No Accident (7 page)

Kelly hated to be disappointed. Luckily she rarely was. She got her way most of the time, and when she didn't get her way? She just made it look like she had.

It was a certainty that she was not going to Hollywood. Now the trick would be making it look like staying was an even better idea. Kelly wasn't worried. She was good at tricks.

All day at school Kelly kept her secret. She talked to Tom and Chad about the houses her aunt was looking at for them. She told Kate and Ruby and her other followers about the places she would shop when she arrived.

“I don't think I'll even bother taking most
of my clothes— they'll be all wrong for the West Coast,” she announced in the bathroom. She saw Ruby's eyes go big. She knew the other girls would die for her castoffs. She knew they would also die before asking Kelly for them. Smart cookies.

If nothing else, when Kelly “changed her mind” she would get some serious sympathy. Half the school was thinking about life in Hollywood and how great Kelly was going to have it.

At Stafford she was all smiles and perky excitement. Now that she was home, she ground her teeth together. She'd burned a few bridges too early —especially with her mom. Making amends was not her strong suit. She refused to apologize. But she had to do something.

What would Alison do if she were me?
Kelly wondered. The thought of asking her cousin for help was laughable. But she was the family “favorite,” so she must be doing something right. Kelly would take a page from her book—just this once—and play nice. It was so simple it might work.

Pasting her happy face back on, Kelly walked into her kitchen. It was something akin to walking into a Williams-Sonoma, only without the salespeople. Phoebe Reeves kept her copper gleaming and had every single culinary gadget imaginable. Though lately, not even cooking was brightening Phoebe's mood.

“Hi, Mom,” Kelly greeted her easily.

Phoebe sat at the kitchen table limply looking through catalogs. When she heard the “m” word, she perked up.

Then Kelly stoked her fire. “What's for dinner?” she asked lightly.

Phoebe's cheeks grew pink. Kelly hardly ever ate anything at home. She hated family mealtime and always complained about whatever was served, pushing it around her plate until she was excused. This one little question was like a gift for Phoebe.

“Well,” her mom stammered, “I have everything for a Niçoise salad. I know you like salad. Or I could go to the store…”

It was almost sad how much her mom wanted to make her happy. “Niçoise sounds great. Anything you make is good.” Kelly knew she was
laying it on thick. She couldn't help it. Her mom was eating it up like a stray puppy that hadn't seen a meal in weeks. The Alison Method really worked.

Phoebe opened the refrigerator and took out green beans and eggs. “Kelly…sweetheart…”

Kelly knew exactly what Phoebe was fumbling toward next. She was about to launch into a cloying explanation of how much she loved her and she really was like a daughter to her—the daughter she could never have—and she would give anything if Kelly could trust her again, and, and, and…

And Kelly beat her to it. She could not bring herself to apologize, but she could toss her a bone. She kissed Phoebe on the cheek. “You're a great mom,” she said quietly. “Best I could have asked for.”

“Oh, Kelly.” Her mom bit her lip. Her eyes glistened.

If she didn't get out of the kitchen fast, Kelly was going to get hugged. “Homework,” she said, holding up her bag and smiling as she backed out of the room, leaving her sappy mother to cook to her heart's content. She had a feeling
there would be more than just salad to push around her plate come dinnertime.

Safe in her room, Kelly made a pretend gagging noise and pulled out her cell. Just when she was ready to celebrate her good-girl victory she had a new problem. There was a message from “tt.” Not just a threat this time, either: Instructions. Truthteller wanted money— $500 cash in a brown bag left in the trash can on the corner of First and Doyle.

Kelly rolled her eyes. As much as she hated to give in to threats, the thought of her “will” getting out now that she was staying…Well, it would be messy. And she hated cleaning up messes even more than kissing up or paying off threats.

Paging Tonio to bring the car around, she grabbed her wallet and hurried outside before her mom could ask questions.

With her jaw set and her mouth in a tight line, Kelly made herself a little promise. She would pay the $500 to keep tt quiet—the cash was nothing.
But,
she swore,
I'll get it back
…
with interest.

Chad's phone rang and he looked down at the screen. Dustin. Again. What could he possibly want now?

“Hey, Dustin,” Chad answered, adjusting his book bag and heading up his street. He tried not to sound irritated. He wanted to be there for his older brother, he really did. But just because his brother was incapable of making a decent decision about his life, did the responsibility have to fall in Chad's lap?

“Little bro',” Dustin greeted. “How's it goin'?”

“Fine,” Chad replied, waiting to hear the real reason for the call. Dustin never called just to check in. “What's up?” he added, trying to get
to the point. There was no use wasting time on top of whatever else Dustin wanted. He was burning precious cell minutes. Minutes better spent on Kelly.

“Hey, good news,” Dustin said. “I found a great place to live. Now I just have to come up with the rent.”

Chad closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. His heavy jacket and the walk were making him feel overheated and dizzy. Or maybe Dustin was the root of his pain. “I hear working pays money,” Chad joked, trying to stay calm. If Dustin thought Chad was going to pay his rent, he had another thing coming. How come Dustin didn't have a job yet? He'd had plenty of time to find one.

“I'm lookin',” Dustin said. “But I've got some other deals in the works, too. Good ones.”

Chad turned up the walk to his house, shaking his head. How many times had he heard that? Hundreds, and not once had it turned out to be true.

“All right, then,” he said, giving up. Dustin was not going to change. “I'll talk to you—”

“Look up,” Dustin said.

“What?”

“Look up,” he repeated.

Chad looked up and saw his brother sitting right in front of him, on the front stoop of his house, grinning. Chad snapped his phone shut. “What are you doing here?” he blurted.

“Is that any way to greet your favorite older brother?” Dustin replied, getting to his feet. “How about a hug, man? Ya miss me?”

Not really.
Chad felt a wave of frustration as he gave Dustin a quick hug. Dealing with him on the phone was one thing. Dealing with him in person was another.

“I was hoping you'd help me talk to Mom and Dad,” Dustin blurted.

“About what?” Chad's voice was flat. He wished he could say no. It was a safe bet that his brother was not planning to beg for forgiveness and move back in.

“I need a little more dough, just to tide me over until something else comes through.”

“You mean until you get a job?” Chad asked pointedly.

“Whatever.” Dustin shrugged noncommittally.

“If you want to ask Mom and Dad for money, fine,” Chad said, walking up to the door. “But leave me out of it.” He unlocked the door and stepped inside, holding the door open for his brother. He could do that, at least. Dustin punched Chad lightly on the arm as he pushed past him.

Not wanting to hang around for the fight, Chad headed up the stairs to his room. The farther away he was when Dustin asked for money, the better. He hadn't even gotten to his room when the shouting started.

“You want
money
?” his father yelled. “Are you seriously asking
us
for
money
?”

“You're still my old man, aren't you?” Dustin shot back. “Or were you disowning me when you kicked me out?”

Chad didn't hear his father's response—he had lowered his voice in a surprising show of restraint. For about fifteen minutes Chad blocked out the argument, catching a word here and there and letting it bounce right off. But when the volume went back up he couldn't block it out anymore. And what he heard next made him feel sick.

“Forget it, Pops,” Dustin growled. “I don't need your money, anyway. Chad and I will do just fine without your help.”

What?
Chad and I?
Chad's parents must have been thinking the same thing. A dish shattered in the kitchen.

“Yeah, that's right. Your good little boy is quitting school and moving in with me.”

No, he wasn't.

“Chad, get down here!” his mother shouted. But Chad wanted no part in the family battle. When he left his room a few seconds later it wasn't because of his mother's demand or Dustin's manipulations. It was because he'd realized he was not the only one trying to stay out of the fight. Somewhere in the house his little brother, Will, was probably listening to every word of this. And he would be scared.

“Will?” Chad called softly, pushing open the door to his brother's room. He looked in the closet and under the bed, two of Will's favorite hideouts. He wasn't there.

Chad checked the rest of Will's regular places. He was nowhere to be found. Chad's heart raced.
Downstairs, his parents and Dustin were still going at it.

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Chad shouted, bursting into the kitchen. Dustin and his parents stood still, blinking. Chad did not yell often, and he was not finished. He glared at his brother. “I am
not
moving in with you!” He eyed his father. “If you were paying attention you might have noticed I am
not
like my brother.” Then, just to keep things even, he shouted at his mom, too. “But you are all too busy yelling at one another all the time to notice anything or anyone else—let alone care!”

Everyone went silent. “I can't take this anymore,” Chad said. “I'm going to find Will. Since apparently I'm the only one who's even noticed he's gone.”

Chad stormed out of the kitchen, grabbed his jacket off a hook in the front hall, and headed out the door. The cold air was a welcome change from the heat of his house. He was halfway down the walk when he realized he should have brought a jacket for Will, too. But he was not going back now. With each step
away from his parents and Dustin he felt a little better. But the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach would only go away when he knew Will was safe.

In his head, Chad made a list of the places Will was likely to be: a certain bench at the park, the bus stop, their regular hot-dog spot. He checked them all but saw no sign of his brother. He was trying to figure out what to do next when something caught his eye—a flash of orange near the Dumpster behind Doggie Dog.

Taking a few steps closer, Chad felt relief wash over him. He broke into a run. Will's bright orange sweatshirt was his favorite. He wore it all the time, so much so that Chad had started washing it for him while he was asleep so he wouldn't get upset if it was dirty and his mom said he couldn't wear it.

Slowing his pace as he got closer, Chad relaxed his shoulders. He had to act casual. Will was probably pretty spooked. If he caught on to Chad's anxiety it would only make the situation worse. “Hey, buddy,” he greeted, squeezing in beside the Dumpster and trying not to notice the smell. “How ya doin'?” Chad
slipped down the wall so he was sitting next to his brother.

Will didn't even look at him. He just kept nodding, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. “Coming to live with
me
,” he mumbled. “Chad's coming to live with me.”

“That's right, Will. I
do
live with you. Chad lives with Will,” he said softly, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. If he touched him too quickly or too much, Will would pull away. His approach was slow. He didn't think he had it in him to chase Will down if he bolted. “I'm not going anywhere, buddy. I promise.” As far as he was concerned, Will was the only person in his house worth staying for.

Will stopped bobbing his head and repeating himself. But he didn't look up.

Well, that's better than nothing
, Chad thought. He was used to reading his brother's nonverbal cues. Eye contact was a biggie. Will only looked into the faces of people he trusted, and even then it was rare. Chad now had to figure out how to get him away from the giant Dumpster, which really reeked.

While he tried to come up with a plan, Chad
stared at a half-eaten hot dog covered in ketchup and ants a few inches under the edge of the Dumpster. Nice.

“How abo—”

An expensive black SUV pulled into the Doggie Dog parking lot, stopping Chad short. The car rolled to a halt just fifteen feet away from the boys.

It can't be
, Chad thought desperately.
It just can't.
But when the car door opened and the blonde stepped out of the backseat, his fears were confirmed. It was Kelly.

Chad resisted the urge to run as he watched Kelly approach the small green garbage can by the bus stop, with a brown paper bag. She dropped it inside, then looked his way, stopped…and stared for a long moment.

Chad froze like a deer caught in Kelly's headlights. This was the worst possible way for her to see him, squatting with his freaked-out brother by a desiccated hot dog near a Dumpster. Nothing could be further from the image he worked to maintain at school.

“Chad?” Kelly finally said. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Kelly,” Chad said. He struggled to his feet, trying to sound casual. He wasn't sure if his girlfriend had gotten a good look at his brother still crouched on the ground, but it wasn't like he could hide him, even if he wanted to. He would have to tell Kelly the truth—or at least part of it.

“Kelly, this is my little brother, Will,” Chad said, watching her face closely. He had no idea how she would respond to this.

Kelly looked down at Will, who had unwrapped his arms from around his knees and was now making a low buzzing noise and gently knocking on his head with his fist. Strangers threw him for a loop and the buzzing and knocking were what he did to calm down. Chad didn't have to announce that Will wasn't a normal kid—it was pretty plain. He held his breath and waited for Kelly to turn and walk back to her car, and out of his life.

Then, all at once, Kelly smiled, like somebody flipped a switch. She plopped down next to Will on the parking lot pavement. “Bad day?” she asked, looking sympathetic. “Me, too.” She was quiet for a minute, then looked up at Chad
and winked. “You know what I could really use?” she said. “An ice cream.”

Will stopped buzzing and knocking. He looked up at Chad. “Ice cream?” he asked. It was a miracle. Chad grinned. It looked like the Kelly Reeves charm worked on Will as well as it did on Chad. “Ice cream. Ice cream,” Will continued to repeat. Kelly had managed to use two of Will's favorite words in the English language.

“Bus nine to Baskin Robbins. Baskin Robbins on bus nine.” Will started for the bus stop. Chad panicked. Kelly Reeves did not ride public transportation. But there was no way Will would get into her car without a major scene.

Kelly stood up and followed Will, waving off her car.

Relief washed over Chad like a hot shower on a cold morning.