Illumine (4 page)

"Oh?" Jayson opened the pizza box and grabbed the

largest slice, biting into it like a steak. "Who's hosting?"

"The Skripper kid, Leo," I said, the morning replaying in

"The Skripper kid, Leo," I said, the morning replaying in

my head. "Didn't mention any kegs, though."

"You know better," he got out between bites. "Any High

School party is going to have some kind of alcohol, be it from the

parent's cabinet or paying off the local brewer for a few sets. Isn't

that what they did in New York?"

I practicaly snorted. "Not even close." You didn't have to

bribe anyone to get your hands on a bottle of whiskey in the city.

Al you had to do was find a homeless guy looking for a couple

extra bucks and maybe a bottle or two of whatever you were

having. Unless you had an older friend in colege who'd take off

with half the supply from every party they hit coming to yours. That

was the easiest way to get a mix of everything.

I looked up from my homework to see Jayson thoughtfuly

chewing. Better to strike while the iron was stil hot. "What if I had

wanted to go?"

"Mmf fanfwer mmmf shhtil me fuf," he sputtered. I shook

my head until he swalowed and repeated. "The answer would stil

be no."

Of course not. It didn't matter if I was smart, neurotic, or

even mentaly insane, he wouldn't budge.

"It's for your own good, realy," he said in a low tone.

Another slice found its way for his mouth.

"Realy?" I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise,

the words jumping off my tongue, ready to condemn me on the

spot. "Because socializing with my peers isn't for my good, not at

al. Where'd you read that, Jayson? The back of a cereal box?"

"Actualy your grandparents," he snapped, bits of

"Actualy your grandparents," he snapped, bits of

mushroom sputtering from his lips. He forced another mouthful

down before he spoke. "Don't look so surprised. They told me al

about having to get you from a party a week after the in-"

I felt the color drain from my face. Shaking I stood up,

pushing my papers into a pile. Slick palms made it impossible.

"Great. Who the hel else knows, who? The principal, the shrink,

the whole damn student body?" No wonder I was avoided like the

plague, everyone was too busy swapping horror stories of my

mental breakdown behind my back.

"That's not what I meant, Essalie," he said. He placed a

hand on top of mine as I jerked back. "They just don't want to see

your hurt. You're in a difficult place, we get that. But I don't want

to have to come get you in the middle of the night because of some

unforeseen trigger."

"You're impossible," I snarled and shoved the chair into the

table. "Did you ever think al of this, this place, these people, the

ever-elusive House of Horrors, al of it is one giant trigger waiting

to happen?" I threw my hands in the air. "Maybe they should have

just locked me up. At least I wouldn't have to look at al of this

anymore."

"Essalie," Jayson rose from his chair, sorrow in his eyes.

"Please."

"No Jayson. You had your chance, just like Mom. We al

had our chance to be normal." I headed for the door, stopping only

to look over my shoulder. Jayson was stil standing there, watching,

waiting maybe for me to run back into his arms and become the

sister he wanted, become the siblings we should have been al

sister he wanted, become the siblings we should have been al

those years ago. "Guess I'm more than Mom than you knew, right

down to the asylum-worthy behavior."

Bedroom door shut and locked, I stared ahead at the far

wal from the door. The same peach colored wals with cream

molding trim and lace curtains stared back at me like they had al

those years ago. If I closed my eyes I could almost make out the

sane little girl I once was, hiding from a mother that had become

drasticaly unstable.

Lights came through the window over my desk, the faint

sound of an engine turning on hitting my ears. I walked across the

room and puled back the curtains watching Jayson pul out of the

driveway and leave. I bit my lip and reached for my cel phone, his

number third on speed dial. But what would I say to him? I'm sorry

I'm mentaly unstable? Sorry you got stuck with me because

someone tried using me as bait for an evil I can't point out without

being locked away?

I hit the first button. It picked up on the second ring.

"Essie? You in trouble?" The voice asked.

"Want to go to a party tonight?" I said. Turning to the

mirror I caught my reflection. A sparkle of mischief danced in my

eyes, my lips curving into a Chesershire smile.

The other line was quiet for a moment, but when the voice

answered there was a pleased tone about it. "Thought you'd never

ask," Abigail commented. "I'l be there in five."

F O U R

Across the smal town of Belfast, Maine sat the only

development of 'luxury' homes. House upon house of perfectly

decorated brick, stone, and wood gave the place an eerie

Stepford-wives feel. Leo's parents were two of the town's most

known socialites. One a high-profile TV face and the other a

former NFL player, they claimed the only way they could continue

to live in Belfast was to build a gated home in a complex

surrounded by others like themselves. Word had it his parents paid

for the whole complex, houses and al, just for the township to

approve it. The women I sat behind at church put it a little more

blunt: they bribed the town with enough money to make Bil Gates

blush.

By the time Abigail and I got there the party was in ful

swing. Kids sat half-past-drunk on the lawn, empty party cups

strewn everywhere. Strobe lights flashed from the windows of the

massive mansion, music blaring loud enough to spil out across the

lawn to the street. A quick peek inside showed kids altering

between body shots off the cheerleaders or chugging contests. Al

they needed was a back room with some alcohol IV bags ready to

go and no one would be left sober.

We stepped inside the house, crossing over a couple in the

midst of a sloppy make-out session. Beside me Abigail looked

almost fearful. "You sure you want to be here? Cops could show

up any minute," she half-screamed over the music.

up any minute," she half-screamed over the music.

I shook my head. "Cops don't crash a Skripper party, no

way, no how." A puddle at the end of the flickering hal looked like

water, or maybe vomit. "Come on, maybe there's more in the

back."

We took turns watching our step between the broken

objects, sloppy drunks, and weird pyramids of party cups

throughout the house. Three different living rooms, two accidental

walk-ins to bedrooms, and one broken lamp later, we were safely

behind the kitchen doors. Oddly enough the kitchen looked like the

only untouched room in the whole house. The music had dimmed

to a low background noise.

Abigail ran her fingers along the white marble countertops

as she walked to the fridge and puled out a bottle of water.

Popping the top off she asked, "Was that realy Ashley Jacobs

doing-"

I shuddered and sank into one of the wicker bar stools at

the island counter. "Yes, yes it was."

We busted out laughing. She paused between sips of water

to admire the bottle in her hands. "Good to know her gag reflex is

stil functioning, very wel too I may add." Her laugh turned into a

snicker. "Wait until Brady-boy finds out."

I blinked and stared. "You mean that wasn't her

boyfriend?"

She let out a cackle and shook her head. "Most definitely

not! Brad has a," she paused. The outside sliding door had

opened, Leo slipping inside. His green eyes widened in surprise as

he took in the sight of the Abigail, only to stop and stare at me.

he took in the sight of the Abigail, only to stop and stare at me.

"Ah, the host finaly shows!" Abby raised her water bottle.

"Cheers. You managed to get every student in Belfast High

sloshed."

He chuckled, sparing her a shake of the head. But his eyes

came back to rest on me. "Not my doing. Some other guys from

the team brought the booze. Ryan and his buddies bled their

parents' cabinets dry." He passed Abby and took a can of soda

from the fridge. "The remaining of us that are sober are at the

bonfire out back. You two going to join?"

Abigail and I exchanged glances. I had already came and

proved my point to Jayson that I wasn't nuts and going to split in

half on the turn of a dime. And so far the halucinations had been

keeping to themselves which was twice as nice. No harm in a little

fun.

"I came this far, might as wel go al the way," I grinned and

winked at the two of them, hopped off the stool and gave Leo a

stare. "Lead the way."

He nodded and opened the door but not before I caught

the twitch of a smile on his lips. We folowed him out into the inky

night, smal lanterns hanging on iron rods iluminating an endless

backdrop of meticulously manicured backyards. Cobblestone

paths spiraled and twisted every which way, leading to anything

from a personal sauna to an emergency bomb shelter compound,

Leo told us. I believed it.

Just over the hil a yelow-glow bled over the horizon line.

Leo led us closer until we reached the peak of the hil. Just below

Leo led us closer until we reached the peak of the hil. Just below

the slope a giant bonfire, chunks of wood as the size of ancient tree

trunks piled into the shape of a frame for an Indian tee-pee stood

ablaze. Streaks of red, orange, yelow and blue wrapped around

the wood like a vice, encasing it in its eternaly burning grasp.

Leo continued down the slope without us, reaching his

girlfriend and giving her a smal kiss on the cheek. Her eyes turned

to me and narrowed to slits almost instantly.

"What is your beef exactly with Ursula?" Abigail asked.

We joined the others in front of the fire, most preferring to avert

their eyes than greet us.

I shrugged. "I'm the social discrepancy intruding her perfect

little world." When Abigail stared back at me, I roled my eyes.

"I'm the bug in her bedroom hanging above her head. Duh."

As if she had sonic hearing, Ursula cleared her throat. "
So

surprised to see you here, Hanley. I thought the picture of a dead

cat on the front door would have left you screaming."

Snickers rebounded around the bonfire. My cheeks

flushed and I looked to Leo, who pointedly looked away. He

looked just as embarrassed as me.

Over the thrumming roar of the flames, I sharpened my

tongue. "Funny, Ursula. Get that off the box your tacky fashion-

sense came from? Or did your over-paid hairstylist tel you to say

that?" I gave a nonchalant shrug and stage whispered. "I'd consider

hiring a new one. She makes you look 30 with that crop cut."

Ursula pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes even further.

"Why did you run, Hanley? Afraid the teacher was going to use

you for dissection next?"

you for dissection next?"

"I'l give you a dissection," Abigail muttered, stepping

forward. I grasped one of her wrists and shook my head. It just

wasn't worth it. One look around the bonfire told me that everyone

else was with Ursula on this. My thoughts from before were true, I

didn't belong here. I was invading their space, their lives.

Al I wanted was for the kids to quit thinking I was a freak.

To include me in their circles, maybe not a friend, but not an

outcast. Heat spread through my skin, building in my fingertips and

cheeks. Just once, I wanted to fit in somewhere, wherever it would

be.

I puled my hands back and shouted. My fingertips were

tender and red, almost blistering. I must have had my hands too

close to the fire. I looked around, waiting to hear the bursts of

laughter for being the only one to scald myself on the fire, but it

seemed no one had even noticed.

"Hey, Essalie, did you need my notes for Biology?"

someone caled out from across the fire. A couple people stepped

aside as one of the girls, Emily Sanders I remembered, came over

with a shy smile on her face.

"Uhhh, you sure?" I looked at Abigail, who shrugged but

gave me the same raised eyebrow look. Emily was one of Ursula's

'clones', as we caled them privately. They matched in almost

everything, from clothing choices to taste in boys. I took a quick