can’t believe I forgot. It’s going to take me a while.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “Listen, Amber, I’m going to be late.”
“What’s wrong?” she said. She wasn’t dumb. She could tell something was up.
“Nothing serious. There’s just something I’ve got to do first. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
“You promise?”
“I promise,” I said.
There was a pause on the other end. “Okay,” she said at last. “Oh, by the way, did Ms. Simpson call you yet?”
“No,” I whispered.
“Well, we had this long talk. It was really weird, but it was good. And that whole thing that happened yesterday—when I saw you two—we cleared it all up. Sorry again that I overreacted. Anyway, there’s a quiz you need to make up. She said she’d get a hold of you.”
“Thanks, Amber,” I said. “I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon,” she said.
I glanced at my watch as the headlights appeared through the trees. Eight thirty. She was punctual, all right. Somehow that didn’t surprise me. I leaned against the hood of Barry’s car and tried to seem steady, tried to seem cool as the headlights came around the corner and flashed onto me as she pulled up.
She stepped out of the car and walked toward me.
“Hey, gorgeous,” she said.
“Did you take care of your business?” I asked. I had an idea what it was, but I wanted to make sure.
“Just needed to tie up some loose ends. Write a few letters, that sort of thing. It seems Ms. Simpson has abruptly resigned and left town for unknown parts so she can—how do they like to put it?—go find herself.”
“So you’re dropping her just like that?”
“Why not? After tonight I won’t need her anymore. Besides, think of it as a public service—should supply this town with enough gossip to get them through the next few years,” she said. “Then again, who knows? Maybe she won’t even be missed.”
“She will be. I know I miss her.”
The sheganger sighed. “Ms. Simpson? You’ve got to be kidding me. And all this time I thought you didn’t like the teacher.”
When I didn’t say anything, she took another step closer. Even in the shadows, I could see her eyes sparkle as she smiled at me, her breath coming in little puffs of steam in the night air. My nostrils flared as her scent started to reach me through the cold.
“Well, I brought her along if you want to say hello. She’s right back there in the trunk.”
“No thanks,” I said, taking a few steps back. I needed to get away from her smell.
She laughed. “Look at you. Even now, you’re still fighting it. All because of some human female. Some silly little girl.”
“She’s not some silly girl,” I said. “And I’m doing this for her.”
She sniffed. “How noble of you. You know, I might just kill the pathetic little thing anyway when this is over.”
“Why do you have to go and say something like that?”
“Well, somebody has to teach you a lesson. You can’t get all involved with these people. Otherwise, how can you be what you are? It’s not good for you. It’s certainly not good for them. You need to understand.”
“I understand, all right.”
“Good. Now, let’s get down to business, handsome. Which backseat do you want, yours or mine? Mine’s more comfortable.”
I pulled the pistol from my pocket and raised it. It was Barry’s gun. I’d gone back for it after leaving Amber’s. I wasn’t sure I’d use it, I wasn’t even sure I could. Now I’d find out.
The gun shook slightly in my hand as I pointed it at her.
She squinted for a moment, as if she was trying to figure out what I was doing. Then she started to laugh.
“A gun?” she said. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I didn’t say anything.
“You can’t seriously be thinking about doing this,” she sneered.
“I told you to leave her alone. You wouldn’t listen to me.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? I mean, just for the sake of argument, so what if I did take the girl? It’s no different from anything you’ve done.”
“It is different!” I shouted.
She shook her head in disgust. “All right, enough. Put the gun away and let’s go. It’s time.”
“No,” I said. The gun lowered slightly. “I told you before, it isn’t going to happen. I don’t want it to.”
It wasn’t completely true. A part of me still wanted to, even after everything. And seeing her there right in front of me, her scent so close, didn’t help. But it wasn’t what