Tara was shaking. She looked away from him quickly, not speaking.
“You’re scaring her, Rene,” Adrienne told him.
“Me? I rescued her ass.”
“Okay, come on, Tara,” she said, wrapping one arm around Tara’s waist. “Rene, home.”
“Great. Now I’m Walkin’ Ms. Daisy.”
Adrienne rolled her eyes. She didn’t know what to think of the moody gang member except he wasn’t going to abandon her. He was the only constant after her day. He’d bitch about it, but he’d see her home this afternoon and probably any other afternoon, whether or not she wanted him to.
Rene walked ahead of them, moping, all the way back to her apartment building. Tara didn’t stop shaking and didn’t speak, clearly in shock.
“Thank you, Rene,” Adrienne said, pushing open the door to her building.
He shrugged and walked off.
“He’s such a pain,” Adrienne complained. “But he’s all bark. I think.”
Tara glanced around her, clearly unimpressed with the lobby of the apartment building. Adrienne led her to the elevator, nervous now that Rene was gone. She didn’t know what Tara was doing there or even if she should show Jayden’s sister how poor she was when they got to her father’s rather plain apartment.
Tara said nothing as they rode in the elevator and entered the apartment.
“I can get you dry clothes,” Adrienne said, walking down the short hallway to her bedroom.
She dug through the closet, afraid to see Tara’s face at the cramped room that was hers. Adrienne pulled out a worn t-shirt and workout shorts for Tara then clothes for her to change into.
Tara was looking around, starting to register the world once more. She didn’t appear to be repulsed by the bedroom of the scholarship girl they’d gone out of the way to ridicule.
“Um, I’ll leave you alone to change,” Adrienne murmured, pitying the girl. “I’ll make us some tea.”
Tara took the clothes without speaking.
Adrienne left and closed the door behind her. Emotionally drained, she felt like crying again. She didn’t, instead changing quickly in the bathroom then going to the kitchen to microwave water for tea. Her ear was hurting badly, so she downed a couple more painkillers.
The door to her bedroom opened and the bathroom door closed.
Adrienne put two cups of tea on the kitchen table and waited, twisting her hands in her lap.
Tara emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and sat down on the couch. She’d smoothed out her hair and removed her makeup.
“Thank you,” she said, accepting the cup of tea Adrienne gave her.
An awkward silence fell.
“Are you okay?” Adrienne asked.
“Yeah.” Tara cleared her throat and took a sip of tea.
“So, what were you doing in the alley?”
“Looking for you.”
“Why?” Adrienne asked, dismayed. “The pep rally wasn’t enough?”
Tara flushed. “Believe it or not, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Let me guess. You knew what Kimmie aimed to do, but didn’t warn me either.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think it’d work, though. Voodoo isn’t real. I mean, I didn’t think it was.”
“It is,” Adrienne said. She hesitated then realized there was no reason to hide the truth anymore. She’d already lost the respect of everyone at school, and Jayden helped set her up. “My family is cursed. Every firstborn in my mama’s line is killed, including my sister, who disappeared five years ago when she came to New Orleans to live with Daddy. Jayden’s grandmama even knew I was cursed. That’s how I know magic is real.”
“You’re serious.” Tara’s eyes were wide. “So Kimmie’s curse ... worked?”
“Yeah. She took my voice.” Adrienne’s eyes watered. “I can’t keep my scholarship without it. I’ll have to go back to Atlanta. I’m so close to finding out what happened to my sister.”
“I’m sorry,” Tara murmured. “I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well, I obviously don’t fit in there anyway. No one bothered to tell me, and everyone knew.” Adrienne took her cup to the kitchen, upset. “I’m never going back.”
“You have to come back,” Tara said, following her. “Jayden likes you.”
“Not enough to warn me!”
Tara was quiet for a moment.
Adrienne picked up the phone from the counter and clicked it on, grateful to hear the dial tone. At least her daddy had decided to pay the phone bill. She wouldn’t look like complete white trash in front of Tara.
“Here. Call your mama or someone,” Adrienne said, holding it out. “We don’t have no car and someone like you don’t ride city buses.”
She left Tara in the kitchen. A moment later, she heard Tara speaking quietly to whomever she called.
Adrienne sat on the couch and pulled free her iPad. She stared listlessly at the horrible emails from half the kids in the school then spotted one from Emma.
Hi Adrienne,
I hope you are okay.
Your friend,
Emma
Adrienne swallowed her tears, not recalling how she’d stood up Emma until seeing the note. Emma was her only real friend at the school, and she’d broken her promise to eat lunch with her to sit with kids who humiliated her in front of everyone.
Maybe I deserve what happened.
“Jayden’s coming to get me,” Tara reported, joining her in the living room. “He asked about you.”
Adrienne shrugged.
“Look, Adrienne, all that stuff that happened … Jayden had nothing to do with it. Kimmie is always putting hexes on him, so we figured she was just full of it. Nothing bad has ever happened.”
“I don’t care, Tara. If someone was going to hurt him, I’d tell him.”
Tara frowned. She said nothing.
They sat in silence for a long moment.
“Who was the guy with you?” Tara asked.
“Rene. He acts tough, but he’s helped me a lot this week.”
“He’s got that total bad boy thing going on. It’s kinda sexy.” Tara smiled. “You told him to rescue me?”
Adrienne nodded.
“That’s real cool.”
“I try to do good. Not here to hurt anyone.” Except I hurt Emma.
“I’m sorry, Adrienne. I know it’s too late and it doesn’t do anything to help. But I am sorry.” Tara was sincere, her features troubled. “Just … don’t hold it against Jayden.”
Adrienne didn’t know what to say. It hurt just thinking that he knew, but didn’t tell her. Was he as fake as the rest of the kids at school? How was she able to trust him after this?
“It doesn’t matter. I can’t go back,” she said.
“You have to. If you run away, it’s just making Kimmie’s power trip worse.”
“Everyone is making fun of me,” Adrienne said, holding up her iPad to show the overflowing inbox. “Everyone. I don’t belong there, and they know it.”
Tara didn’t reply, frowning.
Sooner than she expected, there was a knock at the door.
Adrienne’s heart jolted at the thought of seeing Jayden again until she recalled he’d been there for her humiliating debut in front of the school. Dreading what he might say, she crossed to the door and opened it.
Jayden still wore his jersey and slacks. His smile was quick, his dark eyes concerned as he studied her closely.
Her body betrayed her despite her resolve to resent him for hiding Kimmie’s prank. Heat raced through her, and she found herself unable to look away or ignore his clean, woodsy scent. She was speechless at the sight of him, too confused to know how to react. Was Tara right about him not knowing or was he a part of the plan to humiliate her? The more she thought, the harder it was to believe that the most popular boy at school really was interested in her.