Chapter Eighteen
I stood nervously outside the doors to the school gym. Zach and I had agreed to meet at the dance because he had to be there early. I didn't relish the idea of walking into a sea of blank faces, scanning them frantically for something familiar. It would be less like Cinderella making her grand entrance at the ball and more like Carrie with her bucket of pig's blood.
Thanks to Sam, I was at least dressed well.
If I had any doubts about her ability to clothe us appropriately, they were immediately squelched the minute she threw open the hallway closet at her house. Hanger after hanger of billowing dresses rioted for space in an explosion of taffeta and satin. Every color of the rainbow was represented amid glittering sequins and shiny fabric.
Sam had laughed at my shocked expression. "My sister's been on the pageant circuit since preschool." She held up a ballgown the color of grape soda. "You're looking at more than a decade's worth of victory."
"Nice." I pushed the hangers aside for a better look. All of the fabrics blended together so I couldn't tell one dress from another.
She pulled out a slinky black number with shiny red embroidery. "I think this one has tear away panels for a tap dance number." She held it up invitingly. "That would definitely get Zach's attention."
"No thanks," I said quickly. I reached for a navy-blue full-length with a princess neckline. "What about this?"
"You don't want that one." Sam made a moue of distaste. "That was the year Kim placed fourteenth in Miss Sunburst California. Bad mojo."
We finally settled on a mauve gown with embroidery stitching on the hem. The dress wasn't a winner, but Kim did manage Best Smile so it was probably safe.
I smoothed the fabric down over my hips. The satin felt soft against my fingertips and the soft color brought out the hint of gold in my dark skin. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and pushed open the double doors of the gymnasium.
I'd heard the beat thumping through the ground all the way from the parking lot, but I wasn't prepared for the wave of sound that assaulted me the moment I stepped through the door. The music pulsed through my blood, threatening to stop my heart.
The crowd was thick. I pushed my way slowly through the gyrating bodies until I found an open pocket. It was like being in the center of a sweatbox. Heat rose around me in waves, suffocating in its intensity.
I'd almost given up when I caught the familiar flash of a camera lens next to the folded up bleachers. I weaved through the crowd, narrowly avoiding having the front of my dress splashed with watered-down punch. I didn't see a single familiar face. Sam's date had taken her to dinner before the dance and even Cynthie and her group were nowhere to be found.
The camera went off again. Zach stood underneath the scoreboard, taking candid pictures of students grinding against each other on the dance floor. I doubted any of those shots would make it into the yearbook.
He hadn't caught sight of me so I had a chance to watch him unobserved. His mother had insisted on renting him a tux, but he'd foregone the traditional dress shirt and loafers. Instead, he paired the suit with a faded Burning Man t-shirt and cherry-red high top sneakers. He looked equal parts ridiculous and adorable.
The camera flashed and Zach looked up. Our eyes locked. For a long self-conscious moment he just stared at me. I was just starting to worry that my hair had turned out worse than I thought when Zach brought the camera up and snapped a picture of me.
He lowered the camera and wagged his eyebrows. "You look amazing."
"Thanks. You look good, too." I winced. So lame.
We pressed close together to hear each other over the music. Zach shouted something, but it was impossible to hear. Frustrated, he wrapped an arm around my waist and propelled me out the side door and into an empty hallway.
Zach leaned against the lockers and played with the camera. Raising it, he snapped another picture of me. I blinked at the bright flash. "Stop that," I said, waving my hand at him.
He let the camera fall to his chest where it swung loosely from a strap around his neck. "Do you think the yearbook committee would mind if I only take pictures of you?"
"Maybe a little," I said with a smile. "Don't let anyone see those. It's embarrassing."
"Why? You look great." He stared into my eyes, refusing to let me break eye contact. "None of the other girls in there even look half as good as you do."
I forced a laugh to cover my sudden embarrassment. "Telling lies is a sin, you know."
He moved closer and laid his hands low on my hips, pressing me back against the wall. "I would never lie to you." He pressed his mouth against my cheek. "You're beautiful." His lips brushed lightly across my forehead. "And amazing."
Then he kissed me.
My head tilted back and my hands were in his hair, fingers tangled in the silky strands. His hands wrapped around my waist and I felt small and light in his arms. It was a perfect kiss, sweet and gentle, that sent soft tingles up my spine.
Zach pulled away and his lips brushed across my ear as he whispered. "And totally worth the crazy."
I pushed him away. "I'm not crazy."
"Of course you are." He grabbed my arms when I tried to pummel him. "Don't worry, it's cute."
I wrenched my arms away and crossed them petulantly over my chest. "Name one thing I've done that's crazy."
"How about I name one thing about you that isn't crazy?" He replied with a laugh, ignoring the storm brewing in my expression. "You're a little wild and weird, but I like that about you."
"Why don't we go back to how beautiful you think I am?" I asked with a sigh.
"You're perfect," he agreed with a grin.
I let Zach pull me back into his arms and he kissed my cheek.
"Do you want to go in and dance?" he asked after a while.
The camera pressed hard in between us and I pushed it to the side. "Don't you have more pictures to take?"
"Don't remind me." He gave the camera a look of the deepest loathing. "If one more person begs me to use their picture in the yearbook..." he trailed off, obviously unable to think of a suitable penalty.
"You should start accepting bribes."
"That's not a bad idea." Zach brightened. He glanced down at the display. "I only need a few more shots for a decent spread, anyway"
"Do you want to meet on the dance floor in a few minutes?" I asked even though I loathed the idea of reentering the gym alone. I didn't want to be that lonely girl by the punchbowl.
"Give me ten minutes," he spoke over his shoulder as he jogged away down the hallway.
I sighed and pushed open the doors to the gym. If I was lucky somebody had already spiked the punch.
Cynthie, Noelle and their dates stood in the center of the dance floor. They were obvious even from the door. A bubble had formed around them as everyone gave them a wide berth. Whether it was magic or just common sense, I couldn't tell.
I approached them slowly, like a nature photographer facing down a pack of lions on the Serengeti. Noelle glared when she caught sight of me. Shane Pierce hung over her shoulder. His expression was dazed and he stared absently into space. "Where's the leash?" I asked her when I was within shouting distance.
Noelle rolled her eyes and turned to Shane. She touched a finger to his cheek. "I'm thirsty." Before the phrase was completely out of her mouth, he lumbered off to the refreshment table. Cynthie waved her hand at her own date, Tyler Burke. Tyler followed Shane, shoving anyone out of his way not quick enough on their feet to avoid him.
"Nice work," I said sarcastically.
"I see you're here alone," Noelle said. "Couldn't even manage a pity date." She laughed at her own joke and turned to Cynthie for backup.
Cynthie didn't laugh and her voice was cold. "She's not here alone. Are you?" Her gaze bored into mine as if she could see right through me.
I shivered despite the heat roiling off the churning crowd. Nothing about her was overtly threatening, but I suddenly wanted to keep Zach as far away from her as possi
ble. "Do you see anyone?" I asked, trying to fake a breezy tone.
Her iron gaze didn't waver. "You should be careful."
"Is that a threat?" My voice was soft, but I knew she could hear me over the music.
"It's fun to play with humans." She glanced at the refreshment table where Tyler spooned punch carefully into plastic tumblers. He was bent halfway over the table and his brow was furrowed as if it took all his concentration to transfer the drink safely from bowl to cup. "But you don't get attached. You don't claim them." She turned back to me and her face was hard as stone. "Because as soon as you do, they just become something that can be taken away."
Noelle giggled. "Where's your date, Helena?"
Cold dread snaked its way up my spine. I looked from one face to the other, Noelle's gleeful hatred and Cynthie's calculating coldness stark under the disco ball's flashing lights.
"What have you done?" I feared I already knew the answer.
"We didn't do anything." Noelle's dark smirk stretched her face into a grim parody of itself. "We didn't have to."
"Run." Cynthie said, her voice toneless. "There may still be time."
I was in the hallway before my mind processed the fact that I was running. I circled the gymnasium twice, frantically searching the shadows for the familiar light of a camera flash. I paused on the front steps. My heart pounded and my breathing came in harsh gasps that shook my entire body.
I tried forcing myself to calm down. That very moment Zach was probably wandering around the school, snapping pictures of people who snuck out of the gym to make out in shadowy corners. Getting so worried about him was just silly.
My name floated to me on the wind and my heart leaped. The relief was short-lived when I saw Sam coming up the stairs, her date trailing closely behind her. Sam smiled when she caught sight of me.
"Leaving so soon?" Sam asked with a grin as she approached.
"Have you seen Zach around?" I asked, my voice coming in desperate gasps.
"No, we just got here." She gestured to her date. Bobby Treehorn was a quiet kid with large glasses and a sweet smile. "Is everything okay?"
"Same as always." I cast a significant glance at Bobby. Sam caught the look and her mouth opened in a small 'oh'.
She turned to him. "I'll meet you inside. I need to help Hex with something."
Bobby kissed Sam hurriedly on the cheek and tripped up the stairs. He caught me looking and his face blushed scarlet before he disappeared into the school. If I wasn't so worried I would have laughed. Sam definitely had a magic all her own.
She faced me, her expression turning serious. "What's really going on?"
I took a deep breath. "I can't find Zach."
"I'm guessing you don't think there's just a long line in the bathroom," she said grimly.
"No."
"What do we do?"
"Pray that I'm wrong." I sighed. "I need to keep looking."
"I'll come with you," she said, following me up the stairs.
I shook my head. "Go back to your date. I'm probably just being paranoid."
"You're not and you know it." She grabbed my arm. "Let's go."
We tromped through the school grounds. Outside, it was mostly deserted but we asked every student we passed if they'd seen a guy taking pictures for the yearbook. No one had.
The longer we searched, the more elaborate my fears for Zach became. When we were children, Marco had a penchant for hanging animals from trees. He would pick familiar spots, the path I used to walk home from school or an oak in the backyard, and lie in wait.
I would turn a corner and see the lifeless body of a rabbit or cat swaying limply in the breeze. It was too easy to replace the image in my mind with a picture of Zach, his eyes open and staring as he hung in the wind. I increased my pace as we searched, desperate for any hint of Zach's presence.
Sam picked up on my urgency. She kept casting me worried glances as we picked our way through the grass.
She broke the charged silence. "What if we don't find him?"
"We will." I forced myself to believe the words, even as they seemed more and more unlikely.
We walked behind the science pavilion. Something glinted on the ground and my heart leaped. From the sidewalk it looked like it could be the lens of a camera. I sprinted into the grass and the heels of my shoes sank into the soft earth.
I scanned the ground through the darkness. Sam followed silently behind me. There was nothing but a handful of cigarette butts, bottle caps and bits of trash. I was on my hands and knees, running my hands over the grass. Cold mud soaked into the knees of my dress. I hit the ground in frustration. There was nothing here.
"What's that?" Sam's voice broke my reverie. She pointed a few feet away where something glittered in the meager light, half hidden by the grass. I reached for it. My fingers wrapped around something thick. I held it up to the light.
It wasn't a camera lens or anything that belonged to Zach.
I held a necklace in my hands. The metal was smooth to the touch and the shine of a black gem unmistakable even in the dark. A familiar thrum of energy ran through my fingers. Valentine's necklace.
"What is it?" Sam hovered over my shoulder.
I clenched the chain tight in my hands until the silver chain dug painfully into my skin. "Zach is gone." Even to me, my voice sounded bleak.
"What?" Sam looked back and forth across the lawn, confused. "Where is he?"
There was no feeling, only a deep numbness that permeated my entire being.
"Someone took him," I said softly.
"Who?"
"Valentine."