‘I’m scared, Zed.’
‘I don’t think there’s any threat to you as long as we aren’t seen together out of school. I haven’t even told my family about you. The only way I can think to protect you is by keeping my distance. If the rogue savant knew you were my soulfinder, it would put you in the centre of the target.’
‘That’s not what I meant. I’m scared you’re going to get hurt.’
‘We’ve got it under control now.’
‘But you’re going to have to keep hiding, aren’t you?’
‘I don’t want to think about that.’
‘Can I help? Is there some way I can make this easier for you?’
He shook his head. ‘It would mean you releasing your gift and, as I said, I don’t think that would be a good idea yet.’
‘Releasing my gift? What does that mean? You savants speak in riddles.’
He laughed. ‘Us savants, you mean. And if your gift were free, then you’d light up like I do when you’re with me.’
I nestled closer to him, running my fingers over his chest, feeling as if I was leaving lines of fire behind.
His heart picked up its beat. ‘I already feel pretty sparkly.’
He kissed my hair, a gesture so tender it brought tears to my eyes. ‘That’s good—but you’d better stop doing that or we’l both be in trouble.’ He caught my fingers in his hand, pressing them to his shirt.
‘Zed, is this al real?’
‘Yeah, it is. Your gift’s just waiting for you to reach for it.’
‘I’m afraid to do that.’
He rested his chin on the top of my head. ‘I know.
And I can wait—as long as you need. Come, sit on my lap for a moment.’
He led me over to the drum kit and sat on the stool.
‘You want me to sit on your lap there? I’l fal off.’
‘Not if you sit facing me.’
I laughed but it sounded kinda sad. ‘This is crazy.’
‘Maybe. But I’m going to enjoy it.’
I sat on his lap so I could rest my head on his chest, arms wrapped around him.
‘You hold on now, you hear?’
‘Uh-huh.’
He took the drumsticks and began to play the percussion part for the song we had first performed together as the jazz band. I hummed along.
‘We could real y do with the piano but I don’t want you to move,’ he said softly in my ear.
‘We can imagine it.’
The beat was slow and hypnotic. Calming. I closed my eyes, listening as he began crooning the words to ‘Hal elujah’. He had a nice voice—a tenor, pitch perfect.
‘You just gonna sit there or sing with me?’ he asked.
‘I’m just gonna sit.’
‘What’s wrong with your voice?’
‘I don’t sing. Never have—not for a long time.’
‘There’s only me here. I won’t laugh.’
Al my life, singing had been a no-go area. I didn’t want to bring that into this lovely moment. ‘I’l just listen.’
‘OK. But I’l get you singing yet.’
The weeks that fol owed were frustrating for both of us. Only able to sneak a few moments alone at school, we could never just be together. We had to be careful not to be label ed a couple by other students in case word got out to whoever was after Zed’s family. This led to guilt as I had to lie to my closest friends about what was going on. And there was stil Zed’s premonition to worry about—he was angry because he couldn’t stick to my side to keep me safe and I was getting jumpy any time I was out after dark. The whole situation added up to major stress for us both. Two threats too many.
‘Something happen between you and Zed, Sky?’
asked Tina one afternoon as we helped decorate the form room for Hal owe’en.
I hung a row of pumpkin lights over the whiteboard.
‘No.’
‘You seemed on the point of something until he gave you that black eye. Was there more to that than you said?’
Yeah, just a bit. ‘Like what?’
She shrugged, looking uncomfortable. ‘He didn’t hit you or anything?’
‘No!’
‘Just that the Benedicts are a little strange. No one real y gets to know them. We talk about them, of course, but no one from school’s dated them that I’ve heard about. Who knows what secrets they’re hiding up there?’
I decided to fight fire with fire. ‘You mean like their mad granny locked in the cel ar? Or the voodoo dol s hanging by their necks over the corpses of their victims?’
She looked shamefaced now. ‘I wasn’t thinking that.’
‘Zed does not beat up his girlfriends.’
She pounced. ‘So you are his girlfriend?’
Oops. ‘Not real y. Just a friend.’
‘Must admit I’m relieved to hear that.’ Tina stretched out some cobweb material over the notice board. ‘Did you know that Nelson went a round with him about what he did to you?’
‘He didn’t!’
‘Yeah, in the guys’ changing room after basketbal practice.’
‘I told him it was my fault, not Zed’s!’
‘Nelson has this protective streak a mile wide. You must have noticed. I think it’s his version of his grandmother’s desire to keep tabs on us al .’
‘Did anyone get hurt?’
‘No. Coach broke it up. Put them both in detention.
Zed’s on the watch list again for suspension.’
‘I didn’t want this.’
‘What? Boys fighting over you? You should be flattered.’
‘They’re idiots.’
‘Yeah, they’re boys. Goes with the territory.’
I crossed my fingers. ‘Look, Zed and me, we like each other, but it’s not going to go any further.’ At least, not until we’d sorted out the death threat.
‘OK, I hear you. You’re safe.’ But I could tel she wasn’t convinced. ‘So, you want to come Trick-or-Treating with us?’
‘Isn’t that for little kids?’
‘Doesn’t stop us big ones having a party. We get dressed up, enjoy the show on the streets then go hang out back at someone’s house. My mom said we can go to mine this year.’
‘What kind of dressed up?’
‘Any kind of fancy dress. Witch, ghoul, voodoo-dol -hanging-over-the-corpse-of-a-dead-granny-from-the-cel ar—that kind of stuff.’
‘Sounds fun.’
To my embarrassment, Simon was real y into the idea of making a Hal owe’en costume. He often used materials in his art and got a bit carried away when I made the mistake of tel ing him about Trick-or-Treating. He constructed a skeleton suit for me out of material that glowed spectre-like in white light and a real y convincing skul head mask. He made a costume for himself and Sal y too.
‘You’re not thinking of coming with me?’ I asked in horror as he displayed the masks in the kitchen on Hal owe’en morning.
‘Of course.’ His tone was deadpan but I caught the laughter in his eyes. ‘Just what a teenager wants: her parents tagging along to a friend’s party on her first evening out after grounding.’
‘Tel me he’s lying!’ I appealed to Sal y.
‘Of course, he is. We were just reading up on the American customs at Hal owe’en and understand that it is our duty as fine upstanding citizens of Wrickenridge to man the door in as scary a fashion as possible and spread tooth decay among the younger part of the population.’
‘You’re going to hand out candy dressed like that?’
‘Yep.’ Simon tapped his skul mask affectionately.
‘I’m glad I won’t be home.’
My friends met up outside the grocery store at seven, forming a gaggle of witches, ghosts, and zombies. The atmosphere was perfect: dark, moonless, and there was even a mist to add to the ghoulish theme. Zoe had dressed in a fantastic vampire outfit with red-lined cape and white fangs.
Tina chose the warlock look, pointy hat and long cape, face painted with silver stars. Nelson came as a zombie—a no-brainer (ha ha) for him. I felt a bit self-conscious in my figure-hugging skeleton suit.