Don't Die Dragonfly (12 page)

“I saw Danielle yesterday,” I finally said, holding the rainbow wig he’d tossed aside. “Has Evan said anything about her?”

“Nah.” Josh shook his head. “He’s seeing a new girl—Shelby.”

“Shelby McIntire?” I had a mental picture of a stunning girl with honey-blond hair and shining dark eyes.

“Yeah. You know her?”

“Not personally, but she’s a cheerleader and gorgeous.” I sighed. “Poor Danielle. She’s devastated.”

“Evan’s girls always get over him.”

“I’m not so sure about Danielle. She’s seems fragile. She totally fell apart over some test. She was really freaked out when I saw her.”

“Don’t worry. Danielle will be fine. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I think Evan broke it off because she’s too brainy. His ego probably couldn’t take it.”

“She’s smart?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know? She’s got a photographic memory and always aces tests. She helped Evan improve his grades and stay on the football team.”

“Then he dumped her.”

“Evan can be harsh with girls.”

“So why do you stay friends with him?”

“He’s okay when you get to know him. And I’ve known him for a long time. He and my brother and I were practically inseparable … and after the accident, Evan was there for me.”

“Well. That’s okay,” I said begrudgingly, thinking how much I valued Nona’s unwavering support of me. That kind of loyalty was rare. Not many people could be counted on when things got tough.

Josh slowed the car and parked in my driveway. He shut off the motor then turned to me. “I think it’s cool you’re concerned about Danielle—it’s part of what makes you special.”

Naturally, after that, we didn’t talk about Danielle or Evan anymore.

It wasn’t until I was climbing into bed that night that I mentally replayed our conversation and realized something startling.

If Danielle had a photographic memory, why would she worry about taking a test? She had no reason to steal a key and break into private teacher files.

What had she really been looking for?

Josh had to go to a family dinner, so he dropped me off early. Since there was still a few hours of daylight left, I found Danielle’s address in the phone book and took off on my bike to talk with her.

When I’d first moved to Sheridan Valley, wallowing in a dark mood of disgrace, I’d felt stranded. Sure, it was just thirty minutes to Sacramento or Stockton, but I was used to the bustling pace of San Jose. And at first I didn’t have any friends, so I spent a lot of time reading under a shady willow—until Nona gave me an old bike and ordered me to get out. It was scary at first, but after a few days of exploring, I felt an empowering sense of freedom. Free to fly into the wind, away from the past.

The upscale development Danielle lived in, Summit Estates, backed up against the far side of our woods. I turned left onto Maple Street, passed a walnut orchard, and rode until fields gave way to pristine new homes. Addresses weren’t displayed on the houses, but were uniformly painted in gold lettering below the sidewalks. Danielle’s sprawling tri-level home had a circular driveway winding through lush manicured shrubs. I smoothed my tousled blond hair and tucked in my T-shirt, then knocked on the door.

Only I was five minutes too late.

Danielle’s father told me she just left to watch her boyfriend’s football practice.

Boyfriend?
Did she already have a new guy or had she gotten back with Evan? I wondered, hiding my surprise with a polite thank-you. A minute later, I was back on my bike, heading for Sheridan High.

* * *

Shouts mingled with the thud of crashing bodies as I neared the football field. Propping my bike against a fence, I walked around the bleachers, looking for Danielle. I finally spotted her sitting in a far corner of the top bleacher, her raven hair tucked under a cap that concealed most of her face. She was so intent on watching the field, she didn’t notice me until I came up beside her.

“Sabine!” She jumped in her seat. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Sorry. What are you doing here, anyway?”

“None of your business.”

“Why are you spying on Evan?”

“It’s not illegal to watch practice.”

“But why put yourself through this?” I shook my head at her sadly. “You have to get over him, Danielle.”

“He’s still my boyfriend. We’re just having some problems.”

“And I have a problem with being lied to.” I took a seat next to her and shot her an accusing look. “Why did you really sneak into the supply room?”

“I already told you.” Her too-large cap slipped off of her head, and when she picked it up, the tiny tattooed dragonfly on her wrist seemed to darken.

“Josh told me about your photographic memory.”

“You talked to Josh?” She clutched my arm. “Did he say anything about Evan? Is he going to help us get back together?”

I ignored the questions and fired back, “Why were you in that supply room?”

“To copy a bio test.”

“Danielle! The truth!”

“But it is the truth, except—” she gnawed on her thumbnail, then added in a whisper, “except the test wasn’t for me.”

“Then who was it—Ohmygod! Evan! You did it for him?” I glanced out at the field to where Evan was running with the ball.

“His bio teacher hates jocks, and Evan will get kicked off the football team if he flunks another test.”

“So you tried to steal a test.”

“Only I couldn’t find it, then you came, the janitor caught us, and everything was messed up.”

“The janitor was messed up more after we left. Did you see anyone suspicious?”

“No,” she said a bit too quickly.

There was a roar from the other players and people in the stands as Evan did something impressive down on the field. The coach slapped Evan on the back, then gestured for the players to huddle up.

Danielle stared across the field, longingly, her hands coming together to clap softly. “Isn’t he wonderful? I miss him so much. I can hardly stand it. I let him down and now he won’t talk to me. If I can just get him alone and explain, everything will be fine again.”

“After the way he treated you? Why would you want him back?”

“We’re soul mates, and we’ll love each other forever. Just wait—next time you see me, we’ll be together.”

I frowned, unsure what to say. I could feel in my gut that Danielle and Evan were a bad combination, yet it wasn’t fair to judge them. Maybe Evan was different when he was alone with Danielle. Josh thought he was a good guy, so he couldn’t be a total jerk.

Whooping and stomping jerked my attention back to football practice. Hulking guys were high-fiving as the coach pumped them up with a pep talk.

I watched Danielle, wondering if she would go to Evan. But it was a different girl who ran across the field and threw herself on Evan—a petite girl with streaked, honey-blond hair. Evan dropped his helmet and opened his arms to sweep her up in a hug. She was so tiny that her feet left the ground when Evan twirled her around.

Danielle groaned, slumping back down to the bench.

“I’m so sorry,” I said softly.

She stared across the field, tears spilling down her cheeks.

I took her shaking hands in mine. “Don’t let him get to you.”

She didn’t say a word and had turned as pale as a corpse. She didn’t object when I led her down the bleachers. But then she just stopped and stared at the ground.

“How could he?” she murmured, as if stunned.

“He does it all the time. Some kids call him ‘Moving On, Marsh.’”

“But it was different with us. He said I wasn’t like the other girls. That he—he loved me.” Her expression changed from ice to fire. “I hate him!”

“Good—he deserves it.”

“I—I wish he were dead.”

“He isn’t worth the cost of a hit man.” I joked nervously, startled by this hostile change in her. It was like her emotions had been pushed to the edge, and she was in danger of falling. “Come on, you need to get out of here.”

“It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters anymore—except getting even.” Her hands tightened into fists. “If I can’t have him, no one can.”

I reached out to put my arms around her, but she shook me off.

“He has no right to treat me like this! Do you know what I did for him? More than studying—I
did
his homework,” she said angrily. “Then I broke into the school and almost got arrested! All for him!”

“You’re through with him now—he can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Oh, I hurt all right. But he’s going to hurt worse.”

“Let it go,” I said, unnerved by her viciousness. “Revenge never solves anything.”

“He’s going to be sorry he betrayed me because I know enough to ruin him.”

“What do you mean?”

“You want to know what really happened at the school that night? I only told you half of the story. You were right. I was lying—to protect him. I didn’t go there alone—he made me go there, and he waited outside.”

“Evan was there?”

“Yes.” She grimaced as if tasting something bitter. “It was all his idea. He begged me to find the test and memorize it. I was thrilled to do something so important for him, sure he’d love me more than ever. Only, you know what happened when I came back after I ditched you?”

I shook my head.

“He yelled at me. Called me a loser and blamed me for screwing up. When I said I loved him, he just laughed and told me to get lost.”

“What did you do?”

“I left. But Evan didn’t.” She paused, turning around to glare towards the football field. “Last I saw of him that night, he was headed back to the school to get the test.”

Players were leaving the field, and, when Danielle spotted Evan and Shelby among the group, she threw up her hands and cried, “I have to go!” Then she took off, leaving me standing there, stunned by what she’d revealed.

Slowly I walked away, trying to figure out what to do. How could I make a serious accusation against Josh’s best friend? I didn’t know for sure what he’d done that night. Had Evan copied the test? Was he still planning to cheat? Had he witnessed the vandalism? Or had he taken part in it?

I didn’t like Evan much, but would he trash his own school? He was a cheater, not a vandal, I thought. Maybe he’d just seen what happened and was afraid to come forward.

Or maybe Danielle lied—again.

Grabbing my bike by the handlebars, I started to leave, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Whirling around, I found myself face to chest with a tall football player. “Evan!”

He flashed a lazy grin. “Don’t act so happy to see me. What were you doing here? Checking up on me?”

“No.” I propped my bike back against the fence. “Why would you think that?”

“It’s no secret you’re not a fan of football—or me,” he added accusingly. “Josh has been different since hooking up with you. I hardly see him anymore.”

“He’s busy, I guess.”

“Don’t try to interfere in our friendship. No girl has ever come between us.”

“And there have been plenty of girls,” I couldn’t resist saying sarcastically. “I saw you out on the field with your new girlfriend. Where’d she go?”

“Some babysitting job.” He narrowed his gaze at me. “And I saw you—with Danielle.”

“She left. I’m leaving, too.” I stepped away from him, eager to get on my bike and leave.

“Wait!” He shifted around to block my way. “What did Danielle tell you about me?”

“Nothing.”

“Sure about that?”

“Well, she was upset about Shelby. I see you’re living up to your reputation.”

“What’s wrong with moving on when things don’t work out? That doesn’t make me a bad guy.”

“Depends on why they didn’t work out.”

“Josh wouldn’t judge me without hearing my side first.”

“He always sees the best in people, and I admire that about him, but I’m not as trusting. Not that my opinion matters—this is between you and Danielle.”

“We’re over. I’m with Shelby now, and she’s nothing like Danielle—she knows how to treat a guy right.”

“Does that include stealing—” I slapped my hand over my big mouth. Then I glanced at my watch as if I’d just remembered a late appointment. “I have to go.”

“Wait.” He seemed to grow taller and wider as he blocked my way. “Obviously Danielle told you some lies and you’ve jumped to the wrong conclusion.”

“I really have to leave.”

“She told you about the test. Didn’t she? Which means she also told you we were at the school last Sunday.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stepped to the side, only he slid right back in front of me.

His smile never faltered—like he was toying with me—and he even casually waved at some kids who passed. “If you wanna know what really went down that night, don’t rush off. I’ll tell you something I haven’t told anyone.”

“What?”

“I have a picture of the dude who trashed the school, caught in the act. So, do you want to hear my side now?”

I didn’t trust him, yet how could I walk away from this? A picture! Real proof! Manny would be totally blown away. So I nodded.

“I’m ashamed I tried to cheat.” Evan’s sincerity seemed genuine as we walked toward the school. “But when Danielle found out I was going to be kicked off the team if I flunked another science test, she offered to copy the test, and I couldn’t talk her out of it. So I went along and kept watch outside.”

Obviously not a close watch or the janitor wouldn’t have caught us, I thought. Then I wondered, does he know I was there, too?

“I was keeping a low profile and saw this guy sneaking around. He was carrying a spraypaint can, acting real suspicious. I couldn’t call the cops because Danielle could get in trouble. But I have one of those cell phones that takes pictures, and I took his.”

“Why didn’t you get Danielle out of there and call the police?”

“I wasn’t sure what he was up to at first. It wasn’t till the next day that I knew what went down.” Then he hung his head and added quietly, “Sorry if I came on strong at first, but Danielle gets to me.”

“You’re the one who dumped her.”

“I felt bad about that. I was really into her until she started talking crazy, making all these threats about killing herself, me, and anyone I ever dated.”

“She was just hurt.”

“So was I.” He sighed dramatically. “Come on—I printed the picture out and hid it somewhere safe, just in case I needed it.”

I folded my arms across my chest, not sure whether to believe him or not. It all seemed so polished and convenient. But I did want to see the picture. So making sure my bike was locked, I followed him toward the school. I walked quickly, glancing nervously over my shoulder.

Sabine,
came a mental whisper. Opal. It was just like her to butt in when I was finding answers on my own. So I shut her out by visualizing Manny’s reaction when I showed him the vandal’s picture. He’d be way impressed—especially when I revealed I hadn’t had any help from the other side.

As we neared the same unlocked door that Manny had used to get into the school, Evan paused to look around.

“Did you hear that?” he asked, glancing around uneasily.

“What? No one’s around.”

“You never know who’s watching,” he said ominously.

Why was Evan acting like this? A prickly feeling made me look over my shoulder again, and I glimpsed quick movement in a tree-filled courtyard. Only a bird or squirrel, I assured myself. Still, my heart pounded as I walked with Evan into the hushed, dimly lit building. With the school shut down for the weekend, the halls seemed eerily quiet.

“With all the locker searches, I didn’t trust leaving the picture in my locker. Since I still had the key Danielle used to get into the storage room, I hid the picture in here.”

Evan stopped at the supply room where I’d found Danielle. He dropped his backpack and reached into his pocket for the key. He opened the door and made a gentlemanly sweep of his arm. “Ladies first.”

I froze, remembering the last time I’d been here—caught by the janitor. Had it only been a week ago? Glancing inside, I saw nothing threatening: a desk, chairs, and file cabinets. Yet something felt very wrong.

“I don’t know about—” I started to say, only a vicious shove from behind knocked my breath away.

Gasping, I tumbled forward, falling hard onto the concrete floor. Pain shot through my knees, the door slammed, and the room went dark. It happened so fast. Before I could jump up to rush at the door, there was a sharp click of the door locking behind me.

Pounding my fists, I screamed, “Let me out!”

Evan just laughed. “Scream all you want,” he said through the door. “The janitor can’t hear you. He’s picking up trash by the football field.”

“You jerk!” My knees stung, but I ignored the pain as I yanked and rattled the knob. It wouldn’t budge. “Why are you doing this?”

“Damage control—and it’s kind of fun.”

“I’ll damage you when I get out of here!”

“So naïve,” he taunted. “You really believed I had a picture?”

“No picture? Then why did you—” My body stiffened but my brain whirled. “You put that stuff in my locker! Why target me? What did I ever do to you?”

“Come between me and Josh. He’s always looked up to me like a big brother, but he wouldn’t listen about you. I suspected when I met you that you were trouble. And I knew it for sure when you started hanging around Danielle, getting her to tell you things about me.”

“So you set me up?”

“I knew your locker combination from watching Josh. It was a brilliant move, shifting the blame on you. I’ve been trying to figure out how to show Josh you’re not right for him. He’ll be upset when he finds out you’re a thief, but I’ll be there for him. He’ll listen to me in the future before he dates some nobody.”

My mind continued to grind out the details, not fully comprehending what Evan was saying. “You called in the anonymous tip!” I smacked the door harder, wishing it were his face.

“Clever, huh? Only, somehow, you got lucky and found the stuff before Dunlap searched the lockers.”

“Wait till I get out of here! I’ll tell him everything.”

“Try it. Think he’ll believe you over his star football player? My team will cover for me, say I was with them, so it’ll be your word against mine. And no one will trust you by then. Including Josh.”

Panicked, I balled my hands into fists and pounded harder. “Open up! Now!”

“Keep making noise. When the custodian finishes the football field, he’ll let you out. Only he’s not going to be very happy when he sees what you’ve done.”

“I haven’t done anything!”

“No one’s gonna believe that.” A strong odor wafted through the crack at the bottom of the door. Paint! And Evan laughed in a cold way that made me shudder. “By Monday morning the whole school will know who the vandal is. You.”