Avalon High - Мэг Кэбот 6 стр.

 Holy was what Liz started to say, when we finally made it up the hill and into the

Wagners foyer. Because Wills house was really nice, all marble floors and giant mirrors

in gilt frames. You had to wonder how his dad afforded it all, on a naval salary.

 Liz had apparently been thinking the same thing, since she whispered to Stacy and me,

Family money, in a knowing voice.

 I met Admiral Wagner almost as soon as we walked through the door. He was standing in

the living room greeting people as they arrived, a drink in one hand, and an attractive

blonde in the other. This, I assumed, was the dead friends widow, and Wills new

stepmom.

 Great game, wasnt it? Wills dad was saying to anyone who would listen. Help

yourself to a drink. Great game, didnt you think?

 Wills dad certainly didnt look like an ogre who would purposefully get his own best

friend killed, then marry his widow and, oh yeah, force his son into a career he didnt

want. He was tall, like Will, with salt-and-pepper gray hair. He wasnt wearing his

uniform, or anything, although the creases in his khakis looked kind of sharp for civilian

clothes. But that might just be because Im not used to seeing a man in ironed pants. My

dads never worn anything ironed in his life.

 I went straight up to him and introduced myself and Liz and Stacy, because it seemed

like the polite thing to do. Ill admit that I was also curious to see what Admiral Wagner

would be like, after everything Id heard about him.

 But he was totally charming, shaking my hand with energy, seemingly thrilled to pieces

that his son had so many friends. He went, Glad to meet you, girls. Go and get

yourselves a drink. Sodas are out by the pool, in a happy, booming voice.

 I looked closely at the admirals new wife, to try to gauge how much she had to do with

what Will called things being weird lately.

 But she didnt look mean or anything. She was very beautiful, petite, and blond

like Jennifer Gold, actually.

 But she also looked kind of sad. Like maybe she missed her dead husband, or something.

 Or maybe she just didnt want to be at some dumb high school party. It was hard to tell.

 Stacy and Liz and I did as the admiral told us to, and made our way out to the pool. We

had had a little trouble finding the house, so Will and Lance and the rest of their

teammatesnot to mention the Avalon High cheerleading squadwere already there, high-

fiving one another and jumping into the heated pool in the glow of about a million paper

lanterns.

 Stacy and Liz and I went and got ourselves sodas and then stood by the

guacamolewhich is where tall girls always end up standing at partieswatching

everyone. No one paid us the slightest bit of attention. No one, that is, except a Border

collie who came over and thrust her nose into my hand.

 Hey, there, I said to the dog. She was gorgeous, her long, silky coat white with just a

few black patches. She was well-behaved, too. She didnt jump up and only licked me

once.

 This, I knew, could only be Wills dog, Cavalier. I found out I was right when Will

managed to break away from the adoring throng around him and hurried over,

exclaiming, You came!

 While Liz and Stacy both looked behind them, trying to figure out who he was talking

to, I felt myself starting to flush.

 Because I knew he was talking to me.

 Yes, I said, as he stopped in front of me. Hed changed into baggy swim trunks and a

Hawaiian shirt that was open to the waist. It was hard not to look at his abs, which were

extremely six-packlike. I tried to ignore them as I said, Thanks for inviting me. These

are my friends Stacy and Liz.

 While the two girls looked on in total astonishment, Will said hi. Then he said to me, I

see Cavalier found you. She must like you.

 It was true. The dog had kind of been leaning on me as I stroked her soft ears. At least

until Will came over. Then all of her attention shifted to him.

 She has nice manners, I said lamely, because it was the only thing I could think of to

say. Other than,I love you! I love you!

 Which wouldnt, you know, have been too socially acceptable.

 Will just smiled, then asked us if we were going to swim.

 We didnt bring suits, Liz lied, with a quick glance at Jennifer Gold, who was

wandering around, looking perfectly angelic in a snow-white tankini.

 Oh, we have plenty of spares, Will said. Over in the pool house. Help yourselves.

 Stacy and Liz just stared at him, guacamole-laden chips forgotten in their hands. There

was about as much chance of the three of us strutting around in our swimsuits in front of

the cheerleading squad as there was of a giant meteorite plummeting from the sky and

incinerating them.

 Not that I was wishing this would happen. Much.

 Have fun, Will said to me, with a grin, completely oblivious to our discomfort, as any

guy would be. I have to go do, you know. The host thing.

 Sure, I said, and watched as heCavalier padding close at his sidewent to go talk to a

tall, good-looking boy who Id never seen before. Dark-haired, like Will, he seemed

vaguely familiar. But I knew he didnt go to Avalon. Liz was only too happy to clear up

the mystery of his identity.

 Thats Marco, she said, her mouth full of guacamole. Wills stepbrother.

 I stared. Marco was chatting amiably with Will and some of the other team members. He

didnt look like he was too upset with the way things had turned outyou know, living in

the home of the man whod sent his father to his death, then married his mother. I mean,

that kind of thing could mess a person up.

 He also didnt look like the monster Id been led to believe he was. He certainly didnt

look like someone whod try to kill a teacher. It was true he had a hoop through both ears.

And one of those tribal tattoos around one bicep.

 But thats pretty much normal, you know, these days.

 I watched Marco make his way around the pool, greeting people the way a politician

does, with a handshake and a slap on the shoulder if they were guys, and a kiss on the

cheek if they were girls. I wondered how I would feel, living under the same roof as the

man who was responsiblehowever indirectlyfor my dads death.

 Things were much more interesting in Annapolis than Id ever suspected they would be,

back when my parents had announced that that was where we were moving for the year.

 It didnt take Liz long to figure out that she hadnt been missing much, not having been

invited to popular kids parties before. Stacy soon grew bored as well. When they finally

announced that they wanted to gowed managed to polish off all the guacamole, and it

didnt look like more was forthcomingI nodded, because by then, I wanted to go, too. Id

seen what Id wanted to seeWills dad, who, in spite of what Id been led to believe,

seemed very nice; his stepmom, who seemed lovely; and the way Will interacted with

Jennifer, which was exactly the way youd expect a boyfriend and girlfriend to interact

not too lovey-dovey, or anything, but they held hands a lot, and I saw him lean down to

kiss her once.

 Did the sight send a dagger of envy into my heart? Yes. Did I think Id make a better

girlfriend for him than she did? Pretty much.

 But the thing was, I wanted him to be happy. It sounds weird, but I really did. And if

Jennifer made him happy, well, so be it.

 Except

 What about that rose? The one that was fully blooming now in its vase on my nightstand,

where it was the first thing I saw every morning when I woke up, and the last thing I saw

every night before I turned out the light?

 It wasnt until we were on our way out that I suddenly remembered I needed to let Lance

know about our meeting with Mr. Morton on Monday morning. Telling Liz and Stacy Id

meet them out by the car, I went to find Lance to break the news.

 But he wasnt out by the pool where Id last seen him. And he wasnt anywhere on the

first floor of the house, either. Finally, someone hanging out in the line for the bathroom

on the second floor said theyd seen him go through the door to a spare bedroom. I

thanked them, then went to the door and knocked on it.

 But the music floating up from downstairs was too loud for me to hear whether or not

Lance had said come in. I knocked a little harder. Still nothing.

 Figuring if I couldnt hear him because of the music, he probably couldnt hear my

knocking, I opened the doorjust a crackto see if Lance really was in there.

 He was in there, all right.

 In there making out with Jennifer on the bed. Jennifer, his best friends girlfriend.

 They were so wrapped up in each other, they didnt even notice the door opening. I

quickly closed it, then hurried to lean against the wall across from it, my heart feeling as

if it were about to leap out of my chest.

 But before I even had time to register what Id just seenlet alone wonder what it

meantI saw something even more horrifying.

 And that was Will coming up the stairs, and heading for the very door Id just closed.

CHAPTER TEN

  Oh, hey, Elle, Will said, when he saw me.

 It was a sign of how freaked I truly was by what Id just seen that my heartstrings didnt

so much as quiver at hearing him call me Elle.

 Hi, I said faintly.

 Have you seen Jen? Will wanted to know. Someone said they saw her come up here.

 Jen? I echoed. My gaze, though I tried not to let it, strayed toward the closed door to

the spare bedroom. Um

 What was I supposed to say? I mean, really? Was I supposed to go, Sure, Ive seen her,

shes right in there, and let him walk through that door and find Jennifer and Lance in

there, going at it?

 Or was I supposed to lie and go, Jen? Nope. Havent seen her, and let him continue to

live in total ignorance of the fact that his girlfriend and best friend were a couple of lying

skanks?

 Who could make a decision like that? Why didI have to be the one whod walked in on

them? I mean, I wanted Will to break up with Jennifer so he could be free to hook up with

meyou know, if hell happened to freeze over, or something, and he asked me out.

 But I didnt want to be the person who, however indirectly, caused that breakup by

revealing his girlfriends true nature to him! Because whenever this happens to girls on

soap operas or the WB or whatever, they never end up getting the guy

 But before I could decide what to do, Will looked more closely at me and went, Are

you all right, Elle? You look sort of

 Ifelt pale. In fact, I felt a little like I might throw up all that guacamole Id scarfed down

earlier.

 Im fine, I said, though it sounded like a lie even to my own ears.

 Yourenot fine, Will said firmly. Come on. Fresh air time.

 Then something amazing happened. He took my handgrabbed it like it was the most

natural thing to do in the worldand steered me toward a door I hadnt noticed before.

Then he pulled me up a narrow, steep stairway that opened out onto this kind of deck all

along the roof of the house.

 In spite of the party below, which was in full swing, it was quiet out on the narrow little

deck. Quiet and dark, with a fantastic view of the stars overhead, and the bay stretched

out below us, the moon reflected like a bright ribbon of light across it. A cool breeze

lifted my hair from my face, and immediately, I started to feel a little better.

 I leaned against the ornately carved railing that ran the length of the deck and gazed out

at the bay, at the bridge that arched across it, and the occasional glow of a cars headlights

as someone drove over it.

 Better? Will asked.

 I nodded, feeling a little ashamed of myself, and wanting to distract him from looking at

me too closelyI sensed that I was still slightly green around the gillsI asked brightly,

So whatis this thing, anyway? meaning the narrow parapet Will and I were standing on.

 You really arent from around here, are you? Will asked, with a grin. Then he joined

me at the railing and said, They call it a widows walk. All the old houses around here

have them. People like to say they were built for the wives of sailors so they could come

out and watch for their husbands ships to return.

.

pale.

 Nice, I said sarcastically. Because, of course, if the husband didnt return, it meant that

his ship had gone down and the wife was now a widow, thus making her pretty little

lookout post a widows walk.

 Well, Will said, with a laugh. yeah. But thats not really what they were for. They

were built so people could climb up here and put out the flames if their roof caught fire,

back when they had to use their chimneys for heat and cooking and everything.

 Nice! I said again, this time with even more sarcasm.

 Will smiled. Yeah. I guess they should change the name. He shrugged. The views the

same, no matter what they call it.

 I nodded, admiring the shimmering band of light the moon cast across the water. Its

nice, I said. Soothing. Soothing enough to make a girl forget why shed had to come

out there in the first place. What was I going to do about Lance and Jennifer, anyway?

 Yeah, Will said, totally oblivious to my inner turmoil. I never get tired of it. Its the

one thing that always seems to stay the same. The water, I mean. The color changes.

Sometimes its flat. Sometimes theres chop. But its always there. You can depend on it.

 Not like his girlfriend and best friend.

 But I didnt say this out loud, of course.

 I couldnt help wondering if the new Mrs. Wagner came out here much, maybe with her

morning cup of coffee. Had the irony of his houses widows walk occurred to Will? You

know, her being a widow, and all?

 Do you miss her? I asked Will suddenly. Too suddenly, I realized, when he looked at

me like he had no idea what I was talking about.

 Who? he asked.

 Your mom, I mean, I said. Your, um, real mom. I didnt figure there was any point in

pretending like I didnt know the story of what had happened with his dad.

 My mom? He squinted out across the water. No, not at all. I never knew her. She died

when I was born.

 Oh, I said. Because I didnt know what else to say.

 Its okay, Will said with a grin, I guess sensing my sadness for him, and wanting to

reassure me. You cant miss what you never had.

 I guess, I said. Do you like I paused, not sure what I should call his stepmom.

Marcos mom? was what I ended up settling for.

 Jean? Will nodded. Yeah. I like her a lot.

 Well, I said, thats good. And Marco?

 Yeah, Will said. His grin broadened. Howd you know about Marco and Jean? Have

you been asking around about me, or something?

 Maybe, I said, feeling myself start to flush, and hoping he wouldnt notice in the

relative darkness.

 If he did, he didnt let on.

 Marcos cool, Will said, with a shrug. He

to put what he said next. He didnt have a lot, growing up. Hes been in some trouble.

But I think hes starting to chill a little.

 He and your dad get along? I asked casually, but I was really curious. Would I get

along with the man whod ordered my dad to his death, then married my mom? I was

thinking probably not.

 Will looked thoughtful. Not sad, or anything. Just like he was thinking hard about what

Id asked.

 You know, I think they do, he said finally. Its different for Marco. I mean, hes not

related to my dad. So there isnt the same

between him and me.

 So I guess thats what you meant when you were talking about things being weird, I

said. About Marco and your dad and stepmom and

everything?

 I guess it was wishful thinking. You know, that the thing with Wills parents was really

what was bothering him, and not

suspect? About Lance and Jennifer? He had to. What had happened at tonights game,

with Lance not having been there for him because he was over by the sidelines talking to

and now the two of them having disappeared together

Jen

 That had to be what he meant about things being weird lately. That had to be the

explanation for the dark shadow I sometimes saw fall across his face. Didnt it? I mean

didnt it?

 I guess thats part of it, he said, looking out into the water. But it doesnt explain

everything. It doesnt explain

instead.

He paused, seeming to struggle with how

pressure between him and Marco as there is

what happened with them, and

well, the thing with his girlfriend. I mean, did Will

.

. He tore his gaze from the bay and looked down at me

 And I knewjust knewwhat was coming. I even closed my eyes, anticipating the blow.

 Hes going to ask me,I thought.Hes going to ask meabout Lance and Jennifer. What

should I say? I cant be the one to tell him. I just cant . Theyshould have to tell him.

Lance and Jennifer! Its their fault, not mine. Theyshould be the ones to have to break the

news. Its not fair that it has to be me!

 But then, to my utter astonishment, what Will ended up saying to me instead was, It

doesnt explain whats going on between me and you.

 If that meteorite Id been fantasizing about earlier had suddenly streaked down out of the

sky and taken out the Avalon High cheerleading team, I doubt Id have been as surprised

as I was by what Will had just said to me. I was stunned, in fact, into speechlessness and,

my eyes flying open, could only stare at him, my mind sluggishly repeating those last

three words over and over again

 Except thatthere was nome and you . To me, maybe. But not to Will.

 Was there?

 But before I could even begin to formulate a reply to his extraordinary statement, he tore

his gaze from mine and, looking out across the water again, asked, Do you ever get the

feeling that this cant be it?

 My brain staggered around, trying to figure out what was happening. Im afraid it was all

too much for me, and I ended up going, Um

could think of to say.

 You know, Will said, a note of urgency in his deep voice as he looked me in the eye

again. Dont you ever wonder if theres something

doing?

 Um. Okay.Okay, apparently this is heading somewhere, hopefully back to what hed

said before, about me and you.In the meantime, Ill humor him. Sure. Isnt that how

were supposed to feel? Otherwise wed never move out. Wed all just live with our

parents until we died.

 He laughed a little at that. I loved the sound of his laugh. It almost made me forget about

well, what Id seen earlier.

 Thats not what I meant, exactly, he said. Do you ever thinkhis blue eyes were very

bright in the moonlightthat this isnt the first time youve been alive? Like that you

might have done all thisonly as someone elsebefore?

 Um. I looked up into his face, wondering what hed do if I reached out and grabbed it,

.Me and you. Me and you. Me and you.

what? because it was the only thing I

more? That were supposed to be

dragged it down to mine, and kissed him. Not really.

 Never? He ran a hand through his thick dark hair, a gesture I was starting to realize

was habitual for him when he was feeling frustrated. Youve never had a feeling that

youve been somewhere beforesomewhere you know youve never been? Or read

something that you know youd never seen before that moment, but that felt familiar

anyway? Heard a piece of music you could swear youd heard sometime in the past, but

that you know you couldnt have?

 Well, I said. It would be wrong to kiss him. He might freak. Guys dont like it when

girls make the first move. At least according to Nancy. But how would she even know?

Its not like she ever had a boyfriend. Sure. But theres a name for that. Its called déjà

vu. Its a totally common

 Im not talking about déjà vu, he interrupted. Im talking about knowing youve met

someone beforethe way I feel Ive met you beforeeven though theres no possible way

we could have met before. That kind of thing. You dont feel it? That theres

something

 Oh, I felt there was something between us, all right. It just wasnt, I was pretty sure, what

Will was feeling. I mean, I didnt feel like Id met him before. Because if I had, I forsure

would have remembered.

 Although therewas that

wanted him to be mine, but at the same time, I also wanted to protect him from the hurt I

knew he was going to feel when he found outand hewould find outabout Lance and

Jennifer. These werent the kinds of feelings that stem simply from a guy being nice to

you, and buying you a cup of lemonade, and giving you a rose.

 These were far, far more than that.

 Could there be something to what Will was saying? Could we have met before? If not in

this lifetime, then

 But before I could admit that I knew where he was coming from, Will sagged a little

against the railing of the widows walk, and shook his head.

 Listen to me. Maybe Lance and Jen are right, he said, in a self-mocking voice, and I

really am going nuts.

 Just hearing that Lance and Jennifer had said something like that made me jump to take

the opposite stance. Maybe Lance cared about what happened to Willdespite the fact

that he was carrying on an illicit love affair with his girlfriend behind his back. I mean,

hed kind of proven that he cared by concussing that guy whod tackled Will. That

showed that he at least felt a little bad about what was going on.

something between us?

my feelings for him, and the strength of them. The way I

in another?

 But I had seen no such signs of remorse from Jennifer. In fact, just the opposite, given

the way shed grilled me at my locker about Wills dinner at my house. It was clear that

shed just been pumping me to see if Will suspected anything about her and Lance.

 Youre not going nuts, I said emphatically. Things

too, lately. But I just thoughtI mean, I just figured its a normal part of being a teenager,

or whatever.

 I dont know. Will looked dubious. I thought teenagers are supposed to think they

know everything. And Ive never been more sure in my life that I dont know anything at

all.

 Oh, I said. Well, thats probably just a symptom of the massive brain tumor youve

got growing inside your head, the one no ones told you about yet.

 Then I wanted to kick myself.What is wrong with me? Why do I have to go and make

jokes whenever things looklike theyre about to get serious? Nancy is right. Im never

going to get a boyfriend at this rate.

 But Will, instead of goingas he probably should have Whatever you say, weirdo, just

looked at me for a minute. Then he threw back his head and laughed.

 And laughed some more.

 And really, what choice did I have but to laugh along with him? At least until a sudden

breeze sent a strand of my moussed-up hair flying across my eyes. Then, to my surprise,

before I had a chance to push it aside, Will reached up and brushed it back for me with

his fingers.

 And I froze. Because he was touching me. He was touching me.He was touching me.

 Youre all right, Ellie Harrison, he said softly, his gaze on mine, his voice unsteady.

And, you know, I think Id like you even if I wasnt sure Id already met you in a past life,

and liked you then.

 Theres really no telling what might have happened next. Not that I imagined he might

have suddenly wrapped his arms around me and kissed me, the way Id seen Lance

kissing Jennifer in the spare room below us.

 But you never know. He might have.

 If it hadnt been for two things

CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The first thing that happened was that a cloud went skittering across the moon, blocking

out the only light wed had to see by.

 The second was that the door to the widows walk suddenly burst open, and then

Cavalier came rushing up toward us, closely followed by someone else of the human

variety. I wouldnt have known who it was if it wasnt for the light from the stairs spilling

out behind him from the open doorway.

 There you are, Marco said, when he saw Will. He could not have missed the way Will

jerked his hand from my hair and moved it to pat his panting dog, instead. Ive been

looking for you everywhere. I wouldnt have found you, if it hadnt been for that damned

dog. Didnt you hear her barking?

 Will gave Cavalier a final pat, then straightened up. No, he said. His voice, which had

been unsteady with emotion just seconds before, now sounded totally normal. It was

impossible to tell if he, like me, resented his stepbrothers intrusion. Why? Whats up?

 I need to find Jen, Marco said. Her car is blocking one of the neighbors driveways.

 Will shook his head the way someone whos just come up from a dive into very deep

water does when he breaks the surface. I tried not to think what that meant vis-à-vis

well, me.

 What? Will blinked a few times. Jen?

 Yeah. Marco looked at me. Not accusingly. Just speculatively, like he was wondering

who I was and what Id done to make his stepbrother act so dopey all of a sudden.

 I could have told him in three words. No one and nothing.

 Or is that four words?

 I thought Jend be with you, Marco said.Now he was starting to sound accusing.

 I havent seen Jen since she went to go put lipstick on half an hour ago, Will said. But

not like it bothered him.

 Well, shes got to move her car, Marco said. Mrs. Hewlitts blocked in and is

threatening to call the cops.

 Will said something under his breath that sounded like a swear word. Then, to me, he

said, Sorry, Elle. I have to go find her.

 Thats fine, I said hurriedly, hoping my disappointment over the interruption didnt

show. Hed called me Elle again, after all. I should go, anyway. Liz and Stacy are

probably wondering where I went.

 Will looked for a second like he didnt know what I was talking about. Then he nodded