What If ... Your Past Came Back to Haunt You (7 page)

SISTERLY LOVE

There's always a story behind a girl with red eyes.

“H
-A-W and K! We're the team to beat today! We don't care what others say—Hillsdale Hawks are on the way! Goooo, Hawks!”

Haley clapped and shouted along with the rest of Hillsdale High at the annual pep rally to kick off the basketball season. The basketball court was a sea of blue and gold. Cecily Watson glowed as she led the cheers, jumping up and down and revving up the crowd.

Sasha Lewis put two fingers between her lips and let out a piercing whistle. “Woo-hoo! Go, Hawks! Go, Johnny!”

“Yeah!” Whitney Klein called. “Go, Johnny Lane!”

Haley smiled at Whitney's show of solidarity. Johnny Lane, one of the stars of the basketball team, was Sasha's boyfriend. Ever since Whitney and Sasha had been forced to spend Thanksgiving break together at their blended family's new house, they had been inseparable. They now rooted for the same players, wore the same clothes, listened to the same music and ate off each other's plates. Never mind that a year ago Whitney had turned up her nose at the sight of Sasha's boyfriend, the leather-clad rebel Johnny Lane, considering him her social inferior—or that he'd been no fan of Whitney's, either.

“How times change,” Haley said to herself.

“What's that?” Whitney asked.

“Nothing.” Haley enjoyed sitting with her friends, seeing them get along so well and feeling like they were all a part of the same group at school. The only distraction was Reese sitting courtside on the bench, dressed in button-down shirt and tie, his left foot in a cast, with crutches propped beside him. He clapped for the others, as Haley knew he would—he was nothing if not a good sport—but it had to be hard for a star forward to be sidelined with an injury and miss out on the whole season. Haley felt sorry for him. She could tell that even though he was trying to stay positive, he wasn't feeling like himself.

Once the cheerleaders had done their jobs, the team took the floor. Cecily and the rest of the squad sat down in the front row, right in front of Haley. Cecily turned around and beamed at her friends. “I can't wait to see Drew play again,” she said. “I mean, I love him and all, but I'm aware that he's basically an ordinary guy—off the court. On the court he's like an animal—all instinct.
Grrrr!
”

Haley laughed and watched as Drew and Johnny warmed up by passing the ball quickly back and forth. “Too bad the third member of their starring trio is down for the count.”

“Totally,” Sasha said. “I don't know what they're going to do without Reese. When Johnny heard he was hurt, I think I saw him tear up.”

“This was going to be their year,” Whitney said.

“It still can be,” Cecily said. “Come on, guys! This is a pep rally! Where's your team spirit?”

Sasha laughed. “I left it in my locker with my pep,” she joked.

The team started scrimmaging. They looked good, Haley thought, but without Reese there was a gaping hole in the offense. A few of the seniors hustled, hoping to fill the gap, but they just didn't have that Reese magic.

Halfway through the first period, Mia Delgado walked into the gym.

“What cat dragged
that
in?” Sasha whispered.

Mia Delgado was a Spanish beauty who seemed to be visiting Hillsdale on an extended visa. She was the ex-girlfriend of Sebastian Bodega, an exchange student from Spain. Sebastian was no slouch himself, with sexy brown eyes, wavy dark hair and broad shoulders—he was, after all, a star swimmer. But Mia looked like a supermodel: five foot ten, leggy, with lustrous dark hair and perfect bone structure. And, in fact, she had done her fair share of modeling, especially in Europe.

Mia squeezed her way through the mob of students and sat down in the bleachers one row behind Haley and her friends. Up close, Haley couldn't help noticing that Mia's eyes were red and bloodshot—not her usual look. Haley wasn't the only one who noticed.

“What do you think is the matter with her now?” Whitney whispered.

“Maybe she was out partying all night,” Haley whispered back.

“It's got to be more than just that,” Whitney said. “It looks more like she's been crying. But what on earth would Mia have to cry about? Her life is perfect!”

“Nobody's life is perfect,” Haley said, though if Mia had any major problems, Haley didn't know about them.

“Maybe she's pregnant with Sebastian's love child,” Whitney suggested.

“That is how rumors get started,” Sasha warned.

As the game ended, Mia disappeared, seeming to melt into the crowd. “I guess the secret behind Mia's red eyes will have to stay a mystery,” Whitney said. “For now, anyway.”

“I'm starving,” Sasha said. “Let's go to Bubbies and get something to eat.”

“Sounds perfect,” Whitney agreed.

“I'll go tell Drew and Johnny to meet us there,” Cecily said, running off toward the locker room.

“You coming, Haley?” Sasha asked. “It'll be fun!”

Haley started to answer but stopped when Reese hobbled over on his crutches. “Hang on.”

“Some scrimmage, huh?” Reese said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Well, they looked good, but not as good as when you're playing,” Haley said supportively.

“Thanks,” Reese answered, “but I think they'll be just fine without me. My work here is done. So you want to go to Hap's for a bite?”

Haley looked at Reese, who was leaning on his crutches and favoring his good right foot. He was probably tired from hobbling around all day—maybe he just wanted a quiet dinner alone with her. Which wouldn't be a bad thing at all. . . . She could always use more time alone with him.

On the other hand, he hadn't exactly made a lot of effort to fit her into his busy schedule lately. Reese seemed to expect her to jump when he called, but what about
her
social life? Maybe she should be more independent and do as she pleased—just the way Reese did.

Bistro fare or greasy comfort food? A quiet supper or a raucous get-together with friends? If you think what Haley and Reese need is a quiet night of down-home cooking at Hap's—just the two of them—go to (
CASTAWAY
).

Or would that be too quiet? Reese did seem a little bummed out after having to watch his team from the sidelines. Maybe Captain Bringdown needs some time to himself, and Haley needs a little fun with her friends. If you think Haley should hang with the girls and let Reese go home without her, go to (
MAMMA MIA
).

Lastly, if you think Haley should go home and call it a night, turn to (
FAMILY JEWELS
).

GARAGE BANDWIDTH

Sometimes clutter hides a world of pain.

“W
ait until you see the house,” Annie Armstrong said as she led Haley up the steps to Mr. Von's front door. “Dave's mom has totally had her way with the place. Except for the garage—Mr. V declared the garage off-limits to all cleanup attempts.”

Haley had reluctantly agreed to visit Annie's boyfriend, Dave Metzger, at his new house. Dave's mother had just moved in with their art teacher, Rick Von, at his littered bungalow near Hillside Heights. Dave's psyche was always in a fragile state, and Haley worried that a major change like this could push him over the edge. Annie insisted things were okay at the new Metzger/Von homestead and brought Haley along to see for herself. In any case, Dave was about to broadcast the next installment of his live video podcast, “Inside Hillsdale,” and Haley wanted to watch behind the scenes and maybe even put in an appearance on air.

Annie rang the doorbell, which was shaped like a belly button. “I'm sure
this
is on its way out,” she said. Dave greeted them sullenly.

“Hello,” he said, scratching a patch of hives on his neck. “Welcome to my world.”

He led them inside the craftsman-style abode. Haley had to admit that the house was surprisingly tidy and cozy—surely the work of Dave's mom. “We can skip this part,” Dave said, waving his hand dismissively at the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. “There's nothing to see here.”

As they slipped past the kitchen, Haley caught a glimpse of Dave's mom, Nora, vigorously scrubbing the pantry. “Hello there, kids,” she called, waving one pink-rubber-gloved hand.

“Hello, Mrs. Metzger,” Haley said.

“It never ends,” Dave lamented, barely glancing at his mother. He led Haley and Annie out through a side door and into a place that wasn't tidy at all: Mr. Von's dingy garage. Haley thought it was actually kind of cool, in a funky, rustic sort of way. It was crammed with old records, stereo equipment, art supplies and Mr. Von's latest large, abstract paintings. In addition to all of that, Dave had his piles of books and software programs and his videocasting equipment.

“How about some John Coltrane?” Dave flipped through a stack of records and pulled out an old album. The music added to the funky, dusty atmosphere, Haley thought.

“This is where I come to get away from it all,” Dave said. He nodded toward the house. “They're always . . . I can't even bring myself to say it.”

“Making out,” Annie said for him. “They're all over each other. It is truly disgusting.”

“Just thinking about it keeps me up at night,” Dave said. “I mean, even more than usual.”

“That's terrible,” Haley said. She felt for Dave, but secretly she also thought,
Good for them.
Why shouldn't Mr. Von and Mrs. Metzger be happy? Maybe Dave just needed to get used to the new arrangement.

But healthy adjustments were not Dave's forte. “I had another one of those dreams last night,” he said. “You know, where I'm a lone voyager in space? Only this time I didn't even have a capsule. I was floating outside without my spacesuit, even though that's technically impossible to do without exploding out of your skin—”

“Poor Davy,” Annie said dismissively.

She must get tired of hearing about all his phobias and weird dreams,
Haley thought.
I certainly wouldn't be able to put up with it.

“So Haley,” Annie began, changing the subject, “have you heard about this new Web site at school? The one with all the scandalous rumors posted on it?”

Haley gave a clueless look.

“It's called Hillsdale Hauntings,” Annie continued.

“No,” Haley said. “I haven't heard of it.”

“Supposedly they've even got videos of Hillsdale students in
compromising positions,
if you know what I mean,” Annie added. “I've tried to check it out but the server's always busy or something—so it must be good, right?”

“Who've they got video footage of?” Haley asked innocently.

“Well, there are rumors flying that they've got Zoe Jones dancing around a stripper pole,” Annie said. “No one told me if she takes anything off or not.” Zoe Jones was a very pretty and talented sophomore who led a band called Rubber Dynamite. Because of her outrageous style, she was a frequent target of rumors, most of them untrue.

“I'd like to check it out for myself,” Haley said. “Do you know the URL?”

“Sure,” Annie said. “But I've heard you have to use a password to see the good stuff.”

“. . . I just wish I knew for sure whether those blueberries had been washed before I ate them,” Dave was muttering, scratching at his shirt sleeves. “I could have ingested tiny microscopic spiders—they burrow into your stomach lining and set up camp there for years, living off your undigested food.”

“Ew,” Haley said.

“I'm sure the blueberries were spider-free,” Annie reassured him, patting Dave's hand.

“Mr. Von doesn't wash things like he should,” Dave said. “I mean Rick. He said to call him Rick. But I still think of him as Mr. Von. What kind of father is that? Mr. Father? Where's my real father? I think I need to find my real father. That's it. My real father would never let me eat unwashed blueberries. Real fathers protect you from danger—”

“Shouldn't you get ready for your videocast, Dave?” Annie said. She turned on the large lamp he used for lighting when broadcasting.

“Do you think he should?” Haley whispered to Annie. “He seems even more anxious than usual.”

“He'll be okay,” Annie said. “Trust me, it's worse if he doesn't videocast. He needs to get this stuff out of his system.”

“Yes. Yes. I'm ready. Ready for transmission,” Dave said through clenched teeth. He turned on the video camera and aimed it at a stool in front of a backdrop made from an old sheet. Then he sat on the stool and cleared his throat.

“Welcome to this edition of ‘Inside Hillsdale,' coming to you from a not-so-secret location deep in the bowels of New Jersey's Bergen County.”

Annie dropped her face in her hands. “Oh, brother.”

“Tonight I have an important message for everyone out there in the land of the living,” Dave said. “Somewhere in cyberland is the man who is my father. I don't know where he is or what he's doing now. But he's out there somewhere, maybe waiting for a signal from me that it's time to return. Dad, if you get this message, come back and rescue me! Before it's too late. And you, my dedicated and loyal viewers, I need your help. Please help me find my father. If any of you knows a Mr. Metzger, please contact me immediately through my Web site. And now, I'll share with you a song I heard while drifting through space in my dreams last night.
A-ohhhhh. A-ohhhh. Oh-eeee. Ee-aahhh . . .
”

Poor Dave,
Haley thought. He was getting perilously close to his flat-out crazy place. Something had to be done. Haley just didn't know what.

Dave is getting weirder by the second. How does Annie handle it? She seems kind of oblivious, but there are signs she's aware of the trouble Dave's in and just isn't willing to face it. If you think Haley is the sympathetic sort who can't watch a sad display like this and not do something to help a lost cause, turn to (
SEARCHING FOR MR. METZGER
).

Perhaps you think Haley feels sorry for Dave, but that he's beyond any help she can offer. Haley's strong artistic side is bound to be stimulated by being in her art teacher's house—even though the house has been sterilized by Mrs. Metzger. If you think all those canvases and jazz records in the garage are inspiring Haley to create art with a capital A, help her satisfy her jones by turning to (
ART CLASS
).

On the other hand, if all this weirdness is too much for Haley and you think she needs to decompress, turn to
TIME ALONE
and let her spend some TIME ALONE. Finally, if you're curious to hear what the principal of Hillsdale High is ranting and raving about these days—always a clue to the latest school scandals—go to (
PRINCIPAL CRUM'S LITANY
).

There's all kinds of chaos in Hillsdale these days. But how much nuttiness can Haley take? That's up to you.