I didn’t see skinny guy again any time soon. I did see Carlos or Marcos hanging around outside the school again, though. Lugenia had gotten a restraining order, but he wasn’t quite ignoring it so much as…playing the edges of it, I suppose was how I’d put it. He was always right at the point where if she stepped any closer he’d be in violation, and laughing.
I was going to hurt him. I’d decided on that. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to do it, but he was going to regret what he was doing. I’d very much like to be in a position to grab and twist certain things.
Lugenia had mentioned removing said things. I could understand her temptation, but I wasn’t about to help with anything permanent. He needed to be taught a lesson, but she didn’t need to be guilt-wracked over it.
Now I was being self righteous. It wasn’t really my call what she chose to do. It wasn’t my call at all, but I couldn’t help but feel just a little bit…yeah. As if I was the one guiding her, as if I was the one with the knowledge and experience.
Which was Thea. Spotting Lugenia, I crossed over to join her, walking into the school with her.
“He’s trying to herd me. He knows I don’t want to get close to him and he knows if I do the judge might cancel the order.”
“I can get as close to him as I want,” I pointed out. “I just don’t want to give him the dignity of a response. Let’s not let him know he’s getting to us.”
She laughed a bit at that. “Let’s not.” A pause. “Thea’s having ex problems too.”
“I roughed him up the other day. Haven’t seen him since.”
She looked a bit jealous. “I don’t know how to rough anyone up.”
I felt my lips quirk. “Be sensible and stay that way.” I let out a breath. “Once you have that ability and know you do, it starts to look like a solution. And it isn’t one, not really. It’s a tool, but one that’s very easy to overuse.”
A pause, she looked away, and then back to me. “And if he tries to beat me again?”
“Grab, twist, pull.” I flickered a grin. “He deserves it.”
I abruptly sensed the fairy presence, and whispered, “And you, go bug the guy in the blue sweater.”
“Who are you talking to?”
“Nobody. Myself.” The fairy had vanished. Hopefully to go tie Carlos’ shoes together or something. Having a friend that was invisible was…rather handy. I didn’t want to call him an invisible friend because 16 year olds weren’t supposed to have those.
Then again, 16 year olds weren’t supposed to hang out with Norse gods, either. I flickered Lugenia one more grin and headed to class.