The Haunted (22 page)

Her eyes filled with an unholy delight, and I waited for the evil
cackle that I was sure would be coming out of her any minute now. I needed an exit strategy.
Fast
.

“My mom probably needs some help with the—”

“Your mother is here? Which one is she?”

“Julie Browning.”

“Aha!” she crowed. “What’s your name then?”

Apparently, I didn’t answer fast enough, because she poked me with her cane again.

“Abigail,” I said through gritted teeth. “But everyone calls me Abbey.”

“I shall call you Abigail. I despise nicknames. Tell me, do you have a middle name? Everyone civilized has a middle name.”

I didn’t want to tell her, but I wasn’t sure how many more thumps my poor toe could take. “Amelia,” I replied.

“You’re not still contagious are you?” She leaned away from me a little and put the cane in between us as a buffer. Like that would do any good.

“Contagious?”

“I heard you had that disease, the momo.”

Does she mean mono? Mom’s still telling that one, huh?
I coughed. “I don’t know. The doctors say they can’t be sure, but the weak”—I forced myself not to smile—“and the elderly are highly susceptible. I should probably go,” I said. “I wouldn’t want to
be responsible for you getting sick from being around me.”

“Bah,” she said. “I’m an old lady who has lived her life. If the good Lord says it’s my time to go because of the momo, who am I to argue? Stay and keep me company.”

She clamped a bony yet surprisingly strong hand on my arm, and it took everything I had not to shake it off. “So tell me, girl, Abigail Amelia, what grade are you in school? Seventh? Eighth?” she said.

“I’m going to be a senior.”

“Aha! A senior, eh? What college are you going to?”

A slight panic welled up in me, but I tamped it down. I could totally handle this. “It’s still early yet, and I’m gathering information.”

“Couldn’t get in to any of them, eh?” she cackled.

“No!” My temper flared. “I haven’t applied to any yet.”

“You better get on that, girl. Time’s a-wasting. I’m sure lots of hardworking kids are already making their plans.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. With my plans for my shop, I don’t really need to go to college.”

Her hand tightened on my arm at the same time the thump came.

“What?”
she squawked. “You’re not going to college? What kind of plans are those? Everyone in this family has gone to
college, and by George so will you.” She exhaled heavily. “I don’t even know what kind of nonsense this is.”

My arm and foot were stinging now, and I was mentally cursing out Mom with everything I had. “I never said I wasn’t
going
to college. I’m going to take some business courses, and my mind isn’t definitely made up… definitely… yet… ,” I finished weakly.

She made an angry sound and opened her mouth, but a swarm of people started to descend upon us from the house. Mom was leading the pack of distant cousins or something, and they were all talking excitedly.

Mom smiled at us. “I see you’ve met Abbey, Lurlene; I’m so glad,” she said loudly.

I grimaced at Mom and silently promised her payback with my eyes.

“That’s right,” Lurlene said. “I know about the momo, but I decided to risk it.”

Worry flashed across Mom’s face, then disappeared just as quickly. “Yes, it’s such a… terrible… disease. We’re just glad that Abbey’s doing so much better now.” Her eyes pleaded with me to play along, and I was forced to stay where I was.

Not the least because I still had a velociraptor claw attached to my arm.

The cousins came and crowded around us, making me feel even more boxed in. “We were just discussing Abigail Amelia’s future plans,” Lurlene told them. “Seems she’s not going to college.”

Mom’s face pinched. “Oh, well,” she said. “Nothing final has been decided. It’s still early yet… and you know kids!” She gave a fake laugh. “Always changing their minds from one minute to the next.”

Gee, thanks, Mom.

She turned to me. “Abbey, why don’t you go find your uncle. There’s something that he needs to talk to you about.”

She didn’t need to tell me twice. I pried Lurlene’s hand off my arm and moved my legs away from striking distance of her cane. Mom drew her into a discussion about a recipe for egg salad as I stood up and walked quickly to the house.

Uncle Bob was in the kitchen, standing by the fridge. “Hey, Uncle Bob,” I said. “Mom told me you wanted to talk?”

“Yeah, I wanted to ask you something, Abbey.”

“What’s up?” I took a seat at the small table next to the fridge. “How’s the ice cream biz? I never got the chance to tell you that I’m sorry I had to bail on you.”

Uncle Bob cleared his throat. “It’s busy. Which is a good thing. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I wouldn’t
normally ask this of you. Your mom said you have summer-school classes and all that, but I’m shorthanded at the shop. One of my regulars just quit, and the other one broke her wrist, so she can’t work. But I’m going to be hiring some new people soon.”

“You need someone to help out now, though, right?” I guessed.

“Only until the first week of August. Then my other regular, Steph, will be back. She’s taking the month off to go backpacking through Europe.”

Oh, man
. “Uncle Bob, I don’t know. I have school stuff on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I’m working on my business plan for Dad.…”

His face fell. “I understand. I know it’s last minute and all. I never should have mentioned it. No big deal.”

Now I felt terrible. I’d already ditched him once when I’d left Sleepy Hollow to go stay with Aunt Marjorie, and now it was like I was ditching him all over again.

“When would you need me?”

Uncle Bob looked hopeful. “Mondays?” he said. “And maybe Wednesdays and Fridays?”

Working three days a week for Uncle Bob and having science sessions with Ben on the other two days was going to
seriously
cut into my time with Caspian.

“I’ll pay you the same amount as before,” he said quickly, “when you were helping me in the back office. Ten dollars an hour. But don’t tell the other employees. Counter staff are supposed to start at eight.”

Ugh. This wasn’t going to be easy work like filing papers; now I’d be stuck scooping all day? But this
was
Uncle Bob, and he looked desperate. “I’ll start Monday,” I said. “But only until August. After that you’re on your own.”

He grinned and came over to give me a bear hug. “Thanks, Abbey. It really means a lot to your old uncle.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. “You just remember this when I come around asking for a loan to buy a car.”

He winked, and I followed him out of the house, back toward the tent.

“Don’t let Lurlene get her claws into you,” I whispered. “She’s got a wicked grip. And a cane.”

“I know,” he said. “I’ve already felt it.”

We approached the tables, and I hid behind Uncle Bob, trying to use his girth as a shield. But it didn’t work.

“Abigail Amelia!” Lurlene crowed as soon as she spotted me. “Come sit over here by me and your father, girl. I want you to be the one to get my food.”

I thought about refusing. Or using the momo excuse. But
Mom was giving me the look, and I knew I was doomed.

Dragging feet that felt like they were encased in cement shoes, I made my way over to Lurlene and sat down next to her. Her vulture claw descended rapidly, and she squeezed with delight, sending me a toothy grin.

I just sat there, counting down the seconds until this stupid picnic would be over, and wishing to God that I had a pair of steel-toed boots and arm guards on.

Later that night we finally pulled into our own driveway, and I breathed a happy sigh of relief. “Did I tell you that she pinched my arm?” I asked Mom on the way inside the house.

“Yes, Abbey. Three times.”

“I’ll probably have bruises tomorrow. And my toe will be black and blue.” Mom unlocked the door, and Dad was right behind us. “That’s child abuse, you know. I could tell social services.”

They both headed to the stairs and started up.

“Good night, Abbey. See you in the morning,” Dad said. They were clearly not hearing me.

“If I’m still here,” I called after them. “I might be with the agency. That’s all I’m saying.”

A slamming door was the only response I got, and I
wandered over to the couch. I turned the TV on and flipped through it, finally landing on a
Friends
rerun. I wasn’t the least bit tired yet.…

When I woke up, it was almost three a.m., and I had to drag myself upstairs to my bedroom. I kept yawning the whole way, and I pitched headfirst onto my bed, not even bothering to take off my shoes or crawl under the covers. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep.

Of course, then my shoulder started cramping, twisted at an odd angle, and my pillow was lumpy. I rearranged myself and punched my pillow into a new shape.

Then I started to get too hot, and it felt like I was suffocating. Rolling myself over, I kicked off my sandals and threw my arms over my head. The rush of open air was cool across my face, and I breathed in deeply.

But my clothes were too confining. I sat up and started to take my shirt off, when something greenish caught the corner of my eye.
That’s weird.
Tilting my head back, I looked up… and gasped when I saw the maze of stars that covered my bedroom ceiling.

Stars, moons, planets… It was my own personal solar system located directly above my bed.

I pulled my shirt back down and got up to turn on a light.
As soon as the lamp flickered on, the constellations disappeared, and little waxy pieces of plastic were left in their place.

Standing on the bed, I reached up to touch one. It was stuck fast. I turned the light off and watched as the room glowed again. Clapping my hands together in delight, I stood in the middle of the bed and just stared and stared and stared at them.

Stars stretched from one end of the room to the other. I’d never seen so many all in one place. My father had bought me a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars once at an air-and-space museum, but there had only been five or six of them in there. This had to be dozens upon dozens of stars.

I couldn’t believe it.
Did Caspian do this?
Who else would have?

Happiness flooded through me. I wanted to dance around the room. This was wonderful. And romantic. And perfect.

A sharp, crackling noise at the window had me spinning around. Then it came again, and it sounded like the glass was going to break. I moved closer to it, wary that I might come face to face with some crazed flying nocturnal animal.

I peeked out the window but didn’t see anything, so I cracked it open and looked out.

A small pebble suddenly came flying up out of nowhere and flew
right past my head, landing with a soft thump on the floor next to me.

“Hey!” I said, leaning out even further, to get a clearer glimpse all the way down. Caspian was standing there, next to the house, with his hand lifted, ready to throw another rock.

“Abbey!” he said. “Sorry, I was trying to get your attention.” He looked sheepish. “I didn’t hit you, did I?”

I shook my head no. “Why don’t you come up?”

He quickly dumped his handful of rocks on the ground, then climbed up the lattice. I stepped back from the window once he reached the low roof, and he hauled himself into the room.

With him here, standing in my room, I suddenly felt vulnerable.
Come on, Abbey,
I told myself.
It’s not like he’s never been here before
.

“Astrid,” Caspian said, smiling slowly at me.

I smiled back. “Have you come to look at the stars with me?”

He nodded, and I walked toward him, immensely grateful that I’d kept my clothes on. That would have been… awkward.
Fun,
my mind whispered.
But awkward
.

My cheeks burned, and I hoped it was dark enough that he couldn’t see me blushing or read my expression. I spread one hand out and waved it around me. “This? You?
How?
”

He grinned a wide, happy grin then. “Happy belated birthday. I thought you’d like it.”

“Are you kidding me? Who
wouldn’t
like it? But how did you get in? And how did you put them up? And where did you get them all?”

“Your window doesn’t close all the way,” he said. “I noticed it while you were gone. I just climbed up and opened it a little. Luckily, your mom keeps a step stool in the kitchen. I don’t think I could have gotten them up without it.”

“So you climbed into my room while I was gone, used one of our step stools, and stuck plastic stars to my ceiling?”

He ducked his head. “Yeah. Are you mad?”

“Mad? No. This is the coolest thing
ever
. I’m just surprised you didn’t, I don’t know, wait for me or something.”

Caspian looked horrified now. “Wait in your room
without
you? It’s one thing to stop by for a surprise project, but I’d never stay here without permission.”

I shook my head at him and smiled. “You are a strange boy, Caspian Vander. But you have my permission to come in here whenever you want.”

He looked uncomfortable. “I think I’ll wait for you.” Then he looked mischievous. “Unless I have another surprise planned, of course.”

“Surprise me anytime.” I turned to the bed and sat on the edge, patting the space next to me. “Let’s look at the stars.”

Without waiting for him, I lay down with my feet toward the headboard and my head near the bottom of the bed.

Moments later he joined me, lying carefully next to me.

I flattened my hands out and felt the cool cotton beneath my palms. Neither of us spoke, and I concentrated on keeping my breathing normal. The stars glowed a steady green above us.

But I didn’t want him to think that I was ignoring him, so I said again, “Where did you get them all? There are soooo many.”

His voice was low. “I found like fifty packages in a huge bag at the Salvation Army. Some fast-food place must have been giving them away in kids’ meals or something. I felt kind of bad about taking them, but I figured they were donated for someone to use, right? And I had a use for them.”