No One's Watching (10 page)

I tried to nod, but she held my head still. “I didn't have time. Dira knocked on the door.”

Candace pulled a wide-tooth comb through my fine hair. “What shampoo did you use? Not Dira's, I hope.”

A cold bolt shot through me. “It was mango. Why?”

“It's specifically designed for black people's highly textured hair.”

What else?
Now my no textured hair was against me. Or at least I hoped it would be when it had dried and didn't stick up like it was escaping my head.

“Can you fix it?” I tugged at the snarls with my comb.

“Did you pack a scarf? Like for character class, maybe?”

“Ahh.”

“A hat?” Candace dragged her hand down the sides of my head. Ten times.

“No.” Blake and Jupiter trying on baseball caps flashed in my mind.
Blake. Oh, no.
My mouth dried up.

In the mirror above her dresser, Candace tipped her head from side to side. A frown draped on her face.

“Can't I put it in a bun?”

“Well.” It sounded more like “wheel.” “You know dancers don't like to wear buns when they're not in class. Besides, I don't think it would cooperate. The ends want to stick out.”

My mind spun. So far I'd lost a ballet solo, my reputation as a serious dancer, a boy who was sort of interested in me and now my hair.

What happened to it? I had to see for myself. I rose from the chair and coasted to the dresser where the mirror hung.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, Candace's voice plucked at me. “Sit down.”

My tears froze as if my eyes were snowballs. Somehow this was all Shelly's fault. If I hadn't been so preoccupied with her, I never would've used Dira's shampoo. I was terrified to close my eyes and more afraid to look in the mirror. Before I made it to Candace's dresser, she grabbed my hand and led me back to the chair.

“Hold on a second. I'm not quite finished.”

I plunked into the seat. My neck and cheeks tickled from escaping hairs. I pictured my strands as creepy spider legs, trying to crawl away.

Candace rummaged in her drawer. “It'll be fine. You'll see.” She drew out several small plastic clips and cupped them in her hand. After scraping my scalp a bunch of times, she circled me like a cat examining a mouse with three heads. “Okay. That's the best I can do.”

I rose and glided to the mirror expecting to see myself like I normally did, more or less. Less was more like it. In the mirror, I was Raggedy Ann meets
Nightmare Before Christmas
. Tufts of hair sprouted from my head, clipped by eighty jaw clips. Actually, eight, but that was eight too many.

Dira pounded on our hall door. “You guys ready?”

Candace reached for the knob as I yelled, “Don't come in.”

Dira poked her head in. “Nicki has another date, so it's just me. Let's go.” She stared at me and slid into the room. “Interesting hair style.”

My hand groped my head. “I used your shampoo by mistake. Sorry.”

“Oops.” Dira bit her bottom lip. “You don't have time now to rewash it. It should be okay the next time.”

“You think so?” Candace scrunched up her face.

Dira shrugged. “I'm just guessing.” She held up a finger. “I'll be right back.” She dashed into the bathroom, her room adjoining it and returned with a sky blue Phillies baseball cap. “Try this.” She handed it to me.

Candace took off the jaw clips and arranged the cap on my head, tucking in stiff, stray hairs.

“Great. Let's go. I'm starved.” Dira held the door open.

As we jogged toward the elevator, the cap bounced on my head. “Why are we in such a hurry?”

Dira called over her shoulder. “To get a good seat. Otherwise, we might have to split up and sit with Shelly and her crew.”

I hurried past them and smashed the elevator button. The door slid open. We entered and leaned against the walls.

“Aren't Phillies hats red?” Candace asked.

It was unnerving to have them both stare at my head. I dropped my gaze to the floor and counted the tile squares.

“Yeah, but blue's my favorite color. My dad and brothers watch the Phillies all the time. I wanted the 2009 World Series patch on the side of it, but it didn't come on the light blue hat.”

Wow.
Dira was a great dancer and a Phillies Phanatic. Maybe she didn't have a choice with two brothers and a dad.

The elevator squealed to a stop on the fourteenth floor. Blake, Jupiter, and some other kids piled in.

Blake's gaze rested on my head. “Cool hat. Are you a fan?”

I nodded, staring into his eyes and took a deep breath. The same aftershave he wore when he came to my room. Yum. “Yeah, ever since they won the World Series in 2009.”

Jupiter wiped his nose on his hand and snickered. “That would've been the Yankees.” He adjusted his two Chester Park University baseball caps. One blue and one yellow.

I bopped the side of my head. “Played. I meant played in the World Series.” I huffed a laugh. “Exciting game.”

“I didn't watch it.” Blake folded his arms across his chest. “I like basketball.”

Dira and Candace exchanged confused glances. I shrank under the hat. By the time we emerged on the ground floor, I was sure I was a blue hat with legs.

The smell of mashed potatoes and mystery meat beckoned us to the cafeteria. Shelly emerged from the line with Amy, who wore a green, short-brimmed hat like an upside down bucket. Amy's straw-like hair stuck out from the brim.

“What's with the cap?” Shelly reached for my head.

I swatted her hand away, shrugged and pointed to Amy. “What's with her hat?”

Shelly giggled. “I like it. Have you told your mom your good news?”

I stared hard at her.

Amy frowned. “My family was going to move last year, but we didn't.”

“Wow.” Dira stared at Amy. “That was random.”

Shelly brightened at the boys. “There you are. I've saved seats for you. Don't forget about tonight.” She towed them away, making sure we watched.

Dira shook her head. “What's Shelly got going on tonight?”

“She's having a hot tub party, and we're crashing it.” Candace rubbed her hands together. “Want to come?”

Dira picked up a tray. “Sounds like fun, but I'm going to read and wait up for Nicki. Don't want to miss any juicy details of her date.”

Part of me wanted to stay with Dira and read, or even play my flute. Shelly might be able to get away with being in the hot tub after hours, like how the staff let her get away with her own cell phone. They wouldn't be so lenient with me if I were caught.

Shelly butted in front of the line with her group.

We slid our trays on the rails of the cafeteria line. “Still don't know who Nicki went out with?” Candace asked.

“I guess we could take a head count.” Dira stood on her toes and peered over the line at the students sitting in the cafeteria. “See which boy is missing.”

“You know the dance camp isn't the only thing at the university.” Candace speared a carrot. “There's a computer camp, too.”

Dira stared off. “I'm not sure she goes for the geeky types.”

“From the little I know about her, I'm not sure that matters.” Candace poked her in the ribs, and they both laughed.

Shelly's table was by the window, and she'd surrounded herself with the guys and Amy. I mindlessly piled plates of food on my tray and followed Dira and Candace to a small table near them.

Amy glanced over her shoulder, her short-cropped hair poking out at all angles from under her green bucket. She bent her moon face close to Shelly's, who swiveled her head in our direction. Shelly's dangly earrings swayed like mini chandeliers. I was sure they were talking about me. They snickered. My personal air conditioner turned on high, and I shivered.

Shelly's baggy purse hung low on the back of her chair, all patchworky and pink. If I brushed by it, would I be able to pull out her cell phone? Only if my arms were four feet long. They're long and dangly, but I wished I was Flexi-Girl and could stretch them across the floor, up Shelly's chair and into her bag. I'd have her cell phone and wouldn't have to worry about crashing her hot tub party. Seemed like a great idea before. Felt like a big mistake now.

Blake salted his mashed potatoes and concentrated on chewing.

I flicked the rim of my hat. Why had I said I liked baseball? I didn't know anything about it. How could I be interested in it, or anything else, but dance? There was no time. I swirled the iced tea in my glass. The cubes jangled like Shelly's earrings. I was lost in my own thought movie.

“Uh, oh.” Candace elbowed me.

I blinked. “What?”

Candace nodded toward the empty table. Empty except for Shelly's messy tray. “The hot tubbers have left.”

I swiped my mouth with a napkin. “I'm ready to go, are you?”

Candace nodded. “Can we walk you to your room, Dira?”

“I'm not finished.” Dira pointed to my untouched salad. “You gonna eat that?”

“Here.” I slid her my plate. “See you later.”

Candace stood and picked up her tray. “We'll let you know how it goes. Take notes on Nicki.”

They giggled, and Candace and I hurried off to the elevator.

We hid our bathing suits under the same shorts and shirts we wore to dinner. Candace pulled her hair up in a fluffy bun. We stuffed towels into my backpack because we were pretty sure what we were about to do was illegal and didn't want to advertise it. Shelly's physical therapist might have told her she could use the hot tub. I doubted she meant for Shelly to invite a bunch of people to party in it.

Candace glanced around. “Do you know where the pool is?”

I adjusted Dira's hat on my head. “We just need to follow the scent of chlorine.”

Candace hit the lobby button on the elevator. “Let's start here.”

My heart trilled. Everything was working according to plan. We'd see Blake, spoil Shelly's private party and I'd borrow her cell phone. I patted my backpack.

“Weren't you supposed to be meeting Blake for rehearsal this evening?”

“Not after he was lured away by Shelly.” I scratched my head under the hat.

Candace's smile fell from her lips. “I'm sorry. I thought he was better than that. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts.”

“It doesn't matter.” The elevator bell dinged, and we emerged on the lobby level where the cafeteria was closing for the evening.

Besides, I had a more urgent mission. Get Shelly's cell phone. The thing was, even if I managed to get her cell phone, she could borrow someone else's. Nicki said a couple of boys had them. Then what? Sneak into everybody's dorm room and confiscate their phones? Leave unsigned messages to Mrs. Sykes about who had a phone and let her do the dirty work? How far was I willing to go so I could have a few weeks to figure out what to tell Mom about my solo?

The guy at the desk in the lobby gave us directions. Candace led us behind the cafeteria and down a long corridor. We passed a recreation hall where a TV blared to an empty room. The walls were painted the hideous blue and yellow of the college's colors. Spirited as a T-shirt, but nightmarish in the small room.

We turned left after another set of elevators and the strong aroma of bleach hit us in the face as moist air wrapped around us.

I inhaled. “I could find this place blindfolded.”

“Reminds me of swim practice in the summer.” Candace waved her hand in front of her nose. “We had to get up early and the water was so cold.”

I pushed the door open to the women's locker room. Rows of benches and lockers lined the room. We slipped off our shorts and shirts and stuffed them in an unused locker with my backpack.

Candace patted her belly. “I shouldn't have eaten so much.”

I slapped a towel over my shoulder. “Ready?”

She giggled. “I can't wait to see her face. We should act all surprised.”

Voices echoed as we approached the exit door to the pool.

“People must be swimming. Is the pool open?”

I shrugged and set my fingers on the door, swinging it open. A diving area was closest to the locker rooms. The L-shaped pool churned with swimmers.

Candace pointed to the far side. “There's a door on the other side. Maybe the hot tub is in there.”

We slapped our way across the pool deck through the puddles and stood in front of a door marked Physical Therapy on its glass window.

Shelly, the queen, held court in a royal purple bikini the size of a couple of tissues. She and hatless Amy faced us, while three guys faced them. Jupiter's unmistakable red hair poked out from his two caps. The other two boys' dark heads barely made it above the rim of the bath. Shelly's pink bag bunched on a chair against a wall. The roar of the hot tub motor ground away their voices.

I turned the knob, sucking in my stomach so hard my ribs hurt. We stole in and hung around some chairs. I shivered even though the air was as humid as a rain forest.

“That's so messed up.” Jupiter's words knocked around the hard surfaces of the room and physical therapy equipment.

“Seriously.” Amy nodded. “Like, yeah.”

Jupiter stretched his arms along the back of the hot tub. “Most of the time when I'm dating a girl, I'm focusing on other girls.”

“Why?” Shelly closed her eyes and slid into the water until the back of her head rested on the lip.

He shrugged. “Maybe I'm dating the wrong girl.”

“Who was the last girl you dated?” Amy paddled her hands.

“I don't remember.” Jupiter laughed. “I think she lives on the street behind me.”

As we crept closer, Amy raised her gaze. She dropped her jaw, jabbing Shelly in the ribs. Shelly's face hardened. Her long bangs dangled on either side of her face from her upswept hair.