“Thanks,” I said, leaning close to Eli and liking it.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Very.” And I meant this in many ways.
Eli may not have his brother’s athletic physique, but his arms were strong and secure. My skin tingled and warmed where his fingers touched. He smiled at me. I smiled back. I could get used to this, I thought. His face flamed as he caught my gaze and he pulled away. I held onto his hand and squeezed to let him know I liked what was going on with us. We did some more smiling at each other.
For the first time in days I soared with hope. Everything was going to work out. Soon I’d reunite with my real body, save Leah, and discover if I was just feeling gratitude for Eli or something real. And if it was real, Eli and I would be spending a lot more quality time together.
I had so much to live for.
19
Walking down the street in a skimpy, every-curve-revealed swimsuit was an attention grabber. Despite misconceptions about sunny California, bikinis before summer are not common. And a busty figure like Leah’s was hard to ignore. When I passed a woman watering her garden, her hose trailed off and sprayed a car tire while her mouth puckered with disapproval.
On the next street, a paunchy, balding man backing his sports car out of a driveway smiled appreciatively. This was such a nice change from the puckered woman that I smiled back. But the smile died fast when we passed a house with a basketball hoop and some college-aged guys, shooting hoops, made obscene hoots and wolf whistles.
“Assholes. Ignore it,” Eli said, glowering at them.
“This is all so weird,” I admitted. “Should I be flattered or insulted?”
“There’s nothing flattering about those guys disrespecting you. I don’t know how Chad puts up with it. Guys are always that way with Leah.”
“It’s okay.” But I wasn’t sure. I walked faster, wrapping my arms around myself. I used to envy the pretty girls who attracted this kind of attention. But being reduced to a body, not a person, was embarrassing. Still, the analytical part of me flared with curiosity, so I asked, “When guys call out to Leah, how does she usually respond?”
“Different ways,” Eli answered. “I’ve seen her flirt back and blow kisses. Once she lifted her top for a quick flash. But another time she freaked out and chased after the guys, swearing she was going to kill them. Chad and I had to pull her back, and a few minutes later she was smiling like nothing had happened.”
So Leah had a dark side? Not a big surprise, considering her suicide attempt. Everything I’d learned about her so far proved she’d been troubled. I wanted to know more, to understand her motivations. It was like I watched from outside this body, studying and learning. For my own survival, I needed to discover Leah’s secrets.
“Only one more block,” Eli said apologetically. “Sorry I don’t have a car to drive you around. Chad would never make you walk anywhere. He’s had some kind of vehicle ever since he got his permit — several cars, and now a motorcycle. He thinks I’m nuts to refuse Dad’s offer of a new car from his dealership.”
“So why did you refuse?”
“I wanted to save up and earn my first car on my own. Not a handout my father chose for me. Besides, I knew the offer was a bribe to join the family business and work for him selling cars — which I’d hate. Still, a car would sure come in handy now.”
“That’s okay. I don’t have my own car, either.”
“Sure you do … oh, that’s Leah’s car.”
“I would have borrowed it if Mr. Montgomery hadn’t taken the keys.”
“Well, I know where Dad keeps his keys, so we can borrow one of his cars. He always has a few extra in our garage. We’re almost to my house.”
“What if Chad’s there?” I asked uneasily.
“Not today. The real Leah complained about his obsession with golf because he wouldn’t miss a lesson even to go out with her.”
“Oh, yeah. He’s into golf.”
Eli tensed. “I thought you didn’t know Chad.”
“I’ve met him, but I don’t really know him,” I said cautiously. Would Eli change his mind about me if he knew it was Chad who’d taken me to the hospital yesterday?
Being with Eli when I was supposed to be Chad’s girlfriend could get seriously awkward. If I was with both of them together, I’d trip over my own lies. Besides, what if Chad wanted to kiss me again? I couldn’t do that, not in front of Eli.
So I had to avoid Chad. Kissing him once had been nice in an experimental kind of way — something to file under the category of New Experiences. In the book
But now it was Eli I wanted to grab with both hands. And the idea of kissing someone as randomly as sampling free food at Costco seemed sleazy. When Eli and I kissed — if it ever happened — it would be for all the right reasons.
I glanced up and caught Eli gazing at me with an unfathomable expression. Was he thinking about me like I was thinking about him? Before I worked up the courage to ask, we arrived at his house.
It wasn’t as huge as Leah’s, but it was still about three times the size of my home.
Eli retrieved a small electronic remote, and the garage door lifted up. “This way,” he said, glancing around furtively. We moved past two shadowy cars, but Eli told me that his parents’ cars were gone. “All clear,” he murmured
He led me through a side garage door into the kitchen, then down a hallway. We passed a family room with a huge, flat screen TV, an L-shaped leather sectional, and several recliners arranged around a fireplace. Eli gestured for me to follow him down another hallway.
“I’ll find something you can wear,” he said. “You can’t go to a hospital like that.”
“Thanks, it would be good to get out of this wet suit. But if the same security guard is on duty, I won’t be able to get into the hospital no matter what I’m wearing. ”
“If my sister still lived here, you could borrow something of hers. But Sharayah moved into a dorm and doesn’t even bother to visit anymore.”
“Why not?” I asked, noticing his bitterness.
“She says she’s too busy. But I think she’s just being selfish. Oh well … she’s the one missing out.”
And you miss her, I thought, with sad understanding. Missing the people you loved hurt even more than physical pain. I tried not to think of my own parents and family.
“Wait in my room,” Eli said as he opened a black door painted with glittery stars. “I’ll check Mom’s closet.”
His room had dark green walls, which were the background for movie posters, and a ceiling covered with glazed puzzles of fantasy scenes. Walking underneath the dragons, turreted castles, and flying wizards was like entering a fantasy world.
“Uh … you’re probably wondering about the puzzles,” Eli added self-consciously. “Chad says they’re childish. I guess I should take them down.”
“Don’t. I like them.”
“Really? Thanks. I started putting them together with Sharayah when I was little. She lost interest, but I didn’t.” He gestured for me to sit down. “I’ll be right back.”
Except for the colorful puzzles, Eli’s room was bland: a computer desk, a four-drawer bureau, shelves, an end
