Chasing Shadows

by Carrie A. Smyth

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About this Book

  Dedication

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Social Media

  Copyright (c) Carol Ann Smyth 2020

  All rights reserved. The scanning, uploading and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for brief quotations used in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locations or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Credit: Melanie M

  Senior Year at Theodore Roosevelt High

  All Grace Andrews wants to do is pass calculus, and avoid the wrath of the school's Queen Bee Maddison McKenzie. If people would stop calling her 'New Girl', even though she moved to Silver Glade in the 8th Grade, that would be an added bonus.

  For Nate Henderson the thoughts of returning to Silver Glade fills him with dread. He left the town under a cloud of shadows and only returns to honor his beloved grandfather's dying wish.

  When Grace and Nate first meet confusion reigns, but might she be the person who finally helps Nate put the ghosts of the past to rest? Can Nate confront the one person responsible for his nightmarish childhood, or will Grace become the next target for the monster who controls Silver Glade?

  Note to readers:

  This book contains sensitive subject matter. Brief mentions of violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

  In loving memory of my Granny, how I miss our talks by the fire, trying to put the world to rights.

  "Take your broken heart and make it art."

  Carrie Fisher

  CHAPTER ONE

  "Maddie McKenzie hates me!" With a sigh Grace Andrews slammed her locker door closed, the sound of metal echoing through the mostly empty corridor of Theodore Roosevelt High School.

  "She hates everyone Grace, you know that." Dylan couldn't hide his lack of surprise at his friend's statement. "So what happened this time?"

  Grace wished, that just once her friend would try to understand how she felt. Maybe show a little support. Then again calling Dylan a real friend was a bit of a stretch these days. Standing a few inches shorter than her own six foot height, he had a slight build, one that refused to bulk up, even with all the hours he spent in the gym. Grace knew that Dylan hated the reddish tone to his hair, but given his pale skin and Irish heritage there was little he could do as his father had forbidden any attempts to dye his ginger locks.

  Grace had listened for what felt like hours, on multiple occasions, as Dylan complained about his appearance. In fact one of their very first conversations had been about how long it had taken a hairdresser to dye Grace's hair that particular shade of burnt gold, not to mention get the highlights looking so natural. Not that he listened to her answer, that her hair was untouched, as he had moved on to ask if she wore colored contacts as no one could have eyes that gray without a little help.

  It was only months later, when no roots or regrowth appeared, that he was finally convinced that her hair color was not from a bottle. She had tried to explain that she just wasn't that interested in fashion and beauty, that her maternal grandmother had stressed the importance of simple, classic lines and natural cosmetics. Neither did she believe in spending money on designer labels for her school clothes, another thing that Dylan had found hard to believe, considering that Grace, was not, as her friend put it, "hurting for money."

  "For starters, she keeps calling me New Girl. Dylan I've been here for years. Just because the majority of you have known each other since you were all babies, and I didn't move here until the 8th grade, that's no reason to not use my actual name."

  Although she would never admit it out loud, Grace hated that she still did not feel fully welcome in the community, especially by the majority of her peers.

  Silver Glade was a medium-sized town, built in the shade of a National Park, and was, Grace thought, one of the most beautiful places she had ever been. There was a mix of architecture in the town, older colonial style homes as well as newer housing developments.

  From what she had learned, the local Historical Society made it their goal to preserve the town's look, so that while there was no shortage of shops and businesses, they all had an old fashion feel to their store fronts, and there was no large mall within the town's limits.

  Grace had enjoyed exploring the town when she had first moved to the area, and was glad that it's charms were being protected by the town's locals, even if some of the younger generation would have enjoyed the presence of some of the coffee chains and other franchises that were often found elsewhere.

  One thing that had caused Grace some concern, was the fact that she was being raised by her guardian, something she worried, might have upset some of the older, more conservative people in the area. Dr. Jack Riley had been her dad's best friend since they met in university, and as neither of her parents had any other living family, they had asked Jack if he would be Grace's legal guardian, in the unlikely event that something happened to them.

  In the aftermath of the car accident that had claimed their lives, Jack had been relieved to find that her parents' wishes had been set in writing, their will making their intentions clear; they wanted their only child to make her home with her honorary uncle.

  It wasn't Grace's fault that Jack was married to his job, and had seemingly no interest in any of the women he was forever being set up with. She tried not to dwell on the fact that her parents were gone, the whole time surrounding their deaths was a haze, so when Jack had suggested they move back to his old home town, Grace had been happy for a fresh start.

  "Look you know how she can be. All she needs is some minuscule reason to dislike a person and there is nothing you can do about it. Except you know accept it and hope her mood improves, or she finds a new target." Grace was drawn from her musings by the sound of Dylan's voice.

  He was, like most of the school, so blasé and accepting about Maddie's moods and attitude, that it was no real surprise that she had been getting away
with her bullying behavior for years. Then again, Dylan was also her first cousin, so there was a certain amount of family loyalty influencing his opinion.

  "So what exactly has Princess Maddie done or said today?"

  Grace could tell from Dylan's voice that he wasn't really interested in her answer, but he would be happy to spread any potential gossip on his blog later.

  "She walked into me, spilling her coffee over her coat. Which is apparently new, is the creation of some designer with about six syllables in their name, and costs more than my car, possibly my house as well!"

  "Grace, you of all people, should know better. You need to have eyes in the back of your head." Dylan was condescension personified.

  "No you don't get it. SHE walked in to ME. As in, I was standing still, reading something on the notice board and next thing I know it's High Noon at Roosevelt High."

  "It is unusual for Maddie to endanger her ensemble by not paying attention. Where were the minions she usually has as a barrier to keep people away from her?" Dylan thought for a second, "Was she talking to someone, maybe on her phone?"

  "Nope," Grace said, popping the 'p'. "But there was something definitely wrong with her, she was meaner than normal, spilled coffee or not. Plus none of her usual crowd were with her, and she always likes to have an audience."

  Grace closed her eyes trying to replay the incident in her head, looking for something that she might have missed, before getting annoyed with herself. She was the one who had been knocked to the floor, she had been subjected to a totally uncalled for tirade, not to mention being threatened with the bill for a new coat.

  The sound of rushing feet had Grace's eyes snapping open. Her other friend, Tess, was running towards them. From the flushed look on her face, Tess had either been chased or was in a hurry to reach them. She started speaking before she came to a full stop, her words spoken so quickly they sound garbled and made no sense to Grace.

  Just before she could ask Tess to repeat whatever it was that she had just said, Dylan let out a very high pitched squeak, seemingly Tess's words meant something to him. It looked as if both her friends were having a wordless conversation before Dylan turned to her and said,

  "You want the good news first?"

  Grace blinked, something about his voice alarming her. Not waiting for a reply he continued, "I know why Maddie is a little more, well Maddie-like today. The bad news is that things are about to get so much worse."

  "That's not very reassuring Dylan, and to be honest I'm not sure she needs any excuse to be a full on diva."

  "He's not explaining things right," Tess broke into the conversation, glaring at Dylan. "Nate Henderson was seen with his parents waiting to see Principal Carter!"

  "And?" Grace was puzzled, she didn't recognize the name Tess had mentioned.

  "He's enrolling, will actually be in class tomorrow."

  "And this new student's decision to attend school here is earth shattering, Armageddon inspiring news because?" Obviously Grace was missing the significance of Tess's announcement.

  "Oh New Girl, you have so much to learn."

  An hour later Grace's head was still spinning from all that Dylan and Tess had shared. Nate Henderson had grown up in Silver Glade, his being a legacy family, one that dated back to the settling of the area. He had lost his father at a very young age, but as Dylan said with a sigh, his mother had remarried and had never been happier.

  Seven years ago there had been some kind of incident, both Tess and Dylan were a little light on actual details, but ultimately whatever had happened was the catalyst for Nate leaving town.

  Rumors flew around, some swearing he had been sent to Juvenile Hall, others claimed he had been sent to military school so he could learn some discipline and respect.

  "He had been a troubled child," this Dylan had whispered. No doubt as a result of losing his father so early. He had been taken out of school, Dylan wasn't entirely sure why, except to say, "He had issues you know."

  Dylan claimed that even though Maddie would have only been eleven, and Nate twelve, they had some epic Romeo and Juliet style love story going on before Nate had left.

  "Or you know, was exiled!" He had joked. He hadn't appreciated Grace reminding him that Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers were not the best example of a lasting healthy relationship,

  "Think less epic love, more toxic tragedy."

  "Not so," Tess said, looking to Dylan as if for permission to speak, which Grace found a little strange.

  "Maddie was always the only person who could calm Nate when he got into one of his moods. He had a wicked temper, which I know we have to excuse because of what happened to his dad, but still she was the only one who could soothe him. That kind of unconditional love, it's a beautiful thing."

  Tess sounded a little breathless when she finished speaking, and yet Grace felt a little disturbed by what the other girl had told her.

  "And then he was gone and Maddie, well she was never the same again."

  It was clear to Grace that something major had happened in the past, why else would Nate have been missing from Silver Glade for so long. She had been living in the town for a few years and this was the first time his name had ever been mentioned, at least within her hearing.

  Judging by Maddie's reaction to the news, one that seemed even more over the top than usual, the imminent return of her alleged lost love was not a welcome one. To say that the other girl was not happy was a major understatement, and Grace did not want to be anywhere near the fallout when Nate and Maddie inevitably met again.

  For everyone's sake, Grace truly hoped that both the McKenzie and Henderson families arranged for their children to meet in private, with no gossips watching.

  Tess had emphasized just how heart broken Maddie had been, before adding how fortunate it was that she was part of a group of students who had traveled to Europe only days after Nate's sudden departure. Grace cynically thought that it was very convenient timing for the trip to take place, but then again the McKenzie family were one of the richest in the area, so a spontaneous trip to Europe for their only child would not be too difficult to organize.

  Still she wondered about the decision for the young Maddie to remain away for the entire summer, after which she had, as Tess confided that afternoon, returned much changed. Gone was the happy young girl, replaced seemingly by a girl who was older than her years, with a much colder personality.

  Dylan had added that he was still angry that his cousin had decided to have a make over when she was away, but he couldn't argue with the results as she had taken advantage of being so close the major fashion houses of Paris and Milan.

  If Maddie's reaction to whatever had happened between her and Nate had been so extreme that she had felt the need to leave Silver Glade only then to return so changed that she was practically unrecognizable to her oldest friends and family, then Grace supposed that the reappearance of Nate would be very upsetting for her.

  Still that should not give her permission to act even more mean and outrageous than usual. However it seemed that by this stage her behavior was not only accepted, it was actually expected by the rest of the student population.

  Not for the first time Grace was thankful not to be a member of any of the popular cliques. Her friendship with Dylan aside, she was as friendly with the other kids in town as any newcomer could be. She wasn't lonely, and as she had plans to travel after school, she wasn't upset that she had no real close friends.

  It might seem strange to others, but she enjoyed spending time with adults, there was less chance of having to listen to discussions about boys or clothes. That might make her sound snobbish, but for as long as she could remember, Grace had been told that she had an old soul, which as she reached her teens meant she was calm and thoughtful beyond her years.

  This also meant that, as a general rule, she usually was able to stay out of the dramas that every school went through, the love triangles and so on that her peers se
emed to live for.

  Tess and Dylan both worked on the school blog, Dylan was the editor, and it was through the blog that Grace had first had the chance to get to know them better. Her guardian Jack had encouraged her to submit some of her candid photographs for inclusion, the lack of a photography club at the school one thing Grace wished she could change.

  She had been shy about showing her portfolio to Dylan, but as he flipped through the pages one picture really grabbed his attention and he insisted it was uploaded to the blog as soon as possible. Grace had been so happy that she hadn't questioned his decision, or wondered why he had chosen to edit it slightly.

  It was only when the blog went live and the comments went crazy that she realized what she had missed. In one corner of the original shot, and now front and center thanks to Dylan, she had captured Maddie McKenzie in a lip lock with someone who was NOT her boyfriend.

  Cue the next day which started with an epic row between Maddie and her boyfriend, followed by an almighty cat fight with the Queen Bee and Jules, the girlfriend of the guy caught kissing Maddie, the school day ending with a full out smack down that half the football team got involved in.

  For weeks afterward Grace had lived in fear of anyone finding out that she had been the one to take the original picture. Dylan obviously knew her identity but when publishing the photo he had chosen not to use her name. Probably because he knew just how angry his cousin would be that her secret had been made public.

  It still left Grace in an awkward position though; not being able to claim ownership of the original, unedited picture as Maddie would not waste time listening to Grace's explanation of what had happened, nor could she risk angering Dylan or he would simply let the proverbial cat out of the bag.

  It was possibly one of the only reasons she still spent time with him, why she watched what she said to him, staying quiet when she wanted to speak out. His cousin was not a forgiving person, and she never forgot a slight, real or otherwise, so what choice had Grace.