The Spirit Keeper (15 page)

“How did you get in here?”

“Through the door,” Adrian said. “And before that I followed the signs. It’s one of the benefits of knowing how to read.”

Priscilla gave what could only be interpreted as an appreciative snort. “I like a fellow smart-ass,” she said.  

I almost smiled, but then I remembered I was supposed to be mad at Adrian. I put my hands on my hips, just to show him how serious I was.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” I said. “I saw you with Katie this afternoon. I saw her
kiss
you! I thought that you didn’t like her.”

The smile fell from his mouth, and he blinked in surprise. Apparently he thought he could get away with it. I guess he wasn’t so smart, after all.

“Oh. About that,” he said.

“Yeah. About that,” said Priscilla. But she closed her mouth when she caught the warning look on my face.

“It’s not what you think,” Adrian said.

“Then what was she doing in your car?” Priscilla said. She was taller even than Adrian and stepped forward into his personal space, forcing him to take an automatic step back.

Adrian ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to talk to her. That’s all.”

Priscilla took yet another step forward, and Adrian stepped back again. “About what?”

I grabbed Priscilla’s arm. “Don’t you need to go to the bathroom or something?”

She stared at me for a moment. “Or something,” she said. Her smile was tight, but at least she had taken the hint.

We waited until Priscilla had left before resuming the conversation. “So, tell me. What did you and Katie have to talk about?” I said.

Adrian grinned, his dimples making my insides turn to jelly. “Don’t worry about it. I promise it’s all good.”

I crossed my arms. Dimples or not, I refused to let him string me along like this. “Maybe good for you and Katie,” I said.

And then I exhaled loudly. “Honestly, Adrian, I can’t do this. Katie and I will never be friends. If she’s the type of girl you want to hang out with, I’m afraid we have nothing in common and shouldn’t spend time together, here or at school.”

He shook his head and closed the distance between us in one stride. I made a move to step away, but he circled his fingers around my wrist to keep me in place.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” he said, no joking in his voice now. “If you will just listen to me.”

“Get out of here,” came my uncle’s voice.

We jerked around to find David crowding the doorway, with Meg and Priscilla standing behind him. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said.

I silently cursed David’s timing. Why’d he have to butt in just as Adrian was about to tell me
why
I had it all wrong?

“I was just going,” Adrian said, his voice tight. But before he walked away, he bent close to my ear. His warm breath tickled my skin and sent shivers up my spine. “I’m on your side,” he said.

Chapter 8

David wrapped his hand around Adrian’s biceps and forcibly towed him from the greenhouse. Meg opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly closed it when David shot a nasty look of warning in her direction. Adrian did nothing to resist, but I could tell he wasn’t happy. Our eyes met briefly as he glanced at me over his shoulder, but David just jerked him forward again.

“What was
that
all about?” Priscilla said as we watched them disappear around the corner of the house.

I massaged my temples. How could I ever explain this mess to her when I was still trying to figure it out myself? David’s hostile attitude toward Adrian had everything to do with who his family was, as well as the tribe they belonged to. The tribe that turned its back on our family long ago.

“I already told you,” I said. “They think I’m too young to date.”

Then I narrowed an eye at her. “How did they know Adrian was here, anyway?”

Priscilla shrugged. “They were in the kitchen when I went inside. Meg asked how things were going, and I said fine. And then she wanted to know if I needed anything—”

I let out a huff of exasperation. “Get to the point already!”

Priscilla made a face. “Sheesh. Okay, okay. I was
about
to say that I mentioned you were out here talking to Adrian.”

“And then what?”

“And then nothing,” Priscilla said. “I mean, they just stared at me and then bolted for the door at the exact same time. Seriously, they need to get a grip. Adrian isn’t that much older than you. And aside from what we saw happen this afternoon with Katie, I still think he’s really sweet. I know you got your feelings hurt, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. There has to be some logical explanation.”   

I sat down heavily on the stool. “I think so, too. So you don’t think he likes her?”

“You tell me,” she said.

I rested my elbows on the table and put my chin in my hands. “I don’t know.”

She tapped her foot like she was waiting for me to elaborate, at last raising a brow and throwing up her hands. “Well, did you at least find out what he wanted to talk to her about?”

“No,” I said with a sigh. “He was on the verge of telling me, and that’s when David butted in. Let’s just say my wardens have horrible timing.”

At that precise moment, Meg yelled from the kitchen that Laura Beth had arrived to get Priscilla. We trudged back to the house, contemplating what Adrian had wanted with Katie, to find my aunt and Laura Beth discussing the details of Priscilla’s new job. Judging by the stack of paperwork Meg was handing over to Laura Beth for safekeeping, I could only assume the job was definitely for real.

“She’ll need to fill these out for tax purposes,” Meg was saying.  

“Got it,” Laura Beth said. She looked up when we walked in. “Did you get your homework done?”

“I did,” Priscilla said. She slung her arm around Laura Beth’s shoulders.

“Congrats on the job,” Laura Beth said. “Now I can pick up extra hours at the lab without having to worry about you flooding the bathroom or getting into God only knows what.”

Priscilla withdrew her arm, looking mortally wounded at the accusation. “The bathroom was an accident, for your information. And when have I ever gotten in trouble?”

Laura Beth’s brows disappeared into her hairline.

“On second thought,” Priscilla said, “don’t answer that.”

But it was too late. Laura Beth was already holding up her hand, ready to tick off the examples on her fingers.

“How about the time you TP-ed the neighbors’ trees and I had to convince them not to call the police?”

“They deserved it,” Priscilla said. “Their nasty little dog tried to bite me.”

She grabbed at Laura Beth’s hand as another finger started to go up, but Laura Beth sidestepped her. Meg covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“Or how about when one of the employees at Old Navy caught you arranging two of the store mannequins in . . . hmm . . . let’s just call it
an indelicate embrace
?” Another finger. “Or when you took my car on a joy ride around the neighborhood?” Another finger. “Or when you got kicked out of Best Buy for messing with the volume on all the TVs?”

“Don’t forget about your detentions,” I added. “We’re up to six and counting, and that’s just this year alone.”

Priscilla rounded on me. “Wait a minute! Whose side are you on?”

To Laura Beth she said, “I think you’ve made your point. I’m just another unprincipled teen with no real hope for a future. I’ll be stuck working at some fast-food joint for the rest of my life. Does that sound about right?”

Priscilla might have been joking with the rest of us, but I could tell she didn’t mean it. I felt bad for poking fun, and my insides twisted with shame. Priscilla wasn’t as tough as she acted or wanted people to believe. Sometimes even I forgot that.

Laura Beth rolled her eyes. “And yet we love you anyway, despite your blatant disregard for authority.”

Priscilla yanked the papers out of Laura Beth’s hands, a hint of a smile on her face. “Obviously no one appreciates me, so I’m just going to leave. See you at school tomorrow, Sarah.”

Once they had left, I wandered outside and made my way to one of the wooden benches in the front garden. I had a feeling Meg would follow, and she did. I was sure she’d have something to say about Adrian coming over, and there was no sense in putting it off.

“Can we please get this over with?” I said. I curled my legs under me in preparation for what was sure to be a very lengthy discussion. Might as well be comfortable.

“Get what over with?”

I looked at Meg out of the corner of my eye, hardly daring to hope I was off the hook. “Aren’t you going to lecture me about Adrian?”

Meg sighed. “Does what I have to say even matter anymore? Honestly, Sarah, you seem different lately. And not in a good way.”

I flinched at the sting of Meg’s words and sat up straight on the edge of the bench. “How can you say that? You and David act as if I’m the one wrapping trees in toilet paper and stealing cars. And just so you know, Adrian came over here, all on his own. I didn’t invite him. So don’t get mad at
me
.”

“Sarah—”

“And of course I’m different!” I added, now furious. “You go and drop a major bombshell on me and expect me not to react?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Things will never be like they once were, Meg.”

Meg opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She closed it again and shook her head, her shoulders slumping. The two of us sat in silence.

Finally she said, “This isn’t a problem we can sweep under the rug and pretend it will go away. We have to face the very real possibility that Adrian and his family are here for reasons that are not good. It’s too much of a coincidence otherwise.”

My eye’s pricked with tears as I recalled Victor’s overheard words. I didn’t want to believe that he’d been talking about me. Yet if he had been, then Meg was right. Their reasons for being here weren’t good.  

Meg shifted beside me. The sound of her slow intake of breath, as though steeling herself to say something else, jarred me out of my thoughts. “David confronted Victor.”  

My head snapped up. “He did
what
? When?”

“Today. While you were at school. David was oiling the hinges on the gate, and he saw Victor.”

“What happened?” I said “Did he find out what they’re doing here?”

Meg shook her head. “All Victor would say is that he has personal business to take care of.”

“Oh,” I said with a sinking feeling.

Meg wrapped her arms around her middle. “David warned Victor to stay away. From you. From all of us.”

I laughed at that, out of nervousness more than anything. I couldn’t help it. And yet it was so like my uncle to jump the gun and act like a macho idiot, even if he
was
trying to keep me safe.

“This is nothing to laugh about,” Meg said, her eyes cutting sharply to me.  

“Of course not,” I said, stopping at once and clearing my throat. “So what did Victor do?”