Phantom by Laura DeLuca

exactly belligerent, but it certainly wasn’t docile either. She couldn’t help but wonder why he would think it was anything more than an accident at all. No one, aside from Rebecca, seemed to think so. It made him seem even guiltier. But Rebecca decided that if he had done it, the last thing she should be doing was trying to make him angry. So she tried to be nonchalant.
     
    “It’s not you. I just . . . I have a lot of homework to do.” That was so incredibly lame , she thought.
     
    Justyn studied her, his dark eyes sad and brooding, for what seemed like a long time before he finally spoke. “Well, I wouldn’t want to be the reason why you didn’t make the honor roll this semester.”
     
    “Okay then. I’ll see you tomorrow at practice.”
     
    She pushed open the door to walk out, but his lyrical voice stopped her in her tracks, so overflowing with all the misery and melancholy, all the heartbreak of the world, that she couldn’t help but listen. This time she didn’t swoon. Although he obviously meant the words as a testimony to his innocence, the fact that he was again quoting the same book as her real life phantom only made her doubt him even more.
     
    "You are afraid of me and I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! . . . If you loved me I would be as gentle as a lamb, and you could do anything with me that you pleased."
     
      Rebecca didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Instead, she walked out the door and into the parking lot without looking back.
     
     
     

Chapter Eleven
     
    The week flew by as they tended to do when things were insanely busy. Between schoolwork and rehearsals, there wasn’t much time for anything else. Before Rebecca knew it, it was Friday, Halloween, the night of the dance. It was going to be her first real date with Tom. It was also the first life goal she could cross off her to-do list. Even all the craziness going on around her couldn’t diminish her excitement. In fact, she hadn’t heard from her stalker all week and therefore hadn’t thought much about him since Wendy’s return to school.
     
    Wendy had been absent for only one day after her accident. Then she was back and just as determined as ever to make Rebecca’s life miserable. There was one deep gash on her cheek and another across her forehead that needed stitches, and multiple smaller scratches. But Rebecca had heard through the grapevine that the doctors didn’t think there would be any serious scarring. Still, she was cut up pretty badly, and it was impossible for high school kids not to stop and stare when she walked by. But she didn’t let it affect her performance. She returned to her role of Carlotta with a confidence and grace that made Rebecca admire her despite their personal issues.
     
     Wendy didn’t come right out and say that she blamed Rebecca for her accident. But the unspoken accusation was there, making her understand a little better why Justyn had been able to pick up so well on her own suspicions. Every time Wendy glared at her, Rebecca felt like she was waiting for the inevitable counter attack, however undeserving it might be. It wasn’t a good feeling to think that someone blamed her for something she knew she didn’t do, and it made her feel guilty about how she had treated Justyn.
     
    As far as her co-star was concerned, Justyn had avoided her as much as possible. He moved through their mutual scenes with much less vigor than usual, and spent the rest of the time in the gloomy kind of melancholy that Goths were stereotypically known for. Yet, Rebecca knew that was putting on a front. A part of her missed the teasing Justyn, the sarcastic Justyn, and most of all, the sensual Justyn that could hold her enthralled with his hypnotic eyes and angelic voice. Still, she had to admit, there was a small part of her that was worried he might be the one who was causing the strange incidents. When days past without him speaking to her, she thought it was probably for the best if