curling-iron job on my hair to give me ringlets all over. Jason winked his approval when he picked me up, so I must have passed the test. He's dressed like Batman, and let me tell you what: Christian Bale, eat your heart out. Hotness reigns with Jason Tillson. Taylor looks tres adorable dressed like a French maid, short skirt and all. Ryan may be misinterpreting her intentions with the attire, 'cause he's eyeing her like she's the star of an adult movie on a late-night cable channel. He's dressed like an ultimate fighter, complete with dried "blood" on his knuckles and chest and a makeup'd black eye. We're a motley crew.
Stephanie bounds down the grand staircase in a Catwoman costume that looks painted on her body. Holy crap! Nothing much left to the imagination there. Then again, being a cheerleader, she has the bod for it and wears it well. "Hey, y'all! You're, like, the first guests."
Ryan mutters to Taylor, "I told you. Totally lame to be the first"
She smacks him with her feather duster. "Kendall has to get set up."
Stephanie grabs both of my hands and spreads them wide. "You look like the real deal."
"It's because I am," I say with a wink.
"Right. You are." She drops my hands. "I'm really sorry about all the crap with Courtney. I'd like to say she's really a nice person deep down, but I can't. She's always been like this, and it's what everyone's gotten used to. Sort of a 'that's just Courtney' thing. You know, having to be the center of attention. She can't deal with someone swiping her spotlight."
I shake my head. "I don't want her spotlight."
"Well, you've got it," Stephanie says. "Keep being who you are. She'll get over herself sooner or later."
Sooner, I hope.
Miss Evelyn shows us to the mammoth party room. It must have been a ballroom or something back when the house was built, in the mid-1800s. The hardwood floors shine like they've been freshly buffed, and lining the perimeter there are tables covered with food and Halloween decorations. "Make yourself at home. The caterers have just finished putting out the food. You kids won't go hungry tonight."
"Apparently not," Jason says under his breath.
"A caterer?" I ask Stephanie. "You guys are big-time here."
"That's how we roll here in Radisson."
"Oh, Kendall," Miss Evelyn says. "I've got a table in the corner for you, with a drape around it for some privacy. Will that work?"
"Yes, ma'am." I pat my backpack. "I brought tarot cards, runes, and my pendulum."
"Excellent!"
Jason, Taylor, and Ryan check out the buffet—man, there's, like, a carved roast beef, veggies, rolls, all sorts of canapés and caviar (are you kidding me? for teenagers?)—and while they do that, I organize my reading area. Miss Evelyn comes over a few minutes later with something in her hand.
"I wanted to show you this before the other kids get here." She unfolds a deep purple velvety cloth from around an old book. "This is my family's Bible. It has birth and death records dating back to Ada Parry's time and before."
"Oh, right!" I exclaim. "Your great-great-grandmother that I connected with during your reading at Loreen's. This is really cool." I take the family treasure from her and carefully turn the ancient pages. The book smells of mothballs with a hint of roses. A small pressed flower falls from the front section and flutters to the floor. "I'm so sorry."
Miss Evelyn picks it up and tucks it into the back of the Bible. "That's okay, dear. That flower has been in there for over twenty years."
"Whoa." As I touch the book, I can literally feel the sizzling energy that Ada Parry left behind. An image of her appears in my mind's eye. Tall, beautiful, and confident. "Ada was quite a modern woman for her time."
Nodding, Miss Evelyn says, "She was known to be headstrong."
"And feisty," I add. Something else too. An air of confusion and sorrow. It's like she fell in love with the wrong person? Not exactly sure what that means, so I keep this little tidbit to myself.
"I also have her diaries," Miss Evelyn says. "You'll have to come see me sometime, and I'll let you read through them. Quite fascinating. It's history preserved."
"That would be awesome," I say.
Stephanie interrupts, tugging me by the sleeve of my costume. "People are starting to show up. You should get ready. Do you want food first?"
"Maybe so."
I follow her around the ballroom, which is decorated to the hilt with black, white, and