Epic Escape (3 page)

Zoe turned back to admiring the picture and Megan mouthed to Veronica, “I wouldn’t.”

“Where’s Kyle?” Zoe said.

Veronica frowned. “I asked him to come, but he has some student leadership thing.”

Zoe made a humph noise. “He’s taking you to the dance, right?”

Veronica nodded.

Zoe’s silver eyes pierced Megan next and she spoke in a silky tone. “Who’s Chase going with?”

Megan felt her face heat.
Why would she ask her that? Did Zoe suspect she had a crush on Chase?

Veronica said, “Chase never takes a date to school events. You know that.”

Zoe tugged on the side of her camouflage print pants. “Chase likes his toys shiny and new, and he’s a hunter. So set a trap.” She pulled a miniature perfume from her pocket and spritzed her clothes.

Megan backed away from the musky scent.

Zoe said, “Or I will.”

Megan tightened her lips to keep from protesting. Veronica’s nose twitched in rejection of the fragrance.

Veronica said, “Camouflage isn’t allowed in our dress code, and musk shouldn’t be.”

Zoe shrugged one shoulder and held out the hem of her cheetah-print shirt. “Like they ever say anything. Guys love animal print.” Her fingers curved into a claw and she slashed the air in front of Megan. “Grr. Go animal at the dance.”

“Uh, no, cheetah.” Memories of the pink lace nightmare swept over her, causing a shudder. Megan looked away and her voice dwindled. “My mom picked out my dress.”

Veronica’s mouth twisted in a grimace of pity entwined with sympathy. “Your mom?”

Nothing further needed to be said.

Zoe said, “If you have a scorching gown, Chase will ask you to dance.”

Megan shook her head and wrinkled her nose. “It’s not the right gown.”

Veronica waved her arms at her clothes. “The dress won’t matter. He likes her or he doesn’t.” She grabbed Megan’s arm and pulled her up. “But say something to him. Don’t just stare.”

“I don’t stare. And I don’t even like Chase.” Her face burned hotter than the Houston sun, and her voice took on a high pitch she couldn’t control.

Zoe jerked her shoulders in a dance move and sang,
“St-St-St-Stalker.” She ended with her hands on her hips and a duh expression. “Men are simple. It’s not what you say, it’s what you wear.” She pulled her shirt taut over her chest. “Mom puts on a tight sweater anytime she wants to win an argument with Dad. Totally works.” Zoe’s head swiveled to the door. “I saw Chase go in theatre four.” Her voice slowed. “In case you were wondering.”

Megan balanced on her tiptoes to peer toward the entrance. “Why would I care?” She squinted at the sign over auditorium number four.
Crap, the slasher flick.

“Do you have to have Chase?” Veronica asked. “When Chase dates, he doesn’t even change his Facebook status. It’s always
single
. You’re supposed to change your status.”

“I never even said I liked Chase.” Megan dropped back down, then she couldn’t resist. “Does it really say
single
?

Zoe hit some buttons on her cell phone and waved it. “True.”

“He’s never given a girl his senior ring or his letter jacket,” Veronica said, “He can’t commit.”

“I read in one of Mom’s magazines that you should wear a low cut blouse and splash a drink across your boobs.” Zoe held up an imaginary cocktail, dumped the liquid over her chest, and raised her hands in surprise. “Oh. Did I spill that? Oh no, look everyone, my shirt’s gone see-through!” She dabbed at her imaginary spill.

“No more magazines for you,” Veronica said, her eyes wide.

Megan kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want Veronica to know she’d read the same article.

Zoe said, “It doesn’t matter if she can handle him or not. You have to go after what you want or you’ll never get him. Watch.” She passed the cashier a twenty dollar bill. “One student for Cabin of Terror.”

The ticket slid through the hole, and the cashier said, “Theater four. Enjoy your movie.”

Veronica ordered one for the sports movie. The cashier said, “Sold out.”

Veronica’s mouth tightened, no doubt, worrying about her grade. Coach would’ve enjoyed reading about a sports movie.

Zoe jabbed her ticket at Veronica, and Veronica said, “One for
Cabin of Terror
.”

Megan gave a regretful glance to the sign for the costume drama and ordered her ticket to
Cabin of Terror
.

Zoe nodded and tapped on her keypad. “Uh oh.” Her eyes slithered between Veronica and the screen. “Kyle just changed
his
status to
single
.”

Veronica snatched the phone and stood, reading the screen, face pale. She said nothing.

Zoe took the phone back. “Whatever. Your boyfriend’s a Goob anyway.”

People filtered into the theater around them but they didn’t move. Megan squeezed Veronica’s arm. “Maybe it’s a mistake.”

Veronica took out her own cell phone, turned it on and checked her messages. She paled even more. “He broke up with me … in a text.” She said the last three words slowly. The cell phone slipped, hit the concrete, rolled into a drain, and disappeared from view.

Oh man. Megan’s stomach tightened in sympathy and she squeezed Veronica’s arm again.

“Veronica.” Their heads popped up at Coach’s voice. “Admin got the count wrong. Trevor’s edged up his grades. So, in the race for valedictorian, you’re now number two.” Coach took out his magazine.
Smack.
“Step up your game.”

C
hase pushed up on the armrest and peered down a few rows. He pointed. “There’s a better seat.”

“There’s only one,” Joseph said.

“What? You want me to sit here and hold your hand?”

Joseph held his grease-coated fingers in the air, and Chase shoved his hand aside. “You smell like chicken.” He left his friends for the new spot. This whole theater was familiar. Mom used to bring him here once a week. She loved movies. He shook off the memory and continued down the aisle, passed the muttering usher. Chase stopped him, and said, “The stereo surround sound was off last week. Did you get that fixed?”

The usher’s eye twitched and he patted the walkie-talkie on his belt and his cell phone. “If you wait for me in the lobby, we have some special seating to take care of that.”

Chase nodded and strolled toward the exit. Behind him, the usher continued his patrol.

Megan followed her friends up the popcorn-scented aisle. Ads flicked across the screen and cold air gusted through the vents. Veronica’s bobbed cut swayed with each step, but fell back into place in a sleek motion. Megan put a hand to her own hair. “Bathroom. I should fix my hair.”

“It’s fine,” Veronica said.

The humidity never affected her.

“The auditorium’s dark anyway. You’ll miss the previews.”

Zoe’s expression said she should probably brush her hair, but Veronica still seemed shaken, so Megan nodded and contented herself with smoothing the sides with her hand.

“We can sit there.” Megan pointed to the best seats, above the middle center.

“Right,” Zoe ignored her suggestion and slid into the row in front of Joseph. She handed Veronica her cell. “Tell that loser off.”

Megan snatched the phone. “No. Talk to Kyle in person.”

Joseph held his hands in the air, using a chicken wing as an imaginary phone. “You tapping me for a date? Click-click-click. Want my digits?”

Veronica said, “You can’t even hear the keys.”

Joseph used the chicken to cover his eyes. “You’re blinding me with the screen.”

Riley kicked the back of Joseph’s chair. Joseph flicked his wrist, and the chicken wing flew backwards. Riley stood up, his fists clenched.

The usher stopped his patrol. He jerked a hand toward the exit. “No calls. Out.” He pointed straight at Megan. Joseph quickly shoved the box of chicken under his chair. Riley kicked, and the bucket shoved toward Joseph’s feet. A few piece tumbled free, and the scent of chicken blew into the cold air.

The usher pointed at Riley and gestured to the exit. “You too.”

Riley stomped passed.

Megan crossed her arms over her chest, and kept her head down to hide her embarrassment. The usher behind her muttered about bad behavior, and she snuck a peek back.

Zoe snuggled into the cushioned armrest, settling in for the movie.

Veronica tightened her lips and stepped into the aisle. “That’s not her phone.” She pointed at Megan and tried to explain what happened.

The overzealous usher muttered louder, ignoring her explanation. “Come with us.” He patted his utility belt.

Veronica moved to her side.

The heavy doors shoved open into the lobby. Chase and Coach stood on the other side.

The usher said, “I’m sending these trouble-makers to the upper auditorium to watch the film. They caused a disturbance.”

Veronica opened her mouth like she wanted to protest, but didn’t say anything.

Coach frowned. “Fine.”

Chase said, “As long as the sound’s better.”

Megan straightened her posture and tugged at her jacket.
No freaking way--Chase is going to sit in the bad behavior section with us! Awesome.

The usher swung a hand toward the empty elevator. “After you.” He polished the buttons with a rag from his pocket before depressing B for balcony then slapped a hand over his walkie-talkie, testing its on-off switch. He did that three times before the doors opened at the second floor and they stepped onto a carpeted balcony overlooking the lobby. The scent of popcorn clung to the air, but theater wasn’t as cold up here.

Megan wondered if she could take her jacket off.

The usher handed them 3-D glasses. “Enjoy the movie.” He clasped his hands together and raised them over his head in the shape of a triangle, and muttered something she couldn’t hear below his breath.

Weirdo. Some people work in the dark for a reason.

They’d spill their popcorn. The usher muttered about other annoyances and thought about the cleaning supplies. He’d need more.

A smudge the size of his palm covered the brushed silver push plate on the door. Some type of butter, maybe a soda smear, or could be candy goo. He wiped at the mark with his rag and used his sleeve to make a final polish. When the filth went away, some of the anxiety coursing through his veins lessened.

He patted his walkie-talkie, and moved to the opposite corner to call her. Hunching over, he cupped his hand over the mouthpiece before speaking. “He’s in. But some other kids were terrorizing the theater so they had to go too.”

C
hase and Riley sat behind them with an empty seat between them. Megan and Veronica sat together. The balcony seats weren’t bad, almost private, and the distance muted the sounds of popcorn crunching and soda slurping. Megan put her feet on the seatback in front of her and tried to use her knee to block the light from someone’s cell phone below. The height intensified the beam, but her knee did the trick.

Coach would be taking off points left and right at this rate.

Veronica dug a notebook out of her bag.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t believe Trevor’s ahead of me for valedictorian. I’ve got to ace this.”

Megan tried to read her expression in the dim light. “Your class rank? Why aren’t you more upset about Kyle?”

Veronica’s hands paused a moment, and she whispered, “I don’t know.”

“You two seem perfect. Aren’t you, you know, happy?”

On screen, an eerie shot of the woods appeared. Veronica shrugged and shifted her gaze straight ahead. Megan squirmed lower into the cushion, and prepared to close her eyes.

A terrified man appeared on screen. He donned night vision goggles and stared straight at the audience. “It’s out here and it’s after us. Put on your goggles. Good luck, dog.”

A smattering of nervous laughter rang through the auditorium. Megan dug her glasses out, put them on, and tucked her hair around her ears. They had large black frames like the ones Clark Kent favored. She hoped she didn’t appear too stupid wearing them. Dad would use the military term
BC glasses
to describe these. Glasses so ugly, they also served as birth control because no one would look twice at you when you wore them. Maybe the darkness would keep Chase from noticing how she looked.

“I hear something,” the man onscreen said, “Do you? Somewhere close.” A rustling sound followed.

Megan shifted in her seat, heart thumping, torn between being happy to sit near Chase and wishing they were watching the costume drama instead of this horror flick.