“None of that matters,” I tell him, crossing my arms. “That’s not the point.”
“Oh, really?” Colten says, stepping back as he raises an eyebrow. “Then what is the point?”
“The point is that you need to stay away from Nico,” I say, jabbing a finger toward him.
Colten blinks, clearly not expecting that. “…What?”
“You heard me,” I tell him, glaring down at him. “He’s no good for you.”
Colten stares at me like I’ve just announced that the moon is made of cheese.
“And why would Nico be bad for me?” he asks, speaking slowly.
I lean closer and lower my voice dramatically.
“Because he’s hiding a princess in his dorm.”
Silence.
Even the music from the field seems to pause.
Colten just looks at me.
“A princess,” he repeats. “You think Nico is hiding a princess.”
“Yes,” I reply with complete confidence.
Colten rubs a hand over his face. “You’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk,” I slur indignantly.
“You’re accusing the newbie of harboring royalty.”
Was that right? I squint before nodding hard. “He told me himself!”
“Patrick...” Colten presses his lips together, the way he does when he’s trying to keep himself from laughing because he doesn’t want to ‘encourage me’, whatever that means.
“And also, you were glowing,” I continue, because that is the real issue, and it’s still very much unresolved.
Colten freezes. His shoulders go tight, and I watch his Adam's apple bob as he swallows hard.
“…You saw that?” he says.
“Of course I saw that!” I say as I step forward.
Colten instinctively takes a step back, and I take another step forward.
Then another, and another, until his back hits the metal wall of the shed with a quiet clang.
I plant my hands on the wall on either side of him. Which, now that I’m noticing it, puts us extremely close together, but that’s fine, because this is a confrontation.
“Don’t try to lie to me,” I say.
His eyes flick up to mine, glaring.
And—wait.
He’s glowing again!
