Part 8 (1/2)
”My room is right above his office,” she said, rubbing her arms. It was cold in that house. ”He meets with a lot of people.”
”What people?” I said, against my better judgement.
”This Amish guy.” She shrugged. ”The mayor, some guy named Elliot.”
”Elliot Katzenberg?”
”Yeah. They were talking about construction or something.”
”He's probably doing work for the government.”
Why would he be meeting with an Amish guy? That didn't make much sense. I shook my head.
”Alex, I'm scared.”
She looked more than scared. May was shaking, her big eyes locked on me. I hugged her hard and sat down on the bed, and waited for her to calm down.
”I want Hawk to come back.”
I shushed her. ”Me too, but don't talk about him.”
”I know. I tried. Mom went nuts, started screaming at me. She said I can't ever mention his name again.”
I nodded. ”So don't. I'll figure something out.”
”I hate it here. Lance is creepy and Tom's scary, and mom's acting weird. I don't understand what's going on or why she married him. What are we doing here?”
”I don't know,” I said, softly. ”Let's just take it easy, okay? I'll be here all week. We can figure out what's going on.”
”Alexis?” My mother called, from the first floor. ”Where are you?”
”Just a minute,” I called back, trying to sound relaxed.
I trudged down the steps like I was going to my own execution. I'd only been to Hawk's house a few times and inside the house even fewer. His mom was cool, she liked me, but she'd been gone over a year now and I was persona non grata around here until, I guess, my mom shacked up with his dad. I had a sudden, creepy thought. Oh my G.o.d, Hawk is my stepbrother now. As I stepped down into the foyer, my mother nodded at me from the kitchen. I stepped inside, a little shocked.
Not for the first time, I realized the kitchen of this house was bigger than our apartment. Mom seemed quite at home, packing dough into a pie plate.
”I'm making pumpkin pie,” she said.
”I can see that.”
I never knew she liked to cook. Cook in this instance consisted of opening a can of pumpkin pie filling and spooning it out into the crust. I s.h.i.+fted on my feet.
”I didn't know you two were even engaged.”
”We've been seeing each other for a year now.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. That's an understatement. My head was on red alert. If they'd been involved for a year, that would mean they hooked up not long after Hawk's mom died. I didn't say anything.
”There are some rules,” she said, in a flat voice. ”Number one, do not mention your stepbrother.”
”You mean Hawk.”
”His name is Howard.”
”His name is Hawk and if you know where he is, you can feel free to share.”
”I don't. I don't expect to find out. You shouldn't either. Let him go.”
”It's not that easy.”
”Find a nice boy at school, Alexis. Howard's not coming back. Just accept it.”
”He wouldn't leave me.”
”That's enough!” she said, sharply. ”We're having our first Thanksgiving together tomorrow. I want you on your best behavior, and wear something nice.”
I glared her. ”My best behavior? I'm not a twelve year old, Mom.”
She glared right back. ”You will behave.”
”Can I go now?”
”Fine.”
I was on break, but the term wasn't over. I headed upstairs, left my door open a crack in case May came calling and spread my books and papers out on the bed, then opened my laptop. I was working on a paper for history cla.s.s and every word made me ache for Hawk's help. He could do this history and English c.r.a.p, I felt helpless without him, even though I was pulling a solid B in both cla.s.ses. After about an hour, May came in, closed the door and climbed on the bed with me, and sat their with her legs folded. She'd be eleven soon and was in fifth grade now.
”What are you working on?”
”Homework.”
”It's Thanksgiving.”
”Tomorrw's Thanksgiving and I still have work due. The term's almost over. I have tests and stuff,” I said, exasperated.
The world blurred and my fingers hovered over the keyboard. I picked up the laptop and I wanted it throw it through the window, but I carefully moved it to the desk next to the bed. I couldn't afford another one. Once it was out of the way, I fell back against the wall and started sobbing. May climbed on me and hugged me earnestly in that overeager little kid way, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I hugged her back just as fiercely and rocked on the bed.
”They know something and they won't tell me,” I murmured to her.
”I know,” May said.
She was always too d.a.m.n smart, and nosy.
”May, promise me you're not going to go snooping around or something. Okay? Tom's dangerous. I can feel it.”
She nodded and we sat there like that. My sister sitting on my lap was remarkably soothing. After a while, I was at least resigned to finis.h.i.+ng my work. May grabbed a book from her room and sat with me while I put my finis.h.i.+ng touches on the world's worst history paper. If Hawk was there, he'd figure out a way to force me to care about conquistadors. I just wanted to get it over with. It was a general ed requirement and I needed to knock them all out before I was accepted or rejected into the intense, grueling marine biology program.
That would take me even farther from home, to Lewes in southern Delaware. I was excited about it before, but now it meant leaving May in this place with no one to call for help if there was trouble. The idea made me nervous. May sat cross-legged reading a book on the bed, one eye on me while I worked. I finished the d.a.m.n paper, set up my bibliography, put the computer away, and stacked up biology textbooks full of markers where I was supposed to pick up reading. I leaned back and rested the heavy text on my stomach.
May said, ”Can I stay in here tonight?”