Dead Is a Battlefield (7 page)

That wiped the smirk off Edgar’s face. I was having a hard time concentrating, though. The touch of Dominic’s hand was doing weird things to me. You know how your stomach feels when you ride a roller coaster? His hand in mine created that same thrilling yet scary feeling.

“What about this weekend?” Eva persisted. She didn’t seem the least bit curious about why Dominic had been looking for me. In fact, she ignored him completely.

“What exactly are you asking me to do?” Both Eva and Edgar seemed to think that Edgar had given me some huge honor.

“As I said, Shannon is unable to accompany us this Saturday, so Eva suggested that you would be a suitable substitute.”

Could Edgar get any more pompous?

“Substitute for what?” Dominic asked.

Edgar waved his hand dismissively. “A Look of Love special event. It’s essential that we have thirteen girls.”

“I’m not going to be able to make it,” I said.

“You didn’t even ask when it was,” Eva pointed out, correctly enough.

“It is Saturday afternoon,” Edgar said.

“We’re going to Nightshade’s fall festival,” Dominic said. “It’s all day.”

Edgar frowned. “Shannon will just have to rearrange her schedule,” he told Eva, and then strode off without another word. She trotted after him.

“Thanks,” I said. “I didn’t know what to say to him. He gives me the creeps.”

“It is weird how they follow him around like that,” he said. “So what time should I pick you up on Saturday?”

My mind was on my best friend’s strange behavior, so I wasn’t sure I’d heard him clearly. “What did you say?”

“The Nightshade festival,” he said. “I wanted to know if you would like to come with me. I was already on my way over here to ask you, when I saw Edgar.”

“Really? You mean like a date?”

“Really,” he replied. “And I don’t mean
like
a date, I mean a date.”

“Then I’d love to go,” I said.

“Great,” he said. He hesitated and then added, “What about that guy you were with at the Black Opal the other night? It looked like you were on a date.”

I had forgotten all about Connor. “We were,” I said truthfully. “But we aren’t a couple or anything.” I was only a freshman, which was way too early to get serious with anybody.

Dominic and I stood there smiling at each other. The thing with Selena must have been all in my imagination. He didn’t like her. He liked me. Right?

CHAPTER TEN

Saturday started out
promisingly enough. I was going on my first date with Dominic and got up early, so I had plenty of time to prepare. Virago training was canceled for the day, but Flo had still made us run in the park that morning, to keep in shape.

I was ready almost half an hour early, so I went to the kitchen.

“Where is everyone?” I asked Mom. I was relieved that the house was relatively deserted.

“Katie’s on a play date and the rest of your sisters went with your dad to the mall,” she replied. “So what time is he coming over?”

“Two, but he’s not going to want to be grilled,” I answered.

To my surprise, she didn’t even insist on meeting him first. “I’ll wait to see if there’s a second date,” Mom said. “Besides, I’ve already met him. I sold his aunt a house about a month ago.”

“You never mentioned it,” I said.

She smiled. “I know.” She handed me a container. “Take some cookies. Boys like cookies.”

Our doorbell rang and I went to answer it.

“And don’t forget a jacket. It’ll get cold at night,” Mom called after me.

But it wasn’t Dominic standing there. It was Poppy Giordano. “Hi, Jessica,” she said. “Is your mom here? I wanted to talk to her for a few minutes, if she’s available.”

“Come on in, Poppy,” I said. “Mom, it’s for you!” I called as I ushered Poppy into Mom’s office.

Mom shut the door with a breezy “Have fun, Jessica.”

I looked at my watch. Dominic was over an hour late. It looked like there wouldn’t be a first date, let alone a second. Maybe something had happened. I tried his cell phone, but there was no answer.

The door to Mom’s office opened. Poppy and my mom stepped out. “Thank you, Mrs. Walsh. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it,” Mom replied. Then she noticed me. “You’re still here?”

I scowled at her. “Yes.”

“Jessica was supposed to have a big date,” Mom confided to Poppy.

“Mom!” I said. “You don’t have to tell the whole world I’ve been stood up.”

Poppy smiled sympathetically. “My prom date vanished in the middle of prom,” she said. “But he couldn’t help it.”

“Really?” Her words shouldn’t have made me feel better, but they did.

“It’s okay,” she said kindly. She leaned in and said in a whisper, “Don’t let a guy ruin your day. Go out and have fun.”

I smiled at her. “Maybe I will.”

Mom interrupted. “Poppy is going to be working with me,” she said. “Kind of like a nanny slash personal assistant.”

“You are?”

“I needed something flexible and part-time, and you need help . . . I mean, your family needs help,” Poppy said. “It’s a win-win.”

“I guess so,” I said.

“I know so,” Mom said cheerfully.

Poppy leaned in. “I thought you might have something better to do with your time.”

My mouth dropped open. Did Poppy know I was a virago?

She winked at me before she left.

I paced in the hallway. What should I do? I’d never been stood up before.

Finally, I decided. The festival was in the park. I could walk there. There was no way I was going to let Dominic Gray get the best of me.

It was a beautiful autumn day and it was already in the eighties. Besides, I was so mad that I was hot and sweating, so I didn’t think I would have to worry about getting cold. I took a jacket, anyway.

A few blocks from the festival, someone honked at me. I turned around and saw a car pulling over and an arm waving wildly.

“Jessica, do you want a ride?” Connor was in the back seat of an older-model sedan. Noel was driving and Harmony Clare sat next to him.

I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “I’m headed to the festival,” I said.

“We’re going there, too,” Connor said. “C’mon, get in.”

I hopped in. At least someone wanted my company. I expected Noel to clown around while driving, but he was a serious driver and kept his eyes firmly on the road.

“I packed a picnic,” Connor finally said.

I held up one of my mom’s Tupperware containers. “My mom made cookies.”

“I love cookies,” he said.

I sent a silent thank you to my mother.

We hit traffic a few blocks from the park, then sat for many minutes before the cars started to creep along again.

“Is all this just because of the festival?” I wondered aloud.

My question was answered when an emergency vehicle raced by with its siren blaring. My tattoo started to tingle. There wasn’t much I could do from the car, but I did send a text to the rest of the viragos.

Be there soon,
was the terse reply from Flo.

We finally pulled into a parking spot.

When we reached the entrance, Connor insisted on buying my ticket, and then security checked my purse and patted us down.

“What’s going on in there?” Connor asked one of the security people.

“Something about a bunch of girls,” a tall, rake-thin guy in a Stones concert T and ragged jeans answered before the security person could speak.

There was a sick feeling in my stomach. “‘A bunch of girls’?” I repeated.

“Yeah, I think they drank the Kool-Aid,” he said.

“What are you talking about?” Connor asked.

“You know, they’re in a cult, or something,” the guy said. “They’re all dressed alike and everything.”

Connor and I looked at each other and then I broke into a run.

They were easy to spot—a bunch of my classmates, lying on the ground, wearing purple again. This time, their shirts were pale lavender.

Connor came to a stop beside me. “Do you see Eva anywhere?” I asked.

“Over there,” he said.

Eva was one of the girls lying on the ground, her brown curls limp with sweat.

“Eva, what’s wrong?” I asked.

She sat up. “Jessica, what are you doing here?” She wore black kneepads and short shorts and clutched a large squirt gun.

I didn’t remind her about my non-date with Dominic. “You scared me,” I scolded. “I thought something had happened to you.”

Shannon walked up and squirted her in the face. “Eva, you’re dead. Lie back down.”

Obviously, it wasn’t sweat in Eva’s hair. It was water.

“I’m taking a break,” Eva said. She handed Shannon the squirt gun. “I’ll be back in ten.”

We walked by a couple of the booths on the fairway and Connor bought us snow cones.

“What were all the ambulances for?” I asked.

“A couple of girls fainted. They’ve been dieting to fit into their homecoming dresses, so the combination of no food and the heat got to them,” Eva said. “But Edgar thought we should still go through with the demonstration.”

“That seems a little selfish,” I said.

“No, just the opposite,” Eva insisted. “He’s determined to make his mom’s store a success. What’s more selfless than that?”

It occurred to me that if the store was a success, Edgar could continue to ride in limos and wear expensive clothes.

“There he is,” Eva squealed. Edgar, all in white again, was just ahead and she ran to catch up with him. “See you guys later. Have fun!”

The back of her T read
SHOOT FOR LOVE,
with The Look of Love logo below it, in big purple letters. That was lame. Edgar was turning her into a walking, talking billboard.

She caught up to Edgar and they walked away together hand in hand.

I frowned.

“He’s a creep, isn’t he?” Connor said. “I hope she doesn’t get mixed up with him.”

“I think she already is,” I said. “She’s almost hypnotized when she’s around him. It’s like no one else even exists.”

“Maybe it’s love,” Connor said softly.

“Maybe,” I said. Or maybe it was something else entirely. But what?

We lost sight of them and I was finally able to turn my attention to enjoying the day.

“What do you want to do first?” I asked. There were several stages, many food stands, and lots of games, but I assumed Connor would want to see the headliner band.

“I want to check out Drew Barrymore’s Boyfriends,” he said. That was a hip local band.

He noticed my surprised expression and said, “Unless there’s anything you’d rather do first?”

I put a hand to my forehead. “Uh . . . just gotta send a quick text.” I sent Flo a message that it was a false alarm. My tattoo seemed to agree with my assessment and stopped tingling.

Flo texted me back.
Vinnie and I are here, anyway, checking out the competition.

I put my phone away and then
floundered for something to talk about with Connor. “How are your lessons going?” I asked.

“Ms. Minerva says I’m ready for an advanced class. And the jazz band is competing at state soon.”

“Congratulations,” I said, genuinely impressed.

“You’re pretty handy with a guitar yourself,” he said. “Have you ever thought about joining a band?”

“I don’t like performing in front of people,” I confessed. “Besides, it’s something that’s just for me.”

He put an arm around my shoulder. “I get that.”

I put a little distance between us. “Let’s get something to drink,” I said. “My treat.” Connor was acting like this was a date, but I’d been stood up by one guy today and wasn’t in the mood.

By nightfall, Connor had won a stuffed bear, which he’d promptly given to me. Then we checked out three of the bands. Two of the three weren’t as good as Side Effects May Vary, but the other one was amazing.

“Wow,” I said when the song ended.

He smiled at me. “I agree completely.”

We were walking down the midway when Connor suddenly stopped short. “The picnic!” he said. “I forgot to feed you. You must be starving.”

“Not exactly,” I said. “Remember? We had snow cones and then we split that turkey leg.”

“That was hours ago,” he said. “I’ll go back to the car to get the cooler. Wait here.”

I enjoyed the music while I waited for him to return. That is, until I spotted Selena and Dominic, walking hand in hand. He had her hand in a death grip. Despite the rage that swept through me, I had to admit they looked good together. Dominic had that slightly dazed look a guy sometimes got when he was with a girl he liked.

I was still staring at them when Edgar sidled up next to me.

“Jessica, I like the way you look,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“Ah, of course,” he said. “You’re beautiful, and therefore you’re used to compliments.”

“What did you want, Edgar?” I said. He was ruining a perfectly lovely evening with his mere presence.

He handed me a bottle of the “exclusive” perfume everyone had been raving about. I recognized the unusual container.

I handed it back to him. “I’m not interested. In the perfume or you.”

He smirked at me, apparently unfazed by my cold shoulder. “I can make you change your mind.”

“I doubt it very much,” I said.

“So do I,” Connor said.

Edgar moved away. “My apologies. Enjoy the rest of the concert.”

After he left, Connor asked, “What did he want?”

“I have no idea,” I replied. What I really wanted to know was why my tattoo had been throbbing the whole time I talked to Edgar. I passed it off as a combination of my overactive imagination and my dislike of Edgar. After all, how evil could a freshman boy be?

We found a spot not far from the main stage and spread out a blanket Connor had brought, along with a couple of low chairs. He unpacked a delicious meal of veggie sandwiches, potato salad, and sodas, and we ate until we were stuffed. Then we sat back to enjoy more performances.

“This band is good,” he said. “Good food, good company. This is the best day I’ve had since—in a long time.” He smiled at me.

We pulled up to my house about five minutes before my curfew. Noel and Harmony waited in the car while Connor walked me to the door.