The Initiation Page 0,35

red granite and felt a buzzing deep inside it. When she'd imagined she'd felt that, rather. Yes, she could see how you might think that fresh plants were full of that life.

"Okay, this is done. You can tell Di and Melanie it's ready; I'll get some plates," Laurel said.

Cassie went back into the spacious front room. Melanie and Diana were absorbed in conversation, and neither of them saw her come up behind them.

"... picking her up like a puppy off the street. You're always doing that," Melanie was saying earnestly, and Diana was listening with her arms folded. "But what's going to happen later - ?"

She broke off as Diana saw Cassie and touched her forearm.

"It's ready," Cassie said, feeling awkward. Had they been talking about her? Calling her a puppy off the street? But it hadn't been Diana saying that; only Melanie. She told herself that she didn't care what Melanie thought.

The cool gray eyes weren't unfriendly, though, as Melanie looked at her while they ate the salad. Only - thoughtful. And when the pizza came, Cassie had to admire the ease with which the other three girls laughed and talked with the college-age delivery guy. He got so interested in Melanie that he practically invited himself inside, but Diana, laughing, shut the door on him.

Afterward, Melanie told several amusing stories about her trip to Canada over the summer, and Cassie almost forgot about the remark. It was so good just to be surrounded by easy, friendly talk; not to feel shut out. And to be here by Diana's invitation, to see Diana smiling at her... she still could scarcely believe it.

When she was getting ready to leave, though, she got a shock. Diana handed her a neat pile of clothes - the gray sweater showed no trace of soot now - and said, "I'll take you home. Don't worry about your grandma's car. If you give me the keys, I'll have Chris Henderson drive it to your place."

Cassie froze in the act of handing over the keys. "Henderson? You mean - you don't mean one of the Henderson brothers."

Diana smiled as she unlocked the Integra. "So you've heard of them. Chris is nice, really, just a little wild. Don't worry."

As they drove off, Cassie remembered that the one playing keep away with her backpack had been called Doug, not Chris. But she still couldn't help feeling alarmed.

"We all know each other out here on

Crowhaven Road

," Diana explained in a comforting tone. "See, there's Laurel's house, and the next one is Faye's. The kids who grew up here sort of stick together. It'll be okay." ,

"Stick together?" Cassie had a sudden, disturbing idea.

"Yes." Diana's voice was deliberately light. "We've got a sort of club..."

"The Club?" Cassie was so appalled she interrupted. "You mean - you're in it too? You and Laurel and Melanie?"

"Mm," Diana said. "Well, here's your house. I'll call you tomorrow - maybe I could come over. And we can carpool to school on Monday..." She stopped at the expression on Cassie's face. "What is it, Cassie?" she said gently. ?

Cassie was shaking her head. "I don't know... yes, I do know. I told you how I heard Faye and Suzan and Deborah talking the first day of school - that was how all the trouble started. I heard the kind of things they said, and I know they're in the Club. And it was so awful... I don't see how you could be in a club like that, with them."

"It isn't what you think..." Diana's gentle voice trailed off. "And I can't really explain. But I'll tell you this - don't judge the Club by Faye. Although there's a lot of good in Faye too, if you look for it."

Cassie thought you would have to look with a scanning electron microscope to find it. After a moment, she said so.

Diana laughed. "No, really. I've known her since we were babies. We've all known each other that long out here."

"But..." Cassie looked at her worriedly. "Aren't you afraid of her? Don't you think she might try to do something terrible to you?"

"No," Diana said. "I don't think so. For one thing, she's - made a sort of promise not to. And for another" - she looked at Cassie almost apologetically, although a smile was tugging at the corner of her lips - "well, don't hate me, but Faye happens to be my first cousin."

Cassie gaped.

"We're mostly cousins up here," Diana said softly. "Sometimes second and third, and