Prophecy Girl by Melanie Matthews Read Free Book Online

hesitated, and then said, “Uh…well, there was a lot of traffic. Had to…drive around. Find a…spot.”
    “You used a whole tank of gas to ‘find a spot?’” The headmaster furrowed his brow, not believing a word of Lucas’ story.
    Lucas clenched his lips, trying to contain his grin. “Yep,” he finally said, nodding.
    Eva turned to face the window, trying not to laugh.               
    Mr. Quinn sighed. “We’ll have to stop off and get gas.” He said it more to himself than his passengers.
    As the headmaster pulled out of the airport lot and onto the road, Lucas turned to Eva and gave her a wink. Her heart was about to explode out her chest.
    “So you’re from Miami?” he asked.
    She nodded, unable to speak.
    He smirked. “Exciting down there?” His eyes trailed slowly to her clasped hands, resting on her lap. 
    Eva felt excited and embarrassed at the same time, hoping he didn’t notice her blushing cheeks. 
    “Yes, it’s…exciting in Miami. Well, I guess it is. I was…away from it all…for some time.”
    She didn’t know how much the students had been told about her, but she thought it was awful if Mr. Quinn had told them about the psychiatric hospital. The other girls, being Banshees, could’ve gone through the same experience, but still, she didn’t want them to know. It was an embarrassment to her.
    Lucas didn’t prod. “Yeah, I’m from Long Beach, so always something going on there.”
    She smiled.
    He returned her smile. “What?”
    She shrugged. “You look like you would come from California. Surfer.”
    He took off his black cap and studied his face in the rearview mirror. Eva noticed that Mr. Quinn had removed his as well, placing it on the passenger seat. 
    Lucas ruffled his blond locks. “Guess I look like one, don’t I?”
    “You’re a surfer, right?” she asked, trying not to be stereotypical.
    He placed his black cap in the space between them. “Used to be.” His eyes fell, but then he cheered right up, and smiled. “But that was long ago. I have a new life now.”  He tilted his head to the side, giving her a long stare, as if he were trying to look into her soul. “You’re from Miami, and don’t take offense, but your complexion, it’s—”
    “Ghostly pale,” she said, smiling. “I know. My…well, a girl I knew, she’s Hispanic and has a natural tan. It was always odd to see us together at school with me so pale. I think I looked like a vampire next to her.” She turned to Mr. Quinn. “Are vampires real?”
    It was a sensible question since she found out there were Banshees and Leprechauns in the world.
    “No,” the headmaster answered. “Just a myth.” He turned on the blinker, waited for traffic to clear, and pulled into a gas station.
    “It could be true,” Lucas countered, rubbing his chin with day old stubble on it that made him look even hotter.
    Mr. Quinn parked alongside a pump. “It’s not.” 
    He didn’t sound casual, but more aggravated, as if he’d had this type of dead-ended conversation before.
    “Can you get us something to drink?” Lucas asked, quickly changing the conversation. “A Coke?” He turned to Eva. “Want a Coke?”
    She nodded. “Sure.”
    “Anything else, Mr. Daly?” the headmaster asked in a mock tone, staring at Lucas from the rearview mirror.             
    “No, that’ll be all,” Lucas said, mimicking a stiff English accent.
    Eva laughed. Mr. Quinn sighed, got out, and shut the door. Eva and Lucas were silent, avoiding eye contact, as the headmaster pumped gas into the tank. When he was done, he went into the store that also served as a hamburger joint with lottery tickets.
    Lucas finally turned to her, smiling. “He’s all right. Better than any principal you would find at a regular school. He’s a Leprechaun, so he knows what it’s like to have…abilities.”
    “Can you disappear?” 
    He nodded. “Before, like all Leprechauns, it happened when I became nervous