Page 23 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

“I’m just trying to have good manners,” she said.

“And you do it so well…” I muttered sarcastically, irking Ivy Jade further. She bristled, her shoulders held high as she made a sharp turn in the other direction, walking away from me.

Seeing the back of her head drove me crazy. I wanted to chase her. To hold her and do… I don’t know what. Tell her to relax? To trust me? To give me a chance to smooth things over?

“Where you going?” I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“Anywhere away from you,” she shouted.

“It’s a dead end over there,” I warned. “I just got back from that side of the maze. It leads nowhere.”

She stopped in her tracks. Reluctantly, she turned back to face me.

“How do we get out of here then?” she sighed, looking over at the corn, avoiding my eyes.

“I don’t know, but we should try to figure it out together.”

“Excuse me?” she laughed.

“Together. As in, you and I. Come on, this place gives me the creeps. Doesn't it do the same for you?” Clearly, this place was as creepy as a sock puppet, which was to say, not creepy at all. Working at Thrill Valley sorta made me immune to horror, but I didn't want Ivy Jade to feel alone in her fear.

When she didn’t respond, I slowly turned away, trying to entice her to follow me. I hesitantly looked over at her once I realized she hadn’t made some snarky remark. She looked conflicted, and I could just hear the question in her head: was she going to stay on the trail with me, her impoverished mortal enemy, or risk her life going the other way?

A twig snapped in the distance, and all the color drained from her face. I chuckled with disbelief. She couldn’t even handle a corn maze by herself without being scared? I wasn’t sure how she survived the Scare Park.

“Wait—where are you going?!” Her voice rose at least three octaves as she trailed behind me, her footsteps quick to reach my side.

I froze as she latched onto my arm.

I glanced down at her, and she looked up, annoyed.

“What?” she asked, looking panicked. “I’m like, freaked out! Don’t give me that look.”

“What look?”

“That judging little snideness of yours.”

“It’s not snideness. It’s the look of pain! You’re squeezing the life out of my arm.”

“I’m freaking out, okay?!” she said defensively before somewhat loosening her grip. “And don’t think anything of it. You’re big and strong, like a dumb gorilla. You can keep me safe for the time being…”

“Safe from the corn?”

“Romeo!” she gritted, obviously not in the joking mood. I tried not to laugh and to calm her down instead. I patted my hand over her deathly double-handed grip. She really dug her claws into me.

“Okay. Okay. Let’s just walk over here. And if we still get lost, at least we’ll be lost together…” I said, escorting her through the maze. We turned three corners, looking around. No one was in sight. “And just a fair warning, if we’re gonna keep walking together like this, then I need you to promise not to freak out on me. Just play nice… I don’t need to be lost in a maze while simultaneously dealing with a world-famous Ivy Jade temper tantrum.”

“I do not throw temper tantrums…” she said passively, her shoulders dropping. She was still on alert, her head swiveling around. “I’m just very expressive and honest.”

“Is honest another word for rude?” I asked.

“I’m not rude! And why are you so sweaty?” she said, as if completely ignoring my complaint.

“Perfect example. That was a rude question…” I answered, and of course I was sweating. I was standing next to Ivy Jade and feeling things. Confusion. Excitement. Guilt. I was lying about who I was and omitting the fact that I had found the rings she dropped, all while purposefully trying to get close to her. It was difficult, grappling with all of that, all while feeling the heat of fluttering nerves tingle through my chest.

“I don’t mean to be rude…” she finally said. “I just get so flustered. And with you being here, it’s just… never mind. It’s stupid. I have a lot on my mind right now, and I don’t have time to be walking in this maze.”

“Why? Are you late for something else?” I challenged.