Fearscape by Nenia Campbell Page B

conscious of just how her social circle was.
    “ Have you kissed him yet?” Lindsay wanted to know.
    “ Um, well … yes?”
    “ How was he?” Rachel asked, grinning.
    “ I don't know.” Val turned red. “I've never actually kissed anyone before.”
    “ Aww, are you blushing? You are too cute.” Rachel patted her on the head. “Isn't she cute?”
    “ Very,” Lindsay agreed. “Just make sure Gavin keeps his hands to himself when he's not welcome. If he doesn't treat you right,” she punched her fist into her palm, “we'll rough him up.”
    “ Good luck with that, Wonder Woman,” Rachel said.
    A drop of water fell on Val's nose. She winced, thinking it was a bead of sweat. Then another fell as she tilted her head up, right in the eye, and she noticed how the sky was darkening. Clouds as black as blobs of ink were rolling in, blotting out the tentative, greenish light peeking through the cloud cover. A cold wind ringed the three girls and Val went from burning up to freezing.
    “ God, that's cold.” Val rubbed at her bare arms, shivering. “Looks like a big storm.”
    Lindsay stuck her tongue out at the clouds. “Back in Kansas, a sky like that meant business.”
    “ I didn't know you used to live in Kansas.”
    “ Me, either.” Rachel cut her eyes at Lindsay. “Bitch. I thought we were best friends. What else haven't you been telling me?”
    “ It's not something I like to tell people. It makes people think I'm a hick or that I have inbred cousins.” She rolled her eyes. “Like they wouldn't get just as uptight if they were asked about their backyard marijuana gardens and movie star neighbors.”
    “ That's just dumb,” said Val.
    “ I don't think of inbred cousins,” Rachel said helpfully. “I think of the Wizard of — ”
    “ Finish that sentence and you're a dead woman,” Lindsay said.
    “ Come on girls.” The coach clapped her hands and all three of them looked up. “Locker rooms, stat. We've been rained out.”
    “ Well, you heard the coach. Let's get hopping, Toto. We're not on the track field anymore.”
    Rachel squealed as Lindsay lunged for her. The two of them zigzagged through the rain, giggling and shouting, as they knotted through their tired teammates.
    Val laughed, and then cut off guiltily as if she felt it weren't something she was permitted to do. She eyed the dark clouds looming from behind, and at the shadowy bleachers. It was creepy. She felt watched, but there was nobody there. None that she could see, anyway.
    I wonder.
    But when she got to her locker it was clean. No flowers. No poetry. No writing.
    She let out a quiet sigh of relief and slung her backpack over her shoulder. There was no point in changing into her regular clothes, she thought. They'd just get soaked — and she was already sweaty. She pulled out her phone from her track jacket and dialed home but no one answered.
    Did her mother have something going on today? No, she hadn't given Val bus fare.
    “ Come on,” she said, dialing again. “Mom, what the hell? Pick up the phone.”
    But the busy signal was obstinate.
    “ Damn it.” Val plopped down on the school's rain-slicked front steps with her wet hair hanging in her eyes. Now what am I supposed to do? She started to call Lindsay, hoping her friend hadn't already gotten too far from campus, when a white Camaro rolled up to the curb.
    The window cranked down, and a familiar voice said, “Val?”
    She jumped up, raking her hair out of her face. “Gavin? Where did you come from?”
    “ The art building. I was helping Ms. Wilcox with things.” He trailed off. “Are you waiting for someone?”
    “ My mom. I'm going to be running a fever if she doesn't get here soon.”
    “ Is she on her way?”
    “ No,” Val said. “I can't get hold of her.”
    “ I could give you a ride,” he said carefully.
    She felt a bolt of dread and something else, something like anticipation. “I live on the other side of town from here. I'm probably way out of