“Pryor Reese Cane, get your ass back here and give us details!” Swoop demands.

She hurls a pillow at me as I run out of her bedroom. I laugh as the twins chase me down the hallway of the house.

“You better tell us!” Key demands as she latches on to me.

I try to get away, but Swoop twirls and flips in the air and lands right in front of me, blocking the entrance to my room.

“Okay, okay,” I reply.

“Start at the top,” Key instructs.

I tell them about the best thing that’s ever happened to me: The moment Aaden and I kissed. It happened a few hours ago, yet I can still feel his perfect lips on mine. I tell the twins everything. Well, almost everything. I skip the part about Wednesday and the girl. I don’t want to betray Aaden’s trust.

I’ve gone over the story Aaden told me a million times since I was with him. I wonder who the girl is and why she hasn’t come forward. I know it must be hard for her, but I could never let someone take the blame for me.

“Pryor, don’t you dare zone out on us!” Swoop warns me.

“Was the kiss short and passionate or slow and lingering?” Swoop asks.

“It was slow and lingering,” I admit, unable to stop smiling.

“Were your eyes closed or open?” Key says.

“Closed.”

They cheer and jump up and down like crazy human kids on a sugar high.

“Hey, hey, keep it down. Some of us are busy cheating on our history papers thanks to Wikipedia,” East says as he enters the living room.

“Pryor and Aaden kissed!” Swoop says.

“What?” someone asks behind us.

We turn and find Bex standing at the entrance.

“Pryor and Aaden have a thing going,” Key says gleefully.

“You think that’s wise?” he asks.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“He’s your second in command,” Bex replies.

“Yeah, Bex, I know who he is,” I counter.

“What’s the problem? You and I date and we’re on the same team,” Key adds.

“Okay, whatever. I gotta go do some stuff,” Bex says as he heads out the door.

“You just got back,” Key calls out.

“I know. I just forgot to run an errand. Be back soon.”

He reaches over and kisses her fervently, then leaves the house.

“So this thing with you and Aaden, how serious is it? And will there be a horde of girls that are heartbroken by the news? If so, I think I could help,” East offers.

“It’s super serious. She got him to agree to come to the dance tonight.” Swoop beams.

“Wow, that is serious,” East replies.

“Wait you guys, let’s not jump to any conclusions. We kissed and it was nice. And now...we’ll see what happens,” I say in my very best “grown-up” voice.

“He’s going to give you his Rah!” Key says.

“What? No, we’re not even there yet. We just started,” I remind them.

They don’t pay any attention to me. Instead they go off into my room to raid my closet and figure out how to dress me so that I can entice my soon-to-be boyfriend. I act like I’m cool and collected, but the thought that Aaden and I are about to be a couple thrills me beyond reason.

Aaden Case and Pryor Cane.

I like it. Who am I kidding; I love it...

The girls are dressed in their designer best. Key wears a body hugging black velvet minidress with heels and blood red lipstick. Swoop wears a brown pleated leather miniskirt with a patterned tank top. She accents the look with silver bracelets and chocolate boots. I have on an olive green spaghetti strap A-line dress that flares out at the bottom. It complements my hair perfectly.

East, Bex, and Randy have been ready for an hour now. They threaten us with bodily harm if we don’t finish getting ready and come downstairs. I texted Aaden and he said he’d meet me at the dance. I was kind of disappointed at first because I wanted to make an entrance with him. But now I’m over it. All that matters is that tonight, we’ll be together.

I had time to brief Randy on the kiss and he wants to have a heart-to-heart with Aaden. That way he can threaten his life if he hurts me. I love how sweet and crazy my best friend can be.

“Okay, you ladies have five seconds or I’m coming up there!” Bex warns.

“We’re coming, we’re coming!” Swoop says.

We rush down the stairs and the guys look us over. I can tell by the way Bex is looking at Key, he approves of her outfit. In fact all the guys are happy with our choices.

I really wish Aaden were here. Oh well, he can see it at the dance. And then maybe he can see something else...

I recall my earlier conversation with the girls.

“Do not go too fast. Guys like to chase. Make him work for it. Don’t just spread your...wings for him,” Key cautions.

“She’s righ,t but maybe show him a boob,” Swoop offers.

“I would never do anything like that,” I replied.

The twins look at me in total disbelief, and then we all start laughing like lunatics.

We hear the music long before we pull up to the school. The beat penetrates the night air and surrounds us. The turnout is far more than what I thought it would be. But then again, I’ve never gone to these things before. Everyone is dressed in trendy designer outfits and the latest hairstyles. The crowd is high energy and in full party mode.

We enter the dance and are taken aback by the length the decorating committee went to make over the gym. There are red and white balloons wrapped around every column in intricate patterns. The tables aligned against the walls are covered in white cloth and have a ton of heart-themed treats.

There’s a “red carpet” set up on the opposite end of the gym. Students walk down the aisle and when they get to the end, they pose for pictures with a large hand-painted heart cutout with complex designs. The only thing more impressive than the decorations is the dazzling light display.

“Randy, the lights are gorgeous!” I tell him.

He beams back at me. Then Swoop tells us she has to go and that she’ll be back in an hour or so. We look at her curiously and watch as she heads to the DJ table. I guess the school already knows how good she is because the moment she gets to the table they start to cheer loudly.

I have never seen anyone more in their element than Swoop standing over a turntable. Key would bond with her dad over cars, but for Swoop it was always music that helped her and Uncle Jay get close.

“I’m gonna go call Aaden, see how long before he gets here,” I yell at Randy over the music.

He points towards the window at the figure getting off the motorcycle. I don’t have a heart but if I did, I swear it would skip a beat. I wave to him excitedly. I don’t think he sees me.

“Be right back,” I tell Randy as I race outside.

Aaden stands by his bike looking reluctant to come in. I forget he’s never been to a human school before. I smile and go out to get him.

“Okay, I know you’re new to the whole ‘human social events’ thing, but in order to go to a dance you actually have to walk through the building where the dance is being held,” I tease as I walk towards him.

As I get closer, I make out the expression on his face: crestfallen and brooding.

He doesn’t need to say a word. I can tell by his body language. A language I’ve studied for years. I speak my revelation out loud.

“You’re not coming in, are you?” I ask.

He lowers his head.

“Aaden, if you hate dances that much then we can do something else,” I offer.

“It’s not about the dance,” he replies, finally making eye contact.

“So, what is this about?” I reply.

“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

I can’t bring myself to speak. So I just nod slowly while my stomach ties itself into a thousand knots.

“I mean it was probably a bad idea for us to kiss,” he says.

I don’t reply. Still can’t find words to string together and form any kind of coherent sentence. I’d like to flee and be as far from this place as I can, but my knees are so weak I can hardly stand, let alone run.

Even if I could run, I would not. I’m the First Noru. I’m a leader, not a character in a young adult romance novel. I’m the child of Death and the First Guardian. I will not run off and cry; hell no.

I have to take in what Aaden is saying the same way I had to take in Harm’s bone-breaking blows. And yes, standing here is far more difficult than fighting a Kaster, but I will be damned if I run away.

“So this is as far as it goes for you and me?” I ask calmly.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” I reply as I start to walk back into the school.

“Pryor, wait,” he calls out.

I stop walking and turn to face him. I remain composed even though it feels like my insides are being pureed. And the lump in my throat has expanded to the size of a tennis ball.

“I want to explain why I think you and I would be a bad idea. Our parents were involved with angels on the same team and it got really complicated,” he says.

“Okay,” I reply simply as I head back inside.

“Pry, I’m sorry.”

“No worries,” I say without turning back.

I disappear behind the school walls. I stand far enough away that he can’t see me. But close enough to watch as he gets on his motorcycle and rides away. He doesn’t look back. Given everything that’s happened, for some reason that’s what hurts the most: he never looked back...

Pryor Reese Cane, you can’t lean on the lockers forever. You have to go back in to the gym and move on with your life. So what if he doesn’t want you. It was just a kiss. It wasn’t even that good. Okay, it was amazing, but so what?

Don’t let him ruin your night. Just go in there and dance. The world is not over because the guy you’re in love with regrets kissing you. Everywhere all over the world girls wake up to realize the guy they want is a jerkoff. If all of them stood in this hallway like you, what would happen then?

What is the big deal about Aaden anyway? He’s just some angel with bad issues and a good body. You can find that anywhere. And you don’t like “dark and complicated” and that’s all Aaden is—a big bag of complications. Screw him. Seriously. Screw. Him.

I want to be the girl that can shake this kind of thing off like it doesn’t matter. But I don’t know how to be that girl. How do I pick up the pieces of my heart like it was no big deal that he hurled it on the floor? How do I go on with the rest of my life when I can’t even get myself to walk back into the damn gym?

What happened? What did I do wrong? Was it something I said or did? Where did I mess up? Did he kiss me just because he had never done it before or did it actually mean something to him? How could he be so taken with me one minute and the next, want me out of his life? What the hell happened? Why would he do this to me? Is it because I don’t have a lot of experience?

Stop it, Pry! Stop asking questions that you will never get the answers to. The fact is he doesn’t want you and the reasons are unimportant. So stop turning the situation over in your head in a million ways. No matter which way you look at it, Aaden is strong and willful. If he wanted to fight to be with you, he would. That “things get complicated” bullshit is just an excuse.

Do not spend another minute thinking about him. He’s not worth it. There’s a lot going on and the last thing you need is to be with someone who is too weak to deal with a real angel. Just leave him alone. Let him go have acrobatic monkey sex with his legions of fangirls. Who gives a fuck?

I do...

I sink down to the glossy waxed hallway floor, place my knees up to my chest and lower my head. The only thing I have going for me is that I am not crying. It’s a small victory, but it’s the only thing I can hold on to.

“Pry?” someone calls.

I look up and Bex is walking towards me. I quickly stand up and pull myself together. Concern spreads over his face when he gets a good look at me.

“Hey, are you and Key having a good time?” I ask, trying to sound light and carefree.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

“Where’s Silver?”

“I don’t know. He came by and then took off,” I reply, hoping to Omnis he doesn’t ask me to explain further.

“I thought you two were...”

“He said it could get complicated with us being on the same team and everything...”

“That guy is unbelievable!” Bex snaps.

“It’s fine, really. I’m good with it,” I reply.

Please, please let the subject drop.

“He’s such a selfish bastard. I should’ve broken his damn neck. He comes back here after being gone with no explanation. He’s an arrogant self-serving son of—”

“Bex, please. I can’t do this right now, okay?” I snap.

“Sorry, I just think you should be with someone who knows how special you are. Someone who would fight the whole damn world if it meant being able to spend an extra minute with you,” he rages.

I look at him, surprised by his heated reaction. Judging from the expression on his face, he’s taken aback by it too.

“Sorry, I just...I think you deserve better,” he says, gaining his composure back.

Our eyes lock. He’s about to say something, but then we hear a voice call out from around the corner.

“Bex, where are you?” Key asks.

“I should go,” he says.

I nod in agreement and he starts to walk towards the sound of Key’s voice.

“Bex?” I call out before he turns the corner.

He turns and looks back at me. 

“About the pendant you gave me...” I begin.

“Yeah, what about it?”

Does the pendant mean you have feelings for me? If so, how long have you had them? Why didn’t you ever say anything? And if you do have feelings for me, what does that mean for you and Key?

“Pryor, what about the pendant?” he asks.

“I just wanted to say...thank you. It’s really beautiful.”

He smiles back at me but there’s sadness in his eyes. Before I can say anything, he disappears down the hallway to find his girl.

I take the compact out of my purse and study my face in the circular mirror. The girl who looks back at me feels like a stranger. She’s sadder than I’ve ever seen her. Yet she’s strong; strong enough to avenge her brother.

“That’s gotta count for something, right?” I ask myself in the mirror out loud.

I shake my head, feeling very much like a pathetic loser. I then place my compact away and head towards the back exit. It’s time to give up on this dance.

I’m walking down the steps that look out onto the football field, when I hear Randy call out for me to wait for him. I turn and find him running towards me.

“Where you going?” he asks.

“Home.”

“Bex said you needed to talk, what’s up?”

I tell him what happened tonight.

“You want me to beat him up? I could you know. I’ve been taking this new limeade flavored sports shake. Man, I’m a freaking beast!” he says proudly.

I smile despite myself, but it quickly turns into a frown. Randy pulls me close and hugs me. It’s only then that I realize just how much I needed that. We just stand there for several minutes holding each other. Then we sit on the steps and look out onto the football field.

“How could I be so stupid? Aaden is the guy with a thousand secrets. How could I think for one second I could trust him?” I ask.

“It’s not your fault. Girls fall for guys like that all the time,” he says.

“I thought he liked me. I mean when we kissed I felt something I haven’t felt since my mom and dad were on earth. I felt safe. Then he comes over here and...why did he do this to me? Why did he make me think he cared about me when he doesn’t? Seriously, what was there to gain?”

“I think he’s scared because you happen to be one hot, badass chick. He’s just not ready to deal with you,” Randy suggests.

“Seriously, Randy, no bullshit. Is there something wrong with me?”

“Pryor, you put your life on the line for the ones you love. You’re a hero.”

“No, Randy, I’m not,” I counter.

“You are to me.”

“Having powers doesn’t really make you a hero, Randy.”

“You were my hero even before I knew who you really were. Every day you rescue me from complete and utter loneliness. You go to comic conventions just because you know I hate going alone. You let me pretend my mom is actually coming back even though we both know she’s not.”

“Randy...”

“It’s okay. I kept waiting for her to return so I could be part of a family. But I have you and my dad, so I’m already part of a family.”

I place my head on his shoulder while my heart continues to break. Being with Randy doesn’t stop the hurt but at least I’m not facing it alone.

“Hey, I just had a thought: What if the Blue Rose woman was a demon. And it turns out that Aaden is actually the Blue Rose descendant? That way you could kill him and it would fall under ‘official Noru business’!”  He laughs at the thought and I join in.