“Sian, I don’t think you heard me, so I’ll repeat it again. Do not leave your house tonight baby, unless you want to bear the consequences okay.
I know what goes on at some of these things and that shit can be dangerous. You can have just as much fun staying inside and playing games or whatever it is people do at sleepovers.
No joyriding, no hanging out of car windows going eighty miles an hour.”
I didn’t bother to argue with him because I’d come to realize in the last day and a half that it didn’t work. I could talk until I was blue in the face, he’d still do as he pleased in the end.
I’ve also noticed that he and his teammates seem to be always around in the last two days, more so than they had been lately. Even at practice yesterday, some of the guys were hanging out in the stands.
When I’d asked Scottie the water boy why it seemed like he was following me around, he’d denied it and then continued to shadow me down the hall.
I also noticed that whenever Mandy or one of her crew was around, one of the guys just showed up out of nowhere. Very weird!
I went in search of my brother after hanging up the phone, because he was the only one who could’ve told Jace about my plan to sneak out of the house at midnight.
Apparently there was a tradition in this town of driving down to the water at night, taking the bend in the road at a high rate of speed while the passengers hung out the windows and sunroof.
Rumor had it that the ghost of an old Hollywood legend walked down the middle of the street if the moon was just right, and tonight, was a full moon.
Belle and I had been giggling about it on the phone for the past two nights, which meant my brother the snitch has been listening in at my door. How else could he know what I was up to?
“Jared, why does Jace think that the girls and I are going to sneak out of the house tonight?”
“I wouldn’t know, why don’t you ask him?” He continued typing in keys on his computer.
“I know it was you.”
“Oh really, me that did what?”
“You’ve been listening in at my door and you ratted me out. Is this because I got mom to ban you from having company while my friends are here?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about; besides, mom and dad would not approve and I know you’d never do anything to disappoint them.
Did you know that Belle is terrified of that stupid ghost? Why would you want to take her out there?”
“She is not…wait she is? But why didn’t she tell me? That doesn’t make any sense, we’ve been talking about it for the past couple of nights…”
“She doesn’t want you to think that she’s weak.”
“And you know this how?”
“Doesn’t matter, just, don’t make her go out there.”
“Jared have you and Belle been talking?” Oh this was going to be good. Crap the bell rang before he could answer and the smirk on his face told me he wasn’t planning to anyway. That’s okay I’ll just ask her when she gets here later.
It was Cassandra at the door. Once again I was struck with that feeling of protection. Like I wanted to hug her close and keep her safe.
“I hope it’s okay, you said I could come over a little early so you can show me some moves.” She looked back over her shoulder where a car was leaving.
“Of course it’s okay.” I pulled her into the house with me and up the stairs to my room.
Chapter 5
We were soon laughing and rolling around on the lawn, and I realized that she was flawless in her technique, here, with just the two of us.
Which meant she was either nervous about performing in front of an audience, or someone or something was making her that way.
I promised myself to bring it up with coach the first chance I get, but I’ll have to work on Cass a little more.
Maggie came out and joined us and soon the three of us were grass stained and sweaty, lying out in the sun.
She seemed different here, more relaxed and I was happy I could give her this.
***
Pretty soon it was time for the others to show up and they came together of course, since Tammy drove Belle everywhere.
“You’re here, let’s get this party started.” After all the hellos had been said the four of us trudged up the stairs.
Mom in all her wisdom had allowed Maggie to go to a sleepover at one of her new friends’ house, thus leaving me brat free. The girl has been known to crash many a sleepover party in the past.
Speaking of which. “Belle have you and my brother been talking?” Her guilty blush was answer enough and the rest of us were soon pouncing on her for details.
“It’s not like that, we’re just…friends.”
“Oh no I don’t think so, spill it girly you like him, spill.” The night started off with talk of boys and who was hot and who wasn’t. Funnily enough no one talked about school and what was going on there.
I finally got Belle to admit that there was something there with her and Jared, though she wasn’t yet quite sure what.
And Tammy admitted that she was crazy about Shane, like that was a mystery.
“So now we jut have to find our little Cass a playmate.” She threw a pillow at me and flashed her braces.
That was the first time we discussed what our parents did for a living.
I knew about Tammy’s dad because he taught one of my classes, but I had no idea that Belle’s dad was like the leading stunt man in Hollywood, and her mother was an agent to a few well-known stars.
But the biggest surprise was Cassandra, whose dad was a very famous director and her mom had once been a model, who had chosen to be a stay at home mom after she started having kids. Wow.