The Star Group by Christopher Pike Page B

for Cindy, I only care about you.”
    Shena shook her head and wept. “I don't care about Cindy! It's me that's the problem! No guy could possibly love me! I'm a freak!”
    Jimmy tried to move closer. “You're not a freak. You're a wonderful girl. You have your whole life in front of you. It will be a wonderful life, you just have to get past this time. We can get through it together, I promise you. Please come down before you hurt yourself.”
    “Stay back!” she screeched. “I’ll jump!”
    Sal moved in front of Jimmy and caught Shena's eye.
    “Shena, listen to me,” he said calmly. “Suicide is bullshit. You die and we all feel like hell. But maybe that's what you want. But, think, think real hard, you might go to hell for doing it. Who knows what there really is? No one knows anything for sure in this crazy world. But you might just make your problem a thousand times worse. Now you don't want to do that, not to yourself and not to us. We love you. I know Jimmy does and I know I do. Come down because you love us. I'm begging you, Shena, I really am.” He reached out to her. “Come to me, Shena. I'll take care of you, I won't let you fall.”
    Sal’s words were powerful. We were all crying, but I couldn't wipe my tears away without releasing my grip on the mountain. Shena's tears gushed from both her eyes, the good one and the bad. Maybe the water cleared her vision somehow, inside and out. The lines of pain on her ruined face softened and she lowered her head and nodded. Moving slowly, Sal climbed up to her and embraced her. Jimmy joined them a few seconds later, and I managed to make it to them a minute later. I held her as tight as I had ever held anyone in my life. The horror of her brush with death penetrated my soul.
    I felt if she had died, we all would have died.
    But maybe that would have been for the best.
     
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    ON THE RIDE HOME, GALE TOLD ME HER parents were out of the country, which explained why they weren't at graduation.
    “Where are they?” I asked.
    “In Europe.” She glanced over at me. “Don't feel sorry for me, I like to be alone.”
    “But it must be lonely for you at a time like this.
    She touched my leg. “I have you to keep me company.”
    I teased. “Do you have me?”
    She let go of my leg and nodded. “Yes.”
    Her house was much nicer than mine, but it wasn’t extravagant. Her driveway was concrete and the hedges were all trimmed. She had a nice wooden front door. As we strode into the place, I noticed the sweet smell of incense. I commented on it, and she pointed out an incense holder above the fireplace.
    “I burn it when I practice meditation,” she said.
    “Really? How do you meditate?”
    She considered my question a long time. “I don't know. It just happens if I sit silently and close my eyes.”
    “I'm interested in it because I read a lot of esoteric literature.”
    She nodded as she turned on more lights. I followed her to the rear of the house, and was surprised when she lit up a rectangular pool in the wide backyard with a flick of a switch. Steam slowly rose from the water and I heard the gurgling of pumps and pipes.
    “Do you swim much?” I asked.
    She stared at me. “Yes. Do you want to swim?”
    I blushed, bad habit. “I don't have any trunks.”
    She came closer, touched my shirt. “We can go skinny dipping.”
    I stammered. “On our first date?”
    She smiled shyly. “I won't look if you don't.” She raised up on tiptoe and brushed my lips with hers. She tasted like vanilla ice cream with cherries on top. “But if you look I'll have to look, too.”
    I was having a minor coronary, but it was OK.
    I swallowed. “I'd like to swim with you.”
    She squeezed my hand and went away. “Take off your clothes and get in the water. I'll be there in a minute.”
    I did as she asked. I mean, I would have been a fool to argue with her when she was in such an obviously generous mood. The water was delicious; it seemed to warm my heart