Derek’s a jerk to everyone, so I don’t take it personally. If I’m only getting the cold shoulder from Simon and Tori, I can live with it. That’s why I think those two are perfect for each other, but if you like him and he likes you? None of my business. But you’re smart to run a background check.”
She headed back to her old room, me at her heels. “My friend’s mom did that with a guy she was supposed to marry. Found out he had three kids he’d never mentioned.” She grinned over her shoulder. “I’m pretty sure Simon doesn’t have kids, but you never know.”
As we finished clearing out her drawers, I considered letting it go at that. But I didn’t want her thinking I was the kind of girl who gets into a new place and immediately starts scoping out the guys. If I wasn’t ready to tell the nurses about Derek, I should tell someone. That way, I’d have backup for my story if I needed it later.
“It’s not Simon,” I said as we returned to her room, clothing finished. “It’s Derek.”
She’d been in the middle of plucking a photo from the wall and fumbled it, cursing as I rescued the fallen photograph.
“Derek? You like—”
“God, no. I meant Derek’s the one I’m checking out—and not
that
way.”
She exhaled and leaned against the wall. “Thank God. I know some girls go for the jerks, but that’s just nasty.” She flushed as she took the picture from me and reached for another. “I shouldn’t say that. It’s not his fault, the whole…” She faltered for a word.
“Puberty smackdown.”
A grin. “Exactly. I should feel sorry for the guy, but it’s hard when his attitude is as ugly as his face.” She stopped, photo in hand, and glanced over her shoulder at me. “Is that it? Did he … do something?”
“Why? Does he have a history of that?”
“Depends on what
that
is. Being rude, yes. A jerk, yes. He ignores us except when he doesn’t have a choice and, believe me, no one complains. So what did he do?”
I considered my words. I didn’t want her to insist I talk to the nurses, so I left out the throwing-me-across-the-room part and just said he’d been following me, popping up when I was alone.
“Ah, he likes you.” She handed me a photo to hold.
“No, it isn’t like that.”
“Uh-huh. Well, you’d probably rather it
wasn’t
like that, but it sure sounds like it. Maybe you’re his type. At my school, there’s this guy I like, on the basketball team. He’s even taller than Derek, but he always goes for tiny girls like you.
I took another photo from her. “That’s not it. I’m absolutely certain of it.”
She opened her mouth and I felt a flash of annoyance. Why is it that every time a girl says a guy is bothering her, it’s fluffed off with
oh, he just likes you
, as if that makes it okay?
Seeing my expression, Rae snapped her mouth closed and took down another picture.
I said, “He freaks me out and I want to see what his file says. Whether there’s any reason to be spooked. Whether he has, you know, a problem.”
“That’s smart. And I’m sorry. If he scares you, that’s serious. I don’t mean to make jokes. We’ll get the facts tonight.”
----
Fifteen
« ^ »
BEDTIME AT LYLE HOUSE was nine, with the lights out and the no-talking rule coming into effect an hour later when the nurses retired. Each side of the upper level had a bedroom for its assigned nurse. Liz had said there was no door linking the boys’ and girls’ areas, but according to Rae, there was one between the nurses’ rooms, which gave them quick access to the whole upper floor in an emergency.
So while Rae swore Mrs. Talbot was a quick and sound sleeper, we had to take Miss Van Dop into account, too. An early break-in was too risky. Rae set the alarm on her sports watch for 2:30 and we went to sleep.
***
At 2:30, the house was still and silent. Too still and too silent. Every creaking floorboard sounded like a gunshot. And in an old house,
most
boards
She headed back to her old room, me at her heels. “My friend’s mom did that with a guy she was supposed to marry. Found out he had three kids he’d never mentioned.” She grinned over her shoulder. “I’m pretty sure Simon doesn’t have kids, but you never know.”
As we finished clearing out her drawers, I considered letting it go at that. But I didn’t want her thinking I was the kind of girl who gets into a new place and immediately starts scoping out the guys. If I wasn’t ready to tell the nurses about Derek, I should tell someone. That way, I’d have backup for my story if I needed it later.
“It’s not Simon,” I said as we returned to her room, clothing finished. “It’s Derek.”
She’d been in the middle of plucking a photo from the wall and fumbled it, cursing as I rescued the fallen photograph.
“Derek? You like—”
“God, no. I meant Derek’s the one I’m checking out—and not
that
way.”
She exhaled and leaned against the wall. “Thank God. I know some girls go for the jerks, but that’s just nasty.” She flushed as she took the picture from me and reached for another. “I shouldn’t say that. It’s not his fault, the whole…” She faltered for a word.
“Puberty smackdown.”
A grin. “Exactly. I should feel sorry for the guy, but it’s hard when his attitude is as ugly as his face.” She stopped, photo in hand, and glanced over her shoulder at me. “Is that it? Did he … do something?”
“Why? Does he have a history of that?”
“Depends on what
that
is. Being rude, yes. A jerk, yes. He ignores us except when he doesn’t have a choice and, believe me, no one complains. So what did he do?”
I considered my words. I didn’t want her to insist I talk to the nurses, so I left out the throwing-me-across-the-room part and just said he’d been following me, popping up when I was alone.
“Ah, he likes you.” She handed me a photo to hold.
“No, it isn’t like that.”
“Uh-huh. Well, you’d probably rather it
wasn’t
like that, but it sure sounds like it. Maybe you’re his type. At my school, there’s this guy I like, on the basketball team. He’s even taller than Derek, but he always goes for tiny girls like you.
I took another photo from her. “That’s not it. I’m absolutely certain of it.”
She opened her mouth and I felt a flash of annoyance. Why is it that every time a girl says a guy is bothering her, it’s fluffed off with
oh, he just likes you
, as if that makes it okay?
Seeing my expression, Rae snapped her mouth closed and took down another picture.
I said, “He freaks me out and I want to see what his file says. Whether there’s any reason to be spooked. Whether he has, you know, a problem.”
“That’s smart. And I’m sorry. If he scares you, that’s serious. I don’t mean to make jokes. We’ll get the facts tonight.”
----
Fifteen
« ^ »
BEDTIME AT LYLE HOUSE was nine, with the lights out and the no-talking rule coming into effect an hour later when the nurses retired. Each side of the upper level had a bedroom for its assigned nurse. Liz had said there was no door linking the boys’ and girls’ areas, but according to Rae, there was one between the nurses’ rooms, which gave them quick access to the whole upper floor in an emergency.
So while Rae swore Mrs. Talbot was a quick and sound sleeper, we had to take Miss Van Dop into account, too. An early break-in was too risky. Rae set the alarm on her sports watch for 2:30 and we went to sleep.
***
At 2:30, the house was still and silent. Too still and too silent. Every creaking floorboard sounded like a gunshot. And in an old house,
most
boards
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