Second Bestie (Redbend High Book 1)

by Anna Marie Kittrell

  “You mean after his wife moved away?”

  “Guess you could say that. You friends with their girl? She’d be about your age.”

  “Yes. I mean no. I mean, yes, she’s my age. But no, we’re not friends.”

  “What was her name? Beatrice or somethin’.”

  “Bianca,” I said.

  “Bianca. That’s right. I remember when her little brother passed on. Sad time at church. Little coffin barely bigger than a footlocker.” The old man paused. “Aw, what’s the matter with me? I shouldn’t be talkin’ ’bout that.”

  “It’s okay. I know about Sam.”

  “Sam. Yep, that was the little fella’s name. Died from a peanut allergy, of all things. After, his poor mama couldn’t go on. She took a whole bottle of strong pills the doctor gave her. Nearly died herself. Hate to think of what that would’ve done to her husband and little girl. Bad enough they have to drive over to Sugar Creek Manor to see her.” He shook his head slowly.

  “Sugar Creek Manor? Is that in New Mexico?”

  Mr. Cecil chuckled. “No, it’s about twenty miles away, in Hopeford.”

  I studied his eyes, lined with crow’s feet. “What is Sugar Creek Manor?”

  “Home for the emotionally disturbed. Mrs. Ravenwood suffered brain damage from the overdose.”

  “But, that can’t be. Bianca said her mother is in New Mexico, and one day she’ll join her.”

  “Trust me, Miss Molly. Mrs. Ravenwood is in that home, over in Hopeford. Same as she’s been for the past eight years. She’s never leavin’.”

  My forehead tightened. “That’s impossible. Bianca said…”

  “Maybe the girl doesn’t want to face it.” He pointed to a ramshackle house with cracked windows and missing shingles. “That’s the Ravenwood home.”

  I drew a sharp breath. The little girl’s house from my dream.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “This your place?” Mr. Cecil pulled the bus up to our driveway, behind Mom’s jeep.

  “This is it,” I said, still overcome by déjà vu at the sight of Bianca’s house.

  “Halloween witch is real scary. Kids’ll love it.”

  “Yeah. I guess. Oh, don’t forget your friend is back there.”

  “How could I forget old Gilbert? Snorin’ like a buzz saw. Some chaperone. Kids could jump up and down on him and he’d just keep right on sleepin’.”

  I chuckled. “Goodnight, Mr. Cecil. Thanks for the ride.”

  “You’re welcome, Miss Molly. Mama used to say I had the gift of gab. Say too much sometimes. Just ask that schoolteacher of yours.” He chuckled. “If you see that Ravenwood girl, tell her we’d be real glad to have her and her daddy back in church. We need a piano player in the worst way. Patty Francis has been playin’ keyboard, bless her soul. Just ain’t the same.” He pulled his gaze heavenward. “Matter of fact, I’m gonna mosey by the Ravenwood place tomorrow and knock a lot harder. This time I’m not lettin’ up until Seth answers that door and agrees to come to church on Sunday.”

  I stepped onto the walkway. He waited until I was safely inside before pulling away from the drive.

  Boo wiggled excitedly at my feet. I picked him up, planting a kiss on his fuzzy head.

  “Hi, Molly Lou.” Mom slid up behind me in her nightgown.

  I gazed at her feet. “What are those?”

  “They’re incredible. I found them in the cleaning aisle. See the little nubbies on the bottom?” Holding my shoulder for balance, she raised one neon-green foot. “They polish the floor like little dust mops while I’m walking around!” She let go of me and skated across the hardwood, causing Boo to bark.

  “Wow. Never seen anything like it.” I cleared my throat. “Look what Mrs. Piper brought me.” I held my Bible out proudly.

  “My goodness.” She stopped skating and took it into her hands. “What a gorgeous book.” She traced my name with her fingertip. “You thanked her, didn’t you?”

  “Of course.” I set Boo down. He dug and nipped at Mom’s slippers. She handed the Bible back and put her arm around me. I laid my head on her shoulder.

  “What did you think about church?” she asked, smoothing my hair.

  “I liked it. Kids from school were there. I’m going back Sunday.”

  “That’s great, honey. I’m glad. I’m sorry your dad and I never took you when you were younger. Granny Betsy was the go-to-gal for everything in the God department. We depended on her when we had questions about faith. Since she died, we don’t talk much about religion anymore.” Mom gently shook Boo from her slipper. He dove to the other one.

  “Don’t you still have questions, even though Granny is dead?”

  “Not really. We just don’t discuss…beyond this lifetime.”

  “I’ve never thought much about those things either. But I think it’s time I started.” I shut and locked the door, and then turned to Mom and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to bed now. I have a lot to process.”

  “Are you hungry? I’ll be glad to warm up some leftover meatloaf and potatoes.”

  “No. Thanks anyway. We had snacks at church.”

  “Okay, then. Goodnight, Molly Lou.”

  “Goodnight. Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s bowling with Neal and some guys from the firm,” she said, snickering. “Neal pulled up and he went running out to that fancy car with his old 1988 bowling bag in hand.”

  “Bowling? What happened to golf?”

  She shrugged. “He’s seems very serious about this. We can’t make light of it—to his face.”

  “Tell him I said goodnight when he gets home.”

  “I will.” She hunched her shoulders and speed-skated around me, through the dining room and into the kitchen, elbows swinging.

  Upstairs, I looked for a suitable place to set my new Bible. My gaze settled on the watermelon lamps. I stuffed them into the closet and placed the Bible in their spot.

  I sank into my chair and flipped on the television. Bianca’s broken-down house circled my mind along with Mr. Cecil’s words.

  Mrs. Ravenwood is in that home, over in Hopeford. Same as she’s been for the past eight years. She’s never leavin’.

  Maybe he had his wires crossed. He’d been at Cornerstone a long time. Could it be he was thinking of another family? A different family with the same name, whose little boy died of a peanut allergy at the exact same time. Not likely.

  I stared blankly at the TV. An acne cream commercial and its pumped-up volume jerked me from my daze. I aimed the remote, switched the channel, and landed on a mad-looking televangelist, blotting his forehead with a handkerchief. He jumped up and down, shaking his Bible. Greg was so different. So…relatable.

  I wondered if what he’d said was true, about hurt turning into anger. Bianca’s hurt had been fermenting since she was six years old. Shouldering the responsibility of her little brother’s death and losing her mother at the same time. I couldn’t imagine living without my mom.

  I turned to a music channel, hoping they’d show Dizzy’s latest video. My heart fluttered, anticipating the approaching concert. Lenni and I needed some fun. Just the two of us.

  A slow rhythm-and-blues video came on. I closed my eyes.

  * * *

  “Ready to go.” I loped down the stairs. “Mom?” I called, walking through the dining room and into the kitchen. No sign of her. I backtracked to the living room.

  “Mother, time for school. Where are you?” I stepped into the hall that led to the master bedroom. “You down here?”

  Muffled sounds crept from under the bathroom door.

  “Mom? Are you okay?” I knocked lightly and turned the knob. A groan escaped her as I cracked the door. Mom was crouched, head in her hands, beside the toilet.

  “Molly. So sorry. I’m si—” She lurched forward and heaved over the toilet bowl.

  “Oh, geez, anything I can do?”

  She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then reached for toilet paper to blow her nose. “Hand me
a washcloth, please?”

  I opened the cupboard, found one, and ran it under cold water. She blotted her forehead and neck then held it over her face.

  “A virus?” I asked.

  “I’ll be alright. Don’t think I can take you to school, though. Will you ask Pam to pick you up?”

  “Mom, I’m worried. It looks serious.”

  She shook her head. “It’ll pass. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

  “Okay. I’ll call Lenni.” I knelt beside her. “Want me to call Dad?”

  “No. I’m fine. Have a good day, Molly Lou.”

  I smoothed her hair. “Promise you’ll call him if you don’t feel better soon.”

  “I promise.”

  “Love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, too.” She offered a weak wave.

  I called Lenni then waited at the front door, dream journal in hand. I wanted to show her my Bible but felt weird taking it to school. Plus, I’d be crushed if something happened to it.

  “What’s wrong with your mom?” Pam asked as I slid into the backseat next to Lenni.

  “A virus, I guess. She seemed sure it would pass.”

  “Poor thing. I hope she’s better by tomorrow night.”

  I rolled my head against the seat. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind. Mom’s illness could throw a wrench in our plans.

  “I’ll pick you up from school today and give you a ride in the morning. She needs to stay in bed and recuperate,” Pam said.

  “What about the store?” Lenni asked.

  “I’m taking off early this afternoon, remember? Your dad’s cousin, Brenda, is getting married on Saturday. I have some errands to run before the wedding. Closing early tomorrow, too, because of the concert.”

  “Shhh! It’s on!” Lenni fluttered her hands as the DJ announced ticket information for Dizzy’s almost-sold-out show.

  “It’s going to be packed,” Lenni squealed.

  Thousands of Dizzy fans singing and shouting, shoulder to shoulder. My pulse quickened. “We’ll have to stay together, Lenni,” I said, suddenly nervous. “If we get separated, we’ll never find each other in the crowd.”

  “We’ll stick together like glue.” She held up tightly crossed fingers to illustrate.

  “Remember that.” I crossed my fingers. “Like glue.”

  Pam pulled up in front of the school. “Here we are, girlies. See you this afternoon.” She turned and blew a kiss to Lenni.

  “How was play practice?” I asked as we walked.

  “It was great. Bianca is a natural as Witch Wilhelmina.”

  “You don’t say.”

  “Crazy how quick she nailed it. She read her lines twice and had them memorized.”

  “When did you start feeling better?”

  “As soon as we started walking. Must’ve been the fresh air.”

  I hoped Mom’s illness passed as quickly.

  “Do you have your lines down, too?”

  “No way. It’s going to take forever to learn my part. I’m Princess Leonarda, and she talks a lot. It’s like the role was meant for me.”

  “You are a bit of a princess,” I teased. “When is opening night?”

  “Next Wednesday at seven. The bell, already?” Lenni picked up her stride. “I’ve gotta go. Can’t be late for first period.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  She darted through the crowd then disappeared into the swarm of bodies. My heart sank as I pictured the same scenario at the concert tomorrow night.

  I scolded myself. Lenni and I were going to have a great time together. Like two peas in a pod.

  * * *

  “Molly, up here!” Lenni stood at the front of the lunch line. She grabbed my arm, yanking me in behind her. We took our trays from the counter, mine pink, hers yellow. I scooped the cookie into my napkin and handed it to the girl behind me. “Sorry, I took cuts.”

  The daggers disappeared from her eyes.

  “I can’t wait until tomorrow night!” Lenni squealed as we sat down at a table. “We’re going to have so much fun.”

  “It will be unbelievable,” I said, tapping a rock-hard fish stick against my tray and tossing it back down. I picked up a hushpuppy instead.

  “There will be like a zillion people,” she said, her eyes wide.

  “That’s why it’s important for us to stay together,” I warned.

  “I’m so sure. Do you think I’d ditch you? This is our night.”

  “Our night,” I echoed.

  I looked through the window over Lenni’s shoulder. Beside the tetherball pole, Bianca stood motionless, glaring at Jesse Parker. He stepped close to her, licking the air, pretending to hold an invisible body against himself. The boys surrounding him laughed and high fived.

  “Molly?” Lenni’s voice barely registered with me.

  “Huh?” I answered without shifting my gaze from the window.

  “I asked what you’re wearing to the concert. What are you looking at?” She turned in her chair.

  Carlos Jones, still laughing, smacked the half-deflated tetherball. In slow motion, it circled the pole, connecting with Jesse’s face. Jesse covered his eyes and staggered, blood pouring between his fingers.

  “Oh, no!” Lenni jumped up from her chair and ran for the door. She crossed the schoolyard to Bianca’s side, tugging her sleeve.

  Boys gathered around Jesse, throwing glances at Bianca as they hoisted him up. Blood trailed as they carried him, screaming, through the cafeteria. I tore my stare from the red-splotched tile, returning my gaze to the window.

  Bianca rolled her eyes to the sky and laughed.

  I got the hiccups.

  * * *

  The story grew bigger and more gruesome with each passing hour. By last period, Jesse’s eyeball had been ripped from the socket by the metal hook that secured the ball to the rope.

  And Bianca was a witch.

  During Mrs. Timble’s class, gazes shot continually to Bianca’s empty desk while we worked on scientific notation. As Mrs. Timble collected papers, Mr. Parker’s voice crackled over the intercom.

  “Good afternoon, students. At this time, I would like to share an update on Jesse’s condition. After receiving six stitches on his lacerated eyelid, he is home recuperating. Regrettably, he will not be participating in tomorrow night’s football game against Sawyer High, but has hopes of returning to school on Monday. I will pass any well wishes along to him this evening. Listen as Mrs. Butler reads the additional announcements. Have a safe afternoon.”

  The class burst into excited conversation while the secretary droned on about test scores and book fairs. Finally, she signed off with a click. Mrs. Timble rapped the desk and stared at us until our roar became a whisper. The bell rang. She held us thirty-seconds over, and then dismissed us with the flick of her wrist.

  More chatter than usual filled the main hallway. Snippets of what transpired at the tetherball pole echoed from all directions at once. My pulse quickened as I turned the corner, expecting Bianca to jump out and point her finger with a bone-chilling, “You’re next!” I tucked the gold cross into my palm. It sickened me how flimsy my composure became in the face of fear.

  “Lenni.” I ran to the locker and spun the dial. “Timble kept us. I was afraid I’d missed you.”

  “Silly. My mom’s picking us up, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  I’d heard the school counselors had swept Bianca to the office following Jesse’s accident. I looked closely at Lenni, expecting concern. She looked calm.

  “Have you heard from Bianca?”

  “She texted me.” Lenni handed me her books, shimmied her cell from her front pocket, and touched the screen. She read aloud. “Counselors and principal think I’m a freak. LOL. Bad-breath truant officer took me home. Can’t stop laughing.”

  Lenni giggled and slid her phone into her pocket. “I texted her about everyone saying she’s a witch. She loved that part.”

  “Don’t you think that’s a little mean, her laugh
ing at Jesse when he’s really hurt?” I pushed Lenni’s books into her hands.

  “She told me what he said to her. Things that would’ve gotten a non-principal’s kid expelled.” She dumped her books into the locker and slammed it.

  “But still—”

  “Look, everybody saw Carlos hit the ball. Bianca just happened to be looking at Jesse. Maybe she had nothing to do with it.”

  We walked to the main hall and out the front doors. Pam’s car waited at the curb. She rolled down the dark, tinted window and motioned to us.

  * * *

  “I’ll pick you up in the morning, Molly,” Pam reminded me as I slid from the backseat.

  “I’ll be ready. See you tomorrow, Lenni.”

  “Bye,” she said, glancing up from her phone.

  Boo hopped around my feet as I walked into the house. The stench of cabbage punched me in the gut. I entered the kitchen, pinching my nose. “Why are you cooking? I thought you were sick.”

  “The nausea’s gone. I feel fit as a fiddle. Want to help with the bread?”

  “Ugh. No thanks. It’s my turn to barf. The smell is killing me.”

  She inhaled deeply, “Smells delicious.”

  “I thought you hated cabbage.” I peeked into a bubbling pot then slammed the lid.

  “It’s the strangest thing. I like it all of a sudden.” She shrugged, buttering bread.

  “I’ve gotta get out of here. Can I have mac and cheese for dinner?”

  “Suit yourself. You don’t know what you’re missing.” She slid a steaming hunk of cabbage into her mouth.

  “Eww!” I headed upstairs, scooping up Boo along the way.

  I plopped heavily into my chair. My thoughts traveled back to the school cafeteria. Bianca, laughing, hair on fire with sunlight. Crimson drops of blood splashing the food-littered floor. Doubt picked at the corners of my mind.

  Is she or isn’t she a witch?

  Just when I was beginning to think she wasn’t a witch, she’d gone and done the witchiest thing ever. The school buzzed with excitement over her, comparing the gorgeous witch of Redbend High to beautiful, yet imaginary, vampires.

  My gaze fell on my new Bible. I walked to the dresser and picked it up, taking in my gold name. I slid Amy’s note from inside the cover. Hebrews, chapter eleven, verse one. The pages were so thin I feared tearing them. I found the passage after flipping through the entire Bible. Twice.