Enchanted Chaos (Enchanted Chaos 1)

“Parents being”—I shrug—“strict, I guess.”

“So, your parents just let you get high?” Max asks with his brows puckered.

I nod, and he trades a glance with Easton and Foster. All of their expressions may be unreadable, but I have a pretty good gist of what they’re thinking.

“My parents were—are decent parents,” I protest. “They’re just… chill. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

They share another glance, and then Easton blows out a sigh.

“Well, chill or not,” he says to me, “you’re still going to have to sober up a bit before we get home or they’re going to be even more upset than they already are.”

“She’s going to have to get rid of her bloodshot eyes, too.” Max splashes his boots through puddles as we step onto the sidewalk in front of Nina’s house. Cars are parked along the curb and in the driveway, evidence of a party, yet it’s the kind of neighborhood where no one really cares. “Fost, you still have those eye drops in your glove box?”

Foster nods, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He’s been really quiet since we exited the house, and I’m not sure why. Just like I’m not sure why I even care if he’s quiet or why I’m aware of it.

I really need to stop fixating on him.

“Why do you have eye drops in your car? Do you smoke, too?” I ask as Foster, Easton, and Max slow to a stop beside a car.

I halt with them, realizing they drove Foster’s Chevelle. Memories of the last time I was near it flash through my mind, and I internally grimace. Well, sort of. I honestly feel a bit dazed from the few hits I took.

Foster gives me a funny look as he glances at my face. “No … They’re not human eye drops we’re talking about.”

“So, they’re magical eye drops?” It sounds so funny talking about magic aloud.

I’m uncertain what sort of face I pull, but Foster smashes his lips together, biting back an amused smile. “Yeah, they are.”

“What do they do?” My eyelashes flutter as the rain picks up and raindrops splatter across my face.

“They change the color of my eyes.” He digs out his car keys, unlocks the passenger door, then steps back and lets Max climb into the back.

“Why do you need to change your eye color?” I shield my eyes from the rain with my hand.

He scuffs the tip of his boot against the wet concrete, his gaze lowering to the ground. “To hide what I am when I need to.”

My lips form an O. “So, does that mean I’m going to have to use the eye drops, too?”

He lifts his gaze to mine and nods. “Whatever eye color you choose is the only power you’ll pretend to have, which means you’ll only be able to use that power when you’re around others.”

I pretend like I understand but, deep down, I’m still so confused. “What power do you pretend to only have?”

He nods at Easton. “I went with silver—water—like Easton, since we’re twins.”

“But I can pick whatever one I want, right?” Because if I can, I’m not choosing water.

“I guess so … But …” He doesn’t finish, trading another look with Easton.

Tired of their secret looks, I move to get in the back with Max, when Easton jumps in front of me.

“You can sit up front.” He ducks his head to get in.

Out of the three of them, Max has been the nicest to me, so …

“I’m cool with sitting in the back,” I say then move to swing around him and get in, but he sidesteps, blocking my path.

His gaze briefly strays to Foster before returning to me. “Just sit in the front, okay?”

I’m pretty sure my lip juts out, which elicits chuckles from Easton and Foster.