High Tide (9781481413824) (5 page)

“I am, but—”

“Want me to come over?” she asked. “I could rent a movie and bring some microwave popcorn. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Thanks, but I'm not doing too well,” I told her quickly, suddenly remembering my date later, tonight. “I'd be lousy company.”

“I don't mind. Really.”

“I know, but I'm still feeling kind of shaky.” That's definitely true, I thought. “I'm just going to lie down, okay?”

“Oh. Okay.” Leslie sounded really disappointed.

“I'll call you tomorrow,” I told her.

“Sure, Adam,” she agreed softly. “Tomorrow.”

I said good-bye and hung up.

Jerk, I told myself. You hurt her feelings.

But at least I didn't lie to her, I thought. I'm
not
doing too well. I'm seeing things that aren't really there. And I don't know why.

I really did feel shaky too, so I stretched out on my bed. But after a few minutes I sat up. Just lying there made me feel jittery. Better to keep moving, I thought.

I put on some clothes, then went back into the bathroom to brush my hair. I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked really shaken. Pale.

Get a grip, I told myself. You can't show up for your date looking as if you were being chased by aliens or something.

I went into the living room and put on a CD. The blast of music made me even more jittery. I shut it off and checked my watch.

Not quite time to go, but I decided to leave anyway. I'd walk along the boardwalk, then head into town. Maybe that would calm me down.

I hauled my duffel bag onto the couch and took out my wallet. As I checked to make sure I had enough money, my stomach growled softly. Three slices of pizza obviously wasn't enough.

The pizza was cold by now though. I stuffed the box into the trash can, then grabbed a green apple from the bowl on the kitchen counter and hurried toward the door.

As I reached for the doorknob, I raised the shiny apple to my mouth.

The apple's green skin seemed to melt.

My hand froze on the doorknob.

My heart stuttered to a stop, then began to race.

The apple's skin kept changing. Wrinkling, sagging. Melting away, until I saw what was underneath it.

A skull.

I was holding a green, rotting skull. I could smell
it. Moldy and putrid, with vacant eye sockets and shreds of skin dangling from stumps of black, twisted teeth.

As I stared in horror, the wet apple jaws began to move. “Help me, Adam!” a hoarse voice inside the apple croaked. “Help me. Don't let me drown!”

E
asy, Sean, I told myself as I walked along the path toward Alyce's beach cottage. She'll be there. She was only kidding around this afternoon when she said she had other plans.

Wasn't she?

Sure she was. She's crazy about me! She wouldn't sneak around on me the way Cindy did.

The path curved, and I caught sight of the cottage, small and white, with blue shutters and a yellow bug light over the front door.

The light was on.

Yes! I thought with a grin. She's definitely there, waiting for me!

Some kind of red wildflower grew along the path, so I picked a fistful. Then I trotted up the wooden steps onto the front porch.

I thumped on the door and waited, still grinning.

No sound from inside. “Hey, Alyce!” I called. “It's me! Sean!”

Still no sound.

I thumped again, harder. “You asleep or something?” I shouted. “Wake up, babe! Time to party!”

Finally, I heard footsteps. I swiped my hair off my forehead and tried to arrange the flowers into a bouquet. A couple of stems broke, but they still looked pretty good.

The door opened.

Kathy, Alyce's roommate, stared out at me. She wore a bathrobe and had a towel wrapped around her head. “Oh. Sean, hi,” she said. “You scared me, yelling and beating on the door like that.”

“Sorry,” I told her. I pulled a flower loose and held it out to her. “Here. Stick this in a vase. Every time you look at it, you'll think of me.”

Kathy giggled and took the flower. “Wow. You shouldn't have.” She patted the damp towel. “I better go dry my hair now.”

“No problem. You want to tell Alyce I'm here?”

“Um  . . .” She bit her lip. “I would, but . . . I can't.”

“Excuse me?”

“I can't tell her,” she repeated softly. “Alyce isn't here.”

I stared at her.

“Well . . . see you, Sean.” She started to shut the door.

“Wait a sec.” I put my hand flat against the door to keep it open. “You mean she's not here
yet,
don't you? She ran out to do a couple of errands, right?”

“Not exactly.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” I asked. “Where
exactly
is she?”

“I don't know.” Kathy bit her lip and patted the towel again. “Sean, my hair is—”

“Forget about your hair!” I snapped. “I asked you where Alyce is. Now tell me!”

“I don't know!” she insisted. “She didn't tell me. She said she was going out. I think she went to the movies or something, but I'm not sure.”

The sizzling feeling didn't start small this time. It was already a full-blown fire, burning inside me. Burning so fast and furiously, I couldn't speak.

Kathy stared at me for a second, then quickly shut the door.

I slapped it angrily, then spun around and leapt off the wooden porch. As I strode down the path, I realized I still held the bunch of wildflowers in my hand.

Slowly, I crushed the red blossoms between my fingers.

This is what I want to do to him, I thought. Whoever Alyce is with, I want to crush him!

With a cry of rage I tossed the red pulp against the blue door of Alyce's cottage and hurried to my car.

I'll wait outside the village movie theater, I decided as I gunned the motor and tore along the bumpy road. Wait for Alyce and her date to come out. See who the guy is.

And then I'll get him.

But it won't be like the last time, I decided. Last time I made Cindy's guy wait. Fooled him into thinking I wasn't serious. Then I pounced.

I won't play that game this time. I can't.

I was boiling inside, ready to erupt. I couldn't wait
days to take care of the guy. I had to do it fast or I'd explode!

Gripping the steering wheel, I swerved around a bend and aimed the car down the main street of Logan Beach. The town fills up in the summer, so the place was crowded with tourists, groups of kids, and lots of traffic.

Ahead of me, a van braked and got ready to back into a parking space. Leaning on the horn, I stepped on the gas and zipped into the space head-on.

“Hey!” The van driver, a short guy with a fat stomach, came huffing and puffing up to my window. “Didn't you see me signaling? You stole my space!”

“Yeah?” I shoved the door open and got out. “I didn't see your name on it.”

“But . . . but . . .” he stammered.

“But what?” I shouted into his face. “You don't want to fight about a parking space—do you?”

“Whoa! Who said anything about fighting?” The man held up his hands and began to back away.

As I took a step toward him, he turned and scrambled back into his van.

I started after him, then stopped.

Calm down, I told myself. Don't get into it with that jerk. Save it for the other guy.

Alyce's guy.

I took a deep breath, then strode down to the drugstore that stood across from the town's only movie theater.

The lobby was empty. Good. The show wasn't over yet.

It hasn't even started, I thought with a grim smile. When the guy comes out—that's when the real show starts!

I leaned against the front of the drugstore and waited, thinking about Alyce. How could she pull something like this after I warned her about what would happen? Did she think I was kidding?

She'll see, I thought, checking my watch. Shouldn't be long now. Then she'll see that I was serious.

Dead serious.

As I glanced across at the lobby again, I suddenly tensed. People were milling around inside, heading for the doors. The movie had let out.

Come on, Alyce, I silently urged her. Come on out. Let me see the guy you're with.

The theater doors swung open, and I caught a glimpse of bright red hair shining in the lights.

Alyce.

As she stepped outside, she reached out and took the hand of the guy next to her.

I stared at his face and felt the rage inside me begin to boil faster and faster. “I don't believe it!” I muttered to myself.

“She's with
him?”

I
squeezed my eyes shut. It couldn't be him! He wouldn't do this to me.

It had to be somebody else!

I snapped my eyes open and stared across the street again, hoping to see that I was wrong.

But the same guy stood next to Alyce, squeezing her hand and smiling at her.

I don't believe it, I thought again. A guy I see all the time. A friend!

No—not a friend. Somebody who only
pretended
to be my friend.

And now he's sneaking out with my girl.

“Whoa!”

My breath came hard and fast. I dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands and felt the blood pound painfully against my skull.

Get him!
I thought, staring across the street. I've waited too long already.

Get him now!

As the rage inside me boiled over, I shoved away from the drugstore and charged into the street.

Get him! my mind chanted. Pound him! Pound that smile off his face!

A horn blared suddenly, close enough to make me jump. A huge truck bore down on me.

“Hey!” I let out a startled scream.

And skidded to a stop inches from its front bumper.

“Jerk!” the guy in the passenger seat called out as the truck lumbered along. “You want to get killed? Watch where you're going!”

I raced to the end of the truck, thinking to cross behind it. But a beat-up blue van rode on the truck's tail, blocking my way.

“Hey!” I shouted, kicking out at the van. “Move this thing! Step on it!”

The van crawled by. Music blared from its speakers, and the kids inside laughed as I kicked out again in frustration.

“Kick it a little harder, man!” one of the kids sneered. “Maybe you'll break your toe!”

Their laughter drifted back as the van slowly rolled by. I bunched my fists and gritted my teeth. I felt like pulling those kids out, one by one, and showing them that life isn't so funny. That life can be painful.

Save it, I reminded myself. Save it for the guy holding Alyce's hand.

Save it for the creep who pretended to be my friend.

At last the van pulled past me. I glanced over to the movie theater.

Alyce and her date were gone.

More horns blared. Headlights bore down from opposite directions. I stopped, trying to decide which way to go.

Someone shouted at me to move it.

Darting between the oncoming cars, I charged across the street and onto the sidewalk.

They couldn't have disappeared so fast, I thought. They're lost in the crowd, that's all.

I had to find them. I had to pound the guy. Teach him a lesson.

I had to get rid of the rage burning me up inside.

Frantic to find them, I craned my neck, searching for Alyce's red hair again.

I couldn't find her.

Furious, I plunged into the crowd and began to shoulder my way through. I'll get them, I told myself. I'll pay her back for this. I have to!

Still craning my neck, I collided roughly with a girl rounding the corner.

“Leslie!”

Leslie Jordan stumbled back. She had to hang on to me to keep from falling.

“What's your problem, Sean?” Leslie cried, steadying herself and rubbing her arm. “Why don't you watch where you're going? You almost knocked me down!”