Dead Girl Dancing (24 page)

“Amber! You’re awake!”

I glanced around, aware of so many things at once: the hospital bed I was in, the tube running from my arm to an IV pole, the half-open curtain letting in dim light from a cloudy day, and the crying woman staring down at me. After being in two different bodies within the past week, facing Dark Lifers and almost becoming the next
Voice Choice
star, I was me again. Average-looking, savvy, future entertainment agent Amber Borden.

“Mom?” I whispered, almost afraid to believe this was really happening.

My mother sobbed and rushed for the bed. Crying my name over and over (which was very cool to hear again!), she wrapped her arms gently around me, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling on my arm—an arm with faint scars from falling in nettles. Memories rushed back at me but this time they were my own: the screech of tires of a runaway mail truck, meeting Grammy Greta on the other side, waking up in the hospital in the wrong body.

But now, for the first time in weeks, I was in the right body.

And my mommy was hugging me.

Soon we were both crying.

It was like someone shook up a bottle of craziness, then popped open the cork. Everything blurred in a rush of joy and tears. Dad showed up, then nurses and doctors. Mom was like a bull charging up to the doctors, insisting that I was awake, healthy and ready to go home. While Mom battled about protocol and hospital rules, Dad bent down and hugged me so hard that a nearby machine started beeping. And throughout this, I kept studying my body, marveling at my freckles, small breasts, and chubby thighs.

I loved being me.

At some point during the insanity, a phone rang and my father handed it to me.

“Dustin!” I exclaimed.

“Amber?” he asked cautiously. “Is it really you?”

“Yes! But how did you find out already?”

“I have my sources,” he said in his typical know-it-all tone. “Wow! You sound like the real you again.”

“Great, huh?” I heard myself and smiled.

“Supreme greatness. So when can I see you?”

“Soon, I hope.” I glanced over at my mother, who was glaring furiously and arguing with a doctor. “My parents are working on getting me released ASAP.”

“So you’ll come home tomorrow?”

“I think so. Home—what a beautiful word.”

“I’ll bet it is. So chill and enjoy being back, but then I want to know everything. Like, how did the audition go?”

“Don’t ask.” My smile faded.

“You bombed?”

“Worse. I never made it. But I can’t talk about that here,” I added in a whisper. “I’ll explain later.”

“Call me when you’re home.”

“I will,” I promised.

“And Amber, just so you know … ” he paused, suddenly awkward.

“Yes?”

“It’s great to have you—the real you—back.”

I looked around at my parents and swelled with emotion. “I know.”

After a long night of tests and examinations, I was released the next morning. My little sisters tackled me when I walked through the front door, a tiny team of triplet football players wearing protective plastic trainer pants.

“Sissy, Sissy, Sissy!” Melonee, Olive, and Cherry screamed as they grabbed my legs and hugged.

I winced at the pain from my bruises (I had been hit by a truck, after all), but hugged them back. I couldn’t get over how they’d grown. I was like Rip Van Winkle returning home after a hundred years, although it had been less than two weeks. But a few weeks for little kids is like a century. My sisters had learned new words and could string some together in short sentences. They each had new talents to show me. Olive could do a backward somersault (obviously not taking after her gym-resistant big sister), Melonee could count to eleven, and Cherry kept saying “Knock, knock,” then giggling whenever I said, “Who’s there?”

I was thrilled to see my cat Snowy, but she wasn’t as friendly as Kitty Calico and gave me attitude (until dinner, when I snuck food to her under the table). Mom made a welcome-home, triple-layer caramel cream cake for me, and I showed my gratitude by taking two slices. Afterward, feeling sleepy and full, I went to my room—where I finally found some alone-time to make an important phone call.

Eli, Eli! Answer!

But he didn’t.

The stupid phone rang and rang until the voicemail picked up. Where was Eli? I agonized. Why hadn’t he answered? By now he must have realized I’d switched back to myself, so he should have tried to call me. Yet he hadn’t.

Discouraged, I left a short “Call me ASAP!” message.

Then I tried Alyce’s number.

I was still reeling with regret over not being there when she needed me. But now I was home and I would help her through her crisis—no matter what it was. It wouldn’t be guy troubles, since she was too picky to go out with anyone. So that left either school/homework issues, complications with graveyard photographing, or something to do with her mother.

Usually her problems were mother-related.

So when her mother answered my call, I got a sick feeling in my gut.

“Hello … Is Alyce there?” I asked nervously. “This is Amber.”

“I know who you are,” she said coolly. What did she have against me, anyway? I’d always been extremely nice and polite to her.

“Can I talk to Alyce?” I asked.

“Why would you want to do that?” Her hostility was sharp enough to draw blood.

“Because I’m her best friend.”

“My daughter has no friends.”

“That’s not true!” I argued. “Please tell her I want to talk to her.”

“Unfortunately, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Click. Dead phone.

Oh, great, I thought grimly. That went well …
not
.

I stared at the phone in my hand, blaming myself for handling that all wrong. But what else could I have said? Did Alyce really hate me or was her mother lying? I thought back to our last conversation, how insistent Alyce was that I come home right away, then her anger when I’d refused. She’d needed me and I’d let her down.

Was our friendship really over?

Reaching across the bed, I scooped up my cat before she could protest and hugged her to my chest, a tear trickling down my cheek and landing on her silvery fur. If only I could read Alyce’s mind to know what was wrong. She wouldn’t talk to me, so how could I help her? I didn’t dare go to her house now. Not when Attila the Horrible Mom might answer the door and slam it right in my face. But I could try at school. Alyce and I shared classes, so she couldn’t ignore me forever. Somehow I’d fix everything and we’d be BFFs again.

The phone rang, and I grabbed it.

“Alyce?” I cried, hopefully.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” came an amused male voice.

“Oh, Eli! I’m the opposite of disappointed,” I assured him, sitting up and further disturbing Snowy, who hissed at me and indignantly scampered over to the edge of the bed. “I’ve been worried about you … and Sharayah.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “And Sharayah seemed okay when she called a few hours ago. She’s with Hannah.”

“She is?” I relaxed against my pillow. “That’s a relief. I worried about what happened after I left, but Sharayah will be fine with Hannah. I think Hannah is great—despite the stun gun.”

“Stun gun?”

“A Taser. I’ll tell you everything when I see you. Are you back home?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, hurry! It’ll be so cool to be with you and be myself. We can … ” I hesitated. “Well, finish what we started without breaking any moral or legal laws.”

“I’d like that—but it could take awhile. There’s something you should know about the
Voice Choice
competition.”

“Oh … that.” I frowned. “Sorry I bailed on you but I couldn’t help it. Hannah forced me into an intervention.”

“What?”

“You know, an intervention. It’s usually for someone on drugs, or alcoholics, but Hannah did it to remind me—I mean, Sharayah—of their friendship. She had all these albums and—”

“That’s really interesting,” he interrupted. “But something major has happened that you need to know about.”

“What?” I gripped the phone, imagining illness, car accidents and Dark Lifers.

“Relax, it’s nothing bad. It’s ridiculous, really,” he said with an odd laugh. “I mean, I never expected anything like this to happen. I only stayed in line because I thought you were coming back. When I handed in the form, which I’d filled out fast and sloppy, they saw the name Rockingham and kept calling me ‘Rocky.’ Before I could explain, these official dudes led me to a stage, handed me a mike, and told me to start singing.”

“Oh, poor Eli! How embarrassing!”

“It was at first, but all my goofing off with karaoke kicked in and I had fun.”

“You’re just being nice so I won’t feel guilty for leaving you in such an awful situation. I’m so sorry I ever made you take me to that contest.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not, and neither were the judges.” He chuckled. “I made it to the finals.”

It was strange and wonderful to fall asleep in my own bed and my real body that night. Although it was hard to sleep with my mind spinning so fast, going over everything that had happened. Some of it was good—like being with my family and seeing my own face in a mirror. There was also Eli’s accidental success. Who knew he had a fabulous voice? I was happy for him, but disappointed for myself because he had to stay in L.A. for a week.

But it was Sharayah I couldn’t forget. I was worried that my mission to help her was incomplete. I’d been wrong about her dreams and almost set her up for a competition she would have hated. And I didn’t restore her self-esteem or mend her broken heart. There hadn’t been enough time to even leave her a letter of encouragement. The only thing I’d left behind was my GEM. What would she think when she found it? Would she remember anything that had happened the last few days? If she did, how would she handle knowing that Gabe was a Dark Lifer?

Not well, I suspected, which made me feel even worse. I had to be the worst Temp Lifer in history. If Sharayah did gain self-esteem and return to being a loving sister, loyal friend and top student, the credit would go to Hannah. Not me.

Sharayah was lucky to have a best friend who stuck by her no matter what and never gave up on their friendship. That’s the kind of friendship I used to have with Alyce. But by not being there when Alyce needed me, I’d let her down.

Would she ever forgive me?

Tossing in my bed, I finally drifted off to sleep.

But somewhere in the middle of dreaming, I found myself surrounded by light and moving as if on an invisible escalator. I was rising up, up … until I was stepping into a surreal world where a path of silvery clouds led me to Grandma Greta.

Cola was there, too, sitting on what seemed to be a comfortable leather couch, his Duty Director lit up like holiday lights. He barked and rushed over, tail wagging. I hugged him, enjoying the tickles of his doggy tongue on my face. Then I looked up at Grammy, tensing because I was afraid of what she’d say about my first (and last) Temp Lifer mission.

So I said it for her.

“I know, I know … I blew it. I’m so sorry I let you down, Grammy.”

“You haven’t let anyone down,” she told me. “You fulfilled your duties splendidly.”

“But I didn’t improve Sharayah’s life.”

“The Nine Divine Rules clearly state that a Temp Lifer is to live their Host Soul’s life—not change it. You performed well. I’m very proud of you.”

“Proud?” I rubbed my head, wondering if maybe this was a dream after all and not an actual experience. I’d been so sure I’d messed up. How could Grammy think I’d done a good job?

“Amber, you should be proud of yourself, too,” she said as she opened her arms and pulled me against her warm, solid body. “You worked hard to follow the rules. Even though you bent them a little, it was all done for the right reasons.”

“But I tried so hard to get Sharayah to the singing competition and failed. Then I found out she didn’t want to be a star, she wants to work in a hospital and cure cancer. So I did absolutely nothing to make her dreams come true.”

“Sharayah has many talents and plenty of time to fulfill her own dreams. You gave her the rest she needed, so that now she has the strength to make the right choices. It’s her brother who has secret dreams of singing stardom.” Grammy touched my hair softly. “And that’s only one of many dreams you’ll share with him.”

There were subtle hints in her words that thrilled me. But asking about Eli’s future felt like cheating, given that I hoped to be part of it. So I asked if Sharayah was going to be okay.

“Better than okay.” Grammy led me over to the couch. We sat down and Cola curled up beside us. “She’s ready to tackle her life again now.”

“Will she remember everything that happened?”

“She’ll remember what’s important.”

“Does that include Gabe?”

“She knows he’s alive and that she shouldn’t feel guilty.” Grammy smiled at me. “You were wonderful, honey. Not many first-time Temp Lifers could handle a Dark Lifer.”

“But I was wrong about Warren.”

“You weren’t that wrong—he had come in contact with a Dark Lifer. And thanks to you, we gained more information about Gabriel Deverau. He’s the DD Team’s most wanted Dark Lifer. You were very brave to stand up to him.”

“I didn’t feel brave. I felt scared.” And strangely attracted, I thought guiltily.

“Don’t worry—he will be caught. So next time you go on a mission, you won’t have to worry about running into him.”

“Next time? Not me.” I shook my head adamantly. “I’m looking forward to finishing school, planning college and hanging out with my family and friends. Now that I sort of have a boyfriend, I may even go to prom. There are so many things I can’t wait to do. I’m glad you think I did a good job, but I need to live my own life now. Besides, having me hospitalized has been really hard on my family. No more comas or strangers sleeping in my body.”

“I understand,” she said, with a sigh that seemed to form in a cloudy puff and linger in the air for a moment before vanishing. “It’s just that I thought you’d want to help your friend.”

“What friend?” I asked cautiously.

“Alyce.”

“No way!” I felt my eyes would pop out, I was so shocked.

Then my grandmother began to explain that Alyce was in crisis mode and needed a time-out from life. Grammy wouldn’t reveal what the problem was due to confidentiality rules, but she hinted that it was traumatic and a Temp Lifer would be assigned right away.

“Too bad you’re not interested,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll find someone else to take the job.”

“But you can’t just put a stranger inside Alyce,” I argued. “She’s my best friend. I know her better than anyone.”

She arched a brow. “You already told me you weren’t interested, and I respect that. I wouldn’t expect you to leave your body again … although I could make this exchange without interfering with your life. No coma or hospital.”

“You could do that?”

“I can do many things,” she said mysteriously. “And when you returned to your body, your friendship with Alyce would be better, too.”

“Alyce will be okay?”

“With your help,” Grammy said.

“She’s my very best friend in the world. I’d do anything to help her.”

“Are you accepting this mission?”

“Can you promise me that my body won’t be stuck in a hospital again and that I won’t miss any more school?”

“It’s a promise. While you’re absent from your body, I’ll arrange a temporary occupant.”

“Occupant!” Horrified, I stared at her. “But I don’t want a Temp Lifer in my body! That’s just too creepy.”

“Not a Temp Lifer. It’ll be someone you can trust and who loves you more than is humanly possible.”

“Who?” I asked warily.

Grammy pointed to herself. “Me.”