The Divide Page 0,24
with this," Adam said.
Cassie eyed the crowd of spectators, wondering if any of them noticed Chris and Doug were impenetrable to the swords' sharp blades. But everyone was so accustomed to the twins' crazy antics that none of them seemed to question it.
Even Max, who was still the talk of the school, was amused by their performance. He was standing with his lacrosse friends and the swarm of pretty girls who fluttered around him at all times. The girls had, for once, diverted their attention away from Max to watch the rooftop.
Doug slashed Chris across the chest, slitting his shirt diagonally open. It flapped like a flag in the wind. "Serves you right, brother," Chris called out. "This T-shirt was one of yours."
Laughter passed over the crowd in a wave. Max shook his head, stepped away from his crew, and made his way over to Diana.
"Someone should stop those two," he said. "Before they're both completely naked."
Cassie observed how Max's admirers visibly sighed at the sight of him talking to Diana. They obviously considered her competition.
"But I can't be the one to stop them," Max continued, leaning in close to her. "Can't you work some of your magic?"
Diana froze for a second, but it was clear to Cassie that Max meant nothing by it. He was fixated on Diana's eyes.
"You must have every guy in school at your beck and call," he said to her. "I imagine if anyone can get them down, it's you."
Diana exhaled deeply and laughed. She self-consciously tried to smooth her hair down, but it remained beautifully tousled. "If only that were true," she said.
"I can get them off the roof," Faye offered, but Max ignored her.
"It's just that if my dad catches them up there, there's no telling what he'll do," Max said. "He's not big on kids bringing weapons to school."
"Understandably," Diana answered, nodding. But before she could return her attention to Chris and Doug, Nick appeared on the roof behind them.
"The show's over," he called out, approaching the two of them like he might wring their necks.
Chris and Doug looked at each other and dropped their swords. They raised their hands in defense and backed away from Nick, edging closer and closer to the roof's edge. The crowd fell silent. It had to be a twenty-foot drop.
Nick caught on to the trick and stood still. "That's enough," he said. "You had your fun. Now just come down quietly."
Chris and Doug glanced at the crowd and then latched hands. "Never!" they screamed, and leaped from the roof, landing on a large Dumpster below.
People covered their mouths and turned away. Even Max winced, subtly turning his face in toward Diana's as he did so. But the twins landed with a synchronized tumble.
Without a scratch, they climbed down and took their bows.
Chapter 11
Cassie was in town running errands when the rich aroma of the Witch's Brew Coffee Shop filled her lungs. Coffee, she thought. What a good idea. The Witch's Brew was a gimmick, plain and simple, capitalizing on the town's Salem witch trial - related history. At night it featured strobe lights and white cotton cobwebs, and was a favorite place for anyone from out of town looking for an overpriced drink with a gothic name. The locals, and Cassie's friends especially, avoided the place for obvious reasons. But in the light of day, the Brew could almost pass as an ordinary coffee shop, and they'd just set up their outdoor tables.
Cassie figured it wouldn't be so bad if she could sit outside sipping her drink in the sun, so she looked for an empty seat.
That was when she noticed that familiar dyed red hair she knew belonged to Scarlett. She was bent over a book, reading and mindlessly chewing on a pencil. Cassie's first instinct was to go sit with her, but then she remembered the new rule. Outsiders were off limits for now.
It wasn't fair. The Circle shouldn't be able to dictate whom Cassie had coffee with. But even Faye was willing to relinquish some of her personal freedom for the good of the group. And Cassie had to get to the lighthouse anyway. In lieu of being able to do magic, Melanie and Laurel were resorting to herbology to pass the time. They'd asked resorting to herbology to pass the time. They'd asked Cassie to bring over the flowers from a rare herb in her garden - the Plymouth gentian. Cassie felt for the paper bag containing the flowers in her