Dead Girl in Love (24 page)

School? The word startled me, but in a nice “life must go on” kind of way. And well, why not? My family had no idea what I’d been through. They’d expect me to follow my usual routine. So I told Dustin I’d see him at school, then hung up.

My stomach growled—a familiar sound that reminded me again of how good it felt to be me. I got dressed quickly, then hurried to the kitchen where I saw a picture-perfect family: mine.

My little sisters complained when I squeezed them too tightly.

“Hurting me!” Cherry whined.

Olive squirmed away and ran to Mom, who was pouring cereal into bowls.

Only Melonee didn’t complain, and hugged me back with gusto. “Sissy home,” she said, then offered me half of a buttered slice of toast.

Dad was in the living room, sipping coffee while he watched the news. When I went in to give him a hug, he looked up at me curiously.

“I just heard on the news about a boy from your school,” he said, clicking the remote to a different channel. “He was mugged last night. Eli Rockham—”

“Rockingham,” I corrected, a chill shivering up my skin.

“Yeah.” Dad nodded. “I thought the name sounded familiar.”

“It’s on the news?”

“It’s a big story, I guess, because he was in some contest. Is he a friend of yours?”

“Something like that.” Much more than a friend, I thought, blushing. “What exactly did you hear?”

“They think he was attacked by an obsessed fan.”

“But is he okay?” I held my breath.

“Yeah. They said he was resting at home—no mention of a hospital.”

I breathed out in relief.

Still, I wished he’d call so I’d know how he was doing.

Would he be awake by now? I wondered.

Looking down at my wrist, I saw my own watch, not the digital one I’d borrowed from Dustin. My lucky bracelet was gone, too—but I knew exactly where to find it.

Alyce … how was
she
doing?

Would she remember anything from the last few days? Did she know what happened last night and that I’d been the one to find her sister’s grave?

As if just thinking of her held magic, I heard a honk outside. Rushing to the window, I saw Junkmobile pulling up in front of my house.

Without bothering to find a jacket, I raced out of my room.

To see my best friend.

I climbed into the passenger’s seat, shutting the door behind me before slowly turning toward Alyce.

We didn’t say anything, both studying each other like strangers meeting for the first time. And it was strange for me—seeing the body I’d recently inhabited from the outside. She had her hair pulled back into one long black braid, wisps of curls escaping around her forehead. Purple-black gloss simmered on her lips and kohl shadowed her dark eyes. She wore black leather and black suede in a Native-American-meets-vampire style. Totally original Alyce, and I smiled.

“I wasn’t sure I’d find you here,” she said, with obvious relief.

“Why not? This is where I live.”

“But you had me really worried,” she added.

“I did?” I asked, surprised.

“What did you expect after leaving that letter in my purple notebook? I didn’t find it until this morning, and I drove over here right away—I was so relieved when you walked out front door.” She shifted in the seat, her knee jingling the keys in the ignition. “My memory is fuzzy, but I know enough to say thanks.”

“Well … you’re welcome. After everything … I just hope you’re okay.”

“Okay?” She gave a brittle laugh. “Have you met my mother? Of course you have—so you know that nothing will be easy with her. But now that I know where the grave is, I’m going to make her face reality. It might get complicated, since what she did was illegal, but we’ll work through it.”

“And I’ll help you,” I added. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you before.”

“I’m the one who shut you out.”

“Still, I should have known.”

“I was the idiot who thought that if no one knew what Mom was really like, I could pretend everything was fine—that my family was great like yours. I got so jealous sometimes, watching your mom take care of you instead of the other way around. And it was hard seeing you with your little sisters, knowing that I had almost had one of my own.”

“I’m sorry.” Tears sprang to my eyes. “I wish I’d known.”

“Me too. But that was my fault, not yours. I see that now.” She twisted the end of her braid. “With all the body-switching and other-side weirdness, you know what I find the most hard to believe?”

“What?”

“I spent months looking for that stupid grave, and you found it in just a few days. How did you do it?”

“Dustin helped. He even helped me set you up on dates.”

“Dates?” She looked horrified.

“Zachary wasn’t bad, but Kyle was a nightmare.”

“You went out on dates as
me
?”

“Only two. There would have been three but Dustin goofed and Taylor turned out to be a girl.”

Her glossy lips fell open. “I don’t remember anything about it.”

“I’ll fill you in.” Then I grinned and told her everything—starting with Kyle and his bat blood.

I was still talking when there was a knock on Junkmobile’s window. Dad gestured to his watch and mouthed, “School.”

Alyce told me she wasn’t going to school, that she was going to be busy for a few days taking care of her mother. But she offered to drop me off. On the way, she filled me in on her experiences.

Waking up at the cemetery and finding Dustin bandaging Eli’s bleeding hands shocked her. But even more shocking was to see the grave marked “
SAM
.” She stayed in the cemetery awhile, staring at the small plaque, before going home to have a serious talk with her mother.

“Thank you,” Alyce said, with such sincerity that I nearly cried as I stepped out of her car at school. Fighting tears, I nodded and smiled to show that I understood.

Then I heard the warning bell ring and hurried to my locker.

As I was grabbing my books, I heard a musical beep from my cell phone and read a text from Eli.

I m ok.

Being watched.

Will talk l8r.

L Eli

I stared at the message, reading deep meanings into every letter, especially that
L
in front of “Eli.” Did it mean what I thought it meant? Or was it just a typo? And why was he being watched?

I found out why when I met up with Dustin later for lunch in the computer room. Dustin said everyone was talking about Eli’s attack. The status of having a stalker had renewed the media’s interest in him, and reporters were swarming his house. With his family under siege, he wasn’t allowed to answer the phone or go to school.

While I was glad to know why Eli had been a no-show since the switch, I was still tense with anxiety … and eager to see him.

The door opened, and I glanced past the computers to see Jessica Bradley sweep into the room. She pulled up a chair between Dustin and me and launched into an excited description of her ideas for a fundraising party on Saturday. She had bought hundreds of baskets and fun items to fill them.

“Party?” I repeated, completely clueless, although I vaguely remembered Grammy mentioning a party when she’d been me. But she was back at her other-side job now, so I couldn’t call her—not by phone or even GEM. I’d searched my purse and backpack before coming to school and the GEM was gone. This was proof that my career as a Temp Lifer was over.

Somehow I managed to fake things with Jessica and she left me with a glittery-pink party invitation—similar to the first party invitation I’d received from her a few weeks ago. And since this party was for the Halsey Hospitality Club, I wasn’t just a guest—I was on the planning committee.

And so was Alyce. But when I told her later, she refused to go, slipping into her old habits. She couldn’t use the excuse about her mother needing her, though, since her mother had entered a treatment facility and Edna was staying at her house with her. So after some begging and threatening, Alyce gave me this exasperated look. “All right, all right. I’ll go, but only because you’re my BFF.”

I smiled. Yeah, best friends forever.

Saturday morning, I was ready to go, my hands full of folders with plans and basket-creating ideas.

While I waited for Alyce to pick me up in Junkmobile, I heard a strange sound coming from the kitchen. A gasp, or maybe a sob. When I went to investigate, I saw the walk-in pantry door open and Mom standing there with a shocked expression, holding something in her hand.

Finally, Mom had found it.

I’d suggested to Grammy that she leave a letter for Mom to “accidentally” find—so that Mom would know Grammy loved her and the triplets. It had been Grammy’s idea to buy a gift. While I’d been facing the dangerous Dark Lifer and stabbing my boyfriend, Grammy had been shopping for a special gift. She’d wrapped the box and hidden it in the kitchen pantry. When Mom found it, she’d assume it had been there for over a year, rather than for less than a week.

Now Mom was kneeling on the floor, ripped wrapping paper all around her, as she cradled a photograph album with the words “Grandma’s Darlings” on the cover. Tears fell down her face as she read the note from Grammy inside the flap of the book. A simple message of love for triple granddaughters. But it was enough, and I could tell by Mom’s face that all the bitterness was forgotten.

Junkmobile honked from outside, and I grabbed my bag.

A short time later, we walked up the elegant steps of Jessica’s home and were welcomed by the maid. I had taken care with my appearance, wearing embroidered jeans and a shirt that shimmered a silvery color like rain. My too-curly hair was pulled back with a sparkly scarf. I’d used only a touch of makeup: foundation to tame my freckles and a hint of shimmery peach lip gloss.

When I walked into the back garden, recognizing familiar faces from school, I received smiles and waves. Everyone knew my name, and a lot of kids had ideas for making spectacular baskets. Alyce hung back a little, but when I explained she was the creative brains behind the baskets, soon she was talking and warming up. She seemed to really hit it off with this one girl with short dark hair and a similar taste for black leather and draped skirts. Her name was Taylor—the same Taylor that Dustin almost set up as Alyce’s date. I couldn’t help smiling at the irony.

Then I heard my name called … in a voice that almost stopped my heart.

And I turned away from Alyce and Taylor to find Eli.

I was so mixed up with happiness and uncertainty that I could hardly speak. This was the first time I’d faced Eli in my real body since we’d first met—in this very same garden. We’d never … well … anything.

“Great party.” Eli’s eyes shone in a way that made me all soft inside.

“Yeah … greater, now.”

“I know what you mean. But I checked, and there’s no chocolate buffet.”

“You can’t have everything.”

“Who says you can’t?” he asked, teasing.

“Someone famous and dead, I’m sure.” Using the “D” word kind of made things awkward, and we stood there for a moment. We’d been through so much—it was like starting off a relationship at the fiftieth anniversary, only now we were back to the beginning.

“So … ” I said with a glance around at other people, who were laughing and talking with total ease. “How did you manage to get here without being stalked by paparazzi?”

“That’s not a problem anymore—they found better news. A popular singer—can’t remember her name—quit the business to join the marines. So I’m off the media radar.”

“And onto mine,” I said, stepping closer.

“I’ve been waiting a long time … to be with you.”

“Me too.”

“We still haven’t kissed.”

“Really?” I said in a flirty tone, tilting my face up toward his.

He reached into his pocket and held out a silver-wrapped triangle.

“A candy kiss!” I said, laughing. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind, although I never refuse chocolate.”

When my fingers touched his as I took the candy, I felt a shock of electricity that had nothing to do with the other side—it was all about living on Earth. He must have felt something, too, because he stumbled backwards, bumping into someone carrying a cup of punch. The cup flew and dumped sticky red punch on Eli’s shoes.

Eli looked so embarrassed, which was kind of sweet and made me love him even more. While he went to wash up, I plopped the chocolate kiss in my mouth and imagined how much sweeter the real thing would be.

I was staring in the direction that Eli had gone when I became aware of a smell … a salty breeze, a whiff of the ocean. I sensed someone behind me, but when I whirled around, no one was there.

Just my imagination, I decided with a shrug.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned with a start.

“Eli!” I cried out with delight.

“Expecting someone else?” he teased.

“No one,” I said firmly. “Only you.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“You know what I’d like even more?” I asked with a flirty smile.

“Chocolate?”

“Guess again.” Then I reached up to hook my arms around his neck, pulling him close and lifting my lips.

Finally, we shared our first kiss.

The End.