Death Screams by Tamara Rose Blodgett Page A

could see that Archer was moving around all the cars, locking them for a slow getaway for the Graysheets.
    Nice.
    " Stop coming after these kids," Gale said. "I know your face, I know who you are."
    He leaned into her space and Clyde was beside him instantly. "As you were," Clyde said, his body one tense, tight line.
    Parker looked at him and sighed, leaning back.
    " If Caleb doesn't do what I tell him, he'll see a rain of shit come down around his head the likes of which he never imagined. He doesn't think so now but I am his friend."
    John barked out a laugh. "Priceless," he said, shaking his head.
    " I'm leaving now, Parker. And you're gonna watch," I said, tucking Jade against me and backing away toward Bry's car.
    " Do you think that if I'd really wanted to hurt you I couldn't have?" Parker said in a low voice.
    I had wondered. It had seemed like a weak assault by Parker standards.
    Whatever. "Like Jonesy said, pick up the damn pulse. Don't run us off the road and manhandle my friends. That isn't gonna ever work for me."
    Parker stared.
    His zombies stared harder.
    Clyde gave his steady regard back and the zombies took each other's measure. It didn't bode well for the future. A line had been drawn in the sand and they were gonna cross it.
    I could feel it in my bones.

CHAPTER 9
    Sophie
     
     
    Sophie fluffed her hair one more time, giving her lips an experimental pucker as she put on the last of her stay-on-all-damn-day lip gloss.
    It better, she wanted to look hot for Buddy.
    Actually, she didn't really give a flying you-know-what about Buddy. If she was honest.
    It was all for Jonesy.
    She sighed. They'd been through so much together but none of that seemed to matter. People said girls were EMO. She didn't think so. Jonesy was tender one minute, his heart in his eyes, then the next he was dating one of the million and one bimbo-sluts in the high school.
    Pick one, they were like ants. Sophie wanted to wreck the little hill they scurried around on. Well, the hell with that noise, she wasn't going to wait any longer for him to get over his hairy case of commitment-phobe. Besides, it was Buddy that was supportive of her. Especially with the mega-creeper that had attacked Amanda. Buddy was AP. He said he'd protect her.
    She sighed. She did totally hate who he hung with sometimes. Sophie had never liked Carson Hamilton or Brett Mason. Add in Brody and Diego... well, she thought they were dangerous. She'd told Buddy. He'd said that they were guys to hang with sometimes. Well, she sure-as-hell wasn't going to hang out with him when he spent any time with them.
    She threw on her matching cheetah panties and bra and slid into the tightest pair of pants she could without the Dreaded Muffin Top and put on a turquoise blouse, laced up the sides, a sliver of the cheetah showing.
    She liked it. Maybe Mom wouldn't see that bit revealed.
    Sophie rolled her lips one more time and turned away from the mirror to make the short walk to school. That was the only good thing about KPH, she could walk.
    Not that she needed to.
    As she exited the house Buddy was there in the driveway, he was a senior and had wheels.
    She couldn't see his face very well but in the shadows that played tricks in the morning light she thought that his face looked funny.
    Feral.
    Her step faltered for a moment, but she picked up her pace, her high-heeled shoes clicking on the hard cement of the sidewalk, dipping her head down a little to get a better look at him inside the car.
    As she moved closer, she saw his face more clearly.
    Trick of the light, Sophie thought. Shaking her head, her misgiving slid away into her unconsciousness.
    *
    Caleb
     
    I had my head in the cradle of my arms on top of my pillow. I was completely exhausted. I'd gotten everyone home and Gale and me had talked for two, solid hours about everything that transpired with Parker. I swear, the parents were never gonna let me do anything again.
    Happy Birthday to Me.
    I rolled over and looked