Really pretty gold rings. Crystal never wears rings. And who else could afford them? Even if they’re cheapie gold, they’d be ten bucks each. Who has eighty dollars to spend on little rings?”
“So we’re going to find out if Neely did it, and if she’s going to do it again. And if she is . . .”
“I’ll stop her.”
“Merry, wow,” Mallory said admiringly. “That’s having some sand.” She was quiet for a moment. “I hate to have to tell you this but, you know I fell asleep out there,” Mallory admitted. “I was just tired. I didn’t think I’d dream. But I did, and I saw hands putting tape on a shoe too.”
“You mean we had the same dream?”
“Not the same dream,” Mallory said. “It means that it happened once. . . .”
“And it’s going to happen again in the future, obviously,” Merry went on. She drew a deep breath. “Well. So I know what’s what. I know what I have to do.”
They both fell silent.
“Do you think you might be in some danger, Ster?” Mallory asked. “You know, you’re her rival too. There are swimming pools there in her house and stuff.”
“Come on, she’s not trying to kill me, Mal. Don’t be dramatic. I’ll be fine. Alli and Caitlin will be there. I wouldn’t go alone.”
“It’s bugging me. Rings? Who wears rings? Who’s changed styles?” Mallory said. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff. I wouldn’t notice if Alli had her hair dyed green. I can’t think of anyone who wears rings.” She punched her hand. “I can’t think at all.”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be a cheerleader. It could be somebody else completely. Like someone who’s just pissed because a girl broke up with him. It could be a whole other agenda.”
“But who else would care enough to do something like that? Look at Crystal. I know she’s kind of dumb and conceited but . . . the poor girl. No one deserves that. And I should know what the connection is with Eden and the lion by now, but I don’t have a clue. How does it all fit?”
Her sister said, with a sigh, “I so do not want to find out. But that would hint that I had a choice about finding out. Which I don’t.”
“Look both ways tonight.”
“I will,” Merry said. She was used to Mallory being the tough one. Block by block, she lost her nerve. And on top of that, she grew more self-conscious. Goo in her hair. Wrinkled, sweaty clothes. She hoped they’d go swimming right away so no one would notice.
At least, she thought, this whole little matter will be over tonight. A sad and painful thing for Crystal, but a piece of cake compared with last year.
Long afterward, Merry would look back and realize that she had allowed hope to triumph over instinct. She was so eager to see a simple ending—or any ending—that she had mistaken a cliff for a cul-de-sac.
THE NEELY FACTOR
N ow, that’s some shack,” said Tim.
It was the first time that either Mally or Meredith had gotten more than a passing glance at the Chaplins’ new home. They’d seen it under construction several times, on the way to their grandparents’ house, but everyone at school had heard about the sauna, Neely’s second-floor workout room, and how the indoor pool had a lane that opened to the outdoor pool.
Grandpa Arthur Brynn, their father’s father, and his mom, Grandma Gwenny—the one who was from a long line of psychics—lived in Bell Fields, next to Haven Hills. And he had no use for these huge houses; he called them power guzzlers. Grandpa used to complain that all the young families were leaving Ridgeline, but now the town council Grandpa chaired was considering zoning rules to keep the population under control and stop more farms from becoming developed. People like the Chaplins, who moved from Chicago when her father’s business relocated to New York City, thought Ridgeline was “cute,” Grandpa Arty said, like some fairy-tale country town. When Dad’s brother Uncle Kevin pointed out that their money was as green as
“So we’re going to find out if Neely did it, and if she’s going to do it again. And if she is . . .”
“I’ll stop her.”
“Merry, wow,” Mallory said admiringly. “That’s having some sand.” She was quiet for a moment. “I hate to have to tell you this but, you know I fell asleep out there,” Mallory admitted. “I was just tired. I didn’t think I’d dream. But I did, and I saw hands putting tape on a shoe too.”
“You mean we had the same dream?”
“Not the same dream,” Mallory said. “It means that it happened once. . . .”
“And it’s going to happen again in the future, obviously,” Merry went on. She drew a deep breath. “Well. So I know what’s what. I know what I have to do.”
They both fell silent.
“Do you think you might be in some danger, Ster?” Mallory asked. “You know, you’re her rival too. There are swimming pools there in her house and stuff.”
“Come on, she’s not trying to kill me, Mal. Don’t be dramatic. I’ll be fine. Alli and Caitlin will be there. I wouldn’t go alone.”
“It’s bugging me. Rings? Who wears rings? Who’s changed styles?” Mallory said. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff. I wouldn’t notice if Alli had her hair dyed green. I can’t think of anyone who wears rings.” She punched her hand. “I can’t think at all.”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be a cheerleader. It could be somebody else completely. Like someone who’s just pissed because a girl broke up with him. It could be a whole other agenda.”
“But who else would care enough to do something like that? Look at Crystal. I know she’s kind of dumb and conceited but . . . the poor girl. No one deserves that. And I should know what the connection is with Eden and the lion by now, but I don’t have a clue. How does it all fit?”
Her sister said, with a sigh, “I so do not want to find out. But that would hint that I had a choice about finding out. Which I don’t.”
“Look both ways tonight.”
“I will,” Merry said. She was used to Mallory being the tough one. Block by block, she lost her nerve. And on top of that, she grew more self-conscious. Goo in her hair. Wrinkled, sweaty clothes. She hoped they’d go swimming right away so no one would notice.
At least, she thought, this whole little matter will be over tonight. A sad and painful thing for Crystal, but a piece of cake compared with last year.
Long afterward, Merry would look back and realize that she had allowed hope to triumph over instinct. She was so eager to see a simple ending—or any ending—that she had mistaken a cliff for a cul-de-sac.
THE NEELY FACTOR
N ow, that’s some shack,” said Tim.
It was the first time that either Mally or Meredith had gotten more than a passing glance at the Chaplins’ new home. They’d seen it under construction several times, on the way to their grandparents’ house, but everyone at school had heard about the sauna, Neely’s second-floor workout room, and how the indoor pool had a lane that opened to the outdoor pool.
Grandpa Arthur Brynn, their father’s father, and his mom, Grandma Gwenny—the one who was from a long line of psychics—lived in Bell Fields, next to Haven Hills. And he had no use for these huge houses; he called them power guzzlers. Grandpa used to complain that all the young families were leaving Ridgeline, but now the town council Grandpa chaired was considering zoning rules to keep the population under control and stop more farms from becoming developed. People like the Chaplins, who moved from Chicago when her father’s business relocated to New York City, thought Ridgeline was “cute,” Grandpa Arty said, like some fairy-tale country town. When Dad’s brother Uncle Kevin pointed out that their money was as green as
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