I sat next to Molly, whose titian curls were wound on top of her head in a loose bun. Without makeup she had the face of a china doll with wide sky blue eyes and rosebud lips. She couldn’t resist a slick of lip gloss, but aside from that, she’d pared everything back in her attempt to win favor with Gabriel. I’d expected by now she’d be over the hopeless crush she had on my brother, but so far her feelings for him only seemed to have intensified.
I preferred Molly without makeup; I liked the way she looked her age rather than someone ten years older.
“I’m going as a naughty schoolgirl,” Abigail announced.
“In other words you’re going as yourself?” Molly said with a snort.
“Let’s hear your great idea then … .”
“I’m going as Tinker Bell.”
“As who?”
“The fairy from Peter Pan.”
“This isn’t fair,” Madison whined. “We made a pact to all go as Playboy Bunnies!”
“Bunnies are old.” Molly tossed her head. “Not to mention trashy.”
“I’m sorry,” I interrupted, “but aren’t the costumes supposed to be scary?”
“Oh, Bethie,” Savannah said with a sigh. “Have we taught you nothing?”
I smiled sheepishly. “Refresh my memory?”
“Basically the whole thing is just one massive—,” Hallie began.
“Let’s just say it’s an opportunity for us to mingle with the opposite sex,” Molly cut in, shooting Hallie a sharp look. “Your costume needs to be scary and sexy.”
“Did you know Halloween used to be about Samhain?” I said. “People were really scared of it.”
“Who’s Sam Hen?” Hallie looked baffled.
“Not who … what,” I said. “It’s different in every culture. But essentially, people believe it’s the one night of the year when the world of the dead meets the world of the living; when the dead can walk among us and possess our bodies. People would dress up to trick them into staying away.”
The group stared at me with newfound respect.
“Oh my God, Bethie.” Savannah shivered. “Way to freak us all out.”
“Do you remember when we had that séance in seventh grade?” Abigail asked. The others nodded enthusiastically as they recalled the event.
“You had a what!” I spluttered, barely able to disguise my disbelief.
“A séance, it’s when you …”
“I know what it is,” I said. “But you shouldn’t mess around with that stuff.”
“I told you, Abby!” Hallie exclaimed. “I told you it was dangerous. Remember how the door slammed shut?”
“Yeah, only because your mom shut it,” Madison hit back.
“She couldn’t have. She was in bed asleep the whole time.”
“Whatever. I’m thinking we should try it again on Friday.”
Abigail waggled her eyebrows mischievously. “What do you say, girls? Who’s in?”
“Not me,” I said resolutely. “I’m not getting mixed up in that.”
The looks they exchanged suggested they were unconvinced by my refusal.
“THEY’RE so childish,” I complained to Xavier as we walked to French class together. Doors slammed, announcements rang over the loudspeaker, and chatter flowed freely around us, but Xavier and I were locked in our own world. “They want to hold a séance and go dressed as bunnies.”
“What kind of bunnies?” he asked suspiciously.
“Playboy, I think. Whatever that means.”
“That sounds about right.” Xavier laughed. “But don’t let them talk you into anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”
“They’re my friends.”
“So what?” He shrugged. “If your friends walked off a cliff, would you do it too?”
“Why would they walk off a cliff?” I asked in alarm. “Is someone having problems at home?”
Xavier laughed. “It’s just an expression.”
“It’s silly,” I told him. “Do you think I should go as an angel? Like in the film version of Romeo and Juliet?”
“There would be a certain irony in that,” Xavier said, smirking. “An angel posing as a human posing as an angel. I like it.”
Mr. Collins glared at us as we arrived and took our seats. He seemed to resent our closeness and I couldn’t help but wonder whether his history of three failed marriages had left him a little jaded about love.
“I hope the two of you will descend from your love bubble long enough to learn something today,” he sniped cuttingly and the other kids snickered. Embarrassed, I ducked my head to avoid eye contact with them.
“It’s all right, sir,” Xavier replied. “The bubble’s been engineered to allow us to learn from within it.”
“You’re very amusing, Woods,” Mr. Collins said. “But the classroom is not the place for romance. When it all ends in heartbreak, your grades will pay the price. L’amour est comme un sablier, avec le cœur remplir le vide du cerveau.”
I recognized the quote from the French writer Jules Renard. Translated it meant: “Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties.” I hated his smug certainty, as if he knew for a fact our relationship was doomed. I opened my mouth to protest, but Xavier touched my hand under the table and leaned across to whisper in my ear.
“It’s probably not the best idea to get fresh with the teachers who’ll be grading our final papers.”
He turned back to Mr. Collins, putting on his best classpresident voice. “We understand, sir, thanks for your concern.”
Mr. Collins looked satisfied and went back to writing subjunctive verbs on the blackboard. I couldn’t resist poking my tongue out at his back.
Hallie and Savannah, who were also in my French class, caught up with me at the lockers. They looped their arms affably through mine.
“What have you got now?” Hallie asked.
“Math,” I replied suspiciously. “Why?”
“Perfect,” Savannah said. “Walk with us.”
“Is something wrong?”
“We just want to talk to you. Y’know, have a girl-to-girl chat.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, wracking my brain to think what I might have done to warrant this strange intervention. “About?”
“It’s about you and Xavier,” Hallie blurted out. “Look, you’re not gonna like hearing this, but we’re your friends and we’re worried about you.”
“Why are you worried?”
“It’s just not healthy for you guys to spend so much time together,” Hallie said expertly.
“Yeah,” Savannah chimed in. “It’s like you’re joined at the hip or something. I never see you apart. Wherever Xavier is, you’re right behind him. Wherever you are, he’s there … all the frigging time.”
“Is that that a bad thing?” I asked. “He’s my boyfriend; I want to spend time with him.”
“Of course you do, but it’s too much. You need to get some distance.” Hallie emphasized the word distance as if it were a medical term.
“Why?” I looked at them dubiously, wondering if Molly had put them up to this or if it truly was their personal opinion. I’d been friends with these girls all through summer, but it still felt a little early for them to be dispensing relationship advice. On the other hand, I’d only been a teenage girl for less than a year. In some way, I felt I was at the mercy of their experience. It was true that Xavier and I were close, any fool could see that. The question was, were we unnaturally close? It didn’t feel unhealthy given everything we’d been through together. Of course, these girls could never know about our struggles.
“It’s a researched fact,” Savannah broke through my train of thought. “Look, I can show you.” She reached into her bag and yanked out a well-thumbed copy of Seventeen magazine. “We found a quiz for you to take.”
She opened the glossy cover and flipped to a dog-eared page. The image showed a young couple sitting in chairs facing opposite directions but bound together by chains around their
waists and ankles. The expression on their faces was one of confusion and dismay. The quiz was called, “Are you in a co-dependent relationship?”
“We’re not that bad,” I protested. “It’s about how we feel, not how much time we spend together. Besides, I don’t think a magazine quiz can measure feelings.”
“Seventeen gives pretty reliable advice—,” began Savannah hotly.
“Okay, don’t take the quiz,” Hallie cut in. “Just answer a few questions, okay?”
“Shoot,” I said.
“What’s your favorite football team?”
“Dallas Cowboys,” I said without hesitation.
“And why’s that?” Hallie asked.
“Because it’s Xavier’s favorite team.”
“I see,” Hallie said knowingly. “And when was the last time you did something without Xavier?” I didn’t like the way she sounded like the prosecutor in a court case.
“I do plenty of stuff without Xavier,” I said dismissively.
“Really? So where is he right now?”
“He has a first-aid training session in the gym,” I said brightly. “They’re going over CPR, but he already learned it in ninth grade during a water-safety program.”
“Right,” Savannah said. “And what’s he doing at lunch?”
“He has a water-polo meeting,” I replied. “They have a new junior that Xav wants to train to play defense.”
“And dinner?”
“He’s coming over to make barbecue ribs.”
“Since when do you like ribs?” The girls raised their eyebrows.
“Xavier likes them.”
“I rest my case.” Hallie put her face in her hands.
“Okay, I guess we do spend a lot of time together,” I said grumpily. “But what’s wrong with that?”
“It’s not normal is what’s wrong with it,” Savannah declared, enunciating every word. “Your girlfriends are just as important. “It’s like we don’t even matter to you anymore. All the girls feel the same, even Molly.”
I stopped short. Finally the fog lifted and the purpose of this discussion became clear to me. The girls were feeling neglected. It was true that I always seemed to be declining their invitations to go out in favor of spending time with Xavier. I’d always thought I just preferred spending downtime with my family, but maybe I had been insensitive without realizing it. I valued their friendship and on the spot vowed to be more attentive.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Thanks for being honest with me. I promise I’ll do better.”
“Great.” Hallie beamed. “Well, you can start by joining in the girls-only event we’ve got planned for the Halloween party.”
“Of course,” I agreed, eager to make amends. “I’d love to. What is it?” I had the sense even before I’d finished the question that I was on the brink of falling into a trap.
“We’re going to commune with the dead, remember?” Savannah said. “No boys allowed.”
“A séance,” Hallie said brightly. “How awesome is that?”
“Awesome,” I reiterated flatly. I could think of plenty of words to describe what they had in mind, but awesome just wasn’t one of them.
3
Unholy Night
FRIDAY came around faster than I expected. I wasn’t especially looking forward to the Halloween party. I’d much rather have spent a night at home with Xavier, but I didn’t think it fair to impose my reclusiveness on him.
Gabriel shook his head in surprise when he saw my costume, which consisted of a white satin sheath dress, gladiator sandals borrowed from Molly, and a pair of short, fluffy synthetic wings I’d rented from the local costume shop. I was a parody of myself, and Gabriel, as I’d guessed, was unimpressed. It must have seemed like some kind of sacrilege to him.
“It’s a little obvious, don’t you think?” he asked wryly.
“Not at all,” I replied. “If anyone suspected us of being superhuman, this should throw them off the scent.”
“Bethany, you are a messenger of the Lord, not a detective in a B-grade spy movie,” Gabriel said. “Try to remember that.”
“Would you like me to change?” I sighed.
“No, he wouldn’t,” Ivy said, patting my hand. “The costume is lovely. After all, it’s just a high school party.” She gave Gabriel a pointed look designed to bring the discussion to a close. Gabriel shrugged. Even though he spent his days disguised as a music teacher at Bryce Hamilton, it seemed the machinations of the teenage world were beyond him.
When Xavier arrived he was dressed as a cowboy in faded jeans, tan boots, and a checkered shirt. He even wore a leather cowboy hat.
“Trick or treat?” he said with a grin.
“No offense, but you don’t look anything like Batman.”
“Ain’t no need to be nasty now, ma’am,” Xavier said, adopting a heavy Texan accent. “Are you ready to go? Our ride’s awaitin’.”
I laughed. “You’re going to keep this up all night, aren’t you?
“Probably,” Xavier said. “I’m driving you wild with desire, aren’t I?” My brother coughed to remind us of his presence. He was always uncomfortable with outward displays of affection.
“Don’t stay out too late,” Ivy said. “We’re leaving for Black Ridge early tomorrow morning.”
“Don’t worry,” Xavier promised. “I’ll have her home by the time the clock strikes midnight.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Must the two of you embody every cliché in the book?”
Xavier and I looked at each other and grinned. “Yes,” we replied.
It was a half-hour drive to the old abandoned homestead. The black stretch of highway was dotted with the headlights of other partygoers, and nothing but open fields surrounded us. We were strangely elated that night. It was an odd feeling, like the whole world belonged to the students of Bryce Hamilton. The party marked the end of an era for us and we had mixed feelings about it. We were all on the cusp of graduating and shaping our futures. It was the start of a new life and while we hoped it would be full of promise, we couldn’t help but feel a degree of nostalgia for all we’d be leaving behind. College life with all its associated independence was just around the corner. Soon friendships would be tested by distance and some relationships would not survive.
The night sky seemed vaster than usual and a gibbous moon drifted between wisps of cloud. As we drove, I watched Xavier out of the corner of my eye. He looked so at ease behind the wheel of the Chevy. His face was free of anxiety. We were cruising now and he steered with one hand. Moonlight fell through the window, illuminating his face. He turned to look at me, shadows dancing across his even features.
“What are you thinking about, babe?” he asked.
“Just that I could do so much better than a cowboy,” I teased.
“You are really pushing your luck tonight,” Xavier said in mock seriousness. “I’m a cowboy on the edge!” I laughed, not fully understanding the reference. I could have asked him for an explanation but all that mattered was that we were together. So what if I missed the occasional joke? It made what we had even more intriguing.
We swung into the winding, overgrown driveway and followed a battered pickup truck full of senior boys calling themselves the “wolf pack.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but they were all wearing khaki bandanas and had painted black war stripes across their chests and faces.
“Any excuse to get their shirts off,” Xavier joked.
The boys were lounging in the back of the truck, chainsmoking and working their way through a keg. Once the truck was parked, they let out a wolf cry and leapt out, heading toward the house. One of them stopped to throw up in a nearby bush. Once he’d expelled the contents of his stomach, he straightened up and kept right on running.
The house itself reflected the Halloween theme. It was old and rambling with a creaking porch that stretched across the length of the front. The house was badly in need of a paint job. Its original white paint was cracked and peeling, revealing grayi
sh weatherboards underneath and giving the whole place an air of neglect.
Austin must have enlisted the help of his female friends as decorating crew because the porch was brightly lit with jacko’-lanterns and glow sticks, but the windows on the top floor remained in darkness. There was no other form of civilization in sight. If there were neighbors, they were too far away to be seen. I understood now why this house had been chosen as the party venue. We could make as much noise as we wanted and no one would hear us. The thought made me a little uneasy. The only thing separating the house from the highway was a collapsing fence that had seen better days. I could see a scarecrow propped on a stick in the middle of the yard about a hundred meters from where we stood. Its body was limp and its head lolled eerily to one side.
“That’s so spooky,” I whispered, drawing close to Xavier’s side. “It looks so real.” He wrapped a strong arm around me.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “It only goes after girls who don’t appreciate their boyfriends.”
I elbowed him playfully. “That’s not even funny! Besides, the girls think it’s healthy for us to spend some time apart.”
“Well, I disagree.” Xavier wrapped an arm around me.
Hades Page 2
