* * * * *
Sean fidgeted and stared at the clock as if a bomb would go off any second. My palms tingled with anticipation as the time inched closer to the bell.
It rang seconds later. Chairs scraped against the floor and chatter filled the hall outside, but I forced myself to stay seated. Sean nodded and slid his book back into his bag as if he’d just thawed out from a glacier. I followed suit as the classroom cleared around her. “Move slow, guys,” I said to Penny and Ryan. We had to wait for the room to clear out.
It did. Nobody wanted to hang around at the end of the day. Mr. Bolther left the room, leaving only me, Penny, Ryan, and Sean. Oh, and a wasp that kept smacking into the window.
Sean sighed and stood. “Perfect!”
“So what’s the big secret?” Ryan asked. “Did you find some Shadow Regime repellent or something?”
Sean didn’t smile as he reached into his backpack. Bad sign. “I don’t think you’ll like this too much.” He pulled out an unlabeled CD in an orange case. “Put this in your computer as soon as you get home, Rita. You should look at it first, since you’re the one the shadow people were talking about. Ryan told me about it.” He paused to catch his breath. “There’s a link to some videos someone stuck on Youtube labeled as a horror movie. It’s not fake, though. You’ll be able to tell. I also found some newspaper articles and put them on here.” He swallowed as he shoved the CD into my hands. “Don’t lose it even if there’s an asteroid hurtling towards the earth. I had a hard time just getting this to you.”
Sean took in a deep breath, turned, and vanished into the river of students outside the door. I stood with the disc in my hand.
“He left like that wasp just stung him in the butt,” Ryan said.
“Hide that,” Penny whispered.
Good idea. I didn’t know who might be watching. I shoved the case in my backpack. “Well, let’s get back to my house.”
We didn’t waste any time getting out of the school and running down Dobbs Street. Luckily, Jerry’s car was still there in front of the Kool Spot, which meant he probably hadn’t disappeared yet. The blue no one under eighteen sign still hung there. I thought of Jerry sitting in there all by himself and had to fight the urge to go in there and spill everything to him. He’d have something up his sleeve or something to say to make me feel better. He always did.
“Rita, we can’t stand here,” Penny said. Only then did I realize I’d stopped right there on the sidewalk. “It’s too dangerous. I know this is hard for you.”
I snapped out of my daze. She was right, as much as I hated to admit it. If I went in there, all I’d do was put Jerry and the rest of us in danger. The thought made me want to kick something.
I shook my head. “Let’s go.”
Luckily the area was deserted, so nobody saw us running like idiots towards my house. The guy that compulsively mowed his lawn all the time wasn’t out. Neither was the annoying little kid who stuffed everyone’s mailboxes with grass. I didn’t even see a squirrel running up a tree.
“You sure you don’t want to go to my house?” Penny asked, out of breath.
“And use your dial-up?” I asked, pulling my key out of my pocket. “Plus Ryan’s computer has a virus.” I fell silent, waiting for the reason that she was right and I was wrong.
“Yes. My dial-up,” she said, stepping in front of me and blocking my sidewalk. “It just seems too quiet around here. I don’t like it. And I have to be home by three.”
Ryan wrapped his arms around himself. “Good point. Shudder.”
I froze right in the middle of my driveway. Yep, she was right. The birds had gone dead silent. I didn’t even hear a lawnmower going off anywhere. All the houses around us were closed up and all the driveways empty. Needless to say, it made my hair stand on end.
“Okay. Your house,” I said, turning.
Too late.
I think we all saw it at the same time, because a weird squeak came out of Penny’s mouth and Ryan jumped back onto my porch.
Across the street in the neighbor’s driveway stood someone who looked like the creep on all those Neighborhood Watch signs. He’d taken that shadow disguise out here in broad daylight, but the brimmed hat and cape told me all I needed to know.
A. Gist now knew where I lived.