Evergreen (Mer Tales, Book 2)

by Pandos, Brenda

“I am!” she squealed. “Geez. Stop making me nervous.”

  My bag rolled over, smacking the opposite wall with an odd thump. A water stain ringed the edge.

  “Where’s my phone?”

  “What phone?”

  I limped over and snatched up the bag. Water dripped off the canvas. I tugged the zipper open and found soggy books in between my wet clothes. The new phone sat in the middle of the slushy soup. The cover was fogged up with trapped water.

  I cussed in Natatorian. “Galadriel!”

  “Now what?”

  I held up the dripping contraption.

  She shrugged. “Sorry?”

  I slumped down on the only chair and emptied the contents of my duffle bag on the table, hoping for one dry shirt, finding nothing. “What day is it?”

  “Thursday.”

  My body jolted, rocketing my head with pain. “Thursday?”

  “Yup.”

  Galadriel sighed and leaned her head back, producing sunglasses from her purse. As she sang along, she applied lip gloss. Somehow she’d morphed into a human girl overnight. Where or how she’d bought all her new trinkets, I was afraid to ask.

  My pulse raced as I tried the phone anyway. Nothing worked. Ash had to be sick with worry.

  “We have to stop in the next town. I need to make a call and get a new phone.”

  “Good, ‘cause I gotta pee.”

  My stomach growled at the same time.

  Galadriel cruised the RV off at the next exit and pulled into a mini mart parking lot, all with perfect execution. But the payphone was nothing but an empty housing of multicolored wires. Galadriel skipped inside the store and came out a few minutes later with a Big Gulp and a bag of Doritos. According to the map, we were outside of Dallas.

  “I thought you had to use the restroom.”

  “I did,” she said with a smile. “I was hungry.”

  “That stuff will kill you.” I rummaged through the cabinets and found an apple and a box of Wheat Thins.

  She slurped on the straw and twirled her glasses between her fingers. “The next town is about fifty miles away. That’s what the guy inside said. There you can get a new phone.”

  Crap. I looked off to the vast endless fields. “I need to call Ash now.”

  “Then persuade someone to use their phone.”

  I glared. “I can’t do that.”

  “Why? What’s the problem?”

  Next to the RV, a family in a mini van pulled up. A guy got out and started the pump on the gas, and then went inside the mini mart. Two little girls, maybe ages four and six looked out the windows at us. Galadriel made a face and blew raspberries. They responded and stuck out their tongues. A woman, probably their mother, got out of the passenger side and threw away some trash.

  This would be my chance.

  I stepped out of the RV with shaking legs and approached her.

  “Um, excuse me, miss?” I asked, still keeping my distance.

  She looked at me skeptically, eyeing my naked chest and bare feet. “I don’t have any money.”

  “No.” I waved my hand. “I don’t need any money. I actually was wondering—” I chickened out. “Never mind.”

  Galadriel appeared and edged me forward. “My friend here needs to use your phone. For a quick call.”

  The woman furrowed her eyebrows. “I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”

  Galadriel whispered in my ear. “Sing already.”

  “No.” I turned around. “I’m done. Let’s go.”

  Galadriel began to squeal her siren scream.

  I yanked her by the arm and shoved her inside the RV as people came outside with their hands over their ears and watched in shock. I crawled into the driver’s seat and threw the RV into DRIVE, speeding out of the lot.

  “What in Hades do you think you’re doing?”

  “What am I doing?” she reiterated with a laugh. “One day you’re going to fall off your high seahorse and hurt something.”

  “Don’t ever do that again, do you hear me?”

  She folded up the map and slid into the passenger seat with her chips. “You’re such a baby.”

  “I bet you didn’t even pay for that, did you?” I pointed to her food.

  She cocked her head to the side. “Well—what’s it to them anyway?”

  I growled and merged onto the highway. “If you’d have drained the pool, this wouldn’t have happened. I can’t believe you octopus inked me. Ugh.” I grabbed my head again.

  “If you would have listened to me, the octopus ink wouldn’t have knocked you out. Actually, everything was going great while you were unconscious.” The side of her lip turned up and she pulled out the vial filled with black liquid.

  “Put that away!”

  She smirked, then jumped up and came back with a pair of sunglasses and the phone. “Here, this will help.”

  She slid them onto my face and I accepted in desperation. Then she rolled down her window and held the phone outside.

  “What are you going to do?” I yelled.

  “Get your scales out of a bunch. I’m going to air it out.”

  It took all my energy to keep the RV on the road and not pull over and kick her out. “If you ever siren scream again, I’m not taking you to Tahoe. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes, Daddy.” She stuck out her tongue.

  I pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The RV barely crept over 72 miles per hour. Time kept me from Ash yet again. She had to be freaking out.

  Then a new problem hit me square in the face. I’d be arriving with Galadriel who would say and do just about anything to annoy me. What if Jax wasn’t in Tahoe anywhere; then what would I do with her? But more important, how would I explain her—a practical twin—to Ash?

  28

  :::

  ASH

  Thursday midmorning, April 21st

  I walked into class like a zombie. Fin hadn’t contacted me in over forty-eight hours and I was losing my mind. Why hadn’t he emailed yet, or even called? I’d texted I had my phone back despite Mom’s warnings that she’d monitor my calls. I’d called him too, on my cell—several times yesterday and this morning. I had to know. I couldn’t wait.

  My only comfort was the fact nothing weird hit me like the last time Fin went dark. My undeniable ache for him was strong as ever, which meant he had to be okay. Maybe he was being extra cautious because of my family drama, or the case leaked and wrecked the phone.

  As Mr. Branson droned on in History, I zoned out, staring at the cracked paint on the wall. I could feel Callahan’s chocolaty eyes on me, questioning me. I did my best to ignore him at lunch after the incident. I’d kept my word to him and so far Colin and I hadn’t crossed paths.

  “Ms. Lanski.” I blinked out of my trance and refocused on Mr. Branson.

  “Yes?” My cheeks heated, unsure of what he wanted.

  Madelyn, the office TA, stood by his side with a note in her hand.

  “You’re wanted in the office.”

  “Oh.” I picked up my books and took one look at Callahan before I headed out. He nodded appraisingly, rocking my confidence.

  Coach Madsen stood outside the doors in the hall.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  She ran her hand through her short blonde hair. “You need to take a drug test.”

  I blinked at her in shock.

  “It’s no big deal,” she said with flushed cheeks. “It’s the only thing that will confirm you didn’t cheat.”

  “What?” My mouth hung open. “You’re kidding me. They think I’m doing drugs?” Mer ones maybe.

  “I—I know. It’s not me. I’ve been on the phone all morning with our legal department and Meredith Hamusek’s lawyer. At first they wanted the timing equipment tested, but after everything seemed to be working fine, they came after you.”

  My heart thumped. What if they found mer blood in me?

  “I know it’s unfair, Lanski, but…” Coach squinted, “if you don’t, you’ll have to forfeit your
time then.”

  “Seriously? That’s ridiculous.” I laughed. “What kind of test? A pee one?”

  “Hair and blood actually.”

  The thought of a needle jab sent shivers up my legs. “Why not pee?”

  “Those tests are more accurate.”

  I shook my head. “This is high school, not NCAA.”

  “You didn’t happen to get a blood transfusion in the hospital, did you?”

  “Of course not. I lost blood actually.” I frowned.

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath and gently touched my arm. “If you have something to tell me, Ashlyn, I suggest you tell me now. I’ve defended you all day.”

  “Yeah, Coach. I’m clean.” I pinched my eyebrows together. “But I think I need to talk to my parents first.”

  “I called your mom and she’s agreed already.”

  I gulped. “She didn’t freak?”

  “She wasn’t thrilled, but after I explained everything, she said you should do it.”

  “What if I don’t?”

  “Declining will make you look guilty.”

  I bit my lip. “Meredith must be pretty mad.”

  Coach took another deep breath. “Well, she was getting a lot of attention especially since she was favored for the race, and now she’s not—so, yes—I’d say she’s upset.”

  Visions of the chem panel returning with reports of foreign antibodies filled my mind. Would they know? Would they haul me away for more tests? Lock me up?

  “I don’t want to.”

  Coach raised her brows. “What?”

  “I didn’t do drugs and I shouldn’t have to prove it.”

  Coach frowned. “Lanski, this is silly. Do the test. It’s for everyone’s benefit.”

  “No. I’m standing on principle.” I put my hand on my hip.

  “Are you afraid of needles?”

  I looked away. “Yes, but that’s not the point. I shouldn’t have to.”

  She put her hand on my shoulder. “It’s a pin prick. There’s nothing more to it. They’ll test for extra red blood cells and steroids. That’s it.”

  I gulped in worry. I guessed if something weird was in my blood, they’d have already caught it in the hospital. But still—this was a drug test.

  “It won’t hurt. Come on.”

  I took a deep breath and stepped through the doors into the nurse’s office.

  Afterward, I stared at the bandage on my arm as I headed to class. Coach lied. Nurse Nancy collected four vials of blood, each one hurting a lot. But I had to let it all go and hope the lab they were sending my blood to didn’t find anything. Fin had sworn our blood didn’t mix and I believed him. What if he was wrong?

  Fin. Where are you?

  My phone vibrated in my pocket with a call. I looked at the caller and almost screamed.

  “Fin?” I answered breathless and relieved. “They think I cheated, so I gave blood. I’m afraid they’re going to find something. Where are you?”

  “Ashlyn,” a strange man’s voice said. “Ashlyn, it’s Fin’s Dad, Jack.”

  I froze mid stride, my knees weakening. “Where’s Fin?”

  “I was hoping you’d tell me. I got your message and he’s not at the house.”

  My throat tightened. “Why do you have his phone?”

  “I borrowed it. He didn’t tell you?”

  Tell me what? My chest heaved. “Where are you?”

  “I can’t say. But Fin’s not at the house and the RV is gone. Is he driving to California?”

  “Yes. Didn’t he tell you?”

  “No.”

  The blood drained from my face. Why’d he leave without telling his parents?

  “Ashlyn—” Static crackled on the phone. “Ash—whe—call me—touch.”

  “Mr. Helton. Hello? I can’t hear you. Hello?”

  “Ashlyn,” Principal Wright called down the hall, “hang up and get back to class.”

  I blinked at her, my phone still against my ear.

  “Now!”

  I turned and headed to History, but not before calling Fin’s dad one last time. The phone rolled over to voicemail.

  29

  :::

  FIN

  Thursday afternoon, April 21st

  A loud clang from the engine ripped the dreams of my reunion with Ash from my mind—her body wrapped tightly in my arms. Thick black smoke engulfed the vehicle, hiding the road. Then the RV slowed, though I hadn’t let off the gas.

  “What was that?” Galadriel shrieked.

  Blinded, I yanked the wheel to the right. The RV slowed and died on side of the road.

  “What’d you do?” Galadriel slugged me in the arm, then jumped out of the vehicle.

  “How is this my fault?”

  I gripped the steering wheel, unwilling to admit defeat; we had only five miles left to the nearest town. I pulled a lever under the dash and the hood popped open, launching one large smoke signal of doom into the sky. I cursed under my breath and scrubbed my hand through my hair.

  Why?

  Galadriel ran to the RV side door and threw it open. She tugged on the handle of her suitcase.

  “Help me!”

  I contorted my face.

  She blew her bangs from her eyes and kept yanking. “It’s going to explode!”

  I laughed as I exited the RV, finally understanding the source of her distress. “Better hurry up then.”

  Inside the engine compartment, charred remains of a possible oil fire stained the mangled remains. This baby needed some serious work. I wished for my phone to call a tow truck and groaned at the thought of how many days this would put us behind schedule. Beyond the grassy flatlands and sparse trees, a jet climbed high into the sky. Maybe we should fly.

  When I finally decided to check what Galadriel was up to, a silver Cutlass sedan pulled along side me.

  “Hey man, you going to stay here?” The kid driving wore a black Metallica shirt.

  My eyes focused slowly on Galadriel as she smiled at me from the passenger seat.

  “Hank, here, has offered to give us a ride, brother.” She winked. “Get in.”

  I stood in shock, unsure what to do. When did she flag down the driver? Should I find a tow truck and deal with a mechanic instead or go with them? Visions of shattered hearts from here to California rocked me.

  “Uhhh…”

  “Beat ya to Tahoe.” Her teeth flashed as she wove her hand within Hank’s.

  He smiled and I felt sorry for the guy. She could go and I’d finally be rid of her, but my conscience wouldn’t let me off the hook. Hank would never be able to fend for himself with this shark. And knowing her, she’d desert him when he was no longer any use and ruin his life.

  “Suit yourself, man,” Hank said. The tires crunched against the gravel.

  “Wait!” I called out, not sure why I cared so much. “I’ll go. Let me get my stuff.”

  I crawled in with my damp duffle bag and rummaged inside for the phone, hoping it would work and remembered Galadriel left it on the dash.

  Dang it!

  Galadriel toyed with Hank’s hair, filling his head with nonsense as he drove. Though he stared at her legs more than the road, I didn’t care. As long as we were headed for Tahoe and she kept her lips to herself, I wouldn’t complain. How she managed to find someone headed the same direction blew my mind.

  “Hank, can Fin borrow your phone real quick?” Galadriel asked sweetly.

  “Oh sure,” he said, handing it over.

  She smiled extra big. “Say hi to Ash for me.”

  I shot a thankful smile and dialed her house. She’d be out of school already and I hoped she’d answer. Could I chance talking to her mom? Disguise my voice? I almost handed the phone to Galadriel so she could ask for Ash, when a girl answered the phone—my ginger girl.

  “Ash,” I said, my body filled with relief. “Thank Poseidon.”

  “Um, no. It’s Lucy,” she chuckled. “Wow. I’m surprised you’re calling here, Fin.”


  I hiccupped, choosing not to acknowledge her comment. “Hey, Lucy. Is Ash around?”