“It’s really not serious,” I clarified. “It’s just that I’m working with Mrs. Adler on a case,” I explained. “And there’s something I just can’t put my finger on. And I think it could be important.”
“Oh, I see.”
“There’s something I can’t quite remember,” I tried to explain. “I know it’s there and I know it’s important, but I just can’t remember it. It’s like, at the tip of my brain, if that makes any sense.” I started to feel stupid. “I don’t really know how to explain it.”
“No, no. I know exactly what you mean,” he said kindly. “In these cases, it’s often best to not think about it too much. And the answer will most likely come to you at the oddest time… when you least expect it, when you’re eating breakfast, or brushing your teeth, or putting on your socks…”
I pouted. This was no help at all.
“Hypnosis is something else you could try,” he added.
I was afraid he’d say that. The last thing I wanted was to ask Ace Rogers for help, but I knew he’d probably be able to help me. And finding Haley was the most important thing to me.
“Thank you, Mr. Morris,” I said cheerily. “Have a good weekend.” I padded out of the classroom, feeling a little defeated.
Alicia was waiting for me outside my last class. She often managed to do that. I do have the tendency to linger a little. It seems I always have a question or two for the teacher. Teachers probably hate that.
“Brianna’s sister is bringing some Chinese take-out,” she was saying. Brianna’s sister was a senior and she had contacts, and ways to get contraband food in. It was always a highly secret, strategic operation.You’d swear we were bringing in explosives or something.
“Sounds good.”
“And then, we’ll put on our costumes, and I’ll braid your hair. Aren’t you psyched? I’m crazy excited.”
I thought of Leo. I wondered what he’d dress up as. I was definitely excited. “Yesss!”
27
The ballroom was something else. My jaw dropped to the floor as soon as I set foot in the stunning room.
I’d been preoccupied with my silly costume, and self-conscious about what people would think of me;Oh, look at the trampy new import. I hear she reads minds. That dress is way too short. She doesn’t have the legs for it. And those braids are so juvenile.But all those thoughts flew out the window as soon as I saw the ballroom. Most high schools host parties and dances in boring gyms. At RAMS, we have our own freakin’ ballroom.
My gaze was drawn to the coffered ceiling, the giant chandelier, and the staircases at both ends, which led to dark balconies. There were already people milling about up there.
My eyes were dancing as I took in the decorations; the chandelier was covered in a gauzy web, and dozens of spiders hung from it. And the stair banisters were equally infested. Tall candelabras were tucked in the corners, and tiny white lights lit up the dark space and danced to the music. An ominous skeleton with glowing red eyes was stirring a foggy purple potion in a huge cauldron by the entrance.
Alicia pulled at my arm. “Check it out,” she chirped. “Candy bar.” How had I missed the candy bar? We darted to a long table covered with tall candles, pumpkins, spiders, and... treats; Halloween cupcakes on tall tiered displays, caramel popcorn, ginger witches and ghosts cookies, fancy chocolates, jelly beans, and chocolate covered strawberries which weren’t particularly Halloweenish, but I was sure glad they were there. I helped myself to one right away–they’d be gone fast. So did Alicia and Kendra.
Alicia moaned as she popped one into her mouth. She was adorable in her cowardly lion costume. “Sinful.”
I scanned the room.There were quite a few kids here already. But no Leo. And no Ace. He seemed like the type who would be fashionably late to this kind of thing, too cool for school and all that. I wondered why I was even thinking about him. I told myself it was because I needed to speak to him about Haley’s case.
When Michael Jackson’sThrillercame on, the three of us darted to the dance floor. It was fun to see all these people I recognized but didn’t really know; kids from English class, some from Music Composition, Psychic Development, the shy girl from Biology, and the joker from Energy Fields Studies.
I was having fun. Then my heart skipped a beat when I saw Leo standing in the corner. He was watching me, a sweet smile on his face. I got the impression that he wasn't a dancer. He made a really sexy pirate–move over, Johnny Depp.
Kendra and Alicia turned their gazes to him to see what had hijacked my attention.
“Damn…” Kendra said. “He looks good.”
He did. With his messy hair, scruffy unshaven jaw and dark complexion, he made a perfect pirate.
“Go on,” Kendra said. “You know you want to.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I ran to him, eager.
“Argh,” he said. “Aye, matey,” and I laughed.
Leo’s smile faded and his gaze traveled slowly from the décolletage of my dress, all the way down to my sparkly ruby shoes, but somehow it managed to be sweet and not lewd. “Well, this shindig was definitely worth the price of admission,” he teased. “You look amazing.”
