before. That’s why Miss Baylor was so freaked. I swear that’s all I know.”
I pulled back onto the road and drove the rest of the way to Luna’s house in silence. Before she climbed out the door, I touched her arm. “I’m sorry.” I dropped my shoulders. “I didn’t mean to go off on you like that. It’s not your fault.”
She reached back and hugged my neck with one arm, then smiled sadly. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” I sat in front of her house, even after she was safely inside, rubbing the back of my neck. When Luna hugged me, I guess it got irritated again.
Her house was a small wooden structure among several others, each sitting close to the next. Narrow but deep, they reminded me of row houses, kind of like the one my mom and I had when we lived in Maryland for a whole three months. I didn’t know who all lived with her and her three brothers, but the tiny place hardly looked big enough.
I felt really bad for coming down so hard on Luna. My temper seemed to be growing worse lately. Actually, I had been noticing other things about myself changing.
I was hoping Aunt Bev would still be awake when I got home. When I came in through the kitchen door she was getting off the phone and I overheard her telling whoever it was that she had to hang up because I had just gotten home. It was well after midnight, which made me wonder who she would be talking to at such a late hour and wondered what it could be that she hadn’t wanted me to hear.
I forced a smile. “Hi,” I said over my shoulder while reaching into the fridge. “How was your night?” I asked guardedly.
“It was quiet actually. I did some reading—a book that I’ve been meaning to read for a while.”
“Oh? What kind of book?” I asked skeptically. I don’t know how I knew, but she was being evasive.
Her normally open face closed up a bit. “Nothing you’d be interested in.” She changed the subject abruptly. “How was your night? Did you have a good time?” She sat down at the table across from me, watching as I made myself a sandwich. I noticed her brow furrow when I popped open a can of soda.
“What?” I asked, wondering why she all of a sudden looked so weirded out.
“Oh … nothing. She forced a smile. “Your nails grow so fast. If you’re out of nail polish remover, I have some in my bathroom.”
“I just trimmed and painted …” My voice trailed off when I held up my hand and saw how long my nails were, again. The nail polish I’d just put on two days before was already gone from a large portion of my nails. “Wow!” I smiled nervously, tucking my hands under the table. “I, um … I guess they do grow fast.”
I lay in bed unable to sleep. The brightness of the full moon shone through the window above my bed, hitting me in the face. It made me think about everything that had happened at the bonfire. But mostly, it made me think about William. Even when he wasn’t around I couldn’t get him off my mind. When I thought about the way he had almost kissed me my heart fluttered again.
I got on my knees to draw the curtain closed, and I saw movement outside, down by the lake. I looked on curiously, thinking it was probably a moose or maybe even a bear. Although I couldn’t quite see it, I knew it lurked just beyond the yard, in the shadows of the trees that lined our property.
I was more curious than frightened and sat back on my knees, staring into the night, which at this time of year lasted barely a few hours. I quietly slid open my window a tiny bit so that I might be able to hear movement close by.
I cocked my head to the side and listened intently. It was completely quiet outside. I found it ominous that no animals moved, not even the call of an owl I had gotten used to hearing every night. Suddenly, my heart about jumped out of my chest when the eerie silence was broken by my phone vibrating across the night stand. I had placed it on vibrate earlier just in case someone called while I was driving Luna
I pulled back onto the road and drove the rest of the way to Luna’s house in silence. Before she climbed out the door, I touched her arm. “I’m sorry.” I dropped my shoulders. “I didn’t mean to go off on you like that. It’s not your fault.”
She reached back and hugged my neck with one arm, then smiled sadly. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” I sat in front of her house, even after she was safely inside, rubbing the back of my neck. When Luna hugged me, I guess it got irritated again.
Her house was a small wooden structure among several others, each sitting close to the next. Narrow but deep, they reminded me of row houses, kind of like the one my mom and I had when we lived in Maryland for a whole three months. I didn’t know who all lived with her and her three brothers, but the tiny place hardly looked big enough.
I felt really bad for coming down so hard on Luna. My temper seemed to be growing worse lately. Actually, I had been noticing other things about myself changing.
I was hoping Aunt Bev would still be awake when I got home. When I came in through the kitchen door she was getting off the phone and I overheard her telling whoever it was that she had to hang up because I had just gotten home. It was well after midnight, which made me wonder who she would be talking to at such a late hour and wondered what it could be that she hadn’t wanted me to hear.
I forced a smile. “Hi,” I said over my shoulder while reaching into the fridge. “How was your night?” I asked guardedly.
“It was quiet actually. I did some reading—a book that I’ve been meaning to read for a while.”
“Oh? What kind of book?” I asked skeptically. I don’t know how I knew, but she was being evasive.
Her normally open face closed up a bit. “Nothing you’d be interested in.” She changed the subject abruptly. “How was your night? Did you have a good time?” She sat down at the table across from me, watching as I made myself a sandwich. I noticed her brow furrow when I popped open a can of soda.
“What?” I asked, wondering why she all of a sudden looked so weirded out.
“Oh … nothing. She forced a smile. “Your nails grow so fast. If you’re out of nail polish remover, I have some in my bathroom.”
“I just trimmed and painted …” My voice trailed off when I held up my hand and saw how long my nails were, again. The nail polish I’d just put on two days before was already gone from a large portion of my nails. “Wow!” I smiled nervously, tucking my hands under the table. “I, um … I guess they do grow fast.”
I lay in bed unable to sleep. The brightness of the full moon shone through the window above my bed, hitting me in the face. It made me think about everything that had happened at the bonfire. But mostly, it made me think about William. Even when he wasn’t around I couldn’t get him off my mind. When I thought about the way he had almost kissed me my heart fluttered again.
I got on my knees to draw the curtain closed, and I saw movement outside, down by the lake. I looked on curiously, thinking it was probably a moose or maybe even a bear. Although I couldn’t quite see it, I knew it lurked just beyond the yard, in the shadows of the trees that lined our property.
I was more curious than frightened and sat back on my knees, staring into the night, which at this time of year lasted barely a few hours. I quietly slid open my window a tiny bit so that I might be able to hear movement close by.
I cocked my head to the side and listened intently. It was completely quiet outside. I found it ominous that no animals moved, not even the call of an owl I had gotten used to hearing every night. Suddenly, my heart about jumped out of my chest when the eerie silence was broken by my phone vibrating across the night stand. I had placed it on vibrate earlier just in case someone called while I was driving Luna
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