I’m reluctant to admit it, but I do anyway. “Today at practice, when we were running through the Town Forest, I knew you were there, but I got really spooked anyway.”
“He’s less likely to come near you when you’re in a group. There had to be what, forty kids in the woods on those trails?”
“More like seventy altogether. But we were spread out.”
“That’s why I was there. I know you couldn’t see me, honey, but I never lost sight of you. I can’t remember the last time I ran five miles. I’m gonna be sore tomorrow.”
“Thanks for having my back, Uncle Johnny. Sorry you had to run five miles.”
“Five miles silently, sprinting in a low crouch, from tree to tree.”
I smile at him. “Wow! You really are gonna be sore. Better ask my mom for one of her salves or poultices. She makes a nice concoction for aching muscles.”
“Good idea. By the way, our story about the coyotes stays the same. If anyone expresses any curiosity about Wyatt and Nathaniel sticking close to Annabelle, just say she’s been getting some weird anonymous calls on her cell. She’s worried so you guys are hanging around to reassure her. And don’t worry about me sticking close. No one will ever see me.” He winks. “Outside of a few cops and the people already involved in the case, no one needs to know the truth.”
Nathan nods. “Gotcha. Good plan, John.”
“Now get her out of here, Nathaniel. I’ll talk to you later, honey.” He bends and kisses my cheek. “Stay safe and get some rest. You look exhausted.”
I’m damned tired of everyone telling me how awful I look. Nathaniel, Jeff and I get in his van to head over to my house so I can get my desperately needed beauty rest. My mother’s going to be furious when she hears about the threatening message on the car. I wouldn’t want to be Mike Donahue if she ever gets her hands on him.
When we arrive she fusses over me, changes the bandage on my shoulder and does the whole poultice thing which seems to take forever. Then she makes me drink two different kinds of tea and a Gatorade and puts together enough homemade pizzas to feed all seventy members of the cross country team if they should show up unexpectedly. Nathaniel and Jeff stick around to eat. Then Wyatt, Oliver and Jackson show up, too. Oliver has a huge pasta salad with him and a delicious brown rice and root vegetable casserole. My dad arrives home from work with two gallons of my favorite ice cream: chocolate chip cookie dough.
If food and love can keep evil away, Mike Donahue will never show up at my house again. Uncle Johnny arrives with my car at around at seven thirty and fills us in on the lack of evidence at our most recent crime scene, which is now parked in our driveway.
He cracks a few jokes about my vehicle. “Hey, Annabelle, that car of yours isn’t a very smooth ride. You ought to get your old man to buy you something newer. I had to roll down the window with the little handle. I haven’t driven a car like that in so long I forgot which direction to turn the handle for up and down. The passenger side window doesn’t even open at all.”
My dad laughs. “For a while, when Clement was driving it, the passenger side door didn’t open at all. Everyone had to climb out the driver’s side. We got it fixed for Annabelle, though. She’s lucky she has a car to drive. We’re paying two college tuitions and next fall she’ll be in college, too. Hell, I’m lucky to have a car to drive.” He actually has a truck because of his construction business.
Wyatt has his own opinion of what I should be driving—nothing. “I think I should pick up Annabelle and bring her home from school every day until we catch this guy. She’ll be safe with me. He’s a coward, obviously, picking on hospital patients and sleeping girls in the middle of the night. Oh, and one decrepit old vehicle, big brave man! He isn’t going to bother her if she’s with me.”
“He certainly ran away pretty fast when he saw me with the rifle,” my dad adds.
Uncle Johnny agrees and it’s decided without any input from me; Wyatt will be my bodyguard until the police arrest Mike Donahue. If Wyatt’s too busy, or he gets tied up at a late soccer practice, Nathaniel will fill in.
There’s someone present, however, who’s deeply involved in our mystery and everyone’s forgotten about him but me. He makes his presence known, but even though two mediums and one very intuitive not-quite-a-witch are in our cozy, golden-lit kitchen, I’m the only one who notices him. Jeff’s sound asleep across the room. Still, he pricks up his ears for a second and lets out a low growl, but then doesn’t lift his head or open his eyes. Maybe he’s getting used to Anthony.
My mother’s candles flicker as if a breeze is blowing through the middle of the kitchen, but all the windows are closed. Everyone keeps on talking and eating and drinking. Then the candles fizzle quietly and grow a touch brighter. I catch an image in my peripheral vision, a reflection on the shiny, night-black surface of the big window overlooking the backyard. I’m not seeing through the window into the dark acres beyond the house, but back into the cheerful kitchen. A serious, pale figure appears for less than a second: only to me. Anthony’s letting me know that he’s here and he cares.
I excuse myself to go up to bed and everyone understands, because as they’ve all reminded me numerous times throughout the day, I look like crap and must be extremely tired, in order to look so ugly. Wyatt stands up and steps away from the table so he can hug me before I leave. My mother comments on how cold it’s gotten in the kitchen. “Maybe the warm weather’s finally ending. Bill, will you close the window? It’s getting chilly out.”
“Susannah, none of the windows are open.”
I know exactly why it feels cold in the kitchen. He always brings the winter with him. As I leave my little circle of friends and family and climb the stairs to my room, Uncle Johnny calls out, “I’m gonna have a look around the property before your dad drives me home, honey.” He intends to make me feel safer, but I’m not worried. No living person will be interrupting my sleep tonight and I’m not afraid of my supernatural visitor anymore. Wyatt’s right. Mike Donahue has proven himself a coward and will never approach me with so many people around, especially when one’s a cop and another keeps a loaded rifle close by.
I can sleep soundly and be safe. I brush my teeth and change into a t-shirt and some baggy, drawstring cotton pajama pants with pandas on them. Meg left them at my house one time after a sleep-over. I never returned them. I cozy up under my puffy soft quilt and sigh, waiting to hear Anthony’s voice whisper in the darkness. He doesn’t disappoint me.
“I want to come to school.”
“What?”
“I want to see what school’s like, not just see it, actually experience it. I want to talk to other students and eat lunch and walk to class through the crowded hallway when the bell rings. I want to carry your books like Wyatt did today.”
Wyatt insisted because of my stupid shoulder wound.
“You want Wyatt to channel you during school?”
“Yes. I’ve never gotten to do anything like that. I spent my whole life locked up.”
“Wyatt has to agree to it.”
“He will, no problem.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I know him. He has a big heart; a generous spirit. I want a turn protecting you from the bad guy. I hope he comes at you when I’m there.”
“He won’t.”
“Probably not. He’s an evil coward, but I can wish he’ll show up just the same.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to Wyatt about it.”
“Everyone will think it’s a great idea.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m the only one who’s seen Mike Donahue before. He may be twenty years older, but I’d recognize him. I can be your best protection from him. You’ll see.”
“You’re right. This could be interesting, hanging around with you in the real world, for a whole day. If anything weird comes up, though, you’ll have to make a quick exit.”
“Don’t worry. You can count on me. I’m good at that. You’re safe now. S
leep well, Annabelle.”
The room grows gradually warmer, and I do, too.
Chapter 29
Anthony Goes to School
When I come downstairs for breakfast, Mom’s sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea. She announces she thinks it’s a great idea for Anthony to come to school with me. Last night, he visited Wyatt after he left here and they discussed his plan. Wyatt asked Oliver what he thought and then he called both my mother and Nathaniel.
Anthony’s our best chance of spotting Mike Donahue if the culprit comes near me. Uncle Johnny showed us Donahue’s license photo but you can’t always get a good feel for what someone looks like from those sorts of pictures. Anthony saw him move, heard him speak and observed the villain close up, even if it was over twenty years ago. Anthony’s perceptions at the time were confused even on a good day, but my ghost is determined to help out by coming to school with me. So we’re going to let him.
Wyatt was a little hesitant to agree to let Anthony take over for a whole school day. He’s worried about what’ll happen if Anthony’s controlling his body while he’s going to classes and talking to his friends. Anthony has never taken over while Wyatt’s been out in public before, but we convince Wyatt that it’ll work. Anthony promises him he’ll make a quick exit and Wyatt can take over again if anything weird happens. So Wyatt finally caves. Oliver arranges for Nathaniel to visit his History class as a guest lecturer who’s an authority on supernatural legends, so he can hang around the hallways in between classes and keep an eye on things. Both Oliver and Nathaniel will be close by at all times and available by cell phone.
Wyatt picks me up in the morning and drives me to school. No one thinks Anthony’s ready to try driving. Nathaniel meets us in the parking lot and goes over a few things with Wyatt. Then Wyatt becomes Anthony, just like that. His appearance undergoes a few subtle changes. He has dark shadows under his eyes and he’s thinner with more prominent cheekbones. He looks like Wyatt might if he wasn’t sleeping well or was coming down with a cold.
While the three of us are standing around talking, Meg drives up in her car and gestures out the window for me to join her. I jog over to her parking space, two rows away from where we’re parked, to see what she wants. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice that Nathaniel and Anthony are still engrossed in their conversation. Meg tells me to hop in and I climb into the passenger seat. Then she looks down at her hands, resting on the steering wheel.
Her voice is quiet in the closed-up vehicle. “Ryan and I are going to take our relationship to the next level.”
“Whoa! Are you sure you’re ready?”
“He’s been ready since day one. And I think I’m ready now. We’ve been together for almost a year.”
I actually thought they’d already taken their relationship to the next level. They’re always with each other and they look at each other in that way. Meg and I haven’t hung out together for a while, though, so I’m obviously out of the loop.
“What does Jen think?”
“I haven’t told her.”
“But you’re telling me?”
“I remember how Matt Riley pressured you sometimes because you two were together for almost a year. It turns out you did the right thing by not giving in. I wonder if I’ll be doing the right thing when I do give in.”
“Ryan isn’t at all like Matt. He never even looks at another girl. He adores you.”
“So you think we should?”
“Meg, I can’t tell you what you should do. I’m not exactly experienced in that department. I’m experienced at saying no, not saying yes. If you do say yes, though, be careful.”
“Obviously. We both know we have to be really careful. We’re not idiots.”
“Sorry. I know you’re not an idiot and neither is Ryan. You two’ll make the right decision.”
“Thanks, Annabelle. I’ll let you know how it works out.”
I’m not sure I want to know, so I do what I often do when I’m nervous or uncomfortable about something. I make a joke. “T. M. I. Remember. I don’t want Too. Much. Information.”
She laughs. “Hey, we should get together soon, do something fun and girlie. Watch a chick flick or make s’mores over at Jen’s fire pit again.”
As if on cue, Jen shows up and taps on Meg’s window. We both get out of the car. Meg invites us all over to Jen’s house.
“Hey, Jen, Annabelle and I want to come over and toast marshmallows at your house. What night’s good for you?”
“Friday’s good. Hey! I forgot! That was so much fun last time! Meg, remember how you got melted marshmallow in your hair? That was hilarious! We should do it,” Jen agrees. We did have a lot of fun the last time we used the fire pit.
“You might not have thought it was so funny if it was your hair.” Meg has beautiful long, blonde hair and it was sticky for a week afterward. She sounds kind of annoyed, but she’s laughing at the same time. “I had to wear it in a ponytail for like a month almost.”
“And you guys made me call my mother to see if she could make some kind of an herbal concoction that would get marshmallow out of hair.” Even my mother thought it was pretty funny.
Jen finalizes our plans. “Okay, that settles it. We’ll meet Friday behind my house at about eight o’clock. I’ll supply the graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows.”
“I’ll bring the shampoo, Blondie.” I giggle.
“Oh, I forgot. The only thing is, I promised Ryan we could hang out on Friday night. Can we invite guys?” Meg asks.
“Sure, Wyatt will want to come and he can bring someone from the soccer team. Maybe we can fix you up, Jen.”
“Hell no, I want to be single. It’s senior year. I’m not getting serious about anyone so don’t try to set me up with a soccer player, even if there are some hot guys on the team. I’m gonna just have fun.”
“I know,” Meg says, “we can ask Connor.”
It’s the perfect solution. Connor’s a guy so it won’t be awkward with two couples and Jen. And we’re all really good friends. At the beginning of sophomore year, Jen put the moves on Connor, but when he didn’t respond to her flirting she gave up and moved on. There were no hard feelings and we’re all still close. Fortunately, Connor’s not a major threat to Jen’s plans to stay single. So it’s settled. The six of us will get together Friday at her house, build a fire and make s’mores.
It’s exactly what I need to help me forget about Mike Donahue and his threats. I start to run back to my car to get my books and tell Wyatt about our plan, forgetting that he isn’t Wyatt at the moment. As soon as I see his brooding, serious face, still deep in conversation with Nathaniel, I remember I’m spending the day with Anthony.
I call back over my shoulder to the girls. “Maybe we can tell ghost stories around the campfire!”
I know I could win a contest with mine.
Anthony’s ready to go, so I reach into the car to get my books. He rests his hand gently on my shoulder and I look up.
“Oh, no, Annabelle, I’ll get those.” My self-appointed guardian angel lifts the books out of my hands and stacks them on top of his own. He manages to carry all of them easily under one arm. Wrapping his free arm around my waist, he pulls me toward him; then kisses the top of my head. This day is going to be even weirder than I thought.
“Hey, what the hell, Anthony?”
“Annabelle, I have to act like Wyatt. I’ve watched you two together. He’s always touching you and kissing you. What would he do if he saw you standing in the morning sun with your beautiful face looking carefree and happy for the first time in days? And your hair smells like wildflowers. Mmmmm. You smell so good.” He kisses my cheek and hugs me close to his side again.
Nathaniel smiles. “You’re on your own with that one, Annabelle. The kid has a point. He did what Wyatt would do. He did what I’d do. He has pretty good instincts. He did what any guy would do under the circumstances.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. “Where’s Jeff?”
“
I know. I feel naked without him, but he can’t come to school. Oliver has only so much influence. He got me in the door, but Jeff has to stay home. Anyway, he’d be barking his head off every time he came close to Anthony. You know how he hates ghosts. No offense, Anthony, don’t take it personally. He hates all ghosts, not just you.”
“No offense taken. I’m glad he’s at home. I’ve been on the receiving end before when Jeff gets going with his hostility toward anyone who’s in the least bit ghostly. I’ll keep my distance from him, thank you.”
“Let’s go. We don’t want to be late for History class and I still have to go to my locker first.”
Anthony places an all-too-comfortable and familiar hand on my shoulder and ambles along beside me. He seems relaxed to the point of cockiness. I look up at his satisfied face and can’t help but feel happy for him. The kid lived a miserable life and is getting a chance to experience a regular teenaged day in the twenty-first century. I smile at him and our eyes connect. His are darker than Wyatt’s ever turn, but no one will notice except me. Even if they do, they’d never suspect what’s really happening. It’s way too farfetched.
We grin at each other like two people who share an unimaginable secret, because we do. As I look into his brilliant dark eyes, sparkling with eagerness, I think about how during his short, miserable life, Anthony was always restrained and locked up. Now he’s free.
I whisper, “This was a really good idea,” and my grin spreads into a full-blown, mile-wide smile.
My coconspirator smiles back.
Everyone else in History class looks bored and sleepy, but Anthony doesn’t. When he isn’t staring at me, he’s soaking up every word Mrs. Fowler speaks, as if she’s the most fascinating person on the planet. He looks in his text book. He looks down at his hand-writing in Wyatt’s History notebook. He looks up at the teacher again and then he looks at me and smiles.
As I watch him write in Wyatt’s notebook it dawns on me that he’s never written a word before. During his life, he couldn’t speak or read or write. Every letter he forms, every word he hears, every sight he observes today is new. He gives me a whole new appreciation for what a privileged life I lead.
Enter If You Dare Page 22
