by Lynne Ewing
Catty took in a deep breath. “It’s a long story.” She was glad Vanessa was no longer upset about what she had said yesterday.
“So tell me.” Vanessa shifted her books.
“Hey.” Jimena joined them. She was wearing a red tank top and jeans. Catty had tattooed the crescent moon and star on Jimena’s arm. Jimena also had two teardrops tattooed under her eye. Her other tattoos, remnants from her gang days, were hidden under her clothes. She, too, had a gift. She received premonitions about the future.
Jimena glanced at Vanessa’s outfit and playfully snapped the boxer’s band. “Still trying to make Michael jealous?” she teased. “Or have you become somebody’s chavala?”
“It’s just a style,” Vanessa huffed.
“Do the shorts belong to Toby?” Jimena smiled and brushed her luxurious black hair away from her face.
“So what if they do?” Vanessa muttered and looked away.
Jimena whooped. “I want to hear the whole story.” But then she caught Catty’s eyes, and her smile faded.
“It’s just a style,” Vanessa repeated, but Jimena didn’t seem to hear her now, she was staring at Catty.
“What’s wrong?” Jimena put a comforting hand on Catty’s shoulder. “Something big is bothering you. I don’t need a premonition to know that, I can see it in your face.”
Catty started to tell them about yesterday, when Serena ran up, carrying her cello case and geometry book.
“Hi, guys,” she shouted. She was wearing a gold ring in her nose pierce. Her hair, curled and long, bounced on her shoulders. Serena and Jimena were best friends now, but their relationship had started uneasily. They hadn’t become close until after they had fought a group of Followers together. That’s when they had begun to trust each other.
Serena glanced at Vanessa and gave a loud laugh. “Are you wearing Toby’s underwear?”
Vanessa looked around quickly. “Do you want everyone to hear?”
Serena set down her cello case. “It’s only natural—people are going to talk.”
Vanessa blushed.
“Come on, I’m kidding!” Serena said. “So why is everyone so quiet?” Then she glanced at Catty. “What’s wrong?”
Catty started to speak but couldn’t find the words at first. “I’m not even sure where to begin.”
They gathered close around her.
Catty rubbed her forehead and slowly began to tell them everything that had happened the day before at the coroner’s office.
“Why do you think Followers would come to the coroner’s office to claim my mother’s body?” she asked finally.
“Maybe it’s just another group of Followers we have to deal with and it has nothing to do with your mother,” Serena suggested.
“Yeah,” Vanessa agreed. “If they knew about your mother, maybe they went there hoping to catch you off guard.”
Catty shuddered. “I hope they never get me again.”
Jimena continued. “Remember what Maggie told us? Ambitious Followers come to Los Angeles because the Daughters of the Moon live here.”
“We’re the biggest prize,” Serena added. “If they get one of us, the Atrox rewards them by allowing them into the Inner Circle.”
Catty nodded but she still wondered if her mother had had some kind of association with these Followers.
“They didn’t seem like ordinary Followers,” Catty continued slowly. “They were old, for one thing, and then they had this high-voltage aura.”
“You mean there was an evil feeling in the room?” Vanessa asked.
Catty shook her head. “No, the room felt like…” She thought for a moment. “You know when you brush your hand in front of the TV or the screen on your computer monitor?”
They nodded.
“Like that,” Catty explained. “The air felt fuzzy as if it were filled with static electricity.”
She sensed Serena entering her mind to try and get a better understanding of what she was saying. Like the rest of them, Serena hadn’t understood her power when she was little. She only knew then that she was different. Sometimes, she forgot that people weren’t speaking aloud and she would answer their thoughts. She did it even now if she became too happy or excited.
Catty looked at her three best friends. Maggie had brought them all together and was still showing them how to use their special powers to fight the Atrox and its Followers. She called them an unstoppable force, but more often they felt as if their powers controlled them. Of all the Daughters, Catty had the strangest power. She missed a lot of school because she was always twisting time. Vanessa was the only one who had time-traveled with Catty so far.
A few moments later, Serena left Catty’s mind and stared at her. “Freaky.”
“There’s more,” Catty added.
“What?” Vanessa asked.
“The receptionist in the coroner’s office gave us this from my mother’s belongings.” Catty pulled out the wrinkled and worn geometry test.
Jimena took it. Vanessa and Serena studied it over her shoulder.
“Look at the date,” Serena whispered.
“Wow,” Vanessa breathed.
“But we don’t have a test scheduled for next week, do we?” Jimena asked.
“No,” Vanessa said.
“You’ve never gotten an A in geometry before,” Serena teased.
Catty rolled her eyes. “I know.”
Vanessa seemed puzzled. “How could your mother get something from the future if she’s already dead?”
“Weird,” Serena commented.
“Did you get the rest of your mother’s things?” Jimena asked.
Catty shook her head.
“Maybe if you could have looked through all of her things, you’d have some answers,” Vanessa suggested. “There could be something important that you missed.”
“Yeah, some clue,” Jimena agreed.
“Maybe we should ask Stanton,” Serena put in. “I’m sure he’d know about these new Followers.”
The others turned and stared at her.
“Well, he might,” Serena answered defensively.
Catty knew Serena wanted an excuse to find Stanton. She still liked him, even though she tried to act like she didn’t. Stanton was a powerful Follower who could read minds, manipulate thoughts, and even imprison people in his memories. Serena had fallen in love with him. She didn’t think he was evil, but Catty had never gotten used to Serena being with a Follower. She didn’t trust Stanton and thought Serena was putting them all in danger by seeing him. Then unexpectedly Stanton had ended their relationship. He had told her it was too dangerous, because if the Atrox found out about them, it would send Regulators to destroy them. Serena thought that proved how much Stanton cared for her, but Catty wondered if it was only another trick to gain even more of her trust.
“So why is everyone being so quiet?” Serena looked from one to the other suspiciously as if she knew they were feeling sorry for her.
“It’s not a good idea,” Catty answered bluntly. “It’s dangerous for you to hang around with Stanton.”
Serena started to say something back, but Vanessa interrupted her. “Mr. Hall is coming.”
Mr. Hall swung on old leather briefcase in one hand and jangled his keys in the other. He shaved his head, wore tiny black-rimmed glasses and had a beak nose that he was always wiping with his handkerchief.
“So everyone be extra careful until we can see Maggie,” Vanessa warned. “Especially you, Catty. Promise?”
Catty nodded.
Vanessa gave her a worried look. “I mean, really promise.”
Catty looked at her. “Why?”
“Because you always go off on your own even when it’s dangerous,” Vanessa complained.
“That’s true,” Serena agreed.
I do not, Catty started to say. But she knew they were right. “Okay, I promise.”
Mr. Hall unlocked the classroom door, and the girls followed him inside and took their seats.
He
set his briefcase on the desk, then took a piece of chalk and wrote a date on the blackboard. He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and swiped it under his nose as he clicked the chalk against the board. “Next week we’ll have a midterm,” he announced.
Catty glanced down at the worn geometry test paper. The date on the paper matched the date on the blackboard.
She turned and looked at Vanessa. Her eyes were wide with astonishment.
“The same date,” Jimena whispered with surprise.
“What do you suppose it means?” Serena asked.
“Girls,” Mr. Hall cautioned.
Catty stared down at the paper. Her heart pounded rapidly. She wondered if maybe she would finally be able to go back in time to the day when Kendra had found her walking along the highway. So far when she had tried to go back to that day, she had become stuck in the tunnel. It was a horrible claustrophobic sensation; floating for hours in the black void before she was able to free herself. But she kept risking it, because more than anything, she wanted to see her mother.
CHAPTER FOUR
AFTER CLASS, CATTY threw her geometry book into her locker. She was about to pick up her Spanish book when someone ran down the hallway and grabbed her waist. She twirled around. Chris stood behind her. He was a good-looking guy with an adorable smile and spiky hair. He wore bagged-out jeans and his red leather Reeboks.
She stared into his clear eyes and wondered how she could like him so much.
“I’ve been trying to find you since last night. You weren’t at Planet Bang.” He pulled her closer, and she let him. She liked the feel of his body next to hers.
“Things came up.” Another time she might have told him everything, but since yesterday, she felt guarded.
“Missed you,” he confessed.
She felt a smile crawl uninvited across her face. She didn’t want him to see how much she cared for him.
“A guy in the school band is having a party,” he announced.
She loved the way a smile made his eyes shine.
“I was hoping you’d go with me,” he continued.
She felt a thrill of excitement and almost said yes, but at that moment he glanced down the hallway as if suddenly worried that someone might see them together. Then he slammed her locker and pulled Catty around the corner, his eyes drifting over her head as he scanned the crowd of kids walking down the corridor behind them.
“Who are you looking for?” she asked.
A light blush rose under his tanned cheeks, and his eyes shot back to hers. “Looking? What do you mean?”
“Your eyes keep wandering,” she accused him.
“No they don’t,” he argued.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Like you’re afraid someone is going to catch us together.”
He laughed it off, but she wasn’t convinced. She’d heard about guys who tried to have three and four girlfriends at a time, like it was some kind of sport, but Chris didn’t seem like that kind of guy. Still, the way he was acting made her wonder. Then another thought came to her. He had just transferred to La Brea High, so it was also possible that he still had a girlfriend at his old school. Maybe someone here knew his old girlfriend, and he didn’t want that person seeing him with Catty.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked boldly. She tilted her head and watched his eyes closely.
“No.” His eyes remained steady on hers, and she believed him. Then he touched her cheek, and a sweet shock of delight rushed through her.
“Why would you think that?”
“Just wondering,” she answered.
He smiled and she began to relax. How could she ever think such things about Chris?
“It’s going to be a great party,” he coaxed. “Lots of garage bands are going to play, and everyone is going to be there.”
She started to say yes, but then his eyes left hers again.
“I don’t know,” Catty muttered.
He glanced back, and she hated the wounded look on his face. She wanted to tell him yes, but first she needed to find out what was going on.
“Why not?” he asked. “You know we’ll have a good time. We always have a great time together.”
“Chris, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about since yesterday.”
“Sure.” He took her hand. She loved the feel of his hand, holding hers. Was there another girl who felt the same way? “Tell me,” he encouraged her.
“You’ve seemed…” She stumbled, trying to find the right words. She decided to just say it. “You’ve changed.” She caught something in his eyes then, a sudden nervousness. So he had been acting different, and he was also aware of it. “Is something wrong between us?”
“No, everything’s fine.” She sensed a lie in his words.
“Tell me the truth,” she said matter-of-factly. “I thought we always shared everything.”
His lips started to move, but before he could say anything, Jimena, Serena, and Vanessa ran up to them.
Jimena spoke first, and there was real concern in her voice. “You disappeared so quickly, we were afraid something had happened.”
“What could happen at school?” Chris asked with a smile.
“Things.” Vanessa looked at Catty. “One minute you’re at your locker, the next you’re gone.”
“I pulled Catty away,” Chris answered. “Sorry, I didn’t know it would cause such a big commotion.”
Serena cocked her head to the side and tried to smile but her tongue pierce clicked nervously against her teeth. “We just thought maybe someone had kidnapped her,” she joked, but Catty knew they were worried that the new Followers might have captured her.
Chris smiled. “I was just asking her to a party one of the guys who plays in the school band is having,” he explained. “You guys want to come, too?”
“Sure,” Jimena answered quickly.
“It could take our mind off other things.” Serena looked pointedly at Catty.
“Yeah.” Vanessa seemed really eager. “I can’t wait to show off all the new dance sequences I’ve learned with Toby.”
Catty was surprised. That was so unlike Vanessa. She used to be nervous about dancing.
“Well?” Chris looked at Catty. “What do you say?”
“All right, I’ll go.” Catty sighed. She wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing.
“Great.” Chris kissed her cheek. “See ya.” He darted away toward the music room for band practice. He played tuba in the marching band.
“What’s up with Chris?” Jimena asked.
“Yeah,” Serena added. “I thought you liked him.”
Catty sighed. “I did—I mean I really do like him a lot, but he’s acting so…” She shrugged. “I just get the feeling that he’s seeing someone else. Whenever we’re together, he’s always looking over my shoulder like he doesn’t want anyone to see us together.”
“No way,” Jimena disagreed. “He’s such a sweet guy.”
“He’s really cool and funny, too,” Serena added.
“You worry too much,” Vanessa offered. “Besides maybe it’s other things. Maybe you’ve been acting weird and it makes him feel unsure.”
“Me?” Catty said in disbelief.
“It’s not like you don’t have a lot going on,” Serena declared. “You said yourself that yesterday was the worst day of your life.”
“De veras,” Jimena agreed.
Catty nodded and considered what they were saying. She didn’t think her problems were making her believe Chris was seeing someone else. Besides, she knew him well enough to know something was going on.
The bell rang.
“I can’t be late again,” Serena complained.
“Come on,” Jimena yelled.
Serena and Jimena ran down the hallway. Vanessa started after them, but Catty grabbed her arm and held her back.
Vanessa looked at her curiously. “What? I’m going to be late.”
“I’m sorry,” Catty cut in. “But I need to ta
lk to you.”
“Can’t it wait?” Vanessa asked and started edging away. “You know how much I hate to be late for class.”
Catty shook her head.
Vanessa seemed suddenly worried and stepped back to Catty. “What is it?”
“I want you to go back in time with me,” Catty pleaded.
“No,” Vanessa answered firmly and started to walk away.
Catty clasped her hand and pulled her close. “Please—I know you hate it, but I want to go back to the coroner’s office and get my mother’s things.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“You’re the one who said I should have looked through all of her stuff,” Catty reminded her. “I might have missed something important that could give me answers.”
“But you don’t need me for that,” Vanessa argued. “I’d just be in the way.”
“The Followers will be there.”
“Go back earlier before they get there,” Vanessa suggested. “You’ll be safe then.”
“The property release room won’t be open yet.” Catty stared intently into Vanessa’s eyes, hoping to see some sign that she was relenting.
“So? Go back and land inside the property release room,” Vanessa advised.
“My landings have never been that accurate,” Catty pointed out. “You say that all the time.”
“Just call them up then.” There was rising impatience in Vanessa’s voice. “They have to release her things to you. Kendra can help you.”
“That could take months,” Catty answered. “And what if Kendra and I take the forms in or do whatever we have to do and the Followers are waiting for us to show up again? I could get kidnapped.”
“Going back now is just as risky,” Vanessa argued.
“You made me promise not to go off and do anything on my own.” Catty folded her arms across her chest. “But I guess I’ll have to.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened. “It’s too dangerous.”
Catty knew she had her now. “Not if you make us invisible so we can sneak past the Followers and the receptionist and steal my mother’s things from the property room.”
“I’m sure it’s against the law,” Vanessa objected. “Can’t you do it the right way for once?”
