baleful glance, swaggered off. “She’s a menace,” Gil stated.
Jake shook his head. “That was rather harsh, Gil, she wasn’t bothering me.”
“Well, she was bothering me.” Gil turned abruptly, leaving Jake alone. Again, Jake was aware of the covert glances, the uneasy feeling of being adrift in a sea of judgemental strangers.
**
“Can I really come in?” Skeeter asked, hopefully. “That would be awesome.”
“No!” Amy stood abruptly. “Come on, Skeet, Dad’s waiting.”
“He won’t mind if we stay for a few more minutes.”
“I said no. Let’s go.”
“Why the rush, Amy?” Jason asked, moving beside her so his arm brushed against her. “Your little brother is pretty cool. Not like some of the other dorky kids around here.”
“I want to stay on my dad’s good side, remember?”
He kissed her lightly. “The plan is on?”
She took a deep breath. “Okay, just like we planned.”
“What plan?” Skeeter asked as they walked away.
“None of your business. Oh, Skeeter? Stay away from Jason, alright?”
“Why? He likes me.”
“I know. But –” She hesitated as she searched for the right words.
Skeeter mistook her silence and broke away angrily. “You’re such a jerk, Amy. I’m not a little kid, I’m almost thirteen. I won’t embarrass you in front of your stupid friends.”
“It’s not that, I just don’t think it’s a good idea. T hey’re too old for you, it’s weird for you to play with them. Look,” she finished impatiently, “just promise me you’ll stay away from those guys, okay?”
“Amy! Skeeter! I’ve been looking all over for you. Ready to go?” Jake asked, coming up from behind them.
“Yeah,” Skeeter answered, turning away from Amy, missing the look of concern flit across her sullen face.
**
Tonight would be the last time. They’d have fun at the nightclub, she’d prove a worthy girlfriend, and she’d also explain that she wouldn’t go to anymore meetings. Jason would understand... he’d have to. If not, well, they’d break up. As handsome as he was, something was starting to bother her. Jason was always pressuring her, convincing her to do things that got her into trouble. As much as she liked him, sometimes dating Jason Vandercamp didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.
It was a quarter -past-eleven and the others would be waiting outside. She’d been home only fifteen minutes, long enough to tell her father she was going straight to bed. He hadn’t seemed to notice, too busy contending with Skeeter’s stomach ache. Stupid kid... ate way too much candy. Served him right for being such a pig.
She slipped into some clean denims and a new sweatshirt, taking care to stuff her dirty clothing under her bedcovers so Dad would think she was sleeping. She grabbed a warm coat, then opened her window. It was a long way down.
Stupid house. Who the hell was crazy enough to build a house on a cliff? Amy steeled herself. Jason was wrong, she wasn’t a wimp. She could do this. It wasn’t that high. Step on the ledge here, carefully work her way over to the side of the house... Jesus, this was slippery. Probably ice. Was cold enough to be ice. Should have worn gloves.
There. Now, she just had to get onto the tree... if she could just reach that branch...
Amy stretched as far as she could, felt it in her fingertips, stretched a little more... grasped the branch tightly... swung her leg over... then screamed in terror as the branch broke and she tumbled down... falling...falling...down the cliff...towards the ocean below.
**
Cari Valentine sat broodingly on top of her desk, swinging her legs back and forth, watching the clock with narrowed eyes.
Ramona looked at her in exasperation. “Come on, Cari, it’s late. Go home, I’ll stay and finish the inventory. You’re being useless anyway.”
“That’s a fine way to talk to your boss.”
“I call them as I see them. What gives?”
Cari sighed. “Can’t concentrate.”
“If he
Jake shook his head. “That was rather harsh, Gil, she wasn’t bothering me.”
“Well, she was bothering me.” Gil turned abruptly, leaving Jake alone. Again, Jake was aware of the covert glances, the uneasy feeling of being adrift in a sea of judgemental strangers.
**
“Can I really come in?” Skeeter asked, hopefully. “That would be awesome.”
“No!” Amy stood abruptly. “Come on, Skeet, Dad’s waiting.”
“He won’t mind if we stay for a few more minutes.”
“I said no. Let’s go.”
“Why the rush, Amy?” Jason asked, moving beside her so his arm brushed against her. “Your little brother is pretty cool. Not like some of the other dorky kids around here.”
“I want to stay on my dad’s good side, remember?”
He kissed her lightly. “The plan is on?”
She took a deep breath. “Okay, just like we planned.”
“What plan?” Skeeter asked as they walked away.
“None of your business. Oh, Skeeter? Stay away from Jason, alright?”
“Why? He likes me.”
“I know. But –” She hesitated as she searched for the right words.
Skeeter mistook her silence and broke away angrily. “You’re such a jerk, Amy. I’m not a little kid, I’m almost thirteen. I won’t embarrass you in front of your stupid friends.”
“It’s not that, I just don’t think it’s a good idea. T hey’re too old for you, it’s weird for you to play with them. Look,” she finished impatiently, “just promise me you’ll stay away from those guys, okay?”
“Amy! Skeeter! I’ve been looking all over for you. Ready to go?” Jake asked, coming up from behind them.
“Yeah,” Skeeter answered, turning away from Amy, missing the look of concern flit across her sullen face.
**
Tonight would be the last time. They’d have fun at the nightclub, she’d prove a worthy girlfriend, and she’d also explain that she wouldn’t go to anymore meetings. Jason would understand... he’d have to. If not, well, they’d break up. As handsome as he was, something was starting to bother her. Jason was always pressuring her, convincing her to do things that got her into trouble. As much as she liked him, sometimes dating Jason Vandercamp didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.
It was a quarter -past-eleven and the others would be waiting outside. She’d been home only fifteen minutes, long enough to tell her father she was going straight to bed. He hadn’t seemed to notice, too busy contending with Skeeter’s stomach ache. Stupid kid... ate way too much candy. Served him right for being such a pig.
She slipped into some clean denims and a new sweatshirt, taking care to stuff her dirty clothing under her bedcovers so Dad would think she was sleeping. She grabbed a warm coat, then opened her window. It was a long way down.
Stupid house. Who the hell was crazy enough to build a house on a cliff? Amy steeled herself. Jason was wrong, she wasn’t a wimp. She could do this. It wasn’t that high. Step on the ledge here, carefully work her way over to the side of the house... Jesus, this was slippery. Probably ice. Was cold enough to be ice. Should have worn gloves.
There. Now, she just had to get onto the tree... if she could just reach that branch...
Amy stretched as far as she could, felt it in her fingertips, stretched a little more... grasped the branch tightly... swung her leg over... then screamed in terror as the branch broke and she tumbled down... falling...falling...down the cliff...towards the ocean below.
**
Cari Valentine sat broodingly on top of her desk, swinging her legs back and forth, watching the clock with narrowed eyes.
Ramona looked at her in exasperation. “Come on, Cari, it’s late. Go home, I’ll stay and finish the inventory. You’re being useless anyway.”
“That’s a fine way to talk to your boss.”
“I call them as I see them. What gives?”
Cari sighed. “Can’t concentrate.”
“If he
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