Where was Archer? I hadn't even looked for him. I clung even more tightly to the shadows as I scanned the room.
My breath caught in my throat. He was ... a Greek god. As Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, he wore a flowing aquamarine toga festooned with seashells. A long dark wig braided with more seashells curled past his shoulders, a huge shell-crown sat on his head, and he carried a large trident. Every bit of his costume, hair, and face had been brushed with glitter, so his whole body glistened like it was under water.
He looked magnificent. Worse, he looked happy. The Theater Geeks might not have been in the center of the room like the Populazzi, but they'd carved out their own corner, and within it they sparkled. Their costumes were a million times more ornate than anyone else's, and while that seemed to draw more sneers than awestruck stares, they didn't care. They danced and laughed and struck poses of godlike glory.
Archer wasn't missing me at all. Why would he? He was in his element, having the time of his life with all his closest friends. I had to be the furthest thing from his mind.
As I kept staring, one of the other Theater Geeks walked up to him, and it took me a minute to realize it was Sue. She was Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, a la Venus on the Half Shell. She wore a glittering skin-tone unitard, perfectly adjusted to push her every curve into its ideal position. Her long blond wig cascaded to the floor, clinging strategically to her body as it fell.
She was absolutely breathtaking.
Archer leaned close to whisper something in her ear. She laughed and put her hand on his arm.
I tasted bile.
I suddenly remembered that in Greek mythology, Poseidon had been one of Aphrodite's lovers. Did Sue know that? Did Archer?
Sue placed her hands on Archer's shoulder and pulled herself up on tiptoe to whisper back to him. I saw the curve of her breast press against his arm, and anxiety sped up my heart. I felt the blood pulse in my head with almost unbearable pressure, and I gripped the doorjamb to keep from falling. I wasn't sure how much longer I could watch and still survive.
The DJ saved me. I don't even know what he played, but it was loud and it was fast and it made Ember squeal and dive between Archer and Sue to rally them for a huge group flail-fest.
Eventually, my heartbeat went back to normal and I started breathing again, but I felt exhausted, as if I'd just gotten over a long illness. I knew I needed to leave and recuperate, but ripping myself away from the door was like peeling back Velcro.
"'I've been waiting for you,' Cara Leonard," said a voice from the shadows as I trudged back to my car. "'We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.'"
I had to smile. I knew only one person who opened conversations with Star Wars quotes, and he was the very first person I'd met at Chrysella. Claudia would kill me, but what the hell. I turned to face him.
"'Only a master of evil,' Robert Schwarner," I continued the quote.
"Nice," he said. Robert sat on the grass between the parking lot and the gym. In the lotus position. He swayed to the music. "How was the dance?" he asked.
"I didn't really go in." I walked over and plopped down next to him. "You?"
"Nah. I don't really like dances. But I like Halloween. And I like music. So I dress in costume and come sit out here."
I checked out his outfit. "Aren't you wearing the same cloak you wear to school every day?"
"It only looks the same. This is Throck Medvale's winter cloak from BeastSlayer II. It's for costume purposes only. My daily cloak is from the first BeastSlayer."
"I see." I studied him, then asked, "Robert, are you happy at Chrysella?"
Robert thought a minute, then shrugged. "It's high school. One day it'll all be over."
He went back to swaying. I watched him a moment, then headed to my car.
"Good night, Robert."
"Night. Oh, and Cara—you look really hot."
I laughed. "Thanks."
I drove home thinking about what Robert had said about being happy. He was right. High school was just high school. One day it would all be over. The key wasn't to try to make it amazing, but just to get through.