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  I smiled. I wasn’t sure about the whole aura thing but I liked the sound of us being friends. I sure could use some.

  Rhiannon looked down at her shopping bag. “Well, I better go. I’m havin’ some friends over later. Gotta set up.”

  “Oh? Are you having a party?”

  “Somethin’ like that.” She gave me a contemplative look. “Maybe next time I’ll invite you. First I’ll have to get approval from the other members.”

  “Members? What are you, like, in a gang or something?” Instantly I regretted the words. What if she was? Then I just totally put myself in danger.

  She laughed. “Not exactly. Anyway, it was nice to meet you. I’ll see you around.”

  “Hey, wait up,” I called after her. “I wanted to ask you about the boy on the other side of Grandma’s house. Dark hair. About our age.” I hoped he wasn’t her boyfriend or anything.

  “Oh, you mean Isaac.” She wrinkled her nose like she just caught a whiff of B.O. “If I were you I’d stay away from him.” With that she turned on her heels and headed toward her house.

  I stared after her, wondering what she meant by that.

  A second later Grandma poked her head outside. “Dinner time.” She looked around expectantly. “Were you just talking to someone?”

  “Yeah,” I said as I stood up. “That was Rhiannon, the girl next door.”

  “That’s good that you are already making friends.”

  I peered over at the house next door, closed up, curtains drawn. She did seem nice but definitely mysterious. “Do you know her very well?”

  “Not really. Her family just moved in a few months ago.”

  I followed Grandma inside, sat across from her at the dining table. “Do you know if she’s dating the boy on the other side of your house? Isaac?”

  Grandma was spooning salad on her plate but she froze, smiled up at me. “Wow, you sure don’t waste any time.”

  I bristled at the remark. Had Mom filled her in on my reputation with boys?

  “You’ve already learned a lot about my neighborhood. You’re much more outgoing than your mom was, that’s for sure. It would take her days to make friends when we would go to new places.”

  My shoulders relaxed with her explanation. “Well, I haven’t actually met Isaac. Rhiannon told me his name. She just said something weird that made me think something might be going on there.”

  “Not that I’m aware of. He is a cute boy. Maybe she has a crush on him. I have never seen them together and according to his mom he does not have a girlfriend.”

  “You’re friends with his mom?” My cheeks warmed and I hoped they weren’t noticeably red

  Grandma nodded, chewing. After swallowing she said, “Yeah, we go to the same church.”

  Grandma’s religion was one of the many things she and Mom disagreed upon.

  “They’re a great family,” Grandma continued. “Lived here for years. We’ll go over there tomorrow and I’ll introduce you. I know they have been very excited about your visit.”

  I stared hard at my plate, hiding the grin on my face. Even though I knew I shouldn’t be, I was really looking forward to meeting Isaac.

  After dinner while Grandma and I lounged on the couch and drank tea, she insisted I call Mom to tell her I made it okay. I tried to explain that Mom didn’t care. That morning she acted like she could hardly wait to get rid of me. But Grandma wouldn’t take no for an answer so I gave in.

  When I got her voice mail I shot Grandma an “I-told-you-so” look and then left a message. “Hey Mom, Grandma just wanted me to call and tell you I made it here fine. Bye.”

  Grandma smiled when I hung up. “See that wasn’t so painful.”

  “She didn’t even answer. I told you she wasn’t worried about me. Probably forgot I existed already.”

  “Oh, stop being so melodramatic. Maybe she was working. I’m sure she will be happy to get your message.”

  “I can’t believe you defend her so much. Believe me, she’s not that generous about you.”

  Grandma sat back into the couch cushions, brought the teacup to her lips and took a tentative sip. “Your mom and I have our issues, but she’s still my daughter. I may not always agree with her choices but I’ll always love and support her.”

  My eyes burned, my shoulders ached. I leaned back, yawned. “I’m getting tired.”

  Glancing at the clock Grandma gave me a surprised look. “It’s only nine o’clock.”

  “I know, but it’s been a long day.”

  Before heading to bed I logged onto the computer to chat with Haley but she was offline. I checked her Facebook status. Going to the movies with Derek tonight!

  I rolled my eyes. After all that whining about how much she didn’t want me to leave. I should have known. No one back home missed me. They all had their own lives. I didn’t know why I expected anything different.

  After changing into my flannel pajamas, I slipped into my bed. The sheets were warm and soft. I pulled the covers up to my chin and pressed my face into the sweet smelling pillow. Within minutes I drifted to sleep.

  A loud monotonous chanting awakened me. I sat upright in bed, glanced around. The room was pitch-black. I wondered how come the bright streetlight wasn’t shining in my window like always and then I remembered I wasn’t home. The chanting quieted to barely above a whisper. I listened intently, honing in on the sound. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I felt someone in my room. I heard someone breathing.

  Sweat snaked down my back, my heart thumped in my chest. I froze, held my breath. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could make out shapes. I gasped when I saw the figure of a man. He was standing at the foot of my bed, looming over me.

  3

  I opened my mouth to scream but no sound escaped. I cowered from him, pulled the covers up to my chin. He was tall and large, but I couldn’t make out his face. Tears pricked my eyes. I prayed he wouldn’t hurt me. Stiffening, I gripped the covers so tightly my hand hurt with the effort. Squeezing my eyes shut, I slunk further into the bed and pulled the quilt over my face. My body trembled violently, racked with fear. I prayed it was all a bad dream or a figment of my imagination.

  Silence.

  Holding my breath, I peeked out of the covers.

  No one was there. The room was empty.

  I was still too scared to move. So badly I wanted to get up and turn on my light but I imagined a man crouched under my bed. My feet tingled as I envisioned him grabbing me by the ankles. Careful not to make a sound, I scooted down into the covers again. Even though I was certain it had all just been in my mind, my heartbeat was still erratic. I floated in and out of nightmares all night until morning sunlight filtered into the window. Sitting up, I was grateful the night was over. I couldn’t believe I got so freaked. The last time that happened I was a child. I used to always think I saw things in my room. Once I thought a pile of laundry was a monster and I screamed until my mom came in and turned on the light. But, I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I was seventeen.

  As I stretched, the scent of freshly brewed coffee reached my nose. Grandma could be heard puttering around in the kitchen. I threw my covers off, got out of bed and shuffled to the closet to retrieve my robe. As I did, something caught my eye.

  No. It couldn’t be. I stared hard, my mouth gaping open. In the exact spot where I swore I saw a man standing the night before the floor rug had been moved and in its place was a razor blade. I bent to pick it up, inspect it. My heart pounded and sweat broke out across my forehead. How had it gotten there?

  There had to be a perfectly rational explanation. It wasn’t like there was anything unique about that particular razor blade. It looked like all my other ones. Maybe I’d accidentally dropped it while unpacking. Yes. That had to be it. That’s probably when I pushed the rug over as well.

  I stood, taking a deep breath. Opening the top drawer of my dresser I dropped the razor inside and cinched the belt of my robe. As I left my bedroom I glanced one last time
at the spot near my bed and an uneasy feeling landed in the pit of my stomach. I could’ve sworn the rug was in the right spot the night before. Shaking away the thought I quickly closed the door and padded down the hallway.

  “Good morning,” Grandma stood at the counter, in her robe and slippers, pouring a cup of coffee. The bright yellow wall assaulted my senses and the scent of potpourri wafted under my nose.

  “Hey.” I rubbed sleep out of my eyes.

  “I made coffee. Help yourself.”

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, shuffling toward the cupboard and extracting a cup.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  I contemplated telling her, but thought better of it. “Great.” Smiling, I filled my mug up to the brim.

  “Good.” After taking a sip of her coffee she set it down on the counter. “So, what would you like for breakfast? I have eggs, bacon, potatoes.”

  My stomach churned. “I’m not much of a breakfast person.”

  Grandma frowned. “But it’s the most important meal of the day.”

  I would have laughed if she hadn’t looked so serious.

  “Sorry. I’ll eat some toast, if you have it.”

  “Jam? Cinnamon and sugar? Peanut butter?”

  I winced. “Just plain.”

  “Suit yourself,” she answered good-naturedly and popped the bread in the toaster. “Your mom was exactly the same way. I never could get her to eat a good breakfast.”

  I almost relented at that point, but the thought of eating a huge meal so early hurt my stomach, especially after the night I’d had. Instead I sipped my coffee and waited for my toast.

  “That’s what you’re wearing today?” Grandma asked when I emerged from my room wearing a long sleeved shirt and jean shorts. “It’s going to be in the nineties today. You’ll melt.”

  My face flushed. When I took my shower I checked out my newest cut and the couple before that and none of them were fully healed. There was no way I could wear short sleeves.

  “I’m fine,” I answered before ducking out the front door.

  “Where are you going?” she hollered after me.

  “Just a little walk. Need some fresh air,” I let the door slam behind me. Stepping out onto the front porch, heat enveloped me. She was right; it was stinking hot. Wiping my brow I walked down the stairs and onto the thick grass, feeling the feathery reeds between my bare toes. Lifting my head to the sky, I closed my eyes and let the sun warm my face.

  “Hey,” Rhiannon said, appearing again seemingly out of nowhere.

  I opened my eyes. “Hi.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry. It must’ve looked strange. Me, staring up into the sky like that. I was just clearing my head.”

  “No, that’s cool. I was asking because your aura’s really off today.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Yesterday it was yellow. Today it’s all gray.”

  She stepped away from me like I had the plague.

  I shook my head. “Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know anything about auras, but I’m fine. Just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

  “Ah, that makes sense.” Then her eyes widened.

  “Oh no. I hope we didn’t keep you up.”

  “No. I didn’t hear your party. Just some weird chanting noise and then—“ I stopped myself, realizing that I couldn’t tell her about my hallucination. She’d think I was crazy.

  Rhiannon looked stunned, almost frightened.

  “You heard us chanting? That’s odd. We were inside with the door closed and your window is clear on the other side of your house.”

  A chill ran up my spine. “You were chanting?”

  “Only some of the time.” Her face softened into a smile. “Then the real party began. Like I said, maybe I’ll invite you some time. I think you’d like it.”

  My stomach tightened. I stared out at the street, quiet with no breeze like the desert. Sweat slid down my spine. “It’s hot.” I fanned myself with my hand and moved into the shade of the porch, sat on the bottom step.

  “Yeah, it takes awhile to get used to.” Rhiannon followed, plopped down beside me.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “A couple months. We moved from Washington.”

  “Washington? Really? That’s where I’m from.”

  “Huh. That’s weird.”

  Everything about her was weird. I still wasn’t sure if I liked her or not.

  “What made you move here?” I asked.

  “My dad’s job. It hasn’t been so bad though. I’ve already made a lot of friends and the weather’s really nice.”

  I nodded. Her proximity made me nervous for some reason. I needed to get away from her. “Well, I better head inside. Grandma’s taking me over to the Giovanni’s today.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with them?”

  “Nothing really. Let’s just say we don’t share the same beliefs.”

  “Oh. Yeah, Grandma said they were religious.”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  I shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me much. Grandma’s always been that way. Mom and I have always just ignored it.”

  Rhiannon smiled. “Cool. So you, like, don’t have the same religious beliefs as her?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Like I said, I think we’re gonna be friends.”

  Isaac Giovanni was even cuter up close. When Grandma introduced me to him I thought I would faint. Instead I mumbled something unintelligible and my face turned bright red. I’m not sure which was more embarrassing. He took it well though, smiling a huge dimpled grin that sealed my fate despite my vow to stay away from boys and the warning from Rhiannon. I loved Isaac’s family too. His mom Sophie was so warm and inviting and made the best lasagna I ever tasted. Tony, his dad, was super funny and cracked jokes all afternoon.

  After we ate, Isaac asked if I wanted to go outside to shoot hoops. I was pretty shocked, since that was the first time a guy had ever asked me that. But I said okay and followed him outside where a giant basketball hoop loomed in the driveway. Isaac immediately palmed the ball, dribbled toward the hoop. After making a shot he threw it to me, and I, of course, missed it. I grimaced as it rolled out into the street.

  “Sorry. I’m not really good at sports.”

  Isaac just laughed and jogged out into the court to retrieve the ball. “That’s okay. What are you good at?”

  I bit my lip. “I don’t know.”

  “Come on, everyone’s good at something.”

  For a minute I thought I would cry. What was I a good at? I couldn’t think of one thing.

  Isaac interrupted my thoughts. “I’ve only known you for a couple of hours and I can already think of something you’re good at.”

  “Really? What?”

  “Laughing.”

  “Laughing? Are you serious? That’s not a talent.”

  “Hey. Don’t underestimate it. You made my dad’s day, laughing at all his jokes.”

  I shrugged. “He’s funny.”

  “See, not everyone has a good sense of humor like you. I love that quality in a girl.”

  My cheeks burned and I stared hard at my feet.

  “Anyway, we don’t have to play ball. I mostly just wanted to get you alone.”

  Man, I thought he was different than other guys. I should have known better.

  “Wanna sit down?”

  I glanced over at him. He sat in the grass, patting the spot next to him. Anger burned through me.

  “No thanks. I’m good,” I said, icily.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Look,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am, but let me tell you I’m not a slut. I came out here because I thought you wanted to play ball, not make out or whatever.”

  “Whoa. Whoa.” Isaac threw his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean th
at the way you took it. Wow.” He ran a hand over his hair, a deep crimson blush spilling across his cheeks. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I-I-just wanted to talk, to get to know you a little better, that’s all.”

  He looked so sincere that the anger left me, deflating like a popped balloon. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m just over-sensitive, I guess.”

  “Hey, I understand. I know how guys are and I’m sure a girl as pretty as you gets hit on a lot.”

  My heart skipped a beat at his words.

  “If you feel more comfortable we can go back in.” Isaac started to get up.

  “No. It’s fine.” I walked toward him, sat down in the grass. It tickled my legs. “It’s nice out here tonight.” It had cooled down considerably from the heat of the afternoon. There was even a slight breeze.

  “Yeah. You’re from Washington, right?”

  I nodded. “The weather’s a lot cooler there.”

  “I guess that’s why you’re wearing long sleeves. If I were you, I’d definitely get some new clothes.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that.” I fiddled with the bottom of my sleeve and changed the subject. “So, how long have you lived here?”

  “My whole life.”

  “Seriously?” With as many times as Mom and had I moved I didn’t know people stayed in one place their whole life. “That must be amazing.”

  “Yeah, it is. Some of my friends I’ve known since we were running around in diapers. It can be pretty embarrassing when Mom pulls out the photo albums.”

  I giggled, but inside felt a little jealous. My mom didn’t even own a photo album and I didn’t have a lifelong friend.

  “Hey, do you know Rhiannon? She lives on the other side of Grandma’s house.”

  His face hardened. “Stay away from her.”

  I swallowed hard, surprised by his visceral reaction. “Funny she said the same thing about you.”

  He snorted. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “She said you had different religious beliefs.”

  “You could say that.”

  I cocked an eyebrow appraising him. His whole demeanor had changed when I mentioned Rhiannon. He went from being fun and relaxed to tense and evasive. It made me wonder what was going on with the two of them.