She’d wanted to tell her mother everything, too, had started to tell her a hundred different times, but something had held Robin back. Partly because she knew Mom wouldn’t want her taking a job in a strange tragic household like that; partly because she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the hundred dollars a week. The trip to Florida and new clothes, too—and such easy money! Just sitting there going through boxes and shelves and making lists of books! Robin had finally told her mother half the truth—that she was working for a nice old man who needed his library put in order—and after Mom realized it was the Swanson family, she’d been too impressed to ask a lot of questions. Then Robin had gone directly up to bed, but she hadn’t been able to sleep. Her stomach had been in knots all night, and she’d tossed until the alarm went off this morning.
The whole thing was weird, she’d told herself as she got ready for school. Too weird. There was a feeling about it she couldn’t seem to shake, an uneasiness she couldn’t get rid of. That whole suicide thing, and Herk’s obvious hatred for Lillith, and why hadn’t Parker ever mentioned his sister to anyone? To Robin’s knowledge, none of the other kids had ever heard of Claudia Swanson, or she was sure someone would have said something. And then there was Skaggs, of course. He’d frightened her badly, that was part of it—but he was drunk. He’ll never remember a thing about it today.
She wondered what Claudia looked like, how old she was, when she’d be able to meet her in person.
And she thought about Parker.
If I take that job, I’ll be in that house, I’ll be where Parker is, I’ll get to know Claudia, and I’ll find out what really goes on inside the walls of Manorwood, and I’ll make tons of money in the process.…
“Did you hear me?” Faye jostled her. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”
“Oh. Sorry. I’m—”
“Look. There’s Parker.”
Faye’s voice ended on a breathless note, and Robin tried to look without being obvious. Parker was standing near the outside stairs, sharing a joke with the rest of the guys crowded around him.
Faye sighed again and nudged Robin with her elbow.
“I want a date with him. Please, God.”
As the girls passed by, Faye swung into her most seductive walk, and Robin steeled herself as whistles serenaded them into the building.
“Why do you do that?” she muttered. “It’s so embarrassing.”
“No, it’s not.” Faye giggled. “And I do it because I’m good at it.”
Faye let go of the door before she realized Robin hadn’t quite crossed the threshold. Robin, struggling with her books, glanced up just in time to see the door swinging into her face.
Faye moaned. “He’s so gorgeous. Honestly, Robin, sometimes I think—Robin!”
Robin managed to catch herself before she’d fully hit the floor. As her books spilled out helter-skelter, she went down on her knees and swore loudly at the pain. She felt her stockings rip and felt herself being squashed in the doorway and caught just a glimpse of Faye turning back for her. And then suddenly someone else was there, wedging open the door and pulling her to her feet.
“Rule number one. Never use your face for a doorstop.”
Flustered, Robin looked up into Parker’s wide grin. She could hear jokes and laughter as students pushed past them, and Parker steered her clumsily to one side of the hall.
“You okay?” He propped her against the wall and glanced back as Faye came rushing up. “If you’d been watching where you were going instead of watching me—”
“I was not watching you!” Robin said angrily. She wished she could disappear. She wished she could just say a magic word and wake up to find her total humiliation was only a nightmare. But instead she looked helplessly at Faye as her friend peered into her face.
“Ewww! You’re bleeding!” Faye squealed.
“I am?”
While Faye rummaged through her purse, Robin put one hand to her face and felt a warm trickle of blood across her lips. She started to say something when Faye slammed a tissue against her mouth, making her moan instead.
“Oh, that’s great, Faye.” Parker chuckled. “I like that cute squashed look.”
“I’m helping her,” Faye said indignantly. “I know what I’m doing, thank you very—”
“Can we go?” Robin broke in. “Please? We’re holding up traffic.”
Parker barely glanced at the curious onlookers streaming by in the corridor. “What do you mean, can you go? Do you realize how popular you are just because I’m standing here beside you?”
“You are such a jerk!” Robin burst out.
As Parker pressed her back against the wall, she saw Walt sauntering by, that faint look of amusement on his face.
“You sure know how to make a great impression, Bailey,” he greeted her and continued on down the hall.
“That’s it,” Robin said. “I’m going.”
But before she could move, Parker took her chin in his hand and angled her head back. Faye didn’t say a word; all she could do was stare.
“I hear,” Parker murmured, “that you and I might be seeing quite a lot of each other.”
Startled, Robin looked straight into his eyes. So green … I’ve never seen eyes so green.… It seemed to take all her effort to look away again. She glanced over at Faye, but the other girl looked hypnotized.
“Lucky you,” Parker whispered.
“Go start your own fan club,” Robin said, giving him a shove. “I’ve got to go to my locker.”
Again she tried to get away, but his fingers tightened ever so slowly on her chin, holding it firmly in place. Unnerved, she felt her gaze drawn back to his. For one split second it was as if she had no will of her own, as though she’d lost all sense of her surroundings, all sense of everything except the deep green of his eyes … and then suddenly she heard him speak, as from a long way off …
“You have no idea,” Parker whispered, “what you’re getting yourself into.”
The bell rang.
It shattered the hold of his stare, and as Robin gasped and twisted free, she felt Parker’s hand slide from her face.
He stepped back and grinned at a gaping Faye.
“Later,” he said and was gone.
For several seconds Robin just stood there, staring at the spot where Parker had been standing, then staring down at the crumpled tissue in her hand.
Faye groaned. “I hate you.”
“What?” Turning to face her friend, Robin saw the expression of disbelief on Faye’s face.
“This is the second day in a row he’s talked to you! And you don’t even care! Everyone else would die for a look from this guy—and you don’t even care! You need a brain transplant, Robin. What is wrong with you?”
“He knew your name, didn’t he?” Robin muttered. She clamped her books to her chest and started walking.
“You’re right!” Faye brightened. “He did know my name—he said it out loud! Oh, Robin, I just might get that date before Vicki after all!”
“Good luck,” Robin said sarcastically, and the two of them ran for class.
It was impossible to concentrate. As Robin stuck out her tongue and ran it gingerly over both lips, searching for cuts, she caught Mrs. Grouse’s startled look and slid lower in her seat. She could see people staring at her from the corner of her eye. Embarrassed, she closed her mouth and leaned forward, burying her face in her math book. She couldn’t believe she’d made such a total fool of herself out there in the hall. Her body felt hot and then cold, and her chin still tingled from the touch of Parker’s hand. Damn him! What an ego he had! What an insensitive macho—
“Robin,” Mrs. Grouse said, “do you have a problem?”
“No, thank you. I’m okay.”
She could still hear Parker’s voice in her mind … the last thing he’d said to her as he’d left … she could still feel the unsettling power of his eyes. Squirming in her chair, Robin looked up and saw Walt giving her a sidelong
glance, his eyebrow raised knowingly. But he couldn’t know—he couldn’t know what I’m thinking! Flushing again, Robin lifted her book even higher.
“All right, people.” Mrs. Grouse waved a sheaf of papers in the air. “I was very disappointed in these tests. I expected better of you. Robin—”
Robin’s heart sank. She lowered her book, barely acknowledging the teacher with a nod.
“Robin, it looks as if you’re the only one who bothered to study for this.” Mrs. Grouse gave one of her rare smiles. “All you other people—shame on you.”
Robin cringed as dark looks shot in her direction.
“Traitor,” Walt mumbled.
She shrugged as Faye glared at her, and when class was finally over, she waited in the hall, bracing herself for the lecture she knew would come.
“I hate you even more.” Faye scowled, crumpling her test paper and tossing it into a trashcan. “When I think of all that sleep I missed for nothing!”
“Sorry.” Robin sighed. “I guess I just have a head for math.”
“You have a head for everything that anyone could ever get graded on,” Faye said glumly. “You’re really getting on my nerves.”
“Hey, Bailey,” a soft voice spoke behind them, “don’t you ever get tired of showing off?”
The girls looked up in surprise. Walt was standing in the doorway, that funny little half smile on his face. Robin tried to think of a clever reply, but Faye didn’t give her the chance.
“Maybe you and I should study together,” she said coyly. “Since we’re obviously the ones who need … practice.”
Walt looked straight at her.
“No, thanks.”
Even with all the chaos in the hall around them, Robin felt the sudden, sickening silence. She also saw the angry flush go over Faye’s cheeks and the sullen toss of Faye’s head as she took a step away.
“Excuse me,” Faye said with icily forced sweetness. “I hate to be rude, but I have to go flunk another class now.”
“Faye—”
Robin reached for her, but Faye disappeared into the mob of rushing students. After a second of indecision Robin turned solemnly back to Walt.
“You hurt her feelings.”
“I’m sorry. What was I supposed to say?”
Robin stared at him.
“That you want to study with her,” she said at last, even as Walt was shaking his head.
“But I don’t.”
The bell sounded, and Robin took a step backward. As a rush of students surged through the hall, someone slammed into her, shoving her up against Walt’s chest, and his arm went around her to steady her.
Robin gasped. “Oh, sorry … I’m so sorry—”
“I’m not.”
Startled, Robin looked up at him. His dark eyes gazed back at her calmly, and a slow smile eased across his lips. Several seconds passed before his arm finally slid from her shoulders.
“Well …” Robin glanced back this time before she took a step. “Well … I guess I’ll see you later.”
He nodded. He gave his not-quite sort of smile and walked off in the other direction.
Faye was right—yesterday was a weird day, but today is even weirder. In fact, I can’t even imagine anything turning out any weirder than it already is.…
Late for class now, Robin turned the corner and headed for the stairs. The hallway was deserted here, and doors were closing up and down the corridor as teachers started their lectures. Picking up speed, she raced down, digging through her notebook for her homework assignment.
She wasn’t really watching where she was going.
She didn’t even notice the pitiful heap at the bottom of the stairs until she was practically on top of it.
At the last second Robin’s head came up, and she gasped in alarm, swerving to avoid a collision.
There was something almost familiar about the body sprawled there on the floor.
Familiar … and somehow frightening.
The flowing blond hair … the childlike face … and the glassy eyes staring up at Robin in horror.
My God,” Robin whispered. “Claudia …”
Robin would have known her anywhere.
She looked just like the portrait of Lillith that Robin had seen hanging at Manorwood last night.
For several horrible seconds Robin could only stare, but then at last she knelt down on the floor and leaned over the prone figure.
“Are you all right?” she burst out. “Are you hurt? Say something—are you—”
“Pushed,” the girl mumbled, and as Robin put her arms around her, the girl sagged against Robin’s shoulder. “Pushed,” she whispered again.
“Can you sit up?” Robin was afraid to move her and looked frantically up and down the hallway for help. “Wait here,” she said softly. “I’m going to get the nurse—”
“No!” As if she’d suddenly found some inner reserve of strength, the girl sat up and pushed Robin away. “I don’t want the nurse. Really … just … just leave.”
Robin looked at her in surprise. “Come on, it’ll be all right. I just don’t want you to move in case anything’s—”
Robin’s voice cut off as she heard footsteps coming leisurely down the stairs, two at a time. She opened her mouth to call for help and saw Parker Swanson’s face come into view.
They saw each other at the exact same moment.
Robin’s eyes widened and so did his, and in one quick movement he was squatting beside them, tossing his books to the side.
“What happened?”
Robin shook her head at him. “I don’t know—I just—”
“Claudia, are you okay?” Parker looked worried, but as he tried to take hold of the girl, she grew even stiffer and pulled out of his reach.
“You know what happened,” she murmured. “You know.”
Robin saw a quick, unreadable expression flicker over Parker’s face. He opened his mouth, then shut it again and stood back up.
“I’ll try to find the nurse,” he said to Robin. “Can you stay with her?”
“Sure.”
He disappeared down the hallway, and as Claudia stared after him, Robin had a moment to study the girl.
If Robin hadn’t known about the death of Claudia’s mother, she would have sworn that Lillith lay on the floor beside her now. Claudia’s face was tiny and oval shaped, her eyes a beautiful shade of violet, and her appearance innocently childlike. Long blond hair streamed over her back and shoulders, and as she lowered her lashes, several tears crept out, though she blinked them fiercely away.
“It’s all right,” Robin said again. “You’re going to be fine.”
The girl shook her head but said nothing.
“You’re—” Robin broke off, biting her lip. Maybe Claudia didn’t know about the cataloging yet—or that Robin had even been to Manorwood. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
At last the girl looked her full in the face. Claudia’s eyes were so sad, so bewildered, that Robin felt an ache in her own heart.
“I just started here today,” Claudia said at last.
“Oh. Well. That explains it.”
Robin gave her a reassuring pat, but Claudia remained limp against her.
“That explains it,” Robin repeated lamely. “I didn’t think you looked familiar.”
“Maybe I should get up.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea—” Robin began, but Claudia’s hand clamped tightly onto her arm.
“You must have seen her—there on the steps—right before you came down!” The girl’s voice rose, and her eyes shot to the top of the empty staircase.
“Who?” Robin asked. “I didn’t see anyone. There was just me.”
“No,” the girl murmured, and again her eyes darted to the landing above. “No, she was there, you see. I have to get up. I have to get away.”
Robin tightened her hold around Claudia’s shoulders. “But everyone’s in class right now—no one’s going to come trampling over you
. Those stairs are pretty slippery on damp days like this. You’re lucky you—”
“I didn’t slip. She pushed me.”
Robin stared at her. Claudia’s delicate brows drew together in a stubborn line, and her eyes lowered to the floor.
“Who?” Robin asked quietly. “Who pushed you?”
For a long moment the girl said nothing.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Robin felt the fragile body shiver against her. Claudia felt cold and small and helpless.
“But it does matter,” Robin tried again. “I can’t imagine any of the kids here doing something like that. In the first place they don’t even know you. In the second place … well … they just wouldn’t.”
“I’d … I’d rather not talk about it,” Claudia mumbled. Again her eyes blinked, as if fighting back tears, and her face tightened into a mask of soft defiance. “Just leave me alone,” she whispered. “Please.”
Before Robin could answer, Parker reappeared with the school nurse. Robin stood up and let Miss Danton take over, and after a quick examination it was decided that Claudia had suffered nothing more than bruises and a bad scare.
“Would you like to go home?” Miss Danton offered, but Claudia shook her head adamantly. Apparently Parker had already told the nurse that he and Claudia were related, because now Miss Danton looked questioningly at him. He in turn only looked at the floor.
“Are you sure?” Miss Danton asked again.
“Yes, thank you. I’m fine.” Claudia stood slowly and brushed herself off, though Robin could see the girl’s hands were still shaking.
“I can take her home if she wants to go,” Parker finally said.
Claudia shook her head. Miss Danton nodded.
“Well, why don’t you come back with me and lie down for a minute,” she said briskly, “just to make sure you’re not dizzy. Robin … Parker … I’ll write you two late-notes for class. Thanks for your help.”
They watched Miss Danton lead Claudia off to the infirmary, and then Parker turned to Robin with a grin.
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