“What?” I was too excited to wonder what Sookie meant, but I looked for the goth girl on the bleachers.
She had disappeared into the mist.
CHAPTER 4 A Fog Descends
THAT NIGHT, A thick fog settled around the town, but by morning it disappeared. I walked to school under a butterscotch sun and the kind of clear sky that comes with a crisp snap in the air. Despite the beautiful morning, I lagged behind the other students streaming into the schoolyard, mostly on account of the rock sitting in my stomach.
I was doomed after skipping class and detention. Sure, thinking about having made the Witches took an edge off my dread, but I knew I was going to be in big trouble.
Once I stepped inside Darkmont High, a group of girls waited for me in front of my locker. Was this some kind of gang meant to drag me to detention hall?
“Are you Cat? You made the team, right?” said the red-haired girl I’d seen at the soccer tryouts.
I nodded cautiously on both counts.
“I’m Mia. I’m on your team.” She smiled.
“Me, too,” the other girl said as she held out her hand. “I’m Amarjeet. Nice to meet you.”
The girls began talking all at once.
“You made the team? I didn’t,” said one girl sadly.
“Lots of girls didn’t make it,” said another. Then she turned to me and said, “You must be an awesome soccer player.”
“She is an awesome player,” said Mia. “She has a wicked shot.”
“Wouldn’t it be cool to win the scholarship?” said Amarjeet.
“Want to meet us at lunch in the cafeteria?” several of the girls asked simultaneously.
My head spun around as I smiled, answered, and nodded, enjoying all the attention – that is, until the bell rang and everyone scattered. Great. I hadn’t even gotten around to fiddling with my lock. Now I was going to be late for science – again. But my locker opened instantly, and I grabbed my books and ran. Then I pulled to a dead stop.
Ms. Sevren stood at the foot of the stairs. My heart fluttered as if a bunch of butterflies had gone wild in my chest. So what? I made the team, I said to myself – that was worth the 150 demerits she would probably give me. Were vice principals allowed to give detention straight through the entire year?
“Is it true you made the Grimoire team, Cat?” Ms. Sevren asked, peering over her glasses at me.
Convinced she was planning a particularly horrible torture, I nodded and gulped.
“Congratulations,” she said and smiled before walking away.
For a minute, I couldn’t move – I was shocked. That is, until the second bell rang. Then I knew I’d better hurry, but not wanting to push my luck, I climbed the stairs in an orderly fashion.
When I stepped into the crowded science classroom, chairs scraped against the floor as people made room for me at their tables. Everyone began talking to me at once.
“Sit with me, Cat.”
“We made room for you here.”
“Hey, you can join us.”
It was kind of funny; now everyone wanted me as a lab partner, but I still didn’t know where to sit.
After my lab, I walked to history with Mia. When we opened our textbooks, Mr. Morrows pointed at me. I steeled myself. Even though I had gotten around to buying the proper workbook, we were still not exactly on good terms – he was sure to blow up. Instead he asked, “Cat, would you begin the discussion on what technological advances the Egyptians made for civilization?”
I wasn’t exactly prepared for that.
“Um …” I racked my brain. “The Egyptians constructed … um …”
“That’s right, Cat. The Egyptians were responsible for construction and irrigation. Excellent.” Mr. Morrows beamed at me.
Okay, that was confusing, but I nodded knowingly anyway and stared down at my desk, blushing in relief.
In English class, Ms. Cadly asked, “What does ‘bucolic’ mean?”
When she pointed to me, I almost fainted. Last week she’d completely ignored me.
“Um … really sick, like when people got the plague?” I finished weakly, not having the slightest idea what “bucolic” meant.
“Excellent. Class, note how Cat used deductive reasoning to figure out the origins of the word. She combined bubonic and colic – plague and illness.”
“So that’s what the word means?” I said, surprised but rather proud of myself.
“Oh, not at all,” said Ms. Cadly. “It means a beautiful landscape of trees and fields. But great deductive skills, Cat.”
The class nodded as if they were impressed, which was strange considering I had given the completely wrong answer. But I wasn’t about to question my new luck. When the bell rang, I practically floated out of the classroom on a cloud of glory.
At lunch, everyone made room for me at their tables. Teachers walked by saying, “Congratulations, I heard you made the team.”
Nobody seemed to remember that I’d skipped detention the day before.
Zach, who was the cutest guy at Darkmont, the one who’d laughed at me last week, said, “I hear you have a wicked shot.”
My heart was pounding way too hard for me to do anything but grin. This was more like my old school again back home, except much better.
Emily, a girl from the Ghosts, came up and offered me her hand. “May the best team win,” she said, glancing around the crowded, dingy cafeteria, and wrinkling her nose at the heavy odors of grease and cabbage.
“Okay, I don’t really mean that,” Emily said laughing. “The Ghosts have to win, though who can blame anyone for wanting a ticket out of here.” Still, her laugh was friendly as she shook my hand. Emily, with the required blond hair and designer clothes, was the most popular girl in eighth grade. And she was being nice to me. Last week she’d made that wrinkled nose when I passed her in the hall.
“Let’s go early to practice. We’ll kick some balls around,” said Mia and Amarjeet, dragging me back to their table. “Can you make it, Cat? You played great yesterday.”
“Sure,” I promised, even though I had no idea how I’d get to practice early. Mom was working late and had told me to pick up Sookie from school by three and take her to swimming lessons. Then I thought of my neighbor, Jasper.
My teacher didn’t even look up from her desk when I sneaked out of math early, and once I was in the hall, another teacher didn’t ask where I was supposed to be. When I bumped into Ms. Sevren, she only smiled and waved at me. People at school must really be looking forward to the big game. Maybe they assumed anything I was doing was related to soccer business and that was okay.
Once I found Jasper’s class, I waited outside the door until the bell rang.
“Jasper, can you – ” He didn’t let me finish.
“Hi, Cat. Are we still on for the big Monopoly game at your place next Friday night?” Jasper asked as he pushed his glasses up on his nose.
Jasper had hung out at our house a few Friday nights when his parents worked at their restaurant. But that would have to change.
“Maybe I won’t be able to make it.” I felt a twinge of guilt when I saw the disappointment on Jasper’s face. “With soccer, I’m pretty busy now …” I said vaguely, before asking, “Hey, could you pick up Sookie for me and take her to swimming lessons from now on – just when I have practice?” What I was asking Jasper was huge, the kind of thing you asked a best friend. But I hoped he didn’t think that’s what he was to me. I just didn’t know anyone else well enough yet.
“Um, well, I’ve got my paper route.” This time Jasper pushed his glasses all the way on top of his spiked black hair. “I guess I could drop her off, but I can’t wait for her because I have to deliver papers. Maybe I could pick her up when I’m finished.”
Not ideal, but maybe it would be okay. “After you pick her up, could you then drop her off at Grimoire’s soccer field?”
“Okay,” he said. “But about that Friday night, my parents were sort of expecting – ”
“Cat, are you coming?” Amarjeet and Mia were waiting for me at the end of the hall.
“Sorry, got to go.” I flung my bag on my shoulder and raced after them.
When we ran past the Emporium, Mr. Keating was waiting under the striped awning. He signaled for us to stop. I thought he was going to ask me what I’d been up to the other day. Instead, he went over to the apple barrel and plucked three of the biggest apples and polished them on his apron.
He held one out to me; it gleamed as red as his cheeks. “For the soccer player. You’ll need your strength,” he said.
Being in the soccer match was like being a celebrity. Before I bit into the juicy apple, I thanked him. Then he handed out the other apples. Crunching our fruit, we all walked down the main street as storekeepers and shoppers smiled and waved. Even dogs came up and wagged their tails when we passed their houses.
As the three of us climbed Grim Hill, it appeared that the fog, which had hung over the hill all day, was rolling back, out of our way. Once we got to the top of the hill and onto the soccer field, the sky cleared. I sat down on the bleachers and slipped into my soccer boots. They pinched my feet, reminding me that they were too tight. To make things worse, a blister had bubbled up on my toe from yesterday, making me limp onto the soccer field.
“Well aren’t you a sorry-looking player,” said Ms. Sinster, my coach. “What’s wrong with your foot?”
“I have a blister.” There was no point adding that it was because my boots were too tight. I never even mentioned that to Mom because I knew there was no money in this month’s budget for new boots. Maybe there’d be some spare cash when the big soccer match was closer. My coach handed me a couple of bandages and bustled off to organize the other girls on the team.
At first we all stumbled around as we started the practice. But slowly, it was as if I got hooked up to that amplifier again. There really was music pouring out of Grimoire School; I figured that there must be an orchestra rehearsal at the same time we practiced. The energizing music and golden sunshine seeped in, making me feel good – light, and springy, as if I could run and jump for hours. The sound of wind whistling through the woods hummed in my ears.
Grimoire School was singing a song. I couldn’t make out the words, but I loved the melody. My foot stopped hurting and my focus improved – and so did my soccer moves. I landed all my shots, dribbled the ball on the field, and passed perfectly. Mia and Amarjeet were really good players too.
The game swooped over me like a giant wave, with me floating on top as everything else was blocked out. The whole world slipped away and nothing else mattered. Well, not quite. This time I didn’t get so carried away that I forgot about Sookie. Like clockwork, at exactly four, Jasper delivered her to the bleachers.
She didn’t look happy.
CHAPTER 5 A Dangerous Juggling Act
SOOKIE’S BLOND HAIR was still wet from swimming and was plastered to her skull. She sat huddled on the bench, frowning deeply, with her arms folded in front of her as she glared at me.
Tough, I thought. She’d have to wait until soccer practice finished before I could go over and see what was bugging her.
The ball sailed toward me, and I head-butted it past the goalie and into the goal. The other girls cheered. I could get used to this.
After practice, the coach gathered us into a group. “We don’t have much time before the soccer match. There’s a lot at stake, so we have to work as hard as we can. Practice will be every day after school until five. On Saturdays and Sundays, we’ll practice from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon.”
Wow. It’s not that I didn’t love being here, because I did. But this practice schedule didn’t leave much time for homework or babysitting little sisters. I was about to mention that to Ms. Sinster, but Amarjeet spoke up first.
“My mom won’t let me skip Punjabi school,” she said to the coach.
“Yes she will,” said Ms. Sinster.
Amarjeet appeared doubtful.
“I’m a bridesmaid for my sister’s wedding,” said Mia. “I can’t miss the shower, or rehearsal, or dress fittings.”
“You can now,” said the coach.
Another girl mentioned that she had music lessons every Saturday.
“You won’t anymore,” Ms. Sinster said and smiled the same nasty smile as the witch on the Grimoire soccer poster.
I couldn’t offer any decent explanation for my sudden feeling of dread. Maybe it was Ms. Sinster’s face and the way her gray eyes looked down her long nose – it was as if I could feel the iciness of her stare stabbing into me. Not only did I believe those girls wouldn’t miss a single practice, but a cold chill crept up my spine. The last thing I thought I should mention was that I had to take care of my little sister sometimes.
“Are there any other complaints?” The coach glared at me.
Keeping my lips sealed, I shook my head no, just like the other girls. Ms. Sinster dismissed us and I ran toward the bleachers. Now it was time to face the music and see what was up with my sister.
I was right. Sookie was furious. At first, she barely talked to me as we walked down Grim Hill.
“So you’re mad at me because I had Jasper pick you up.”
“No,” she barely grunted.
I didn’t think that would be it because she adored Jasper. “Are you mad that we didn’t go for frozen yogurt after swimming, like we used to?”
“No.” This time she snorted.
“You hate waiting for me at the soccer field,” I said.
She contemplated that for a minute, and then she scowled.
“I don’t like this place at all,” Sookie answered as she looked up at the school. “And sometimes waiting for you will get boring, I’m sure.”
Only sometimes? Sookie would never like hanging around up here. And it was only going to get worse because she would practically have to live up here until after the soccer match.
“But that’s not the problem,” she finished.
“Then what’s the matter?” I almost shouted, which wouldn’t have been smart. The last thing I needed was for her to stay mad at me and tell Mom that I had Jasper pick her up. Sookie was my responsibility, not Jasper’s. “Really, Sookie, what’s the matter?” I asked coaxingly this time.
“You told Jasper you probably couldn’t play Monopoly with us next Friday night,” she finally admitted. “If you’re not there, he won’t play with just me.” Sookie finished with a harrumph, folded her arms again, and stamped her foot.
Aha. That’s what was wrong. Well, maybe it would be wise to stay on the good side of both Sookie and Jasper, considering I’d have to foist Sookie on Jasper quite a bit. There wouldn’t be a lot of time left over from soccer, especially for babysitting.
“Look,” I said, “I won’t change the plan. Next Friday night is still on.”
Sookie nodded solemnly. Peace was restored.
As we walked down the hill, the fog hung in clots, almost like cotton batting caught in the tree branches. But when we moved toward the strange mist, we never quite met up with it. The fog danced away. While Sookie and I made a sport of chasing the fog, I kept reasoning that I was really being fair about all this. Sookie would hate being stuck with me all the time while I concentrated on soccer, and I was grateful for any help Jasper could provide. But underneath, a darker side of me knew that I wanted to stay focused on one thing and one thing only – my game. If that meant inviting Jasper over once in a while in order to entertain Sookie, that was the price I had to pay.
***
The next two weeks went by quickly with hardly a spare moment. And when there was one, I had a ton of new friends to spend it with.
When Friday morning rolled around, Amarjeet and Mia were waiting for me at my locker.
“You weren’t online last night, Cat,” they complained.
Sookie had hogged the computer to do a project on ants and bees. Instead of mentioning that, I asked, “What’s up?”
“We’re going to
meet at the Bubble Tea Palace tonight. Our whole team is going so that we can make game plans for the big match,” explained Amarjeet. Then she said with absolute despair, “I should really enjoy these last moments because I might not be on the team much longer if I have to miss Saturday practice. The coach is getting angry.”
“Don’t worry, it’ll probably all work out. And you will enjoy yourself,” Mia said, patting Amarjeet’s shoulder. “By coincidence, some of the guys, like Zach and Mitch, are supposed to show up later.”
Amarjeet shot her an “only soccer matters” look, but I could tell she was a bit more cheerful after hearing that news.
As I stood there listening to my friends, I began to get another sinking feeling. Amarjeet was a top player, and she increased our chances of winning. Our team couldn’t lose her. To make things worse, I had to skip a great night out working on game plans so that I could play Monopoly with my little sister and a boy a whole year younger than me. Great. How was I going to juggle all of these balls in the air – friends, coach, Sookie, and Jasper – and most importantly, not let anything interfere with what really mattered: winning the scholarship?
CHAPTER 6 Whispers from the Past
THAT EVENING, I consoled myself about my boring night in by trying on my soccer uniform for about the twelfth time. I stood in front of the full-length mirror. The ragged hemmed skort and black and green socks seemed perfect for a Halloween soccer match. I loved Halloween. Dad had always called me his “October girl.” He used to say that my hair was as dark and shiny as the autumn chestnuts that fell from the trees. My eyes, he joked, were “Cat’s eye green.” Since the divorce, I have really missed having him around. The doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts.
“Cat!” Mom called from downstairs. “Your friend Jasper’s here.”
At the word “friend,” I gritted my teeth. He was a neighbor, not a friend. Jasper wasn’t a bit like the popular kids I used to hang around with at my old school, or like the kids I’d started hanging out with at Darkmont. Still, Jasper was really smart. He was a reading addict and could talk about any book, so he was pretty interesting, too. And he thought I was his friend.
The Secret of Grim Hill Page 3