Temptation (9 page)

“Nice car,” Matt said.

“I think Jaguars are cute,” April said, smiling at him.

“The prices are real cute too,” he said, grinning back at her.

“You didn't answer my question, Matt. Did the carnival open?”

He shrugged.

“Want to go check it out?” she asked, turning in the direction of the carnival grounds. Yellow beams of light streaked the sky in that direction, spotlights announcing that the carnival was open.

“Well . . .” He hesitated. “There's this
Friday the 13th
triple feature tonight.” He motioned across the street to the movie theater, where a line had already formed, mostly teenagers, waiting for the box office to open. “Ben and I really want to see it. How about you?”

April groaned angrily. “You
know
I hate those films! Why do I want to see a bunch of pretty girls get sliced and diced? It's such sexist garbage, Matt!”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied, his eyes on the growing line at the movie theater.

I can't believe this!
April thought, feeling her anger grow. He's spending all his time with Ben and the guys. He was so excited about this stupid triple feature, he didn't even remember he was supposed to meet me!

“You sure you don't want to come?” he asked, avoiding her eyes. He brushed his hair back nervously with one hand and glanced into the arcade, checking on his friends.

“Yes, I'm sure,” April said, not bothering to conceal her anger. “Don't you ever get tired of that horror stuff?”

“No,” he replied quickly, grinning.

April made a disgusted face. “Guess I'll go then,” she said quietly.

She expected him to protest, to ask her not to leave. She expected him to change his plans, to tell Ben and the other guys, that he was going to skip the movie.

“Well, we'll do something together tomorrow night,” he said instead. “You know. Go to the carnival or something.”

She turned away from him. “Yeah. Okay,” she muttered and started to walk up the street.

“Call you tomorrow!” he shouted after her.

Why didn't I tell him how angry I am? April asked herself, shoving her hands into the pockets of her shorts and taking long strides away from the arcade. Why didn't I let him know that I'm upset with him? Why did I just say, “Yeah, okay,” and walk away?

She realized that she was as angry at herself as she was at Matt.

Maybe I should have just gone along to the movie with him, she thought.

No. No way.

She quickly erased that thought.

I'm always the one who gives in, always the one who compromises. He thinks he can do whatever he wants.

This vacation is turning out to be the pits, April thought, her
anger soaring. All day long I take care of my bratty sisters at the beach. Then at night Matt would rather hang out with the guys than spend time with me.

April began to cross Seabreeze Road by the Mini Market, walking rapidly. She was so distracted by her angry thoughts that she crashed right into someone crossing from the other direction.

“Oh!”

Startled, she stumbled back, struggling to keep her balance.

First, she saw a maroon pullover, then black denims.

Then she saw a narrow, pale face, its expression as startled as hers.

Then she recognized the face. “Gabri!”

“Oh, hi!” he cried, still somewhat shaken. “I didn't see you.”

“I didn't see you, either,” she replied, embarrassed. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I think so.” He smoothed back his black hair and flashed her a reassuring smile. “You're in a hurry. Where are you going?”

“Nowhere,” she admitted. “I'm going nowhere fast.”

She thought she was making a joke, but he didn't seem to get it.

A horn honked. They both jumped and realized they were standing in the middle of the road. “Come on,” he said. She followed him to the walk as the car rolled by, honking again as it passed.

“Are you with Matt?” Gabri asked, stopping in front of the Mini Market.

“Bad subject,” April muttered.

Gabri's eyes seemed to light up. “Huh?”

“No, I'm not with Matt,” April said, realizing her anger hadn't subsided.

Gabri stepped under the streetlight, making way for a woman who had just come out of the grocery store, struggling with three full bags of food.

“You have to be the
palest
townie in the world!” April blurted out, laughing.

Again, Gabri didn't smile. In fact, for a brief moment, he appeared alarmed by her comment. But he quickly recovered and his warm smile returned. “It's my job,” he explained, moving from under the light, back into the shadows near the wall of the building. “I work all day. I never get to the beach till night. It's kind of hard to get a tan by moonlight.”

“Where do you work?” April asked.

“In the next town,” he said after a short pause.

“What do you do?”

“Whatever they tell me to,” he replied. “It's not a very exciting job.”

April realized that he was gazing into her eyes as they talked. Doesn't he ever blink? she wondered. And then she thought: His eyes seem so . . . deep. Like tunnels. Like tunnels that draw you in, deeper, deeper.

Feeling dizzy, she raised a hand to the building wall to steady herself.

“The carnival opened tonight,” Gabri said. “Want to check it out?”

“Yes,” April replied, without even thinking.

And then she pictured Matt. And thought, Matt won't like this.

I'm going to the carnival with another boy.

And then she thought: I don't care. He'd rather spend his time with Ben and the guys at that stupid horror movie.

He doesn't care
what
I do.

I have a right to have some fun too.

Her anger flared, then slipped away as she gazed into Gabri's eyes.

He smiled warmly at her. “Well, let's go.”

This is so easy, Gabri thought, slipping an arm around April's shoulder as they made their way to the carnival grounds.

This is almost
too
easy.

April's going to be no trouble at all.

“How about the Twister?” April urged, staring at the lurching and spinning metal cars. The squeals of the riders punctured the soft night air.

Gabri shielded his eyes from the glare of the flashing colored lights that ran all along the top frame of the ride. “No thanks,” Gabri said, shaking his head and holding on to April. “I like
some
rides, but not the kind that make you dizzy.”

“Me too,” April agreed, gazing around the carnival grounds at the blaze of colored lights and the long row of game booths with their back walls covered with enormous stuffed animal prizes.

“Have you ever been on the Gravitron?” she asked.

“What's that?” he asked warily, still shielding his eyes.

“I guess you haven't,” she said, teasing him.

They walked for a bit, surveying the rides. Many of them were still and empty, awaiting riders. The carnival had opened only an hour earlier, and not many people had arrived.

The breeze off the ocean was warm and gentle. April was glad she had decided to come with Gabri. He was fun and charming in a sort of old-fashioned way. The complete opposite of Matt, she thought spitefully.

Her anger had passed, but she wondered if Matt would even care that she had gone out with another boy.

“Do you like the carousel?” Gabri asked as they came to it. “This one is kind of drab, isn't it? Look—part of that horse's head has come off.”

“It's gross,” April agreed. “Carousels are too slow and babyish.” I'll take the twins on it tomorrow night, she thought.

“You're in a reckless mood tonight, aren't you!” he asked, his eyes locked on hers.

“Maybe,” she replied coyly, feeling the pull of those dark, dark eyes.

They walked along the row of game booths. A little kid was standing up on the counter of one booth, about to throw darts at a wall of balloons. The girl working behind the counter was ducking out of the way, about ten feet away.

Suddenly April grabbed Gabri's hand and tugged. “Come on. I know what will be cool.”

He pulled back, hesitating. “What is it?”

“I'll show you,” she said. “Stop being such a chicken.” She tugged his arm hard, and he reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged across the grass, past the game booths to a tall structure at the back of the field.

“Come on—” April urged impatiently. “The House of Mirrors!”

“No!” Gabri protested.

But April had already bought two tickets from the old, bored attendant and was pulling her reluctant companion up the ramp to the entrance.

“Really! I
hate
these things!” Gabri cried, holding back.

April wouldn't let go. “You really
are
a chicken,” she chided him. “Come on, Gabri. This isn't even scary! You'll see!”

She dragged him inside, a bit surprised by his fear.

Inside, a narrow maze of glass and mirrors twisted endlessly. Staring at six reflections of herself, April laughed. Where was the opening? “Hey, Gabri—”

But he was far behind her.

“Gabri—you okay?” she called.

“I think so!” she heard his voice somewhere behind a mirrored wall.

Are we all alone in here? she wondered. She didn't hear any other voices or any feet clomping along the metal floor.

She leaned down as she made her way through a doorway, blinking at her several reflections, then turned a corner into an identical corridor of mirrors.

“Hey, Gabri!”

Was that him or just a reflection?

“Hey, Gabri—
Ouch!
”

Pain throbbed across her forehead as she walked into a mirrored pane she had mistaken for an opening. She closed her eyes and rubbed the ache away, laughing at herself for being fooled.

When she opened her eyes, there were at least eight reflections
staring back at her. In one mirror, her images seemed to repeat forever, growing smaller and smaller and less distinct as they receded to infinity.

“Hey, I think I'm lost!” she called. “Where are you?”

“Over here,” came a muffled reply. April spun around, thinking he was behind her, but saw only several surprised reflections of herself.

Feeling along the glass, she found the doorway, stepped into a darker chamber. The fluorescent light in there flickered, casting her reflections in eerie green shadows, as they stared back at her. Her expression grew troubled, exasperated.

This isn't as much fun as I thought, she realized, mistaking a pane of clear glass for a doorway and bumping her knee. “Ow.”

Am I going in circles? she wondered.

Am I ever going to get out of here?

“Hey, Gabri?”

No reply.

“Gabri?”

She decided to wait right there, not to move until he caught up.

Why hadn't he answered her? Maybe he wasn't heading in her direction.

She decided to make her way back, to retrace her steps. But that wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Walking carefully, trailing her hands along the glass, she followed her reflections to the chamber with the flickering fluorescent bulb.

“Gabri? Where are you?”

And then she glimpsed him, crouched low, staring straight ahead.

Was that his reflection? Or was it him?

She moved closer, could see only one image.

“Gabri?”

That must be him. Where were his reflections?

It's so hot in here, she thought, suddenly flushed and prickly all over.

So hot. So uncomfortable.

Her knee and forehead still throbbed, reminders of her collisions with the glass.

“Gabri—over here!”

Gabri closed his eyes for a minute, then opened them to stare at the reflectionless mirrors, so blank, so empty, so . . . accusing.

It's so hot in here, he thought. The ceilings are so low. It's like—a coffin.

A glass coffin.

I'm so thirsty now. So hot and thirsty.

I need the nectar so badly now.

“Gabri!” He could hear her calling him, as if she knew that he needed her. “Gabri—over here! Can you see me?”

April and I are all alone in here, he realized.

All alone. And I'm so thirsty.

I can't wait any longer.

I must have the nectar.

The empty mirrors glared back blank at him as he eased his way silently toward her.

There she is, he thought, gliding around a glass-walled corner, searching for me. Searching the mirrors for me.

Well, you won't see me in the mirrors, April.

I'm alone tonight.

I come for you.

He reached for her—and hit glass.

Startled, he recoiled, momentarily dazed by the reflected light.

He spun around and saw reflected movement.

“Gabri!” she called to him.

He pounced, his arms outstretched, coming at her from behind. Once again, his hands hit glass.

These reflections are protecting her, he thought. They're mocking me. Mocking me!

His anger grew to meet his thirst.

I must drink now! I
must
!

April saw him approach, his hands stretched in front of him, moving uncertainly, as if blinded by the lights. I shouldn't have dragged him in here, she thought guiltily. He doesn't look as if he's having a very good time.

Surrounded by her reflections, she called to him. “Gabri—over here!”

He lowered his hands and turned to her, a strange smile on his face, a relieved smile, yet somehow—unpleasant. “There you are.” His voice seemed to float from far away.

As he moved toward her, sliding along the glass walls, his eyes burning into hers, the narrow chamber seemed to close in on her, and the mirrors all fogged up.