Read Awakened for Free Online Page B

guilty. “Yeah, that’s true.”
    “Great. Just great. Then, like I said before, you tell him.”
    “Who him?”
    “Jack. Here. He’s gonna burst into snotty tears and ruin his makeup, which will make him boo-hoo even more. And I want nothing to do with gay snot. At all.” Aphrodite punched the screen of her phone. It was ringing when she handed it to me.
    Jack sounded sweet but defensive when he answered. “Aphrodite, if you’re going to say something else mean about the Ritual, then I think you should just say nothing at all. Plus, I’m not going to listen to you because I’m busy defying gravity. So there.”
    “Uh, hi, Jack,” I said.
    I could almost see his smile blaze through the phone. “ Zoey! Hi! Oooh, it’s so cool that you’re not dead, or even dead-like. Oh, oh, did Aphrodite tell you what we’re planning for tomorrow after you get back? Ohmigoddess, it’s going to be so totally cool!”
    “No, Jack. Aphrodite didn’t tell me ’cause—”
    “Goodie! I get to tell you. So, we’re going to have a special Dark Daughters and Sons Ritual of Celebration, like with proper nouns and such, because you being un-shattered is a big deal.”
    “Jack, I have to—”
    “No, no, no, you don’t have to do anything. I have it all handled. I even have the food planned, well, with Damien’s help, of course. I mean…”
    I sighed and waited for him to take a breath.
    “See, told ya,” Aphrodite said under her breath while Jack gushed. “He’s going to bawl when you burst his little pink bubble.”
    “… and my favorite part is when you come into the circle I’m going to be singing ‘Defying Gravity.’ You know, like Kurt did on Glee, except I’m going to actually hit that high note. So what do you think?”
    I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “I think you’re a really good friend.”
    “Oooh! Thank you!”
    “ But let’s postpone the Ritual.”
    “Postpone? How come?” His voice already sounded trembly.
    “Because…” I hesitated. Crap. Aphrodite was right. He probably was going to cry.
    Stark pried the phone gently from my hand and tapped the speaker button.
    “Hey there, Jack,” he said.
    “Hi, Stark!”
    “Could you do me a favor?”
    “Ohmigoddess! Of course!”
    “Well, I’m still kinda out of it from the Otherworld thing and all. Aphrodite and Darius are coming back tomorrow, but Zoey is going to stay here on Skye with me while I get stronger. So could you let everyone know that we won’t be back in Tulsa for a couple more weeks or so? Just pass the word for me and smooth everything over?”
    I held my breath, waiting for the tears, but instead Jack sounded totally grown and mature. “Absolutely. Don’t worry about anything, Stark. I’ll let Lenobia and Damien and everyone know. And Z, no problem. We can definitely postpone. It’ll just give me more time to practice my song and figure out how to make origami swords for decorations. I thought I’d hang them with fishing line, that see-through stuff, so it would look like, you know, they’re defying gravity. ”
    I smiled and mouthed thank you to Stark. “Sounds perfect, Jack. I won’t worry about a thing if I know you’re in charge of the decorations and the music.”
    Jack’s happy laughter bubbled. “It’s going to be a great Ritual! You wait and see. Stark, just get well. Oh, and Aphrodite, you shouldn’t assume that I’m going to burst into tears at the first hint of a change in party plans.”
    Aphrodite frowned at the phone. “How the hell did you know that’s what I assumed?”
    “I’m gay. I know things.”
    “Whatever. Say goodbye, Jack. My phone’s roaming,” Aphrodite said.
    “Goodbye, Jack!” Jack said, giggling, while Aphrodite snatched the phone from Stark and ended the call.
    “That went better than you thought it was going to go,” I said to Aphrodite.
    “Yeah, ‘she’ took it well. Wonder how that other one will take it, since she’s exponentially worse than Miss