by Nancy Holder
Sylvia seemed to prize strong character more than anything. Hazel was willing to gamble that they’d be cool with her choice.
“Not tonight,” she said.
“You sure?” Carolyn asked.
Hazel nodded and Carolyn handed the joint to Trina.
Hazel breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Crisis averted.
She glanced around the yard, half searching for the missing cat and half taking in the scene around her. Absolutely all the cool kids were here and finally—finally—she was among them.
Some of the kids even waved hello to her. Had they noticed her at school? Probably not. But now that she was here—now that she was invitation-worthy—all that seemed about to change.
For the first time, Hazel felt like she was on the way up. It was a good feeling, one she hoped wouldn’t fade as soon as the party was over.
Hazel gazed upward. The night was chilly, the sky bright and clear. Brookhaven offered stars, something most San Diegans didn’t get to see because of all the city lights. Tonight, this party was the center of the universe.
“I think Isotope is just hiding from all the strangers.” Carolyn cut into Hazel’s thoughts. “Might as well call off the search.”
Hazel nodded. They broke off from Stephan and the others and Hazel began to mingle, moving through the swirls of conversation. She danced with a guy named Mark and then with Carolyn. Someone passed out monster chocolate chip cookies. Hazel had two. Later in the evening, she found herself with Trina, telling her an old story about Breona getting in trouble in chem lab.
“Ms. Carpentier found the notes she and Jenna Babcock had been writing in class. They were writing them in their notebooks so it would look like they were comparing findings or something. There was one that said, ‘Carpentier is a crazy bitch today.’”
Trina started cracking up. “Oh my God!”
“She was so busted. Ms. Carpentier sent her to Clancy,” Hazel went on.
“Maybe she was busted, but have you noticed? She always bounces back. This time won’t be any different. She’ll be back in school before you know it,” Trina proclaimed. She took a sip of her drink. “She’s like a virus. You think you’ve gotten rid of her, but she just pops back up.”
“A virus?” Hazel laughed.
“Yeah.” Trina snickered. “The flesh-eating kind. And the only thing more dangerous than the Breona virus is Breona mixed with Sylvia Orly. Put them together and you get a supervirus—capable of wiping out everything around it! I don’t know what those two have against each other, but it can get ugly.”
“Seriously,” Hazel agreed. For a moment, she thought about telling Trina that the PLDs had narced on Breona. Then Hazel remembered: she’d promised Carolyn she’d keep her lips sealed, and she wanted to keep her promise.
“What’s going on out here?” a deep voice called. Hazel turned toward the sliding glass doors.
Oh. My. God. She blinked. There, walking out into the backyard, was Matty Vardeman.
He looked amazing in his letter jacket, black jeans, and a black T-shirt. His faint smile was too incredibly sexy, and his dark eyes were dancing with amusement as he took in his surroundings.
“Whoa,” Trina said under her breath. “New-guy alert. He is so hot.”
Hazel licked her lips, aware that her mouth had gone dry. She could hear her heart pounding. Then Matty looked straight at her. He brightened and came toward her.
He stood facing her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she managed.
“I’m Matty.”
I know, she almost said. But she maintained. “Hazel,” she introduced herself.
“And Trina,” Trina said.
Matty nodded politely. Then his gaze returned to Hazel.
“So,” he said.
Trina cleared her throat. “I’m going to get something to drink. You want anything?”
“I’m good,” Hazel said. “How about you?” she asked Matty.
He held up a bottle. “I’m fine with water.” Trina took off, and Matty nodded at some familiar faces. “Cool party,” he said.
“Yeah,” Hazel agreed. She glanced over Matty’s shoulder to see Sylvia standing in the doorway. She gave a little wave.
Sylvia’s eyes glittered. She pointed at Matty’s back and mouthed the words, “You’re welcome.”
Hazel fought hard to hide her grin.
“This time of year, it’s getting cold in Virginia,” Matty said. “Out here, it’s practically like summer.”
“I’ve never been to Virginia,” she said. “I’ve heard it’s pretty, though.”
“It is. Green grass, rolling hills…but what I think I’ll miss most are the crazy thunderstorms we get in the spring. I used to sit out on our front porch when the rain was coming down, and the thunder would get so loud.” He drank from his water bottle. “You’ve always lived in Brookhaven?” he asked.
“All my life,” she said.
“It’s not a bad place; I just didn’t ask to move.” He sighed. “And living with my sister sucks.”
Someone called his name and he waved.
“Well, at least you’ve made friends,” she pointed out.
“Yeah. I mean, the guys on the team are cool, but I haven’t found anyone I really click with yet. You know?”
His southern accent was insanely endearing.
“I totally understand. I’m that way too.” Not that I’m feeling that way right now, Hazel thought.
“Really? But you’ve lived here forever!”
Hazel shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I’ve made any real connections. The kind that count. The kind you have forever.”
He squinted at her and gave a playful grin. “Maybe you’re too deep for Southern California.”
“Thanks a lot!” She laughed.
“No, I mean it,” he said sincerely. “You seem a little more…in touch than most of the people I’ve met.”
“Thanks,” Hazel said, with a straight face this time. They both went quiet and Hazel felt his dark eyes swallowing her up.
The silence was broken when Trina returned.
“Hey, guys.” She had an extra water bottle in her hand. “Brought this for you,” she told Matty.
“Thanks,” he said
The three of them made small talk about classes and teachers and then about their favorite shows and bands. Hazel tried to keep up her end while inconspicuously drinking Matty in.
He was into Green Day. Trina liked Maroon 5. Hazel confessed her secret nerdy thing for the Beatles.
“I think that’s just sweet,” Matty said.
“Hey, did you see what happened to Breona today?” Trina ventured. “Seriously harsh.”
Matty scowled. “I think there is something seriously wrong with that girl.”
He seemed about to elaborate when Megan walked up to Hazel and touched her elbow. “Got a minute?” she murmured.
“Sure,” Hazel replied. She looked at Matty. “Back in a few.”
Megan grabbed her by the sleeve and steered her toward the opposite side of the yard. Along the back, a weathered wooden fence rose above some untrimmed bushes and woody geraniums. Carolyn and Ellen were huddled together in the midst of them, looking very freaked out.
“Problem,” Ellen murmured.
“It’s Isotope,” Carolyn said under her breath. “Come here and see.”
Carolyn stepped among the geraniums. She pulled back a couple of runners and pointed.
The moon shone down on something white and furry—and very, very still.
“Oh no,” Hazel whispered.
Then Carolyn bent down, picked up the dead cat, and threw it hard at Hazel.
Hazel screamed. She batted at the body, knocking it to the ground at her feet.
Breathing hard, she stared down at the poor creature.
Matted fur, dirty paws, and…glass eyes?
Oh my God, Hazel thought, relieved. It’s a stuffed animal. Only a stuffed animal.
Megan and Carolyn burst into gleeful shr
ieks. Ellen covered her mouth, her eyes glittering.
“That is so not funny!” Hazel protested as they doubled over. “You guys, that’s really twisted!”
“Relax. You’ve been pranked!” Carolyn announced. “Everyone gets pranked at their first PLD party.”
Hazel shook her head as different feelings battled inside her. The whole thing was kind of mean-spirited. But the girls were laughing, tossing the stuffed animal back and forth.
Everyone gets pranked at their first PLD party. Did that mean they accepted her? That she was really a part of the cool crowd now?
Hazel looked at the stuffed animal, a rabbit, with its crossed eyes and buckteeth. How could she ever have mistaken this for a dead cat? She definitely needed to lighten up.
Megan and Carolyn walked back to the house, still laughing. Ellen trailed behind.
“It was just a joke, really,” she explained. “And it’s a good thing. We wouldn’t do that to someone we didn’t like.”
“It’s cool,” Hazel assured her. “I just have to know—was the whole thing a setup? Does Charlie even own a cat?”
“Yeah, he really does. And he really is missing.” Ellen touched her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Sure,” Hazel said. “It was just a joke.”
Ellen smiled. “Good. I wouldn’t want you to be mad or anything.”
Carolyn was right. Ellen was really sweet.
She stayed on the deck as Hazel moved inside. She didn’t see Matty in the kitchen, so she waited, leaning against the counter and helping herself to some more guacamole. She chatted with a few other girls before wandering into the living room.
There she found Trina making out with a guy in a nearby armchair. Hazel was curious. Who had Trina pounced on? She lingered for a moment, but as long as the two were lip-locked, there was no way of telling. Time to move on.
Megan and Carolyn sat on the rug, examining a shelf full of DVDs. Sylvia and Josh were curled up on the couch.
Sylvia turned to Hazel. “Hey. I heard you found Isotope?” She picked up her square glass and peered at Hazel over the rim while she drank.
“Yeah,” Hazel replied. “That was, um, pretty extreme.”
Sylvia smiled. “But brilliant for a last-minute prank, don’t you think?”
“Cool!” Megan exclaimed, interrupting. “They do have Scream.”
“We could watch that,” Sylvia said. She turned to Hazel. “You in? Scary movies are part of the PLD party tradition.”
“Sure,” Hazel told her. She glanced around, wondering where Matty was.
As if she could read her mind, Sylvia pointed down the hall. “He went to talk to Charlie. Nice guy.”
Hazel warmed. Comforting the kid who lost his cat? That was nice.
“Thanks.” Hazel turned to go, then said suspiciously, “This isn’t another trick, is it?”
“Go down the hall and find out,” Sylvia urged her in a mock-creepy voice. “Wahahaha.” She put her arms around Josh’s neck, pretending to chomp him like a vampire. He laughed back, grabbing her around the waist and doing the same.
“No worries,” Hazel said, making a cross with her forefingers. “I’m armed.”
She went on down the hall, scooting around a couple engaging in serious PDA.
At the end of the corridor was a door marked CHARLIE’S LABORATORY. A little picture of Dexter from TV decorated the bottom of the sign. Hazel knocked, and the door swung open. An electronic voice said, “Enter, carbon unit.”
She smiled and did just that. Inside, she found a little boy in flannel pajamas and enormous, thick glasses sitting on the edge of a twin bed. A comforter featuring galaxies and rocket ships was bunched around him. There were electronic parts, wheels, gears, and disassembled toys everywhere.
“Mind if I come in?” she asked.
“Hi,” the little boy said. “I’m Charlie. This is Matty.”
“I’m Hazel.”
Matty sat in a straight-backed chair beside the boy. He seemed to be sketching something in the black three-ring binder in his lap.
“Hey, Hazel,” Matty said, looking up at her. “Check it out.” He held up the binder to display a drawing of a Siamese cat.
“Wow.” Hazel gasped. “That’s really good.”
“Matty is going to help me make reward posters for Isotope. That’s my cat.”
Hazel melted. “That’s so sweet. But maybe he’s not missing. Maybe he’s just hiding because of the party.”
“Maybe,” Charlie said. “But you can’t be too careful.”
She remembered Charlie’s mother and nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“How’s this?” Matty asked Charlie, tapping the sketch with his pencil.
Charlie squinted, thinking. “He has darker markings around his eyes.”
Hazel and Charlie looked on as Matty shaded the almond-shaped eyes.
“Yep. That’s Isotope,” Charlie said wistfully. “It looks exactly like him.”
“Don’t worry, Charlie. I’ll scan it in. Then we’ll type the rest of the information and create a poster,” Matty said. “What’s your e-mail?”
Charlie told him. Matty wrote it on a blank sheet of paper. Then he looked up at Hazel. “What’s yours?”
She couldn’t contain her smile. He handed her a piece of paper and the pencil he had been using. She wrote down PURPLEHAZE and the rest, adding, “That’s my IM name too.”
“Got a cell?” Matty asked her.
“I’m between phones right now,” she lied smoothly.
Matty slipped the paper into the pocket of his jeans as he stood up.
“Okay.” Matty turned to Charlie. “Looks like I’m done here. Good night, kiddo. I hope your head feels better.”
“Good night,” Charlie said. “You won’t forget to scan in the picture, right?”
“I’ll e-mail you a jpeg as soon as I get home,” Matty assured him. Hazel followed him out the door and eased it shut behind her.
“I have to go soon,” he said, staring deep into her eyes. “But we could talk for a little while. Unless you want to watch the movie.”
“I’ve seen it a million times,” she confessed.
Matty led her past the living room and outside. In the silvery moonlight, she saw Ellen and Brandon sitting together, deep in conversation. Matty gave Brandon a nod. Then he steered Hazel over to a couple of chairs.
They talked for what seemed like minutes but must have been much longer. Hazel memorized all the little details that came out during their conversation.
Matty’s favorite color was blue. His favorite artist was Picasso. He had a dog named Clyde when he was a kid. He hated asparagus. His sister was a waitress and they didn’t get along.
“Of course, all the phone calls haven’t helped matters between us,” he said.
She was about to ask him what he meant when Stephan Nylund staggered up.
“Yo, Matty, you leaving soon?” he asked, running a hand through his red hair. “I caught a ride over with Brandon, but I gotta go and he wants to stay.”
Matty checked his watch. He swore under his breath. “Man. I’m gonna be late. What part of town do you live in?”
“Over by the mall,” Stephan said. “On Lemon.
“Cool. That’s near me.”
They headed inside. Hazel accompanied them through the darkened living room to the front door. Stephan opened it and walked on ahead.
Matty lingered with Hazel on the porch. “So, see you tomorrow?”
She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but she liked the question anyway. “Sure.”
“Okay. Well, later.” He leaned forward….
Oh my God, he’s going to kiss me! Hazel felt her cheeks flush in anticipation. But then Matty pulled back, as if he wasn’t certain that was the way to go. He smiled down at her. “You know, you have the prettiest eyes.”
He turned and walked down the path, toward a dark blue PT Cruiser.
Totally amazed, Hazel watched him go.
/> As he and Stephan got into the Cruiser, she waved. The headlights winked on and off, and then the car pulled away.
When she came back inside, she realized that the movie was almost over. Having seen it so many times, she knew exactly where they were in the plot. She perched on the arm of a chair to watch the ending—a total gore-fest—and realized the person sitting in the chair was Trina, disentangled from her smooching partner.
“Oh my God, Hazel. Matty is so into you,” Trina whispered in Hazel’s ear.
Hazel giggled. “You think?”
“Duh.”
Hazel grinned and then stifled a yawn.
“I should head out,” she whispered. She waved good-bye to Trina, then walked into the kitchen. There she found Sylvia, Megan, and Carolyn leaning against the counters, talking in whispers. Hazel hung back, not wanting to intrude, but Sylvia spotted her, catching her gaze with her laser blue eyes.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Thanks for inviting me,” Hazel said. “I had a great time.”
“You’re welcome. So.” Sylvia raised her eyebrows. “Matty. Sparks?”
Hazel smiled shyly. “Maybe.”
Sylvia sipped from her square glass. “I love playing matchmaker.”
Ellen walked with Brandon into the kitchen. Sylvia ticked her glance over to them, shooting Brandon a hard, appraising look.
“Let me guess,” Sylvia said coolly. “No sign of the cat?”
Ellen shook her head. Brandon put his arm around her shoulders and gave them a squeeze.
“Don’t worry, he’ll turn up,” he murmured reassuringly.
Sylvia frowned deeply. “It’s time to wrap things up. Brandon, be a dear and get rid of whoever is left in the living room. You know your way out.”
“Okay.” Brandon gave Ellen one last squeeze. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the living room.
Sylvia tipped her head sideways, pressing the rim of her glass against the line of her jaw. “That one,” she said softly, “cannot be trusted.”
Hazel turned to stare at Sylvia. “What do you mean?”
But Sylvia had already moved on.
“Come sit with us at lunch tomorrow, Hazel. We need to talk.”
“Lunch? With you?” Hazel stopped short. Being invited to the party was one thing; being seen at school with the PLDs was so very much another.