Long Black Veil (5 page)

“Hi,” she returned, then mentally rolled her eyes.
Sparkling conversationalist, Devon
. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you need some Tylenol?” Oh that was so much better.

“Not me. My mom.” He showed her the boxes in his hand. “She’s got a migraine. I was sent on a mission of mercy.”

“Well, you don’t want those,” Devon answered, taking the medicines from him and putting them back on the shelf. She looked at the various boxes of pills, then pulled one off the shelf specifically for migraines. “This one should work much better.” She handed it to him.

“Cool,” he said, taking a look at it. He seemed to be studying the ingredients rather more intently than she thought they warranted. “So how late do you usually work?”

“Friday nights I work ‘til closing.” She checked her watch. “In about a half hour.” Devon began to walk to the register. Brock followed behind her.

“Do you work every Friday?” he asked as he put the box on the counter.

“Pretty much,” Devon answered, ringing up his purchase and bagging it.

“That’s kind of…”

“Pathetic,” she finished for him. He handed her a ten dollar bill. She handed him his change. “I know.” She tucked a stray strand of red-brown hair behind her ear.

“I wasn’t going to say that,” he said, smiling at her. “I was going to say that’s kind of impressive.” He paused, considering. “In a pathetic sort of way.”

Devon laughed. “So what are you doing here if it’s so pathetic? Why aren’t you out with your friends?” She passed him his bag.

Brock shrugged, shifting his weight as though he was uncomfortable. “Eh, didn’t feel like it.”

Devon didn’t say anything, just stared at him, waiting for him to say more. When he didn’t expand on his explanation, she said, “That was a good thing then.” She gestured at the bag. “You were available for a mission of mercy.” She gave him a small smile. Her eyes met his and time seemed to slow down.

“You have pretty eyes,” Brock said softly. Devon didn’t say anything—couldn’t say anything. Her eyes were a watery green, more like jade than the vibrant green of emeralds that most redheads sported. No one had ever said anything about her eyes before. “I never realized it before.”

“Thanks,” she managed to whisper, unable to look away from him. What was going on? Things like this didn’t happen to girls like her. They just didn’t. He should be busy living out his fairytale with Skylar.

At the thought of Brock’s ex-girlfriend, Devon snapped back to full awareness. She ripped the receipt tape off the roll and handed it to him. “Almost forgot to give you your receipt.” She cringed at the dorkiness of that statement.
And here’s why things like Brock Cutler don’t happen to you
, she thought.
You are an epic dork
.

Brock seemed to snap back to himself as well. “Yeah, thanks.” He cleared his throat. “Speaking of missions of mercy, I’d better get this to my mom before her head falls off. See you at school Monday.”

“Sure. Thanks for coming in.” She watched him walk away, her stomach still doing that fluttery thing that made her think she’d swallowed a bunch of butterflies.

It didn’t take her long to close up the drugstore; they hadn’t done a lot of business so it took her no time at all to count down the register. Mr. McCalhan always drove her to bottom of the mountain road that led to Gammy’s trailer every night she had to work a close. When he pulled to a stop on the verge, she thanked him, shouldered her messenger bag and began her trek up the path.

Being out in the woods at night never bothered her, not on the mountain anyway. She knew its paths and byways like she knew the lines on Gammy’s face. Devon had walked this path so many times, she could do it blindfolded. It was certainly more pleasant in the spring and summer when the sun took longer to set, but she wasn’t bothered by the deep black night. The stars provided enough light on clear nights for her to find her way.

She was coming up on the old church and she slowed down without realizing it. She felt drawn to the church, even more than she usually did. Devon stopped and looked around. Everything was still under the light of the half moon. She began to walk again, but froze when she though she saw something moving off to the side. After a few still moments, she moved closer to the church feeling a chill crawl along her skin.

She caught another flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Moving at an angle to the main building, Devon tried to keep whatever it was in her line of sight. Her breath misted around her in a white plume. The cold was shocking; the temperature must be dropping quickly on the mountain.

A flutter of black disappeared around the corner. Devon could have sworn it looked like fabric of some kind. She sprinted to the back of the church, desperate to get a better look. Who would be all the way out here? She turned the corner and caught the briefest glimpse of a female shape wearing a dark dress.

“Hello?” Devon called, but the woman was moving around the church, going back to the front of it. Devon saw a dark train streaming out behind the figure as if a light wind blew past her, but Devon didn’t feel any air stirring.

She followed the woman, but she always seemed to be just a moment behind. Devon saw the end of the veil disappear behind the church door that was suddenly open. She didn’t remember the door to the church being left open. But when Devon stepped inside, there was no one there. The church was frigid; clouds of Devon’s breath obscured the air around her.

She could have sworn she saw a woman go in here, but the church was empty. Devon took a walk around the aisles, looking over the room, but there was no one there. A shiver eeled down her back and she wanted nothing more than to be safe behind her bedroom door. With one last look around, Devon quickly left the church and hustled the rest of the way to Gammy’s.

She couldn’t stop from looking behind her at odd intervals, unsure of what she wanted to find there. At times she could swear she could see a shape watching her from a distance. The third time she turned back to check, she thought she saw a dark veil blowing in a nonexistent wind. Devon ran the rest of the way to the trailer.

Chapter Five

Saturday meant chores. Devon woke early, determined to have everything done well before it was time for Gil to pick her up. Saturday night was diner night, the one night she allowed herself to actually feel like a regular high school student. Most of the juniors and seniors gathered there at some point in the evening to eat and hang out with their friends. Couples would usually stop by before their dates to grab some food and be seen by everyone else. If you wanted people to know you were together, you went by the diner on a Saturday night.

A couple of the kids from the cross country team were going to be there, as well as a few of her friends from class, so Devon knew there would be plenty of people that she knew there tonight. She’d worked hard this week and she figured she owed herself a little socializing.

She blew through her chores and even got a jump on some of her homework. Then she took a shower, put on her nicest pair of jeans and a sweater, and even gave in and applied a bit of makeup. Then she brushed out her hair so that it shone under the fluorescent bulbs of the bathroom, deciding to leave it down for once. Then she went out to the living room to wait for Gil.

Gammy gave her the once over as soon as she set foot in the front room. Devon saw a strange expression flit across her grandmother’s face; it had almost looked like fear. But Gammy wasn’t afraid of anything or anybody. Devon was going to ask her about it, but the older woman spoke first.

“Don’t you look pretty tonight,” Gammy said, putting down her knitting. The television was on, but so low you couldn’t hear what the actors were saying. She was waiting for her shows. “Is this all for someone special?”

Devon felt her face heat, but she shrugged and answered, “Nope. There’s no prince on the horizon to steal me away. Looks like you’re stuck with me.” She didn’t want to admit to herself that she sort of hoped Brock might show up at the diner with the rest of his crowd.

Gammy patted the cushion next to her. When Devon sat, her grandmother brushed her hand down Devon’s head, stroking her hair softly. “I want you to be careful, my girl, you understand?”

She looked at Gammy, completely at a loss for what she might mean. She didn’t understand, not at all. “I’m always careful, Gammy.” She cocked her head, trying to see her grandmother’s face.

Gammy frowned. “You’re getting older, Devon. And you’re a lovely girl.” She squeezed Devon’s shoulder. “Just watch yourself.”

A honk sounded in the front yard. Gil. Devon snapped her mouth shut around what she was going to ask. What did she have to be careful of besides the usual? Gammy smiled sadly. “Get going. That boy won’t wait forever.”

Devon planted a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek, then went out to meet Gil.

*****

The diner was packed when she and Gil walked in. They were lucky that Roxanne, Jamie, and Shelton had already scored a table. Devon spotted the waving arms flailing over the top of a booth towards the back of the restaurant. She pointed Gil in the right direction and followed him back.

They slid into the booth, making sure to save space for Zach and Haley. Greetings were exchanged all around, news traded, and good-natured insults bandied about. Devon took a look around the diner, trying to catch a glimpse of who else was there.

She heard a familiar, overly loud laugh, and turned toward the sound. Skylar was holding court; she and her crowd had pushed several tables together and were cutting up and making life difficult for their waitress. Devon sighed, just happy that she hadn’t been noticed thus far. She really didn’t want Skylar to ruin her one evening out.

Gil nudged her, bringing her attention back to the table. “What’s everyone ordering?” he asked.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Zach and Haley?” she reminded him, though she really didn’t want to. Haley was perpetually late, so late that they usually told her to be anywhere a half an hour ahead of time. They dubbed it Haley lag time. Zach was the one stuck driving her, so he was always late by default.

Roxanne showed her phone. “Just got a text. They’re running late. Said not to wait for them.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Jamie said, rubbing his hands together. Devon knew he had a ridiculous metabolism—the sheer amount of calories he ate each day would probably bloat an elephant.

They flagged down their waiter and placed an order for fries, onion rings, cheese sticks and milkshakes all around. Devon was handing over her menu when a booming voice yelled out, “Cutler!”

She fumbled the menu, nearly slapping Gil in the face with it. Once the waiter had taken it and left to put in their orders, Devon was able to see who had shouted. It was Micah Landsdown, a behemoth of a varsity football player, who was currently sitting next to Skylar. Everyone at their table was looking at the door where Brock was standing.

Devon felt alternately hot and cold, as if her body’s ability to regulate her temperature had gone haywire. She swore she was flushing, but her hands felt ice cold. She glanced away from the door, looking at anything that wasn’t Brock.

“What is wrong with you?” Gil hissed in her ear, then looked around the end of the booth. His smile was only slightly mocking. “OH.”

She kicked him under the table. Gil was the only person she had ever told about her crush on Brock—she’d told him once, and swore that she would slaughter him if he ever mentioned it again. “Nothing,” she answered him firmly, giving him a hard look.

“Sure it is,” he said archly, but then let the matter drop.

Devon glanced back to the door. She saw Brock acknowledge Micah and the people at his table, but he made no move to head over there. Instead he seemed to be looking for someone else. She dared a look at Skylar; the cheerleader definitely didn’t look happy that Brock was taking so long to come over. Devon hid a grin.

“Dude,” Micah said, his voice still far too loud for the venue. “We’ve got room.”

Brock shook his head. He began to walk to another table. “I’m good, bro.” Devon noticed that he was choosing to sit with a couple of members of the basketball team, and she wondered what that was all about. None of them were in his league, most of them being non-starters. They were second tier popular, nowhere near his level.

Devon chewed her lip. Maybe he was avoiding Skylar. She couldn’t blame him. The girl was so toxic that flowers probably withered and died when she walked past them. Gammy’s words suddenly came back to her, and she realized that it was good advice. This was a situation that she was better off out of. She pushed thoughts of Brock and the reasons for his odd behavior out of her mind and focused on having a good time with her friends.

The food came after a wait significant enough to enable Zach and Haley to join them. They shared their food with the latecomers so they wouldn’t have to order separately and everyone set about demolishing the cavalcade of fried foods in front of them. Devon downed her vanilla milkshake in a hurry, immediately regretting it when she got cold.

“I’m going to get my jacket,” she told Gil. “Give me your keys.”

He handed them to her and Devon slid out of their booth. She hustled past the front tables, glad that Skylar was too busy shrieking with laughter at something Micah had said to be bothered to notice her passing close to her table.