Haunted (8 page)

It felt a lot creepier without Yana and Anthony with her, and she got a prickly feeling in the back of her neck. Like
someone was watching her. Yeah, because muggers, they always stake out the Motel Six parking lots, she told
herself sarcastically. They know anyone who stays in a Six has got tons of cash.

But it wasn’t really muggers she was worried about. This parking lot was like a movie set for a murder. A fast knife
between the ribs or aStop, she ordered herself. Yes, someone tried to kill you. And yes, they could try again. But no
one knows you’re here. You’re safer in this grungy parking lot than you are at home in bed, where everyone expects
you to be.

She half convinced herself, but she was still relieved when she got to the car and unlocked it. She gave the door
handle a quick polish, then scrambled inside. See, Anthony? Even when you’re not around, I’m not trying to go
poking in your head.

Okay, now purse. All she had to do was snag it, and she could get back upstairs. But it wasn’t on her seat. It wasn’t
in the backseat, either. Rae scanned the floor. Nope.

She leaned forward, her forehead pressed against the dashboard, and started groping around under the front
passenger seat. Her fingers brushed up against something smooth/MORON/FRIGGIN’ BLUEBIRD/DOES RAE/ -and
she pulled it free. It was the English workbook, the one she’d thought belonged to Anthony’s little sister. But the
thoughts she’d gotten off it were all Anthony flavored. And they were so full of self-loathing that it made her stomach
cramp.

Rae flipped open the workbook to a page that had already been filled out. There were spots where the answer had
been written and erased so many times that the paper had a hole worn through it. And the name printed at the top of
the page was Anthony Fascinelli.

No wonder he’d freaked the day she’d found the workbook in the glove compartment. Anthony had told her he
was in a slow learner class, but clearly he didn’t want her to know how much trouble he was really having, how
behind he was.

Gently she pushed the workbook back under the seat, another blast of self-hatred and anger ripping through her.

It was like when he thought about himself, all he thought was stupid, stupid, stupid. “He has no idea what a great
guy he really is,” Rae muttered.

She gave the workbook another push. She didn’t want Anthony to get himself in knots wondering if someone had
seen it. “Don’t worry, Anthony. I’m very good at keeping secrets.”

Anthony studied the row of chips in the vending machine. Cool Ranch, he decided, feeding the machine three
quarters, then hitting the E3 button.

“So, sounds like you have a big family,” Yana said as her diet Dr Pepper shot into the tray of the soda machine
with a thunk. “How many brothers and sisters?”

“Three brothers-Danny, Carl, and Zack-and a sister, Anna,” Anthony answered. “Zack is step, and Anna, Danny,
and Carl are half.” He slid some more quarters in the slot and punched the button for a two pack of chocolate chip
cookies. He could split it with Rae.

“All younger?” Yana asked.

“Yep. The oldest one, Zack, he’s fifteen. Then there’s Danny. He’s eleven. Then Anna, nine, and Carl, who’s three.”

Anthony counted up the change he had left. “How about your family?”

“Just me and my dad,” Yana answered.

“Like Rae.” Anthony decided on another two pack of cookies-all chocolate this time.

Yana snorted. “Yeah, like Rae,” she agreed, oozing sarcasm. “Have you ever met Rae’s dad?”

“Huh-uh,” Anthony said, turning toward her.

“Why? What’s the deal?”

“It’s just that Rae’s his whole life,” Yana answered. “You should have seen him when she was in the hospital. He
was a wreck. For a while I thought he was going to need to check in himself.”

She’s jealous, Anthony thought. He knew the feeling. Sometimes he’d see a family at the movies together, and-he
didn’t let himself finish the thought. “I’m sure your dad would have been the same way if you were in the hospital,”

he told Yana, jamming some more change into the machine, then jabbing the closest button.

“Oh, thanks,” Yana said, still in full-on sarcastic mode. “You’re right. I never, ever thought of that.” Another soda
shot into the tray, hitting the other one. “You’ve never even met my dad,” she answered.

“Whatever,” Anthony muttered. She was right.

He should have just kept his mouth shut.

Yana scooped up the sodas, and Anthony gathered up all the crap he’d bought, then they headed back to the
room. “My dad…” Yana hesitated. “It can be cool. I mean, I get to do pretty much whatever I want.” She gave a harsh
laugh. “Rae’s dad probably still checks her homework and everything. He’s a college professor. I’m sure he expects
her to go to some great school.”

Anthony managed to unlock the door without dropping anything. “I guess pretty much everyone who goes to prep
school is supposed to go to a great college. That’s the point, right?” Like he’d know.

“Like I’d know,” Yana answered. “But yeah, I guess.” She whipped the thin plaid bedspread off the closest bed
and spread it out on the floor. “Picnic,” she said, pointing to it.

Anthony sat down on the spread and dropped his load of vending machine junk. Yana put down the sodas, then
headed into the bathroom. She returned a moment later with three glasses, their little paper tops still on them. “Rae
probably doesn’t drink directly from the can,” Yana said as she took a seat across from Anthony. “Too, too
uncouth,” she added, going for a snotty upper-crust accent.

“Yeah,” Anthony agreed, even though he’d seen Rae drink out of a can and knew Yana had, too.

“Do you think they teach that stuff in her school?

Etiquette stuff?” Yana asked. She didn’t wait for him to answer. “I bet they teach them how to walk. When I picked
Rae up from school, everyone I saw walked the same way, like they had a stick up their butt.”

Anthony laughed. Rae did stand up pretty straight all the time. “You couldn’t pay me to go there,” he answered. As
if he could ever get in. But even if he could, there was no way.

“Me either,” Yana answered.

There was a knock on the door. “It’s me,” Rae called.

Anthony felt a little spurt of guilt for talking about her behind her back. But it wasn’t like they were saying anything
so awful. She was a prep school girl.

Yana flopped onto her back and moaned. “I can’t eat another bite.”

“Shhh. You’ll wake up Anthony,” Rae whispered.

“Oh, no! We’ll be in big trouble if we wake up Dad,” Yana teased.

Rae opened her mouth to respond, but a burp came out instead.

Yana shook her head. “What was that?”

“A burp. Sorry,” Rae answered.

“Do they teach you to burp like that in prep school? All dainty?” Yana asked.

Rae snatched up the last soda-the Mush protecting her from getting any thoughts-popped the top, and drained it,
ignoring the little stream running down the side of her chin. Then she gave the biggest, longest, loudest burp she
could. Take that, public school reverse snob, she thought.

“That’s disgusting,” Yana told her.

“Disgusting for a prep school girl?” Rae demanded.

“No, just disgusting disgusting,” Yana answered.

Rae smiled. “Good.” She stretched out on her side and propped her head on her hand, then checked to make sure
that Anthony was still sleeping. “So what do you think of our Anthony?” she asked.

“I was wrong when I said I knew the type,” Yana answered. “The type I was thinking of would never have sung that
frog song.”

“I still say it was sweet,” Rae told her. She unbuttoned her pants. That last soda had left her feeling ready to burst,
and the waistband was digging into her stomach.

“If you like sweet,” Yana answered. She picked up a piece of cookie and licked it, then dropped it back on the
bedspread.

“You don’t like sweet?” Rae could see Yana with a nice guy. She was so supportive and sensitive, really there for
people she cared about. Why shouldn’t she get some of that back?

Yana shrugged.

“You’re not getting away with that,” Rae told her.

“I want some details. What was the last guy you went out with like?”

“I don’t really go out that much,” Yana answered.

Rae frowned in confusion. Yana seemed like the type who’d go out all the time, with tons of guys waiting in line for
their chance.

Yana picked the piece of cookie back up and popped it into her mouth. “Actually, if you want to know the truth, I
don’t go out at all. I go out and dance and stuff,” she added quickly. “But I’ve never done the one guy/one girl thing.

”

“Maybe you’re better off,” Rae said, thinking about Marcus. “You won’t get your heart smashed that way.”

“I wouldn’t mind trying it,” Yana admitted. “I just… I don’t know. Guys go for girls more like you.”

“What do you mean-like me?” Rae asked.

“Longer hair, no tattoos. You know,” Yana answered.

“Come on. I bet there are tons of guys out there who think you’re totally hot,” Rae protested. “If no one’s
approaching, maybe it’s because you don’t act like you want anyone to. Guys like to have some idea that they’re not
going to get shot down if they come up to you.”

“Maybe,” Yana admitted.

“Not maybe. Definitely,” Rae insisted. “Because we both know it’s not about hair and tattoos. I’ve seen girls with
no hair and a zillion tattoos with guys.

And not repulsive guys, either.” She smoothed the corner of the plaid bedspread, then smiled at Yana.

“So, is there anyone in particular you are so sure wouldn’t want to go out with you?”

Yana didn’t answer. But she blushed. Actually blushed.

Rae sat up. “There is! So who is he?”

“Just a guy,” Yana muttered.

“And have you given this just-a-guy any signals?” Rae pressed. “Have you ever even smiled at him?”

“What if he thinks I’m a loser?” Yana asked. “I don’t want to be the pathetic girl who goes after some guy who’s out
of her league.”

“Okay, first, if you use the word loser about yourself again, I’m going to slap you,” Rae threatened.

“And second, what guy could possibly be out of your league? You’re awesome.”

Yana laughed. “Yeah. All males shall bow down and worship me,” she said. But Rae could tell she still hadn’t
convinced Yana even to say hi to this guy, whoever he was. She had some work to do tonight.

For once we’re talking about her problems and not mine, Rae thought. It meant that they were real friends. Equals.

Yana wasn’t just doing her good deed of the day by hanging out with Rae.

Rae closed her eyes for a moment, letting the feeling sink in. As worried as she was about Jesse, it was still cool to
feel like she and Yana were getting closer.

Hopefully soon they’d have Jesse back, and then Rae could concentrate on convincing Yana to go after
everything she deserved to have.

Where should I drop you?” Anthony asked as he pulled out of Yana’s driveway the next evening.

“It’s okay to take me home,” Rae answered. “My dad meets up with a couple of people in his department every
third Sunday to-dork alert-play bridge. So he won’t be around.”

Anthony nodded. The car felt a lot quieter without Yana. Smaller, too. Which was weird. It should have felt bigger
with one less person. Except without Yana’s musky perfume, all he could smell was Rae’s grapefruit scent. Without
Yana’s yammering, he could hear each breath Rae took. He could almost feel the heat coming off her skin.

Why had she worn that friggin’ halter top last night? It was like seeing her in it had flipped a switch, and he couldn’t
quite get back to seeing her in that pre-halter-top way, even though she was back in one of her regular button-down
prepster shirts with a bra underneath. A lacy bra. He could kind of see the pattern, just faintly. I’ve got one word for
you, Anthony told himself.

Cardinal. No, make that two words. Cardinal and Bluebird. He and Rae weren’t even the same species.

Or maybe all birds were the same species. But whatever. Cardinals and Bluebirds didn’t hang together.

They hung with their own kind.

“We’re going to find him,” Rae said, giving his arm a fast squeeze.

It took Anthony a second to understand what she meant, then guilt swept through him, strong as battery acid. Rae
thought he was all knotted up about Jesse, and Anthony’d been thinking about her. What a guy. What a freakin’ jerk.

“I’ll pick you up after school tomorrow, and we’ll hit some of his usual places,” Anthony answered.

“You can do your fingerprint thing on anybody we find that knows him or has even seen someone who looks like
him.”

If he was going to find Jesse, he needed to focus on Jesse. Nothing else. No one else.

Usual places. He needed a list. Little Five Points, definitely-the skateboard shop and the comic book store, and the
place that sold all the loose candy. Jesse loved the atomic fireballs there. Jesse’s school. The 7Eleven, although
Jesse didn’t hang there very much without Anthony.