“I don’t know. Sometimes. What’s the big deal, Sharon?” “Okay, I just decided I don’t want pizza and a movie,” Sharon said. “I want McDonald’s and then we’ll go to the billiard place and play Eight Ball.” “All right.”
Sharon stopped and faced her girlfriend. “No, I just changed my mind again. That’s not what I want to do. What I really want to do this Thursday is kill someone.” Laurie just stared at her. There was no expression on her face.
chapter 7
Tuesday 6:51 P.M.
MOM AND I had salads for dinner. Dad was out of town on business. We were used to eating without him, but tonight, because of what had happened to Lucy, it felt lonely and isolated in our big house at the end of the point.
Mom probably felt the same way I did, but she could always be counted on for a brave smile. “God, I feel for the Cunninghams,” she said. “Paul and Dana are utterly beside themselves.” Through the kitchen window we watched a cloud of white terns wheel and dive over a school of splashing fish in the Sound. “It’s been three days. I think I’d go mad if I were them. What’s it like at school?”
“Weird,” I said. “Everyone’s tronning.”
“Sorry?”
“Pretending things are normal, even though we know they’re not. Ms. Skelling really dumped on me today for leaving Lucy before she went into the house.”
Mom’s forehead wrinkled. “That’s not right.”
I pushed at a slice of cucumber with my fork, feeling a wretched mixture of guilt and regret and fright. “No, she was right. I either should have gotten her to go inside or waited.”
“You said Lucy didn’t want to go in,” Mom said. “Were you supposed to sit there and wait all night until she did?”
I shrugged and felt my eyes become watery. The emotions I’d held down all day had finally begun to overflow. I always tried to do the right thing. My mother was my model. She was always involved in one cause or another. After one career on the school board, and another as the Mayor of Soundview, she now ran the Archer Foundation, the charitable part of my dad’s company that gave money, usually anonymously, to good causes. As a result, she, too, had to travel, but not as often. She also worked with local civic organizations, like the PTO and the library. I’d been brought up with the understanding that I’d do the same sort of things. In the summer I gave time to Habitat for Humanity, and in the winter I probably would have done Safe Rides even if I hadn’t been required to.
The tears spilled out and ran down my cheeks. Mom slid her chair close to mine and hugged me. “It’s not your fault, hon. There’s no way you could have known. You wouldn’t have even been there if you hadn’t been trying to help.”
“Doesn’t matter.” I sniffed and rubbed the tears out of my eyes.
“It
“I could have made sure she got inside. That would have been the best.”
Mom squeezed me in her arms. “You had no reason to. Nothing like this has ever happened around here before, and you said Lucy was being difficult. There’s no way you or anyone else could have known.”
I blew my nose and rested my head against her shoulder. “I’m scared, Mom.”
“Why?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“I don’t know. I guess because nothing like this has ever happened here before.… What if something awful’s happened to Lucy?”
“We don’t know,” Mom said, and hugged me. “There’s no point in getting upset until—”
“Until we
“That’s not what I meant to say.”
“But it’s what you were thinking.”
Mom’s lips parted as if to argue, but then she nodded. “Yes, you’re right. It’s hard not to imagine that something bad has happened. But we can’t give up hope.”
Leaving most of the salad on the plate, I went upstairs after dinner. As soon as I turned on the computer, a message from PBleeker was there.
This thing with Lucy is freaky, isn’t it? I wish I could talk to you about it. Just call you up like a friend and share thoughts. You’d probably be nice and polite for a couple of minutes and then make some excuse to get off the phone. Because you’ve got tons of more important friends to talk to. I can’t understand why someone like you doesn’t have a boyfriend. Unless he goes to a different school. Or he’s in college. That would make sense. You wouldn’t give anyone around here a chance.
Str-S-d #8
It’s been three days since Lucy Cunningham disappeared. I know I said good riddance and everything, but it is a little strange. I mean, no one from around here has ever just vanished before. Wait a minute, why should I care? Would Lucy care if I disappeared? Not a chance. She’d be so relieved not to have to look at me. She wouldn’t even give me a second thought. I take back what I just said. I don’t care what happened to her. I’m glad that she’s gone.
6 Comments
It sounds like something you’re trying to convince yourself of. Like you don’t really believe you’re that cold and uncaring. Aren’t you worried that if you stop caring you’ll just become hollow and bitter? Maybe Lucy deserved to be knocked down a few pegs. But did she really deserve to disappear? If she’s been gone three days, something bad really might have happened!
You don’t know how it feels to be tormented.
There is justice in tormenting the tormentor.
I sooo agreee.
Sounds like that Lucy chick could be pushin’ up daisies.
Soon.
