seat and making a run for it, Rez loudly clears her throat and for some reason, I visualize her sharpening her claws.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
ASHES, ASHES, THE BITCH FALLS DOWN
Rez
Idon’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that this bitch is blowing smoke out of her ass, but the question is why? She’s obviously making Moni uncomfortable and the least she could do is give her some fucking closure. The “princes” were never mentioned until she brought them up. Moni’s probably too distraught to see that her ‘egg donor’ is clearly looking for an in with them. Or maybe it’s the council she's looking to get in with. I’m all for helping Dean Caldron in looking into this lady, but not at the expense of Moni’s mental health. Ms. Teal just keeps blabbering about a party and what to order for it, when Moni’s skin starts to flicker.
Okay, I’m ending this shit.
Clearing my throat, I grab Ms. Teal’s attention and fake yawn when she turns her beady bug eyes my way.
“Is this really all you wanted to talk about? Like I said, we have plans and you’re cutting into them,” I say, all snooty like. It’s like I’m taking on the harpies’ persona and I swear, it’s kinda fun, in a stuck up, I-don’t-give-a-shit kind of way, but it would bug me after a while.
“Why—Who do you think you are!?” she sputters out indignantly.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I thought we went over this already.” I wave away her indignation. “I keep forgetting you Supes are a lot older than you look, so you’re probably older than Moses and forgot who I am already. I’m Rez, Moni’s best friend. And if you fuck with her, you sure as shit fucked with the wrong person. Because you see, I don’t like pompous assholes like you who think your shit doesn’t stink,” I explain, getting up out of my chair and walking over to her desk. Thankfully, I already asked Moni if she minded if I was a bitch to her mother in here, and she gave me her blessing. I sure as fuck didn’t owe this woman anything, but I did promise Moni I wouldn’t throw the first punch. “You’re what we humans call a bully. And bullies are really little guys that are so insecure that they have to lash out at people that they feel threatened by. I can see how you would be jealous of your daughter because she is everything that you will never be. Now, if you excuse us, we have better places to be and nicer people to see.” I turn and walk back towards Moni, who looks like she is so shocked that she can’t decide if she wants to laugh or cry.
I give Moni a smirk and nod my head to the door to indicate it’s time for us to leave. Moni doesn’t need to be told twice as she gets up, and I go to follow right as Ms. Teal screams at me.
“You bitch! I’ll teach you to interfere with my plans.”
I turn around just in time to see a ball of white and black flames heading towards me.
“REZ!” Moni screams and tries to run out in front of me, but I push her back behind me and throw out my chest in time for the ball to hit me straight on, knocking the air from my lungs and dropping me to the ground.
“Oh my God, Rez! Talk to me, please!” Moni cries, looking at the damage the spell did to me. I furiously blink away the tears and look past Moni to see Ms. Teal, quickly walking out a secret door in her office bookcase. She looks back long enough for us to make eye contact, and I flinch when I see it. Not the visceral hate in her eyes and the promise of death, but the mark of the Rebels! Underneath her right eye is a winged snake moving like it’s flying in the air. Or at least I think that’s the description JP gave me last week.
As the door closes, I take stock of what does and doesn’t hurt. Catching my breath, my elbow and ass are a little tender from the fall, but that feels like the worst of it. My clothes don’t even seem to be suffering from the odd flames. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.” I manage to get out and sit up, giving Moni a small smile.
“How are you not hurt or dead?” Moni questions.
Good question.
“I have no clue. Could it just be my clothes? When I dressed I was thinking about needing body armor for this place or some kind of defense to deal with your mom,” I sheepishly admit.
“If that was true, then everyone would do it and then there would be no death or boo-boos.”
Well shit, there goes my reasoning.
“Oh! Maybe it’s part of your powers, Rez! Like a mini defense system. How cool would that be? You would be like a super tampon. Not just a mini, but a super, for her support,” she laughs, shrinking down to her two inch self before she starts zipping around my head.
“I don’t think you truly meant to compare me to a tampon, Moni.”
“Really? Hmm,” she stops mid-flight in front of me and ponders for a second. “Oh bubble farts. I’m sorry. You’re right. I meant to say you would be like an underwire bra. Nowthathas the support you need. It cups just right, it’s sexy, you can show it off, and it’s so much better than bark. Believe me, bark bras are no fun. They only come in two freaking colors. Where’s the fun in that?” Moni continues to mumble about bark and pulls out her Sparks coffee cup that she stashed away when she got up to leave.
Apparently she’s feeling better about leaving her mother’s office. The question is, did she see the mark too? And how do I go about telling her if she didn’t? Oh, and do I really have to tell Dean Caldron that his suspicions were correct? The Rebels are under his nose, but just how many there are is the question we don’t have any idea about.
I’m too young for this job, I quit.
After the disaster at Dangles, I treat Moni and take her to Sparks where Gus gives both of us two Chocolate Danishes drizzled with Salted Caramel. He’s becoming by far one of my favorite people here at Nova. Maybe that has something to do with him not giving me dirty looks whenever he sees me, unlike others here.
It turns out I don’t have to bring up the fact Ms. Teal is with the Rebels to Moni; she won’t shut up about it. Leaning in over our table she whisper-shouts, “Did you see it? I knew she was the devil. Maybe she’s the leader of the Rebels and Dangles is the front.” Her eyes go wide as she tries wiggling her eyebrows at me. “I mean, look at how she decorated our dorm room.”
