by Jo Ho
“You went to Mayfield High School? That’s an expensive private school, your parents must have had money to send you there. Why would you need a job if they can afford somewhere like that?”
Tyler thought the questioning had crossed over into private territory, but at least he was interested in her, which she was sure that was a good thing. “They passed away… earlier this year,” was all she managed to reply. Gripping her hands into tight fists, Tyler willed herself not to feel the pain that always came with mentioning them.
“Oh, that is a terrible shame,” he said as his pupils seemed to grow larger. Suddenly he clapped his hands together, startling her. “Well, I believe I have heard enough. I’m delighted to welcome you to the team Tyler. You’ll be on minimum wage, to begin with, but you’ll also get a twenty-five percent discount for the store, so it’s not amazing, but it’s better than a poke in the eye right?” He winked at her.
“I got the job?” Tyler asked, a little shell-shocked. “I haven’t even filled in an application form?”
William shrugged. “That’s just a formality. If you head over to the customer service desk and ask Catherine for one now, you can fill it out and leave it with her.”
Tyler couldn’t believe her good luck. “Thank you! I promise I won’t let you down!”
He took her hand in his to shake it. “I’m looking forward to us working together,” he said.
Tyler was so elated by the thought of having some money coming in that she pushed aside the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach that he caused. He was nice enough, so it made no sense why she felt so strange around him. More than that, she needed this job, so uncomfortable feeling or not, she was just going to have to deal with it.
Chapter 18
Sun streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the classroom.
Sequestered in the back row of the large class, Cassie studied each of her fellow students walking into the room. As she had done with all her classes yesterday, she had arrived in advance so she could pick a seat at the back where she could see everyone. While it was important that she do well in this class, her grades weren’t the reason she arrived ten minutes early to each lesson.
She needed to check out the competition.
She wasn’t sure when this need first surfaced. Thinking back, it was possible that she had started this tradition way back in middle school. She had been a chubby girl who had needed to wear ugly silver braces on her teeth, the ones that were impossible to clean and regularly caused canker sores in her mouth. Her parents had laughed off her fears, insisting that no one would even notice them, but on her first day of wearing them, cruel things were said, things that left Cassie crying into her pillow. She hadn’t been able to confide in her mother. How could she? Her stunning mom would never know what it was like to be ugly. She couldn’t go anywhere without people turning her way, their admiration clear for all to see. Cassie was nothing but a blight in her mother’s bright light.
It was cold being in the shade her entire life.
After that day at school, Cassie really began to notice not just how people looked at her, but how they looked at her mother. No matter how anyone protested, she had seen the benefits that came with good looks. Her mom had never had to wait for a table at a restaurant and they were always seated at the best table — front and center of the action. She noticed too that men, in particular, were quick to offer any help they could. If her mom finished a drink, the waiter would be there to refill it before she could even turn to look for them.
Then there were the free things.
Although her mom had plenty of money, people kept giving her freebies, from clothes, to make-up that was passed on to her after her shoots, to household products — and even a car! A local dealership had given her mom a car in exchange for a picture of her driving it. The picture still hung now, suspended from the ceiling in his showroom, blown up to fifty times its original size.
Cassie wanted adulation like that. Craved it in fact. Which was why she had taken to studying good-looking people. She wanted to see how they acted, how they dressed, what they did that made them so special. As the students started to trickle in, Cassie waited. She knew it wouldn’t take long.
Within a few moments, it happened.
A group of students came in, talking and joking together. There were three girls, the middle one she immediately noticed was the prettiest of the three. A group of guys had clearly noticed too as they were right behind her, jostling each other to get her attention. As they filed in, Cassie realized with a start that she knew one of the guys.
It was Trip. The guy from Tonic two nights ago.
The one who had blanked her so cruelly.
Despite his treatment of her, she still found herself admiring his glossy hair and muscular arms. He carried himself with such an air of confidence, who wouldn’t be attracted to him? Those girls certainly were. They giggled at his every word, batting their eyelashes at him. He seemed most taken with the brunette, smiling down at her with so much charm Cassie wouldn’t be surprised if his teeth started to glint.
The girl actually looked a lot like Marley. She had the same kind of curvy-but-slim figure Cassie could only dream of having. Long legs that went on forever that looked amazing even in jeggings, something Cassie and her dumpy legs could never get away with. She even dressed in a style similar to Marley, with the casual ease that spoke so much of how she took her appearance for granted. The orange top should not have worked with those bright blue pants, and why was she wearing ankle boots in the summer? Didn’t her feet get hot? On an average person, the outfit would have been ridiculous, but on her, she could have stepped out of a catalog.
Cassie spent the rest of the class ignoring the syllabus talk, studying the two instead. Trip was as handsome in profile as he was face-on, maybe even better. She found herself daydreaming about the two of them dating. They’d go for a nice meal where Cassie would only have a salad, of course, followed by a romantic walk along the river. At the end of their date, he would lean in close and give her her first kiss…
When class finished, Cassie was jolted out of her daydream by the student next to her, struggling to get past. “Are you going to sit there all day or what?” he demanded.
Blushing, she grabbed her things, joining the rest of the exodus, bumping into someone next to her. She looked up to apologize only to find herself staring into Trip’s face for the second time.
And he looked just as he had the last time he had seen her.
“Two times in three days. You sure you’re not stalking me?”
“No,” Cassie stammered as shyness took hold, flooding her body with awkwardness.
“You sure are brave, I’ll give you that. I wouldn’t be able to show my face so soon if I had embarrassed myself as badly as you had the other night. Good for you,” he said, not actually meaning to be cruel, as he pushed past her to chase after the brunette.
Cassie didn’t respond, rooted to the spot as a burning shame rose inside. All sounds blurred into one as she moved with the crowd without really seeing anything. She had hoped that the other night’s travesty would be forgotten by all, but of course, that was too much to ask for.
Feeling the sting of tears, she pushed through the students until she came to the restroom. Bursting inside, she hurled her bag to the ground, grabbed the edge of a sink with each hand, glaring at herself in the mirror. Her rage was so great that she could almost see the steam coming out from her ears. Thankfully, the restroom was empty. Glaring at her reflection, she squeezed the sink until her knuckles turned white, she felt like her hands would break.
Did you hear what he said about you? He couldn’t even look at you without flinching. Why do you have to be so ugly? Why can’t you be pretty like… like that girl or Marley?
She has those amazing eyes and those lush lips that all the boys want to kiss. Even her nose is small and cute and perfect. And her hair, how does it look like she just stepped out of a salon, especially when you
have to get yours done twice a month to not even look half as good? You’re so hideous no guy is ever going to fall for you. Why can’t you just look like Marley?
Closing her eyes, Cassie felt the thought consume her. If she looked like Marley, life would be so easy. All she really wanted was a break away from herself. She wanted to know how it would feel to be in her face and body. That wasn’t a crime, was it?
Opening her eyes, black dots blurred her vision. She waited until they faded away leaving her with…
Marley’s face.
Wait, what?
Blinking the fog away, Cassie moved closer to the mirror. Instead of her own face, she now wore Marley’s. Startled, her eyes — Marley’s eyes — grew wide with shock. Reaching up, Cassie examined her new face with her fingers only to find it wasn’t her imagination. Her face had somehow turned into Marley’s.
This must be what happened the other night! When I wore that other guy’s face.
Was this her power?
Was she able to change her face into someone else’s? As the thought took hold, Cassie found herself grinning from ear to ear. If that was the case, she could be whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted! Heck, maybe she wouldn’t have to be her anymore! Thrilled with her discovery, Cassie reached for her phone to text the others her news when a couple of girls crashed into the restroom making her jump.
What if they knew Marley and started talking to her?
Other than a cursory glance her way, however, they didn’t give her another look. Turning back to the mirror, Cassie saw that her natural face had returned. Picking up her bag from the floor, she hurried out of there, barely able to contain her excitement.
Chapter 19
T en missed calls and just as many voicemails.
Eve stared down at her phone, swiping irritably away from her rapidly growing missed calls log. The others had been calling practically nonstop over the last twenty-four hours. She had refused to take any of their calls.
They knew she was safe; she wasn’t a jerk after all. She had texted them to let them know as much, but then the flood of calls and messages had come, updating her on the latest events, begging her to get in touch with them. When would they get the hint that she didn’t want any part of this?
As if Christian’s death wasn’t enough, or their dark powers, which none of them knew how to control yet, now Marley was being haunted by more than one ghost. Eve wasn’t planning on hanging around long enough for when the ghost became bored and decided to go for her.
And what about the guy Christian kept warning them about? Now that Eve had some time on her own, she was able to regroup, to consider things. There wasn’t any proof to what they were being told: who was to say Christian wasn’t lying? Hell, what if Marley was? They only had her word. Why should Eve risk her life to trust a girl she had only known for a few days? Then there was the whole criminal investigation that was being conducted. Although they had yet to hear from the two cops, she knew it was coming. When they couldn’t find a logical explanation for the hole in the church roof, they would come back to question them, even if it was just to finish off paperwork. She could not afford to have them sniffing around her, not after the thing-that-happened.
She had to stay as far away from the po-po as she could.
Music played in Shaken and Stirred, the bar Si managed. Not so loud that it would drown out any conversation, but loud enough that she could avoid speaking to people if she didn’t want to. It was a low-key place, more like a British pub in design than an American bar. It came with oak-beamed ceilings, lead windows, and scratched wooden floors that hadn’t seen a polish this side of the century. If people wanted cool, they went elsewhere.
Staring across the crowd, her eyes found her brother, chatting with a group of locals while picking up their empty glasses. The group laughed at something he was saying as Eve felt a deep flush of appreciation for him. She didn’t know how she would have coped with any of the past year if it wasn’t for him. He was her rock, though she knew that wouldn’t be the case forever. Si was a catch, and one day girls would begin to notice. She dreaded the day when he would come home with a girlfriend when it wouldn’t be just the two of them anymore. She knew it was selfish to feel that way, but when the world had shown her its true colors, the only constant in her life was him. It was hard to even consider letting him go.
A pair of unfamiliar faces walked up to the bar, gesturing at her, pulling her out of her thoughts. They wore cheap-looking black denim jackets and jeans with a white T-shirt. They were so closely dressed they must shop in the same Walmart.
“Two beers, sunshine,” one of them said as they both laughed at his wit.
Seriously? They were mocking her even though they wouldn’t be winning any beauty competitions this lifetime. One of them was clearly hunched over having some kind of issue with his back.
Despite how often it happened, she still felt a small stab of pain when complete strangers felt the need to ridicule her appearance. It was her choice to look like this. She wasn’t hurting anyone, so why did they feel the need to be cruel? They had no idea what she had gone through. That to hide under this many layers of makeup was the only way she felt safe enough to leave her house.
Shoving her emotions down, she grabbed two-pint glasses expertly filling them from the tap. Having turned twenty-one a few months back, she was finally old enough to help out in the bar, although she mostly came here for the company. The house could get too quiet at times, and with the silence came the bad memories.
She set the beer on the counter then waited for them to pay her. The taller of the two who had a seriously bad skin condition on his face, took out his wallet then stopped, leaning towards her.
“Tell me something, do you actually think that look is attractive?”
Eve was so taken aback by his comment that she didn’t immediately reply. His friend laughed as if he’d just said the funniest thing in the world.
“I don’t mind the makeup, it’s not like I ever look at their faces,” Hunchback said.
“You should take the poor girl out then, I’m sure she’d appreciate the charity,” Bad-Skin laughed.
Rage overwhelmed her, making her tremble from head to toe. A million retorts ran through her mind but they crashed into one another until they were one big jumble. She wanted so badly to put them in their place, but it was like she’d lost the power of speech and her inability just made her all the madder.
Opening her mouth to say something clever, or really just anything at all, the moment was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of Si. Not noticing her reaction, he smiled at the men and told them the cost of the drinks. They paid, took their drinks, then left without another glance at Eve. She stood there, bristling with anger as with growing horror, she felt the sting of tears prick her eyes. Why, when she felt such rage, did she also want to cry? This wasn’t something that happened to guys. When they got angry, they were strong, forceful, so why was she so pathetic and weak?
Completely oblivious to the turmoil going on inside her, Si shot her a confused look. “You OK? You look a little funny.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to spill everything, but she stopped herself from explaining. What would it solve? He’d get angry and approach the two guys. There would be some kind of altercation. Worst case scenario, they’d gang up on him. Si could get hurt, and that she wouldn’t allow to happen, not on her watch. She’d swallow the pain as she always did. She’d handle it on her own.
“Nothing… I’m not feeling well is all.”
His forehead furrowed with concern as sympathy shone from his eyes. “It’s not that busy tonight, why don’t you go home and rest?”
Still numb from the guys’ insults, she nodded, grateful that she could get out of there and not have to deal with those two again.
“You want to use the car? I can ask one of the others for a lift home,” Si asked. When she worked here, she usually went home in the car with him, but since they only had the one car and
he’d need to lock up, she shook her head.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll grab a taxi.”
Nodding, Si turned away, already distracted by another customer waving a drinks menu at him. Walking to the staff room located in the back of the bar, Eve grabbed her purse, slipped on her jacket, then stepped out of the back door into the alley where staff came and went. The door clicked closed behind her as she took in the ominous black sky. The streets were slick from another bout of recent rain, the air heavy with tension. She knew without a doubt that more rain would be coming tonight, could almost taste the iron on her tongue. Pulling up the collar of her jacket, she started the short walk from the alleyway to the street where she could flag down a taxi when a bottle rolled past on the ground behind her.
Startled, she spun around.
The two guys from the bar stood behind her, their leers distorted by the heavy shadows cast down from a streetlamp until their mouths looked unnaturally wide.
“Oh look who we have here,” Bad-Skin said.
“Seems like she couldn’t get enough of us after all,” said Hunchback.
Seeing them, Eve felt her stomach plummet and fear took hold. Despite all the girls’ warnings, here she was alone in the alley with not one but two abusive jerks. While she knew they were probably just bullies out for a cheap thrill, she also realized they could be something much worse. Yearbook pictures of the recent student murders flashed across her mind as details of their deaths suddenly came at her. Although Christian had attributed the murders to Michael, he could be wrong… it could be the two standing before her who had committed the crimes.
And she could be next on their list.
She glanced back at the door to the bar, knowing safety lay within but the two blocked her path. She looked the other way, to the street which seemed much further away right now. She knew she wouldn’t make it there before something happened. Swallowing her fear, she forced herself to stand taller.
