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Authors: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Red is for Remembrance (19 page)

BOOK: Red is for Remembrance
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"You'll need a drink for the pizza," Drea tells him.

"If I do, then I'll just have some of yours."

"No, you won't."

"Okay, fine, I won't." He sighs.

"What is
wrong
with you?" She rolls her eyes toward the ceiling. "You've been acting all prep-school pissy since we got here."

208

"

"No, I haven't," he says.

"You 50 have." She folds her arms.

"I'm assuming
they're
all set with drinks." Tim gestures to Amber and PJ, breaking a bit of the tension.

"Drinks-- yes," I say. "But maybe they could use a cell of their own."

"For a conjugal visit," he jokes.

Amber gives Tim the thumbs up, not breaking her liplock on PJ.

"So
yuck," Drea says.

'Are we still on for our study session tomorrow night?" Tim asks me.

I nod. 'At 8 o'clock, right?"

"I was thinking maybe we could go out after."

 

"Out?"

"Nothing big," he assures me. "Maybe just out for a burger. Studying gives me an appetite and I hate to eat alone."

Drea kicks me under the table, urging me on. But I thought Tim understood. I'm not really interested in starting anything right now. I glance over at Chad, who's giving me this look-- this you-obviously-don't-love-Jacob-if-you-go-on-a- date-with-this-chump look.

"Maybe not," I say, suddenly feeling guilty.

'Are you kidding me?" Amber asks, ripping her lips from PJ's ear. "Of course she'll go."

"It's fine . . . really," Tim says, turning a bright shade of pink.

"That's right," Amber says. "It's totally fine. She'll be there . . . with spurs on."

209

"We'll talk about it tomorrow," I say, sensing his misery and sharing in it.

"Sure," he says. "It's cool." Tim turns on his heel and flees the cell faster than an escaped convict.

The pizza comes a few minutes later. There's a set of plastic handcuffs in the center as a decoration. PJ snaps them up, locking him and Amber together.

I manage to get a couple slices down, despite all the gurgling going on in my stomach. We eat pretty quickly, especially since, with Amber and PJ
preoccupado
in the corner of the cell and Drea and Chad stuck in one of their usual tiffs, there isn't much talking at the table. I give Tim an extra good tip and we leave-- and not a moment too soon.

Before we make it out to the parking lot, however, Drea pulls me to the side. "I want to talk to you a minute before Chad and I head back."

"Sure," I say, glad that we won't be letting things just end like this.

Drea asks Chad for the keys to his Jeep and, while the others wait inside the restaurant, we sit out in the parking lot with the heat in the Jeep turned up to full blast.

"Thanks again for coming all this way," I say. "It's too bad you can't stay overnight."

"Not possible." Drea sighs. "I have an exam first thing in the morning."

"I've really missed you," I say.

"Me, too." She smiles. "It's not the same rooming with someone who can't whip up PMS sachets on a moment's notice."

 

"Not to mention spells for zapping zits."

210

210 "Or spells for getting your ex-boyfriend to notice you exist."

"I don't think there's any question there," I say. "Chad
definitely
knows you exist."

Drea shrugs. "It's hard, you know. We're still close, but I feel like there's so much more competition now ... so many girls. So confident. So pretty. Always hanging all over him."

"Yeah, but they're not
you."

Drea shrugs again. "You must think I'm some insecure brat." She wipes at her eyes and looks away.

I shake my head. "I know you better than that, remember?"

"I miss you," she says again.

I lean over and give her the biggest hug. When it breaks, I grab a tissue and help her blot at her eyes.

"Thanks," she says, with a blow to her nose.

"What are friends for?"

"I mean it," she continues. "You're the best friend I've ever known."

'And I mean it, too-- you and Chad belong together."

Drea smiles slightly and we begin to reminisce-- about our late-night chocolate binges, the time Amber mooned one of Hillcrest's landscapers on a dare, and how we always used to do spells together, including the one we did to help Amber's boobs grow an extra cup (except that spell never worked).

A couple minutes later, Chad knocks on my window, startling me. I roll it down.

"What's going on?" he asks. "There's just so long I can watch PJ and Amber going at it in their handcuffs."

211

211 Drea and I say our goodbyes, complete with hugs, kisses, and promises to call each other more often. I step out of the Jeep to say goodbye to Chad as well.

"Thanks for coming," I say, giving him a hug.

"Don't worry about it," he says. "I'd do anything for you."

 

Our hug breaks and we just stand there, looking at one another, for several seconds.

"I'm sorry if I've been an ass," he says. "I just worry about you."

"I'll be okay."

"I know," he says, touching my forearm. "You always are." Chad kisses my cheek and hugs me once more. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks. I will."

A second later, Drea honks the horn. I wave them goodbye as they pull out of the parking lot, knowing in my heart that they're two of the best people I know-- and that they truly do belong together.

212

Shell

It's snowing even harder now. Mason leads Shell inside his cabin. There's a room in the back that Mason keeps for meetings among the leaders and for private talks with campers-- like this.

Shell clenches the fabric of his empty pocket, wishing the pentacle rock were still inside. He fears for Brick even more than for himself, wondering why Brick would ever 213

confront Clay that way-- wondering what Clay will do now that he knows Brick is on to his stealing.

Mason closes the door behind them. It's a tiny room with four benches set up in a square, and no windows. He gestures for Shell to take a seat. "How are you getting along?"

"Fine," Shell says, taking another deep breath.

Mason nods, sitting down across from him. "I've been pleased with the progress you've made. I think you have great potential here."

"Thank you, Mason."

"But I've also noticed you're very quiet . . . very observant. I often wonder what you're thinking."

"Nothing," Shell says, swallowing hard.

"Surely, you must be thinking something."

Shell shakes his head, wondering if Brick betrayed him by saying something. Or maybe someone spotted the two of them on the beach last night after hours.

 

"I've noticed you've gotten close to Lily," Mason continues.

Shell nods.

"Good," Mason says. "Lily's a nice girl. She's very passionate about our group. I thought you two would make a good match; that's why I suggested it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it was my idea. She originally had her heart set on Clay, but I had a little chat with her and steered her in your direction."

Shell's mouth drops open, completely taken aback.

"Surprised?" Mason asks. "I did it to make you more comfortable here. You've been through a lot. . . abandoned on the streets like that. Plus, with your lack of memory . . .

214

I just thought you might like the extra attention. She's quite beautiful, don't you think?"

Shell nods, his mind racing with questions. It's like a blow to his gut. Why would Mason do such a thing? Why would Lily agree to it?

"Just tell me how I can make your life more pleasing here, and I'll see what I can do," Mason continues, "as long as you do for me and the group in return."

Shell clenches his teeth, remembering how Lily told him she loved him, how she kissed him so passionately. Was she lying? Or does she believe it purely because Mason tells her to?

'Are you okay?" Mason asks.

Shell nods, though he wants to be sick. "Is Clay upset?"

"He'll get over her. Clay's resilient like that. Maybe Daisy would be a better match for him anyway-- more of a challenge. What do you think?"

"I think he probably cares for Lily."

"Don't worry about that, my friend," Mason says, scratching the silvery tuft of his beard. "Clay knows he has to do what's best for the community; we've spoken about it in some detail. What's important is that you understand I'm always looking out for my campers; I'm always trying to improve the quality of everyone's life here. We have a very special community amongst us. But it doesn't just happen on its own. We, as individual members, have to work together in our mission of love, peace, and harmony. We can't just think about ourselves. We have to make sacrifices for each other-- only then will we achieve ultimate peace."

215

 

Shell nods, wanting more than anything to leave this room, to leave this camp-- and never look back. "Is that all?"

Mason shakes his head. "We need to be loyal to one another here, is that clear?"

Shell nods, wondering what he's insinuating.

"Loyalty is the key to a successful community, don't you think?"

"Of course." Shell nods.

"And so, when someone isn't loyal, it can have a detrimental effect on the group as a whole.

Disloyalty has its consequences."

"Consequences?" Shell swallows hard.

"Tell me about your memory," Mason says, narrowing his pale blue eyes on him.

"What about it?"

"Have you started to remember anything about your old life?"

"No."

'Are you lying to me?"

Shell shakes his head and looks away, completely aware that he's a terrible liar-- that for each lie there's a karmic penalty to pay times three.

A second later, the camp air horn sounds, indicating a problem.

"What now?" Mason sighs.

There's a knock on the door, sparing Shell from further interrogation.

"Come in," Mason says.

It's Rain. "The police are here," she whispers. "They want to talk to you."

216

Mason apologizes to Shell for having to cut their conversation short and then heads out to attend to business.

217

Shell

Shell pretends to gather fire logs from the stack that he and Brick chopped recently. He arranges several logs in the crook of his arm as he looks over at the two officers who question Mason.

He's way out of earshot, but it appears as though the officers are being rather laid back about things. They casually glance about the place as they ask questions. Mason looks far from nervous, talking with his hands and laughing aloud a couple times. Shell makes eye contact 218

with Mason and quickly looks away, pretending to be highly engrossed in gathering wood for the kitchen fire.

"Need some help?" Brick calls out to him.

Shell nods and Brick makes his way to the stockpile. "Why did Mason want to talk to you?"

Brick whispers.

"Did you know about Lily?" Shell asks him. 'About how Mason told her to give me special attention?"

"What are you talking about?"

Shell shrugs, continuing to sneak glimpses at the officers. "Lily loves Clay, doesn't she?"

"She used to," Brick says, "until you came along. Why? What did Mason say to you?"

Shell shakes his head, reluctant to get into it further at the moment, especially with Mason still looking on.

"Don't worry about them," Brick says, regarding the officers. "Cops drop by here every so often.

They just like to check things out. . . make sure our group isn't doing anything weird."

"Nothing weird here," Shell whispers under his breath.

They carry the wood into the kitchen and sit down to eat. Lily takes the seat right next to him.

"Good morning," she beams.

Shell nods, picking at his scrambled eggs with his fork, trying his best to ignore her.

'Are you okay?" she asks, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"Fine," Shell says, peeking up at Clay, who's sitting just across from them, watching the whole thing.

"Not hungry?" she continues.

219

Shell sighs, hoping she gets the message. He feels awkward getting her attention like this, especially right in front of Clay. And yet, he's almost sure that Lily herself
believes
she feels something for him. He wonders how long she's been living at the camp. How long does it take someone
to
become so brainwashed?

"Is everything okay?" Clay asks, perhaps noticing Shell's discomfort.

Shell nods yet again, noticing that the questions have caused him even more attention. Some of the elders at the end of the table gaze up at him from their plates.

"I'm looking forward to our trip into town," Brick says, changing the subject. "What will we be shopping for?"

"We need to have a little talk," Clay tells him, ignoring the question.

"Sure," Brick says, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "When?"

Clay glances a moment at Shell and then resumes eating his breakfast. "When I say so, that's when," he says, finally. "When I know you're alone."

Shell's heart quickens at the words, suddenly overwhelmed with an enormous sense of deja vu.

He remembers the nightmare he had about the old man from the cottage-- how, in it, the old man had whispered into his ear "I know you're alone."

Shell looks to Brick, knowing full well the topic of Clay's little talk. He'll want to question Brick about what he said earlier about the platinum necklace.

Brick frowns and looks back down into his plate, perhaps finally realizing the gravity of his boldness.

220

"I hope we get some free time to wander about," Lily chirps. "I love watching the people."

"Me, too," Daisy says. "I like to see what they're buying, what kids our age are interested in these days."

A second later, Mason comes in. Rain stands from the table and goes to his side. "Is everything okay?" she asks.

"Everything's just fine," Mason announces to the table. "I don't know why they feel compelled to check up on us so often."

BOOK: Red is for Remembrance
3.53Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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