Deeper inside, we push into a forest area where we’re chased around by a couple of werewolves, a vampire here and there, and someone—is that Phillip Bradenton?—with a fake chain saw grinding out. Lora screams like a little girl, but I can’t help but laugh. I guess when you’ve faced cancer, some theater makeup and sound effects don’t frighten you.
The Monroe twins, Jayne and Jessica, are dressed as zombies, coming at us with psychotic looks on their face. Someone’s dressed as a demented clown, and a botched operation is happening on the right.
“Who is that?” Lora asks of the body laid out on the table covered in phony blood.
“I think it’s Furonda.”
She rises from the table and moves toward us. Again, all I can do is laugh.
In the vampire forest, we’re surrounded by classmates dressed as the nighttime predators. A black light allows their teeth to glow in the dark. At some point, Lora and I are separated.
“Hayley! Where are you?” Lora cries out.
“Over here, cornered by a guy from my journalism class.”
He rolls his eyes at me and continues to the next victim behind me.
There’s wispy smoke from a dry ice machine, and several fans blow black curtains around in confusion. I search for the exit in vain. It’s just too dark in here, and the screams of fellow PCHers drown out everything else.
“Lora? Where are you?”
No answer. Great. I’ve lost her.
I slip through the fog and find a seam in the sea of curtains. But my pathway is cut short when a dark, cloaked figure, surely meant to represent the Grim Reaper, backs me into a dark, dark corner, blacker than the rest of the room.
His hands are strong on my arms, but not frightening at all. His breath smells sweet, as if he’s been eating the divinity candy from the carnival’s country store.
“Hayley,” he whispers to me.
“Who is this?” I ask, trembling, but not due to fear.
“I think you’re amazing,” he whispers.
And then he kisses me.
A soft, feathery kiss on my lips.
Who? What? Huh?
I can’t move from the shock. I can’t breathe from the stolen moment.
Just as quickly as the Grim Reaper appeared to me, he disappears. He fades back into the props and confusion of the haunted house.
My hand moves up to cover my lips, still warm from the contact.
“Hayley?” Lora calls out again.
“Over here,” I barely manage to get out.
She grabs for my hand and pulls me to her. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I say.
I don’t tell Lora what just happened, simply because I don’t exactly know what it was myself.
How to describe it?
A dream?
An apparition?
A secret admirer?
A delicious encounter that has my senses reeling?
I have no clue.
And I have no way of figuring it out.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
An apology is the superglue of life. It can repair just about anything.
—Lynn Johnston
I walk through the motions the rest of the night, my skin still buzzing from the mystery kiss. I win at the rubber duck pond and get a bag of toys and stuff at the fishing booth. However, I can’t keep my mind from dwelling on what happened inside the haunted house.
My heart is pulsating in my chest.
My hands are tickly and tingly.
Adrenaline flows through me in a river of questions.
People don’t just kiss me randomly.
Nor do they tell me I’m amazing.
Chills tiptoe up my spine at the memory of his soft words and tender kiss.
Then doubt creeps in.
Was it a joke?
Part of a prank? Or a dare?
How do I unravel this mystery?
When the carnival comes to a close, Lora and I join up with Ashlee and Tara to take some pictures of us all in costume. One of the yearbook photographers snaps us, as well. The smell of popcorn and cider is prevalent in the air, so we stop on our way out to raid the leftovers. Mrs. Ingram hands us free servings as they’re trying to clean up. I try to concentrate on the salty goodness of the snack, but my lips still buzz from the kiss.
We head out of the school and into the parking lot where the last hayride unloads right in front of us. That’s when I see him.
It’s Daniel. He’s wearing a black cape with a hood, just like the Grim Reaper. Could it have been him who kissed me? You’d think I’d recognize his kiss, even though it’s been a few weeks since we broke up. Hell, we haven’t even spoken since that fateful night at the bonfire.
But was this his way of apologizing?
Does it mean he actually cares about me after all?
Why do guys have to play such asinine games?
Will Hopkins, dressed as a vampire, climbs down off the wagons after Daniel and comes over to Lora. “Where have you been all night?”
“Working,” Lora says. “Bite anyone interesting in the haunted house?”
Exposing his plastic fangs, Will moves to nibble at Lora’s neck and she squeals.
Daniel actually makes eye contact with me and sort of smiles. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I say, not able to form any other words.
“What are y’all doing now?” he asks.
I don’t respond, not knowing exactly what our status is at the moment.
Ashlee says, “I’ve got to go home. Trig test tomorrow.”
“What teacher gives a test after the Halloween carnival?” I ask.
“Quakenbush.”
“’Nuff said,” Daniel says with a laugh.
Byron Burke, a fellow senior and one of the offensive linemen on the football team, pulls up in his Jeep. “Y’all wanna go riding around? See what trouble we can get into?”
I glance at Lora. “I don’t have to be home until eleven.”
“Me either.”
Lora and Will climb into the back of the Jeep with Lora sitting in his lap. Byron’s driving with Phillip Bradenton in the front seat. Daniel awkwardly stares at me and then motions for me to get into the back of the Jeep before him. I slide in next to Will, and then Daniel squeezes into the small space left. We’re totally smashed together and touching from shoulders down to our knees.
“You got enough room?” he asks.
“Yeah... I’m fine.” I swallow hard, not knowing what to say to him after what we’ve been through. And after that mysterious kiss in the dark.
Byron lets out a loud whoop and slams the Jeep into gear. We speed down the PHS driveway. I pull my thin cape around me for warmth and hold on to the roll bar overhead to keep from flying into Daniel’s lap.
Before I know it, we’ve driven all through Maxwell and into a residential section over behind Maxwell State University. We weave through the quiet streets and then turn onto Gravity Way.
My grip tightens on the bar, and I grit my teeth.
“Get ready!” Byron shouts, and then slips the Jeep into low gear.
Gravity Way is this huge downward steep grade that I’ve heard about people racing down, followed by a sharp upward incline.
“Gun it!” Will shouts. Lora hides her face in his vampire cloak.
“Do it!” Daniel yells, and puts his hands up in the air.
The chilling night air whooshes around us as we speed down the hill. I’m trying to enjoy the thrill, but I’m torn between the sheer terror of what if we flip or crash, or what if one of Maxwell’s finest is waiting at the bottom of the hill to ticket the crazy kids out causing trouble Halloween night.
Fortunately, neither happens, and we make it up the hill safe and sound.
“Do it again, dude!” Daniel says.
Boys.
“Naw man, check this out,” Byron says as he turns left onto this tiny gravel road. It’s darker than dark, and the treetops provide a leafy tunnel that we dr
ive through. The Jeep’s headlights touch on a wrought-iron gate at the end.
“What is this place?” Lora asks.
I see an overgrown sign that reads Restful Grove.
“Oh my God,” I say, breathless. “We’re at a cemetery?”
Byron turns and laughs. “It’s the oldest one in the city. Isn’t even on the maps.” He pulls the Jeep all the way up to the gate and shuts off the engine. “Let’s go explore.”
Lora and I exchange panicked looks. This is so not cool, but I don’t want the guys to think I’m freaked out. Guys love it when girls freak out.
Byron, Phillip, and Daniel force the gate open, and Lora, Will, and I slip inside. The place is very run-down with broken headstones, piles of leaves, and tall grass and weeds covering the area. It’s no bigger than my grandmother’s backyard; yet it has a total creepiness factor.
“I don’t like this, Hayley,” Lora whispers. “I’m scared.”
I try to reassure her while comforting my own tripled pulse rate. “It’s okay.”
Is it, though?
Daniel and Byron start dueling with long tree branches they found on the ground. The rest of us wander around checking out the old graves. Some date back to the mid-1800s with a lot of unmarked, unknown, or sunken-in tombs. The hairs on my arm stand at attention and not from the cold. There’s an eeriness here that crawls over me, and makes me feel like something is watching us. Not that I necessarily believe in demons, ghosts, or spooks, but this just doesn’t seem right.
My instincts couldn’t be more dead—no pun intended—on when I hear Byron scream out to Daniel, Will, and Phillip.
“Dudes... run!”
Will drops Lora’s hand that he’s been holding and takes off toward the gate with his football buddies. Lora screams like a banshee and bolts after her boyfriend. I can’t exactly run and am totally screwed.
“They’re trying to leave us!” Lora yells.
“No shit, Sherlock!” I cry back.
“Will! Don’t do this to me!” my partner begs as she’s running fast. Guess he forgot she ran track in the spring.
I can’t run, though, and can only watch as Byron squeezes back through the gate, followed by Phillip, and Will pulling up the rear. Lora catches up to him, screaming and waving her hands. The Jeep starts backing up, and I see Lora dive into the back seat, wailing away on her boyfriend as he laughs and fends her off.
Oh my God. They’re leaving me. WTF?
Daniel’s the last one of the pack to make it to the gate; his black cape flapping in the wind. However, his cell phone comes flying out, and he pauses to get it.
This is my chance!
I have no idea where I get the energy, strength, or even the ability to close the distance between the two of us. Daniel straightens from picking up his cell phone, and that’s when I tackle him like a lineman on fourth and short.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I growl out.
He struggles with me in the dirt and leaves that we’re rolling around in. “Hayley, what are you doing?”
“Y’all aren’t ditching me! If I’m left, so are you.”
He wrestles away from me, but my sudden Wonder Woman strength keeps him pinned on the ground.
The squeal of tires on gravel catches my ear, and I realize the deed is done.
“Great! Just great!” I yell, climbing off him.
Daniel slams his fists into the ground, sending leaves flying everywhere. “Fuck!”
I stand up and pick remnants of broken shrubs, twigs, and grass off my uniform. My teeth begin to chatter, so I wrap the thin cloak around me, hoping Byron will come back soon. What an asshole!
I give Daniel the death stare as he dials his cell phone. He obviously gets Byron’s voice mail. “Yo, Burke. What the fuck, man? That wasn’t the plan. Girls—we were ditching the girls, you retard! You’d better get your ass back here ASAP!”
I hiss through my teeth, trying to cap my anger. “Are you serious? You idiots planned that? What... strand the cheerleaders in the cemetery... for what purpose?”
“It’s Halloween,” he says. “You do shit like this.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t.”
I turn my back and walk away from him. I cross over to a crumbling mausoleum covered with vines and clumps of mud. At least there’s a little overhang to protect me from the extreme cold. Why hadn’t I thought to bring my coat tonight? Oh, I know—because I didn’t know I was going to get left in a freaking cemetery with my ex.
Pulling my knees up in front of me, I wrap my arms around my legs and pull the cape over myself. The torn fishnet stockings do very little to keep me warm.
I sit like this for at least fifteen minutes, wondering if our ride will ever come back. It’s not like we’re near anything or could walk to a house and ask for help. Daniel can’t call 911 because we’re totally trespassing and the cops would not be happy.
Several feet from me, Daniel keeps calling and texting Byron to no avail. If he were a cartoon character, steam would be spewing from his ears.
No words are exchanged as he paces back and forth near me. At least he has long pants on and a thicker cape—a cape similar to the person who kissed me. Was it Daniel? And if so, why is he being so distant now? Shouldn’t he be comforting me or something?
Hell no. He’s too concerned about himself, as usual. My fists ball up, and I dig my fingernails into my palms. Irritation rushes through my veins, and I become passionately outraged on the inside like a bubbling volcano about to burst.
I can’t take it anymore. I erupt.
“You know,” I call out to Daniel, “you’re a real jerk.”
Quietly, he shuffles through the leaves and makes his way over to me. He hangs his head and then sits down next to me. His eyes meet mine, and I see regret overcome him.
“Yeah, I know it,” he acknowledges.
Ahhh... victory. “At least you admit it.”
Silence surrounds us again as the night wind curls around our feet. An owl hoots in the distance, and I quake.
Daniel moves closer and wraps his cape around me in a nice gesture. The one streetlight, coupled with the moonlight, bounces off his face. I see his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he’s about to speak.
“I’m sorry I flaked on you, Hayley.”
I don’t know what to say, so I just nod and listen.
He sighs. “Cancer is just too much for me to handle.”
“Tell me about it,” I say sarcastically.
“It’s high school, you know? Senior year. Final blowout. Not real life.”
My own sigh releases. “Well, it’s real life to me.”
He pulls me closer, and I appreciate the shared warmth. “I know.”
We sit like that for a few more minutes—how many, I don’t know. We’re friends comforting each other. Nothing more.
After a while, I see the headlights to Byron’s Jeep approaching. They’re waving and laughing like they’ve just pulled off the cleverest gag of all times. Whatever.
At least I had this time with Daniel—the real Daniel; not some jock trying to impress his friends.
I forgive him in my head for being such a stupid boy.
Deep, deep down in my female intuition, I know he wasn’t the one who kissed me in the dark.
The question remains... then who was it?
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
—Winston Churchill
I creep into the hospital room and find Ross sitting in bed with tons of paperwork in front of him.
“Mobile office?” I ask.
“Hayley, what a treat,” he says, smiling. “Come sit.”
I pull the chair up next to his bed and hand him the gift bag I brought for him.
“What’s that?”
“The real treat.”
Ross opens it and then laughs. “Snickers bars. Honestly, kid. You should buy stock in the company.”
I bob my head. “It was the only thi
ng I could stomach during my chemo.”
“It sucks,” he says. “You know, to be technical about it.”
“Yeah, it did.”
He seems older, more worn, and very tired. His hair is definitely thinning, and there are bruises all up and down his arms. He’s been in the hospital three weeks now, and I can tell he’s fidgety and frustrated.
He shifts the paperwork aside and reaches into the bag for one of the candy bars. Ripping into the paper, he takes a bite and then moans in pleasure. “That works.”
I lace my fingers together on my lap. “So, how is everything going?”
Ross lays the chocolate on the tray in front of him. “Day to day, you know? Seems that in order to kill the leukemia cells, a lot of my healthy cells and tissue get damaged. I’m starting to lose my hair, my nails have all broken off, and every time they stick a needle in me, I bruise like I’ve been in a prize fight.”
I shake my head, realizing how “simple” my treatment was in comparison. “I’m sorry, Ross. But you have to do this to get well.”
“That’s what they tell me,” he says. He fakes a smile at me, but I know better.
“I’m so tired, Hayley. I’ve never been this exhausted in my life,” he says. Frustration underlines his words. “I’ve climbed mountains with less effort. Now, all I want to do is sleep and not throw up. You know what I’m talking about.”
“I do,” I say quietly. “I don’t know what I can do for you, but I’m here.”
Ross reaches for my hand. “That’s priceless. That and the chocolate bars.”
I tighten my grip to encourage him. “I know this is hard. Believe me, I do. You have to trust that God has a plan for you and that the doctors can take care of this so it won’t get worse.”
He chuckles. “You should bottle that positive attitude and sell it on eBay, kiddo.”
My cheeks heat from the compliment. “It’s how I get up every day and go to school. I have to stay positive.”
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