was too naïve to know this. Or was she? Casey stopped what she was doing and studied Leigh. Was Leigh in fact a pawn of the devil and Casey had just failed to notice it in three years of friendship? “I’m sure he’s gonna call you,” Leigh said.
Casey decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She sighed and turned back to her locker. “What’s that thing they say? Another day, another dude.”
“Who says that?”
“I just did.”
Leigh rolled her eyes and looked away. Casey caught sight of something at the other end of the hall. It was Alex Deal, in the flesh, with his bandmates. They were walking out together. Maybe they had band practice that day and that was why he had not come to see her in the library! Of course. Leigh saw him too. “Oh my God,” she said.
Casey feigned a look of innocence. “What?”
“Oh you know exactly what.”
“Be right back.”
Casey walked in the direction of him. The only problem was that she did not see the person directly in her path hunched on the floor getting stuff out of his locker. It was only when she tripped on him and fell flat to the floor, in the process knocking one of his binders and sending papers flying everywhere, that she realized that person was Ben. He frowned. “You okay, Barnes?”
Casey was already halfway up off the floor. She stole a look in Alex Deal’s direction. If she was ever going to start believing in God, it would have been if Alex Deal did not see what happened. But he was looking at her. She turned back to Ben. “There is no God.”
“No shit.” He began to pick up papers. She bent down and helped him. Now that Alex Deal saw her pull what was perhaps the biggest dork move of the school year so far, there was no way she was going over there. Leigh arrived, shaking her head in disbelief. “Was that an accident?”
“Either that or she was trying to get to my Spanish homework again,” Ben said.
Leigh looked from Ben to Casey. “Oh it’s him.”
Ben flushed and turned to put stuff in his locker. Casey shut her eyes. Leigh clamped her hand to her mouth. He turned back around. “You guys wanna get something to eat?”
Suddenly Alex Deal walked over. “Hey.”
Leigh and Casey froze for a moment. “Why hello…John, is it?” Casey asked.
“Looks like you took a bit of a spill there.”
She smiled. “Oh that was for show. Leigh here is in a play and she’s trying to learn how to do prat falls. I told her I’d do a demonstration.”
Ben mumbled something under his breath that might have included the words “distortion” and “truth.”
Alex Deal, fortunately, was distracted by one of his bandmates calling out his name. He turned back to Casey. “We’re rehearsing today.”
“Oh.”
“You can come if you want.”
“Great!” She paused. “I mean…” She glanced at Leigh.
“Go!” Leigh said.
“Okay,” she said.
“Meet at my car in five minutes.” He walked away. Leigh grinned and gave Casey a thumbs up. Ben’s expression was impassive.
“Let’s all get food after school some other time,” Casey said to him.
Ben shrugged. “Whatever.” He grabbed his bag and departed.
She turned to Leigh. “Please tell me you have cherry chapstick today.”
Leigh reached into her bag and produced a stick of the magic substance. Casey grabbed it. “Maybe you’re not a daughter of Satan after all.”
“Huh?”
She patted Leigh on the head. “I’ll call you later with a detailed report on fornication with le Deal.”
12
Casey resumed position in the passenger seat and attempted to summon yet another sonic stunner as Alex pulled out of the spot. Something caught his eye. She looked and realized it was none other than Melanie Corcoran. She was with two other girls. Casey put a hand on her stomach. He moved his eyes back to her. “Whatcha got?”
They drove to McDonald’s, where she met the other two members of Alex’s power trio. His drummer was tall and blonde and fiddling with a phone as he waited in line. He did not acknowledge Casey. His bass player had a big head of red hair and freckles. She remembered him from talent show the year before because he smiled throughout the whole song and she thought it was cute. She also recognized him because he had a girlfriend. They walked around school hand-in-hand and every time she saw them they were laughing.
“I’m Danny,” the red-head said, “You’re Yull’s sister?”
She nodded. “Casey.”
Alex motioned to the blonde guy. “That’s Peter.”