had gone to a fireworks display alone, and Mitch Wilson had tried to demand that Liz be home before the sun had even set properly!
Liz shuddered. “Don’t even joke about it. He almost gave me a talk about the dangers of boys. Seriously, you should have seen me cringe! But no, this is actually quite cool—he’s going to meet Mercy Morrow tomorrow!”
“Really?” Faye pricked her ears up, genuinely interested.
“Yeah, he’s going to get to see inside their mansion and everything!”
“Maybe he can put in a good word for me,” said Faye as the car left the town lights behind and headed into the woods. “Ms. Finch wants me to write a piece about Mercy Morrow for the
Miller
. I’ve been researching her all day.”
“I said you should write about her! See? You should
so
listen to me more. Although I thought you didn’t want to?”
“I didn’t, but Ms. Finch didn’t give me much of a choice. And actually—Mercy Morrow’s kind of interesting.”
“I knew she would be!” Liz exclaimed. “What did you find out?”
“Well, for one thing, she and Lucas sure move around a lot. They’ve lived everywhere—all over the United States and Europe. They’ve even spent some time in Egypt and other parts of North Africa.”
“Ah, the lives of the rich and famous,” sighed Liz enviously.
“I don’t know, I think it probably sucks, having to live in so many different places,” said Faye. “Especially for Lucas. He must find it hard to make friends.”
Liz looked over at her again. “Does that mean you’re going to start being nice to him?”
Faye smiled. “Well, I am hoping that I can chat with him at this party, maybe pick up some useful material for this piece.”
“It might be a good opportunity,” agreed Liz. “Hey—listen to that!”
The sounds of music and happy raised voices floated out of the trees as Liz turned the car up the track toward the Mathesons’ cabin. The little road had been lit with fairy lights to lead the way, but the rest of the forest was dark. The music got louder and louder, and then, up ahead, a pool of light splashed into the darkness. The cabin was lit with floodlights and surrounded by cars. Guys from school swarmed everywhere, congregating on the wide wooden steps, leaning against the cabin walls. Liz searched for a space to park as fluorescent strobe lighting colored the windows of the cabin.
“You know what?” Liz said as she killed the engine.
“What?”
“Talking might not be that easy after all!”
Faye laughed, her spirits lifted by the sight of so many of her friends all having a good time. She grabbed her camera and the gift she’d picked up for Candi—a new charm for the bracelet she’d bought Candi for Christmas. This one was really cute—a miniature watch in a silver filigree case that opened like a tiny locket. Sliding out of the car, Faye shut the door and followed Liz toward the cabin.
“Hey, Faye! Liz!” Jimmy Paulson called from the steps, waving as the two girls approached. “There you are! You’re late!”
“That would be
fashionably
late, Jimmy,” Liz told him breezily as she headed up the stairs.
“Um … uh …” Jimmy’s face fell, and he began to stutter. “Of—of course, be-be-being late is far better than be-be-being on time.…”
Faye gave Jimmy a quick hug. They worked on the
Miller
together, and she’d gotten to know him a lot better in the past year—so she knew he had a little crush on Liz. Jimmy might have looked like a bit of a geek—Faye kept telling him his glasses were too big, and the backpack he carried everywhere was a longstanding joke at Winter Mill High—but everyone loved Jimmy. Well, everyone except Liz, who just couldn’t see him as anything other than a lovable loser, and had often told Faye as much.
“S-so,” said Jimmy, bravely trying to engage Liz in conversation again, “have you two heard about the B-Battle of the B-Bands? It’s c-coming to W-Winter Mill! It’s g-going to be
Liz shuddered. “Don’t even joke about it. He almost gave me a talk about the dangers of boys. Seriously, you should have seen me cringe! But no, this is actually quite cool—he’s going to meet Mercy Morrow tomorrow!”
“Really?” Faye pricked her ears up, genuinely interested.
“Yeah, he’s going to get to see inside their mansion and everything!”
“Maybe he can put in a good word for me,” said Faye as the car left the town lights behind and headed into the woods. “Ms. Finch wants me to write a piece about Mercy Morrow for the
Miller
. I’ve been researching her all day.”
“I said you should write about her! See? You should
so
listen to me more. Although I thought you didn’t want to?”
“I didn’t, but Ms. Finch didn’t give me much of a choice. And actually—Mercy Morrow’s kind of interesting.”
“I knew she would be!” Liz exclaimed. “What did you find out?”
“Well, for one thing, she and Lucas sure move around a lot. They’ve lived everywhere—all over the United States and Europe. They’ve even spent some time in Egypt and other parts of North Africa.”
“Ah, the lives of the rich and famous,” sighed Liz enviously.
“I don’t know, I think it probably sucks, having to live in so many different places,” said Faye. “Especially for Lucas. He must find it hard to make friends.”
Liz looked over at her again. “Does that mean you’re going to start being nice to him?”
Faye smiled. “Well, I am hoping that I can chat with him at this party, maybe pick up some useful material for this piece.”
“It might be a good opportunity,” agreed Liz. “Hey—listen to that!”
The sounds of music and happy raised voices floated out of the trees as Liz turned the car up the track toward the Mathesons’ cabin. The little road had been lit with fairy lights to lead the way, but the rest of the forest was dark. The music got louder and louder, and then, up ahead, a pool of light splashed into the darkness. The cabin was lit with floodlights and surrounded by cars. Guys from school swarmed everywhere, congregating on the wide wooden steps, leaning against the cabin walls. Liz searched for a space to park as fluorescent strobe lighting colored the windows of the cabin.
“You know what?” Liz said as she killed the engine.
“What?”
“Talking might not be that easy after all!”
Faye laughed, her spirits lifted by the sight of so many of her friends all having a good time. She grabbed her camera and the gift she’d picked up for Candi—a new charm for the bracelet she’d bought Candi for Christmas. This one was really cute—a miniature watch in a silver filigree case that opened like a tiny locket. Sliding out of the car, Faye shut the door and followed Liz toward the cabin.
“Hey, Faye! Liz!” Jimmy Paulson called from the steps, waving as the two girls approached. “There you are! You’re late!”
“That would be
fashionably
late, Jimmy,” Liz told him breezily as she headed up the stairs.
“Um … uh …” Jimmy’s face fell, and he began to stutter. “Of—of course, be-be-being late is far better than be-be-being on time.…”
Faye gave Jimmy a quick hug. They worked on the
Miller
together, and she’d gotten to know him a lot better in the past year—so she knew he had a little crush on Liz. Jimmy might have looked like a bit of a geek—Faye kept telling him his glasses were too big, and the backpack he carried everywhere was a longstanding joke at Winter Mill High—but everyone loved Jimmy. Well, everyone except Liz, who just couldn’t see him as anything other than a lovable loser, and had often told Faye as much.
“S-so,” said Jimmy, bravely trying to engage Liz in conversation again, “have you two heard about the B-Battle of the B-Bands? It’s c-coming to W-Winter Mill! It’s g-going to be
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