Damsel[ed] Some Rescue Required

av

to my enemy. Even if a supervillain just showed up to claim me. Whatever. My heart"s pumping

ngelos up in my lair as soon as his powers showed. I should"ve taken him home when he ran at the dance. I should"ve worked harder

Gats shouts from down the hall. "I want

ker. We"re doing this. No supervill

on tried to kidnap you to br

he principle

p to see her sipping a diet coke. I turn away. She threatened to slit Angel"s

call me

"s her usual slasher-horror cackle. It doesn"t match without her mask, the wrong vo

nk. "

off the couch and thuds in front of me, switching her giggle to

, the bones all snapped back in place like jigsaw pieces. Dark, ragged scars criss-cross my ski

ry you all heroically and stuff. You w

g. She"s in my territory and Angelos is my friend. I don"t want to s

he carpet. Gats, Ang, Jupes and Storm shout about something in th

o drag Gats back so you could die witho

aughs again. It"s all she

are ungratef

u for not letting me die then." I give her my fakest smi

nyone, and I see why Juniper took her in. Not that I agree with it. Jupes should"ve turned her in so she could rot in Starlight

ople who care for her AKA Angelos. Pretending to like him, dancing and dueting with him like some Disney

"You"re easy to annoy too. God, Galaxy. How are you still Sta

up. "St

boys love you.

. "Shut your mouth or

About your little l

. I hate her. "None

er fakest pout. "Aww, that"s so sad. I

ttling you?" I"m aware of how robotic I sound, threat after threat, but I have

sweet little do-gooder heart, princess. You know, when h

aze her cheek bone. She grabs my neck, cutting off my air. I hit the ground. Next t

Right now, though, I don"t care. It"s like something snapped inside me and I can"t find the logic to stop or think or reason. All I want is her blood. She scores he

erneath me, whimpering like a bruised puppy. I don"t stop

my body pounds all over, but I don"t care. I wriggle out of Toby"s grasp, vaguely aware of Gatsby staring all

Which he isn"t. For the record, that"s me. He cradles Cat to his chest all protective-boyfriend-y, and his sl

e says, shooting me a pointed l

He isn"t...no. He couldn"t be taking Cat"s side. I"m his friend. I"m the one who stuck my neck out

feet. "Do you need

be f

u s

e that wouldn"t be a bad

e know who he"s messing with? This is the same girl who tied him to a pole with a chunk of obsidian around his neck. That stuff burns him like a hot poker. She knew how much pain that would put him through,

gel

t scary. "I owe Jaylin my life, and if you"re going to a

ntence. It"s so mind-blowing

when he fell. I"m the one who carried him home. I"m the one who picked him up, wiped away his tears, and fought for him. All I ever wanted to do

s just slinks off into a corner. Good on him. "Heaven," Juniper says, "you did start

s the supervillain! I wouldn"t have touched her if she hadn"t said those things!

ls and the air around me suffocating. That caged-anim

orm says, "why don"t you sit dow

t someone in the process. I want to say, "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I won"t do it again, sir," but I can"t. The words

back the angry tears. Superheroes don"t cry, especially over stupid

ight into me when I get back, but I don"t care. After having my neck slashed

hormones rage. I run. Just run out