Mustache Man twirled his handlebar mustache. “I’m sick and tired of her endless questions.” With a final flick, he popped back inside the disc. A flash of silver sped toward the doorway and then vanished.
The Helmet towered over me. Schwartz’s pointer hovered next to my left hand. As if being whacked by the pointer could even begin to compare to the pain of seeing Gram and learning about my real father.
Schwartz shoved her nose in my face. “I can tell seeing your grandmother again went well.”
I jerked my head away from her. What game was she playing? She seemed so cocky. Was Mustache Man working for her? My eyes still burned from fighting back tears. I balled my hands into fists as I fought to keep control. I didn’t know how much more of her games I could take. The scum took on a life of its own as it turned a dark khaki and quickly filled the glass vial. “You’re right. We hugged each other the whole time. I especially liked the part where she dropped the bomb about my dad…” I swallowed hard to keep my voice from cracking. “…not being my real dad. Totally awesome.”
“I’m pleased your grandmother decided to tell you.”
I stared into the tangle of blond hair wishing the Helmet would collapse onto Schwartz’s face. “I suppose it’s part of some lesson in the stupid handbook.”
“Why, yes. Your grandmother didn’t want to cooperate at first, but you know how persuasive I can be.” To emphasize her words, she swung her pointer closer to my hands.
Remembering the bruised fingers of the boy in detention, I hid my hands safely behind my back. “You got what you wanted. So we’re done, right?”
Schwartz folded her arms across her chest. “You better lose the attitude right now.” She pointed to the necklace. “I can tell by the color of your amulet you have a long way to go.”
I stuffed it back under my shirt like that could keep her from knowing how I was feeling.
“Taylor, get serious. If you think you’re going to stop me from returning to Senior Heaven, you’re crazier than I thought.”
The nerve! The pressure of trying to control my emotions had become too much. The amulet grew hot as I stamped my feet like a two-year-old. “Fine. Leave now. Turn me into pond scum. I just don’t care anymore.”
Schwartz stared at me with a disgusted look. “Pull yourself together. You need to work harder to get into the contest. I thought you wanted a second chance at life on Earth.”
“I do! More than anything, but everyone has their breaking point. Why can’t you understand that?”
“I know you’ve been through a lot today, but you’re so close to a real breakthrough. Remember, as your coach I’m here to help you achieve your goal.”
Despite the fact our fates were tied together, I just couldn’t let her win. “Yes, I can tell. First you send me to Mr. X to get tortured. Then you throw me in detention. I’m totally feeling the love.”
At first Schwartz stood completely still. Not even a peep from her crepe-soled shoes. Then, with the wave of her pointer, the whole room began to glow a bright yellow. My eyes grew as wide as a giant Wheel of Fortune materialized above the empire desk. “I can see you need a little more encouragement. Get up and spin the wheel.”
Despite the fact the amulet was growing hot against my skin, I remained firmly planted in the swan-backed chair.
“Have it your way.” She aimed the pointer at the curved legs of the chair and it slowly lifted off the ground. “You know the saying, if you won’t move your butt, someone else will.”
Weird. I’d never heard that one.
With one more flick of the pointer, the chair glided toward the desk and stopped directly in front of the wheel.
My feet dangled off the ground. “What’s the deal with all the magic?”
A huge grin spread. “I have a plan for you.”
Crap. The Helmet didn’t mess around. She really wanted to return to Senior Heaven, and I was her ticket. My mouth went dry. The wheel didn’t have numbers like in the game show. Instead, the slots had rainbow-colored stripes, alternating with pictures of green and grey pond scum.
Schwartz stood next to me as I hovered by the desk. “You seem to be doing everything in your power to become an oozing lump of scum. Let’s see what fate has in store for you.”
Running out of options, I grabbed one of the handles of the wheel and rubbed my birthmark for good luck. With all my strength, I jerked the wheel to the right. At first the colors sped by so quickly it seemed the wheel would never stop. Then with every rotation it began to slow until it bounced between two spaces. I sucked in my breath when the needle clicked back and forth between a furry yellow-green pond scum and a bright purple stripe. Schwartz leaned in closer, and I caught her blowing the needle toward the gross scum. “Hey, that’s not fair!”
She closed her mouth when the needle stopped at the purple stripe. “How unfortunate. I think you would have enjoyed being a Cladophora. They have such long luxurious hairs.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Fate has other plans for you.”
As I continued to hover in front of the wheel, it suddenly dawned on me a brightly colored stripe could mean something far more ominous than being turned into some longhaired scum. “So…what does the purple stripe stand for?”
Schwartz gave me a smile and waved her pointer in a giant circle. My chair careened toward the floor.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
***
When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by the familiar Egyptian murals of the Temple of Truth. At least this time my body didn’t feel like a stretched-out Gumby doll. Must be getting used to being zapped from one place to the next. Seemed I was getting the VIP treatment and didn’t have to wait in line. I’d much rather be out with the kids waiting to be interviewed for the Cloud Nine Contest. Instead, once again I’d been brought here to be interrogated. Schwartz always turned to Mr. X to do her dirty work. I checked my arms and legs to make sure I hadn’t suffered any hidden damage from being teleported. The only pain I felt came from the stiff-backed red velvet chair.
Rushing water echoed all around me—still my nerves remained on edge. I stroked the top of the sphinx head carved into the arm of my chair and could think of only one thing—Lucy. My heart ached to touch her again. Why did I forget the figurine back at Schwartz’s house? I petted the sphinx. Cold and hard, nothing like my fluffy collie.
I wiggled uncomfortably in my chair, waiting for Mr. X to arrive. The amulet heated up, reminding me I needed to stuff it inside my shirt. I didn’t want him asking questions about my strange necklace. Trumpets blared and, with a loud whooshing sound, he materialized. With a great flourish of his golden robes, he drifted down from the ceiling and levitated into the chair directly across from me. His slightly elongated head glistened in the light. The headset glowed, proving once again that someone would be listening in on our conversation. Would I ever meet the person behind Mr. X?
He moved his chair closer and held out the silver globe until it hovered inches from my face. “Taylor, do you know why Mrs. Schwartz sent you back to me?”
I stared at the ceiling, waiting for the beam of light to activate. “Ah…because I gave her a hard time?”
Mr. X levitated out of his chair. The hem of his gold robe smacked me in the ankle as he turned his back to me. “No. Try again.”
The light burst from the ceiling and descended to a foot above my head. The heat from the intense light made tiny beads of sweat form on my forehead. Too hot even for me. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
The beam retracted a few inches as he hovered near a mural of an Egyptian hunting scene. “She has given up on you.”
“No way. Mrs. Schwartz has never given up on anything.”
The weight of his words suddenly hit me. The amulet burned my skin. My chest was becoming a road map of my failure to let go.
“Doesn’t that mean she is stuck here forever?”
Mr. X glided back into his chair. “Exactly.”
“Sorry, I don’t believe you.” The li
ght now hovered directly over my head. The smell of burning hair filled the air. “Okay, okay. Can you back off the beam before my hair catches fire?”
With a flick of Mr. X’s index finger, the beam retracted just far enough to keep me from going bald. “It’s actually quite serious. We’ve never had an afterlife coach fail a student.”
Fail? What did that mean? Something worse than death?
Mr. X’s long index finger hovered over my wrist. “Interesting birthmark. Looks like an asteroid.”
No one had ever said that before. I never considered my birthmark pretty, but it didn’t look like some ugly space rock. The silver globe grew even brighter. Would Mr. X trick me? I traced my finger around my birthmark to calm myself down.
He watched my finger intently. “What are you doing?”
“I draw invisible rings around my mark. Reminds me of my favorite planet, Saturn.”
He frowned. “You need to draw far more. Saturn has over thirty rings.”
My finger stopped when I realized everything I’d learned in school was wrong. “No way.”
A sly grin spread across Mr. X’s angular face. “Yes, it’s true. Up here we have a much better vantage point.”
I thought back to the night when I went with the gang to the Pavilion. Nebula and star formations I’d never seen before filled the sky. “Of course.”
In a nanosecond the silver globe in Mr. X’s hand turned bright blue. “How did you feel when your grandmother told you about your real father?”
Guess he’d had enough small talk. The amulet heat radiated through my T-shirt, but I still stuffed back my emotions. “Well, I can say I’ve heard better news.”
The light beam made a beeline for my head.
“Al…r…ight. Devastated.” I couldn’t fight it any more. A tear dripped down my cheek. “To learn that someone I loved betrayed me…”
The globe gradually turned back to its bright silver color as Mr. X leaned in closer. “Good. Why do you think your grandmother told you the secret?”
“Because she felt guilty.”
The light beam stayed close to the ceiling. I’d told the truth.
Mr. X ignored me and had a private conversation with the headset. Someone invisible controlled my fate.
Then he turned back toward me. “Give me your best answer. Your future is riding on every word.”
Nothing like putting on the pressure. “Because she should have told me the secret long ago.”
“How did that make you feel?”
I had to stop fighting myself. Let go…tell the truth. “Ter…rible. I’ll never get to meet my real dad.”
Mr. X got up from his chair and walked away, talking into his headset. I doubted he would have even an ounce of sympathy. Maybe the person he talked to would. Mr. X glided over to some kind of instrument near the back wall. He fiddled with a few knobs and returned with a satisfied grin. “You’ve made great strides this session. I’ve informed Mrs. Schwartz of the good news.”
“So, I didn’t fail after all?”
He tapped his finger on the headset. “Passed with flying colors. You’ve made quite the comeback. I’ve been instructed to give you a reward. Something I’m sure you’ll be happy to receive.”
Could Mr. X actually be kind? Last session he gave me Lucy; what would my reward be this time? I’d screwed things up way too much to be sent back to my old life, but maybe with a passing grade I’d make it to Senior Heaven. I longed for a place where golden angels filled the sky and every day would be blissfully perfect. Even if I had to bring Schwartz with me. I’d had enough of Junior Heaven and its strange mix of good and evil. “I hope it’s a pass to Senior Heaven.”
“Oh no. You aren’t ready to go there.”
His words hit me like a smack in the head. The amulet began to bubble again. “Then what’s this reward you’re talking about?”
He settled into his chair. “I have my doubts you deserve such a gift. I’ve been overruled.”
So the invisible person had more power than Mr. X. For the first time I stared into his eyes without fear. “What’s the prize? An eternity pass to the Pavilion?”
He spoke one more time into the headset. Then he raised the globe over each of my shoulders like the Queen of England preparing to declare me a knight.
“Congratulations. You’ve been chosen to compete in the Cloud Nine Contest.”
Chapter Nine
The Cloud Nine Contest
Sabrina gently took off from the steps of the Temple of Truth. “Hang on tight. We’re running late for the contest orientation.” Riding on her back like a horse, I clung tightly to her feathers as the warm humid air of Junior Heaven brushed past my cheeks. Instead of being scared of riding on my angel’s back, I found flying through the sky over the mile-high skyscrapers of New Life City exhilarating. No plane ride I’d ever taken could match the feeling of excitement that surged through me as we sped across the sky. Sabrina hovered over a Junior Heaven version of the Universal Studios backlot. “This is where they film the Cloud Nine Contest. Aren’t you excited?”
I was proud I won a spot but also terrified. What if I didn’t win? I clutched the amulet, knowing I was about to lie. “Yes. I can’t wait.”
Endless lines of humpbacked buildings formed a frame around Sabrina as she swooped down and dropped me off in front of the building marked Stage 10. “Now, go in there and make your guardian angel proud!”
I gave her a weak smile. “Can you give me a tiny hint of what I’m walking into?”
She lifted her wings high in takeoff position. “Walk through that doorway and you’ll find out.” And with that pronouncement, she flew away.
I took a deep breath and opened the heavy metal door. A blast of sound roared out of the room—screaming kids and stern adult voices. The air held the distinct smell of hairspray and burning plastic. The fumes almost made me gag. A man dressed in a flashy designer pinstriped suit and an exaggerated ratted out hairstyle walked over to me. Even with his ridiculous hairstyle, he only came up to my collarbone.
He craned his neck back and held out his hand. “My name is Mr. Palmer. You’re late.”
“Sorry.” I shook his clammy hand. “I’m Taylor Anderson.”
He motioned for me to follow him. “Ms. Anderson, you need to get into wardrobe, pronto.”
As he walked, the stripes in the suit shimmered like tiny LED lights. I stuffed back a gasp as we entered the most elaborate costume store I’d ever seen. Rainbow-colored outfits were stacked floor to ceiling like a dream Hollywood costume warehouse.
Mr. Palmer led me over to a girl with bleached white hair and a cobalt blue shirtdress. “Holly, this is Taylor.” He flicked his wrist at my waist. “Good luck finding a costume for this one. She’s the size of a giraffe.”
What a jerk. He probably had short man complex. I ignored the scum bubbling away in the glass vial. “What’s the theme for the contest?”
“Space. The costumes are lovely. Quite celestial.” He turned his back on me and muttered under his breath. “Even on a zoo animal like you.”
This guy had a lot of nerve. The amulet bubbled like mad while I waited for Holly to say good-bye to someone on her headset. Was she talking to the same person as Mr. X?
“Don’t pay attention to him. You’re going to look amazing. Now let me see...you’ve got to be a size seven.”
I clenched my teeth. “Actually, I’m a five.”
She grabbed my hand and led me through the labyrinth of brightly colored garments, stopping in front of a rack of white iridescent outfits that glowed. Large lighted pink rings the size of hula hoops circled the dresses. “Here’s a five. Let’s get you dressed. First, you need to take off that necklace. No jewelry allowed in the contest.”
I clasped the amulet. “I…can’t take it off. My afterlife coach will kill me—literally.”
Holly scoffed at my drama. “Oh, come on. Just hand it over.”
Panic spread through me as the scum bubbled like crazy, almost bu
rning my hand. “No, really. My coach told me never to take it off.”
She let out a sigh. “Okay, let me see if I can reach her. What’s her name?”
“Mrs. Schwartz.”
Her eyes grew large. “Oh, wow. Sorry.” She tapped on her headset. “Get me HQ.”
After what felt like 20 minutes of her whispering and nodding, she clicked off. “We’re good to go.” She reached over and grabbed the necklace.
My body began to shake as she inched it over my head. “Are you sure it’s okay?”
Holly held the amulet and it turned clear. “See, it didn’t explode.” She gave me a wink. “Don’t worry. I got the okay from someone with a much higher ranking than your coach.”
Schwartz must be fuming. My neck itched. Somehow I felt naked without the necklace. Like a part of me was missing. Had it formed some kind of strange bond with me? Then panic hit. How could I reach my goal without it? I clutched the costume, still not convinced something bad wouldn’t happen. “Are you sure?”
She casually tossed the necklace in her pocket. “Of course. Now let’s get you dressed.”
Holly had to be kidding. No one helped me dress since I was two.
“It’s okay. I’ll put it on.”
She sighed. “Are you sure? You still seem a bit shaky. It’s quite hard to get into. Besides, the rings have a hidden feature you could accidentally activate.”
“Really? What do they do?”
“It’s top secret.” She gave me a wink. “Just be careful.”
I slowly pulled the dress over my head, grateful it had long sleeves. For once my birthmark wouldn’t be on display. Just when I thought I’d managed to get dressed on my own, a ring hit me in the eye. “Ouch!”
She smiled. “I’m not going to say I told you so.”
With Holly’s help, the costume didn’t stand a chance. I pulled the sleeves down and they stopped right above my birthmark. Just my luck. Even in Heaven they didn’t make clothes big enough for my long arms.
Holly didn’t seem to notice as she straightened out the rings on the dress until they were lined up perfectly. She led me to a large mirror against one wall.
Nine Lives (The Katran Legacy) Page 8