Chapter 9 #2
“Oh yeah,” Oliver said. “My brother always talks about trying to stop me from putting plants in my mouth as soon as I could crawl. He says I was already showing promise as an arcanobotanist, but I think I was probably just being a baby.”
Dani laughed. “You were conducting scholarly research.”
“That’s exactly what my brother would say.”
“What’s he like?”
“Asa’s the best.” Canary yellow spread its wings across Dani’s mind as words came tumbling out of Oliver.
“He remembers everything, and he can make pretty much anyone laugh. He could’ve been a stand-up comedian if he wanted to, but he was too busy providing for me and my younger siblings after our parents died. ”
“I’m so sorry,” Dani said. “That must have been hard.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Oliver said. “It was—especially for Asa, but he never showed it. He’s always seemed basically invincible to me.”
“How many siblings do you have other than him?”
“Three younger,” Oliver said. “Charlotte, Milo, and Emi. They’re amazing. I miss them all the time.”
Dani could almost taste the cerulean of Oliver’s wistfulness. “I bet you do,” she said.
“What about you?” they asked. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Nope,” Dani said. “I am decidedly an only child—and trust me when I say that’s a good thing.” Before Oliver could inquire as to why, she added, “Is that why you didn’t want to call Asa when you were in the hospital? Because he has his hands full with your siblings?”
“That’s half of it. The other half—” Oliver paused for a moment, and Dani walked in silence beside them, not wanting to push.
All the colors faded from her mind and didn’t return, even once they started talking again.
“Honestly, I just don’t want him to worry.
He was the one who encouraged me to come here, even though it’s so far away from them.
I was going to accept a college closer to home so I could help out more, but he knew how strong the Leap’s arcanobotany program is and that I’ve always been interested in OneiroLabs.
I wouldn’t want him to think—I wouldn’t want him to blame himself. ”
“That makes sense.” Dani was considering asking if Asa might want to know what was going on, anyway, but they were coming up to the dining hall now, and McKenna was waiting on the sidewalk, wearing a princess coat made of copper and teal brocade.
She was using a light glamour that made her face look particularly elfin, with glittery eye shadow that matched her coat.
Her usual accessory of Gingerbread was absent this time—no familiars allowed in the dining hall.
“Hi, babe,” she said to Dani, before turning a curious gaze to Oliver. “Who’s this new friend you’ve brought along?”
“Kenz, this is Oliver,” Dani said, gesturing between them. “We met at the café, but they’re, uh, helping out with the Silva thing, too.” She hadn’t had a chance to fill McKenna in on the details yet. “Oliver, this is my McKenna, I mean my roommate. She’s harmless, don’t worry.”
“That’s very rude and inaccurate of you to say,” McKenna said. “I am extremely harmful when I want to be.”
“I believe it.” Oliver laughed. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” McKenna said. They made their way into the dining hall, where she scanned Dani in with one of her credits—she treated Dani to a meal here about once a week—and the trio entered the cafeteria, which was bustling with students. “So what department are you in?”
“Arcanobotany,” Oliver said. “With a side of telepathy. You?”
“Fashion design,” McKenna answered. “With a side of illusion magic.”
The three of them found a table and sat down.
As always, Dani had an excessive amount of food, about half of which she’d bring home in the reusable container she almost always kept in her bag.
McKenna and Oliver took to each other at once, especially after they discovered they were both from the Midwest. Dani was content to eat and listen to them bond, a fuzzy warmth descending over her as they laughed and talked.
After the strange day she’d had, it was nice to feel like normal college students, finding their friends in the first semester.
“So what kind of design do you do?” Oliver asked McKenna at one point.
“Couture, mostly,” McKenna said, “inspired by my fae heritage. Would you like to see some of my designs?”
“Absolutely,” Oliver said, and McKenna brought out her sketchbook.
Oliver and Dani scooted their chairs in closer so they could look through it together.
Dani had seen most of the designs before, of course, but she never tired of looking at McKenna’s work.
Her best friend had a signature style that incorporated mossy lace and cascades of water-like silk, but with a distinctly fairy touch, lights dancing like will-o’-the-wisps in skirts and butterfly-wing bodices that shone like stained glass windows.
“This is incredible,” Oliver said as they paged through the designs. “You did all this for class?”
McKenna shook her head. “I’ve been working on this for years.
It’s sort of an unspoken truth that you’ve got to get started on your portfolio as early as possible if you want to have a successful design career.
I really need to make mock-ups and send samples to boutiques and fashion houses, get my name out there even before I graduate—but these materials won’t come cheap. ”
“Someday,” Dani said. “And I’ll be front row at all your runway shows.”
“Me too,” Oliver said, and McKenna preened as she tucked her sketchbook back in her bag. Oliver excused themself to get a refill on their soda, leaving Dani and McKenna momentarily alone.
“So,” McKenna said, scooting her chair even closer. “How was everything with Silva? Was it as scary as you imagined?”
“Yes and no.” Dani sighed. “It’s complicated, and I think Oliver should probably help me tell you about it.”
“Very well,” McKenna said. “In that case, right now I need to know one thing: Was I right? Did coffee boy show up last night with his tail between his legs?”
“Yes, yes, you were right. He came by for a few hours. Are you happy?”
“Are you?”
Dani looked down at her plate, unable to hold back her smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I really am.”
“Did you make out this time?”
“No!” Dani laughed. “But he did kind of, um, invite me to his birthday party on Friday.”
“A party!” McKenna’s face lit up. She’d been talking about finding them an invitation to a party ever since they’d started at the Leap. “We’re going, right?”
“I don’t know,” Dani said. “I am off that night, but—”
“Danica fucking Lionet,” McKenna said, “you are not telling me you’re going to chicken out of attending your crush’s birthday party on one of your rare nights off. On Halloween, no less. Do you really not want to go?”
“Well,” Dani said, biting her lower lip, “no. I think I do. I’m just nervous, I guess.”
“Never fear,” McKenna said. “I’ll be with you the whole time—unless you don’t want me to be. When and where is the party, please? Is the dress code costumes?”
“It’s not technically a Halloween party, but he said a lot of people will show up in costume anyway,” Dani said, taking out her quartzpad. She navigated to Kass’s message and handed the device to McKenna. “This is the address.”
McKenna’s eyes doubled in size. “Dani, this is in Eunoia Park.”
Eunoia Park was the wealthiest neighborhood in town, the kind with chateau-like houses and expensive charms dissuading random people from walking their dogs there.
“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that he’s way out of my league.”
“Now, that’s not true at all.”
“He’s a mage, McKenna. He writes papers for fun and he can turn into a dog. His dad is some kind of mogul. I dunno. I probably shouldn’t go.”
She didn’t want to tell McKenna that she’d never been to a party before, either—at least, not one like this.
Sure, her parents had taken her to plenty of fancy events, usually at casinos, and she’d hung out with coworkers who drank cheap beer in their basements after a long day, but she’d never been invited to a proper party by a friend, much less by a crush.
Because McKenna had come close to the truth the other day: This was Dani’s first real crush.
She hadn’t had time to get to know anyone during her brief stint at a real high school and had avoided anyone who expressed interest in her at the restaurants she’d worked at as a matter of safety.
This was the first time she’d felt comfortable enough to even consider letting her feelings get away from her.
“There’s no way I’m going to let you talk yourself out of having some fun for once, just because he’s in spellcraft or has a rich dad or something.
Dogs aren’t unicorns,” McKenna said, adamant.
“I think we should go to that party and have an amazing time. And who knows? Maybe afterward I’ll ask again if you made out with coffee boy and this time you’ll actually say yes. ”
“Maybe,” Dani said as Oliver sat back down at the table. “I wouldn’t count on it, Kenz.”
But she couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth.