“Did he kiss you?” I shout-whispered.
Oscar’s eyes widened. “Shh!”
“But did he?”
“Stop yelling!”
“I’m not yelling! Did he?”
“Yes, okay? Be quiet!”
“I am being quiet!”
“You’re really not,” Roland said mildly from the seat behind us. Oscar and I looked at each other for a second, then dissolved into silent, hysterical laughter. It was several minutes before I’d collected myself enough to speak again.
“That is awesome.” I started to say more, then hesitated. In seventh grade, Trish had kissed this guy, Damien, at the winter dance, and she’d told me all about it. Every day. For weeks. In a lot of detail. I’d listened to it all, because I wanted to be a good friend. But Trish was a lot more into sharing that kind of stuff than I was.
Oscar was more like me, though. He kept most feelings to himself. On the other hand, he didn’t have friends back home to e-mail like I did. And everyone deserved at least the option of having someone to get all share-y with.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked finally. He gave me a look, like he was considering it.
“Not yet. Maybe later?”
“Okay.”
Oscar gave me a quick smile, and I smiled back. It dawned on me that despite the fact that we bickered almost constantly, Oscar really did trust me. And I really trusted him, too. After a minute of mental debate, I came to a decision.
“I have another theory about that girl,” I said softly. “The ghost.”
He looked up. “Really? What is it?”
“It’s . . .” I paused to stifle a yawn. “Really, really complicated, and I didn’t sleep at all last night. If I try to explain it right now, you’ll think I’m crazy. Actually, you’ll probably think I’m crazy no matter what.”
“I mean, I already do a little bit,” Oscar said dryly, and I tried to smile.
“Ha-ha. Either way, when we get to New York, can I tell you about it?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks.”
While I dug a tiny pillow and blanket out of my seat compartment and bunched them up behind my head, Oscar went back to pretending to read his comic. Within a few minutes, I fell asleep, and I didn’t dream at all.
EDIE MILLS
WIKI PAGE
Edie Mills (born November 22, 1956) is an American actress known for her leading roles in many notable horror movies. She made her debut in 1972 in the low-budget Mutant Cheerleaders Attack, and while reviews of the film itself were almost universally negative, Mills’s performance was widely praised. She was quickly cast in The Monster in Her Closet, which is considered to be her breakout film, solidifying her place among horror’s greatest Scream Queens. Mills was named Best Actress at the Dark Cheese B-Movie Awards in 1979 for her performance as Debra St. James in Den of the Undead.
MUTANT CHEERLEADERS ATTACK
JUNE
1972
When Kimmy Kickwell makes the cheerleading squad, she thinks high school’s going to be nothing but football games and fun. But this squad’s idea of fun isn’t so much about cheer as it is fear, and their pep is contagious . . .
THE MONSTER IN HER CLOSET
FEBRUARY
1973
Carrie Butler forgot about her imaginary friend, Edgar, when she started middle school. But he never forgot her. And for her sweet sixteen, he’s got one hell of a surprise party planned.
VAMPIRES OF NEW JERSEY
MAY
1974
Everyone in Hammerhead Bay is buzzing about the big surf competition . . . until the mysterious Maribel Mauls comes to town and starts making waves of her own. This summer, the shore is really going to suck.
CANNIBAL CLOWN CIRCUS
JULY
1975
Elephants! Acrobats! . . . Zombies? Trapeze artist Tina Soares loves the thrill of flight . . . but she’ll need more than a safety net when this particular circus comes to town.
RETURN TO THE ASYLUM
JUNE
1976
Jackie Urns left her job at Queenswood Asylum after a traumatic incident rendered her mute. One year later, she’s ready to return and face her demons.
THE DAME
MARCH
1977
Stella Shade is the city’s top PI—a secret known to only a few police officials. When Stella moonlights as a waitress at an underground speakeasy to investigate rumors of a murderous spirit, all hell breaks loose. (Set in the 1920s, this film has the distinction of being Edie Mills’s only historical work. It’s also infamous for its highly unpopular twist ending, in which Edie’s character is revealed to be the killer.)
THE COVEN'S CURSE
OCTOBER
1977
When Caroline Hahn returns home for a high-school reunion, she finds out her girlfriends have kept their old secret coven going. Only their rituals have gotten more intense. And this time, they aren’t going to let Caroline break the pact . . .
A THOUSAND FANGS
JUNE
1978
Psychologist Brenda Doyle has the same nightmare every night—an enormous gaping mouth with a thousand fangs, swallowing her whole. But a dream is just a dream . . . until corpses with giant teeth marks start turning up all over town.
DEN OF THE UNDEAD
FEBRUARY
1979
When a group of archaeologists go missing during a dig, Debra St. James and her search-and-rescue team are dispatched. But when they find the not-quite-alive scientists, Debra starts to think this mission must fail for the sake of all mankind.
HOLLOW BOOKS
SEPTEMBER
1979
Amelia Hooper just wants a quiet life, and her new job at the quaint Brockensville Public Library gives her a chance at just that. But when Amelia discovers a locked room stocked with strange books—each filled with blank pages—her life becomes decidedly noisy.
INFECTION
MAY
1980
It shares all the symptoms of the common cold—until the third day, when the real infection reveals itself. Dr. Sandra Vix is used to treating patients with fevers and stuffy noses, but can she find a prescription for pure evil?
THE ASYLUM
MARCH
1981
In this controversial prequel to the beloved Return to the Asylum, Edie Mills plays the role of the Warden, the first movie’s villain who terrorizes and ultimately kills Jackie Urns (also portrayed by Mills). Reception of the Warden’s origin story was mixed, and The Asylum’s release launched a popular theory that Jackie Urns never existed and the events in Return happened entirely in the Warden’s head.
CAMP HALF HELL
MAY
1982
The weapon: a curling iron. The victims: all counselors, picked off one by one. But Mel Sommers has seen enough horror movies to know that running does no good. She needs to face this killer once and for all. Only one will remain by the time the sun rises . . .
BEES?!
MARCH
1983
In this campy reimagining of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, schoolteacher Ann Hays fears the worst when her ex-fiancé’s body is found covered in sting welts. The bees are coming . . .
WHAT SHE SEES IN THE MIRRORS
APRIL
1984
Largely criticized as being too cerebral, this film focuses on a woman with an unusual and disturbing phobia. Addilyn Cane cannot look people in the face; she can only look at their reflections. But no one realizes what she sees until it’s too late.
MY GIRLFRIEND IS FROM PLUTO
OCTOBER
1984
It started as a joke. But now Nancy Riley’s paranoid boyfriend actually thinks she’s an alien—and he’s managed to convince a group of conspiracy theorists that she’s come to Earth to feed on human hearts.
INVASION OF THE FLESH-EATING RODENTS
JUNE
1985
When a new rabies vaccine goes horrifically wrong, veterinarian Katya Payne locks herself in her clinic, vowing not to leave until she finds a cure. But not if her furry former patients find her first . . .
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