By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) Page 4

  My mom served an apple pie for dessert. So caught up in having Ty back to normal, I had momentarily forgotten about Kim. "Mom? Is it really true about Kim?"

  She paused, a piece of pie on the verge of falling off her spatula. "This isn't the time, Makenna." Exchanging a worried glance with my father, she continued serving up slices.

  I paused with a bite half way to my mouth, deciding I simply had to know. "Is it true what they're saying about the way she died? Was she really ripped to shreds?"

  Ty choked on his pie and my father pounded him on the back. With a stern warning on his features, he spoke firmly. "Not now, Makenna."

  I glanced around the table. Everyone's face had gone completely pale, Ty's included. "Sorry, Dad. I just...it's a pretty scary thing, you know?"

  My mother laid a reassuring hand on my arm. "We know, honey. But we don't know everything yet either."

  I nodded, pushing my dessert around on my plate.

  After dinner, our parents adjourned to the living room. I motioned for Ty to follow me up to my room. His footsteps padded softly behind me. I closed my door behind us. He took a seat in my papasan chair while I opted to sit on the floor.

  "I'm glad you came to dinner," I began.

  "Me too." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at the ground. "Listen, Mac. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk lately."

  It felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. "I'm just glad you're here. I have so much to talk to you about." I hesitated, not knowing how to form my words. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think whatever killed Kim tried to attack me."

  He froze. "What?"

  I recounted my experience for him. As I spoke, he seemed to withdraw further into himself.

  "What do you think?" I asked, relieved to have told someone.

  He cracked his knuckles and looked out the window. I followed his line of sight; it was almost dark outside. Something in his eyes set my nerves on edge. He seemed wary of what he saw.

  "Ty? Please be honest with me. How did you get those cuts?"

  His attention swung back to me, and he patted the space beside him in the chair.

  "Come here."

  We hadn't done such a thing in a long time. Not since the days when we'd sit in the dark watching horror movies, Ty laughing as I muffled my screams against his shoulder.

  Before I could talk myself out of it, I snuggled in next to him. My heartbeat accelerated at the feel of his warm body pressed against mine.

  He turned toward me, his lips a hair's breadth away. "I've missed you, too."

  His words startled me. Was it even possible he heard me above all the noise he'd been making in the tool shed?

  Green eyes locked with mine. "There's a lot I want to tell you, Mac. Just not now."

  "But..."

  "Sssh. I promise everything will be okay."

  He pulled me closer, and I rested my head on his shoulder. In that moment, nothing else mattered. In my weariness, I half-convinced myself things would work themselves out. No one had attacked me, and Kim's death was a tragic accident. Most importantly, Ty and I would be okay.

  I awoke some time later and found my room bathed in moonlight. Ty was gone. After a quick stretch, I rubbed my knuckles across blurry eyes. At last my digital alarm clock came into focus. It was a little after two in the morning. I shed my clothes and pulled on a T-shirt before crawling into bed.

  As I started to drift off, I made a quick mental note to talk to my dad. I needed to let him know there must be coyotes in the area. It had been one of their howls that awoke me in the first place.

  Chapter 4

  Feedback pierced through the air as Mrs. Kramer stepped up to the microphone set up in the center of the auditorium stage. She lightly tapped against it while a student from the AV department adjusted a few knobs on the soundboard. Eventually the screeching subsided, and the kid flashed a big thumbs up. Chattering voices slowly quieted as she took to the podium again.

  She cleared her throat, her eyes traveling around the audience. I wiped slick hands on my jeans and waited in nervous anticipation. With her posture ram-rod straight, she gave the distinct impression of trying to appear composed, but even from a distance I saw her hands trembling.

  "Good morning," she began. "I apologize for taking you away from your classes this morning."

  "Like we care." David shifted in his chair beside me. I shushed him. He threw me a dark look, but remained quiet. I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to focus on Mrs. Kramer.

  "I'm afraid I have distressing news to share with all of you. I'm sad to announce the death of one of your fellow classmates. Kimberly Urwin, a senior here at Eddington, was tragically killed this past Saturday." She paused to take a deep breath.

  "Does that mean there's a killer on the loose?" A voice carried from somewhere in the balcony. Necks craned to find the person, but whoever it was didn't materialize. Murmured conversations broke out all over the place.

  My body tensed as coldness surrounded me. I shivered and drew my sweater tight.

  Mrs. Kramer raised a hand to silence the room. "I know this comes as a shock, but I want to assure you that the police have the matter well in hand and you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

  "What does that mean?" asked a sophomore in the front row. I recognized her as a member of the marching band.

  "It means that Ms. Urwin's death has been classified as a tragic accident. Foul play of any kind has been ruled out." Mrs. Kramer folded her hands on the podium. "I know this is all very shocking, but I want to assure you that the matter is under control."

  "Yeah, other than there's some wild animal on the loose doing a Freddy Krueger number on people," David muttered.

  "Is it true she was attacked by an animal?" I gulped, surprised to find I had been the one to ask the question. The fact I had stood to do so, shocked me even more. All eyes rolled in my direction, and I quickly ducked back into my chair.

  "Thank you, Ms. Wilhelm." Mrs. Kramer's clipped words prompted me to slide down even further. David chuckled beside me.

  "As I was saying," she continued, "the matter is well in hand."

  She introduced several grief counselors who would be available to students. After they all filed forward to introduce themselves, a police officer made a short announcement, reiterating the point that we were all perfectly safe. Somehow, I wasn't reassured.

  Mrs. Kramer returned to the podium. "At this time, I would like to take a moment of silence in Ms. Urwin's honor. I'll ask that you bow your heads."

  I pulled a knee to my chest and concentrated on a small tear in the upholstered chair in front of me. The seconds seemed to last forever as an inexplicable grief washed through me.

  Before closing the assembly, Mrs. Kramer announced the time and place of Kim's memorial service and funeral. "Our thoughts and prayers will be with Kim's family.

  "Be safe. Remember I will be available should any of you need to talk. Now...I'll ask you to return to your fourth period classes. Thank you."

  Students started filing out the doors, the respectful silence they had maintained during the assembly slowly fading. Nervous banter began and then an occasional laugh interjected above the growing buzz. I lingered in my seat, muttering to David that he should go on without me.

  I felt sick, my body taut. It could've been me.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Kramer approaching. A student stepped in her path and they spoke in low tones. Saying a silent prayer of thanks, I took the opportunity to slip out of the side door of the auditorium. It led to a small stairwell, and I descended the steps to stand on the lawn below. In the distance, the football field and surrounding stands loomed. I tried to steady my uneven breathing, the fear threatening to take control.

  The scratch of a lighter being sparked interrupted the moment; I whipped around to find Caleb Martin leaning casually against the school building. He lit his cigarette and snapped the silver lighter closed with a flick of his wrist. Dark eyes studie
d me while he took a deep drag, his expression somewhere between annoyance and amusement.

  I shifted uneasily, ready to make a quick escape.

  "What are you doing out here?" I asked, a slight edge to my voice.

  He shook black hair out of his face and squinted into the bright sun. Dressed in torn jeans and a black long-sleeved T-shirt, he seemed out of place amid the brilliant fall colors surrounding us. In lieu of answering me, he shook a cigarette loose from his pack and offered it to me.

  I shook my head quickly. "No, thank you."

  The pack disappeared into his front pocket, but still he remained silent, watching and thinking Lord knows what.

  In the same school since his family moved to town during the fifth grade, our crowds might have been on separate planets for all the times our paths crossed. There had been that one time, of course—back in the 10th grade. The memory wasn't a pleasant one. After a stint of tutoring him in math, I'd been shocked when he unabashedly asked me out. I'd had to say no. My friends never would've forgiven me if I'd dared to date someone like him.

  Caleb tried to play it off like it wasn't a big deal, but I'd seen the hurt in his eyes.

  "You think you're too good for me, but you're not," he had said.

  "That isn't it," I said, face burning. But in reality, he had hit the proverbial nail on the head.

  Angry, he turned and stomped off, his black hair bouncing against his jacket.

  We hadn't spoken since. For all I knew, he still held a grudge against me. It wasn't one of my finer moments in life.

  Despite that, here was the perfect opportunity to rectify the situation. And for a good cause.

  I dug my fingernails into my palms. "Is it true you found Kim Urwin?"

  "Why?"

  "I-I heard you did, and I was sort of hoping you could tell me anything you saw."

  He didn't bat an eye. "Why?"

  I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. "She was a friend," I blurted out, the lie rolling off my tongue all too easily.

  He laughed then and took another drag off his cigarette. With fluid movements, he pushed off the wall and approached me. He was almost as tall as Ty, and his close proximity forced me to look up at him. I struggled to maintain eye contact, knowing deep down that his speaking depended on it. I caught a whiff of car grease, no doubt picked up from the gas station where he worked.

  "Well?" I said.

  "I've seen you, you know?" His eyes burned into mine. "You're lying. You and your little friends didn't have time for girls like her."

  His words dinged home beneath what little armor I had left. Shame rose up my neck. "You don't know anything about me."

  "That's where you're wrong. You treated her like garbage—worse." He paused and his words sank in deep. My chin trembled slightly, and I fought to keep control.

  "I'll ask one more time. Why do you want to know?"

  When I didn't answer, he flicked his ashes and laughed, no humor in the sound. "Run back to your friends." He smiled then, and a chill swept over my skin. "Safety in numbers, right?"

  o0o

  Caleb's words haunted me when I returned to class. With talk of the assembly and Kim's death still buzzing in the air, no one paid much attention as I slipped into my seat. Was he behind the attacks? No. He couldn't be. Whatever had been in that hallway with me, it hadn't been human. It had to be the same animal responsible for Kim's death. But then, why couldn't I shake the feeling Caleb knew more than he let on?

  "Ms. Wilhelm, can you answer problem number five?"

  I stared at Mrs. Spradling blankly, my face burning with embarrassment as she repeated the question. Unable to collect my thoughts and focus, I mumbled a quick no. She gave me a disapproving frown and moved on to the next student.

  I slid down in my chair and kept my head low for the remainder of the period. When the bell rang, I uttered a hasty apology to her before rushing to my locker. Lunch was next, and I quickly stuffed my books inside and slammed it closed. I needed to find Ty.

  I didn't spot him amongst the students crowded together in the cafeteria. When he failed to show, I took a seat with David and Jenna at our usual table. They gave me identical puzzled expressions when I didn't eat, but quickly became distracted in their usual gossip session with the other students crammed around us. I tuned them all out, my numerous worries warring for dominance of my thoughts.

  I gazed off into the distance, eyes unfocused as I tried to work out how Caleb figured into the whole thing. Someone passed into my line of sight, and I snapped out of my reverie. Melanie Hoffs, tray in hand, made her way across the room to an empty table in the corner.

  Her dark brown hair went uncombed and there were deep circles under her hazel eyes. Her skin was pale, causing the light smattering of freckles across her nose to stand out even more than usual.

  Several of my friends pointed in her direction, disdain mingled with amusement on their faces. The words "what a loser" and "maybe she'll be next—if we're lucky" reached my ears and my mouth gaped open in shock. Sobs came from the corner, and I turned to see Melanie quickly collecting her things, tears running down her face.

  Everything seemed so surreal—as if I watched from some far off place, helpless to make it stop. The laughter only increased at Melanie's apparent distress, and the more they laughed, the more disjointed her movements became. At last, she gave up and ran out of the room.

  I slammed back into real time. Standing, I shook my head in disgust at my friends.

  "Assholes," I muttered.

  They froze, the laughter dying on their lips as they turned to study me. Before they could respond, I swept up both of our things and left the room. It took a while, but eventually I found her crying in the girl's restroom. She had hidden herself inside one of the stalls.

  We were the only occupants, so I locked the entrance and dropped our bags on a faux leather lounger against the wall. Taking a seat, I waited for her to come out. Eventually, the lock slid back and she emerged, her face puffy and red. She went to the sink and splashed water against it, only spying me once she looked into the mirror. She whirled around with a hand to her chest.

  "What do you want?"

  Guilt flooded through me at her suspicious tone. "I brought your things for you." I motioned at her bag lying beside me. "I-I'm sorry about Kim."

  She didn't say anything and the uncomfortable silence stretched out until I simply had to break it. "My friends are jerks. I'm sorry they did that to you."

  A small laugh bubbled out of her. "You're sorry?"

  "Yes. I really am."

  She pressed a paper towel to her face and dabbed at her eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

  "What? No!"

  "I remember you from the spring dance last year—you don't give a damn about me or Kim. Don't pretend that you do." She crumbled the towel and threw it away. "Did they send you in here?"

  "No, I came because I was worried about you."

  She smirked, the expression twisting her face into one of complete disdain. "Just go. Run and tell them all about what you saw. I'm sure you'll all get a good laugh over the whole thing.

  With that, she grabbed her bag and jerked the door open. I sat stunned, unable to follow or deny I didn't deserve everything she'd said.

  o0o

  I studied myself in the restroom mirror and adjusted the straps of my pale green gown, chosen because it brought out the color of my eyes. The dress fit well, softly accentuating the curve of my hips. The scooped neck revealed just a hint of cleavage, and I pressed my hand against my breasts, my skin alive with an electrical charge of anticipation.

  No, not anticipation—fear.

  Tonight would be the night I would lose my virginity.

  Somehow I expected it to show on my face, but in the reflection was the same old Makenna. Only scared. Disappointment settled inside me.

  I didn't want this. Not now, and not with David. But could I back out at this point? It seemed unlikely. He had spoken of nothing else all week— mur
muring soft words in my ear while his hands stole quick caresses under my T-shirt. It was the logical next step in our relationship, he'd pleaded.

  With a resigned breath, I stepped back into the gymnasium, determined to put a stop to our plans.

  Even before I reached the dance floor, I could tell something was off. A large group of students was gathered in a tight circle, and shrieks of laughter sounded above the pulsating music. David's tall figure stood out in the center of the pack. I pushed through the throng, figuring it was one of his goofball friends showing off in the middle.

  As I neared, David draped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me tightly against him. He dropped a kiss on my lips and chuckled softly as he watched the action in front of us. Focused on finding a way to break the news to him without causing a huge fight, I didn't immediately notice the activity causing all the hoopla.

  When I did, my mouth went dry. Chants of "Dance! Dance! Dance!" echoed in my ears as I watched Kim Urwin and Melanie Hoffs huddled together in the center of the pack of frenzied students. Each time they tried to break through the crowd, unfriendly hands pushed them back in the middle.

  I watched in horror as Melanie stepped forward and screamed at the group. "Leave us alone!"

  This only roused the crowd further and soon both girls were reduced to tears as they continued to struggle in vain to free themselves. I watched as my friends continued their games. I wanted to scream at them to stop—to pull the girls from captivity. But I did nothing. Frozen in place, I watched in silence, unable to come to their aid, yet unable to leave or turn away.

  For a brief moment, Melanie's eyes locked with mine. I saw an accusation in their depths and my face burned with guilt at my inability to stand up to my friends.

  Next thing I knew, my mom rushed in with her fellow chaperones to break things up. With comforting arms around their shoulders, she led the two girls off the floor. I'd done nothing, and my shame was immense.