“Are you alright?”
“Yes. Let’s get out of here, hurry!”
“Wrap your arms around my waist and hold on tight,” he said. I slid my arms under his jacket and around his waist, holding on so tight I feared cutting off his air supply. The rapid rise and fall of his chest drummed against my cheek as we practically flew through the maze to the exit.
“How did you get through so easily?” I said, flustered.
“A little trick I picked up years ago. Don’t look at the mirrors, look at the ground. It’s real easy to find the openings that way,” he said simply.
“You couldn’t share that with me when we went in?”
He bent down and started pulling up the pant leg of his jeans, then stopped and walked over to the exit, ripping the metal pole with the red flag out of its stand. “Wait here.” With that, he headed back into the maze.
“Seth, NO!” But it was too late, he was gone. I paced back and forth calling out his name. He didn’t answer. It felt as if hours had passed, when in reality it was probably only seconds.
Then I heard it. Several loud crashing sounds. The mirrors were being destroyed.
“Seth!” He reappeared with his cell phone and several small cuts on his hands.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. They got away.” He actually looked disappointed. Oh, yeah, way too much caffeine today. “I called the police, they’ll be here soon,” he added, placing his phone back in his pocket.
“You’re bleeding.” I took his hands in mine and wiped the small droplets of blood from off his knuckles with my fingers.
“Superficial wounds, that’s all. I don’t even need a bandage,” he said, brushing off my near hysterical tone.
“Maggie.” Seth cupped my face in his hands. “I’m fine. You, however, look as if you’re about to faint.” He stroked my cheeks with his thumbs, as his eyes scanned my face.
I wanted to kiss him. The thought hit me with undeniable force. Why was I thinking about kissing him at a time like this? I needed serious help.
“Maggie?”
“I’m fine,” I said, snapping myself back into reality. I glanced over his shoulder and saw the two men dart out a side door. “There they are,” I pointed, “leaving through that door!” He turned to follow them.
“NO! Please don’t leave me.”
His jaw tightened as he reluctantly turned back and led me over to a bench to sit down. Zack and Hillary were standing off to the side. She was flirting with a muscular-looking college boy with the words University at Buffalo tattooed across his left bicep just below the sleeve of his blue tee shirt. Zack’s eyes narrowed as she gave the guy a flirty grin. Man, the girl was a piece of work.
“How many mirrors did you break?” There were people running toward the debris as I sat down on a bench.
“Let’s just say they won’t be using the House of Mirrors anytime soon,” he said with a sheepish grin. He paced back and forth, never wandering far from my side. Twenty minutes later, Captain Gatto arrived, along with a young female cop.
Seth greeted Captain Gatto warmly, shaking his hand. “How are you doing?”
“Good thanks. This is Officer Whelks.” They nodded to each other. “Can you tell us precisely what went on here?” Seth explained what happened, though he was somewhat sketchy about how many mirrors he’d broken. When Officer Whelks pressed for more details, Captain Gatto cut her off.
“How many mirrors he broke is beside the point, Officer Whelks.” Captain Gatto turned his attention to me. “Are you sure he was the same guy from the park?” I nodded. “It’s a good thing you had your boyfriend with you. I’d hate to think what might have happened if you were here alone.”
I started to deny that Seth was my boyfriend, but decided it wasn’t important in light of everything else.
“There was another murder day before last over by the park. Of course, this one was drug related,” Officer Whelks said. “You weren’t trying to buy drugs, were you? If I’m not mistaken, this is the second time you’ve had a run in with these guys.” Her eyes fastened on me.
“I don’t do drugs.” I couldn’t believe she was trying to turn this around onto me.
“Maggie wasn’t trying to buy drugs. We were walking through the Mirror Maze and got separated when those two guys appeared,” Seth snapped at her.
“Whelks, why don’t you talk to some of the witnesses, I’ll finish up with these two,” said Captain Gatto. She nodded and left. I watched her walk over toward Hillary who was still flirting up a storm with the UB college boy.
“Sorry, sweetheart, she’s a rookie, she gets a little excited. No harm intended.”
He asked us a few more questions before leading Seth away to the broken mirrors. When they’d finished, Seth came back over to me.
“We should try and find Zack and Hillary,” I said. They were no longer in the Funhouse, and Officer Whelks was now flirting with the UB boy.
“Let’s look outside. Do you feel alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” He held my arm as we walked outside. I started to suggest we split up and look for them, but he shot the idea down before I finished my sentence.
“No, we stay together.” He put his hand gently on the small of my back, and I shivered. I seriously needed to get my reactions to him in control. He took off his fleece and slipped it around me once again.
“No, I’m fine.” He frowned, daring me with his eyes to remove it. I quietly zipped it up. We walked through several buildings with no luck, eventually discovering them next to a small building near the entrance with their lips glued to each other and their hands all over the place.
“Yuck,” Seth said. They never saw us. Seth bent down and whispered so as not to disturb them. “I’ll take you home.” His warm breath sent another shiver down my back. He pulled the coat around me tighter.
“Thanks.” I tossed the fish down, kicking it toward the garbage can. I looked up at Seth hoping he wasn’t angry at the way I treated his prize. He wasn’t, he kicked it too.
As soon as we got in his car, he cranked up the heat again, steering the vents in my direction as before. He also pressed a small button on the dashboard I hadn’t noticed before, and heat began radiating throughout my seat. He laughed at my surprised expression.
“I had them change it out for one with a built in seat warmer when they replaced my speakers. Does it work well?”
“Yes, isn’t yours working?”
“I only had the passenger seat replaced,” he said casually, as if he had picked up a loaf of bread from the store.
For a moment, I wondered if he replaced the seat just for me, then decided I needed to get over myself. After scolding my narcissistic thought, I snuggled down into the deliciously warm seat.
He stopped along the way and bought us a couple of huge shakes, mine was chocolate, he got vanilla. He was easy to talk to, and we sat outside my trailer for over two hours doing just that. With caring for my mother consuming most of my energy, I’d never taken the time to cultivate any close friendships. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed out on until that moment. I finished off my shake embarrassingly fast, and he gave me his, claiming he wasn’t as hungry as he thought.
I opened the car door, removing his jacket as I got out.
“Thanks for the coat.”
“Why don’t you keep it? I have several, besides this one looks good with your blue eyes.” I started to protest when he interrupted me. “Maggie, please keep the coat. I can’t stand watching you walk around in this flimsy…” he quickly added, “although cute sweater every day, knowing how cold you are. I have four others in my closet collecting dust anyway.” Not knowing how to argue that without sounding ungrateful, I slipped it back on. “If it will make you feel better, you can earn the coat. I could use your help delivering lunches to the seniors on the weekends. It’s only two hours each day, and you can count it for your Mythology project instead of writing the paper.”
“That’s a gr
eat idea!”
“Don’t look so surprised, I do come up with good ideas every now and again.” He tugged the jacket’s hood down over my eyes and laughed.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, sliding it back. “The assignment’s been like a noose around my neck, and I had no idea how I was going to finish it. Helping with the lunches is the perfect solution.”
“Can you start next weekend?”
“Yes, and thanks, Seth, for everything. You’re a real lifesaver. Good night.” I turned toward my door, he followed. I looked back at him, puzzled.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m not letting you go into the house alone, its pitch black in there. The attackers could be hiding inside, Maggie. You seem to be a magnet for them, in case you hadn’t noticed.” I had noticed actually. “I’ll go in and look around first.”
Panic set in. I knew exactly what he would find and it wouldn’t be the two goons; it would be my mother passed out on our ratty brown couch and an empty vodka bottle lying on the floor next to her.
“Seth, we’ve been sitting here for two hours. We would have spotted anything suspicious by now. Besides, my mom’s here, I’m sure everything’s fine. She’s probably asleep, and if we wake her, she can be really cranky without her eight hours of beauty sleep,” I said, laughing nervously.
“If you think I’m letting you go inside alone after all that’s happened, think again.” He gently pressed past me, took the key from my hand, and slowly opened the door.
“Where’s the light switch?” I reached around him, flipping it on. I cringed as my mom flung her hands up to block the light from her eyes. None of my friends had ever seen my mother before, not even Zack.
“Turn that thing off! Can’t you see I’m trying to sleep, you selfish little brat.” She slowly sat up on the edge of the couch.
“Hello, Mrs. Brown. How are you?” Seth was the perfect gentleman. I wished I were dead. “My name is Seth Prescott. I’m a friend of Maggie’s from school.”
She tried to stand up, but collapsed. Seth caught her and set her gently back down onto the couch. The sleeves to her faded pink blouse slid up as he did. She jerked her arms away and tugged them back down.
“You’re a friend of Maggie’s, ah? She never brings her friends here.” Her eyes closed in an effort to regain her balance. She forced them open and looked up at Seth. For a few seconds they twitched strangely.
“Wow, you’re a handsome kid. What does a boy like you want with Maggie?” Suspicion etched her brow. “Just what kind of friend are you?”
My cheeks flushed. “We have a few classes together, Mom.”
“Unless I’m mistaken there are no classes at midnight.”
“We were on a double date. I was with another guy, and Seth offered to bring me home.” The rest of the details weren’t necessary.
Much to my horror, she spoke again. “Yes, I’ll just bet he did. I know exactly what you want with her, young man, and you’re not fooling me with your refined manners either.” She drew herself up off the couch and limped toward her bedroom. She stopped and turned back to Seth. “I’m warning you now. If she gets pregnant I’m not taking care of another baby.”
Burying my face into my hands, I sank to the floor in horror.
“I’d never disrespect your daughter, Mrs. Brown. She’s a great girl, and you’re lucky to have her.” His tone left little doubt he was angry.
She snorted. “That’s what they all say until they get what they want, then you’re stuck with a screaming little brat on your hands,” she pointed her chin to me and grimaced, “and he’s nowhere to be found.” She stammered into the bathroom and shut the door.
How completely and utterly humiliating! Seth walked over to me and pulled me up onto my feet. I couldn’t look at him. I was fighting with everything inside me not to cry. He slipped his thumbs under my chin and lifted my face to his.
“I’m really sorry,” I said, trying to pull away only he wouldn’t release me.
“Maggie, she didn’t mean what she said. She’s had a bit too much to drink tonight. It’s the alcohol talking.”
I was about to tell him this was how she always was and that she wished I’d never been born, but I couldn’t get the words out. Instead, I put on my best fake smile and nodded.
“You’re right. Alcohol does cloud your mind.”
“I’d better get going,” he said, still holding my face. “Thank you for a lovely evening. Despite the whole mirror incident, and Zack and Hillary,” he said wryly, “I had a nice time tonight.” He looked at my mouth as his thumb softly traced the outline of my lower lip. I was about to lean into him when he pulled his hands away. “That would definitely be considered flirting. Sorry, see you Monday.”
I wanted to be angry with my mom for her embarrassing display. I wanted to be angry that Seth knew more about me than I had ever allowed anyone to know. I wanted to be angry with both Zack and Hillary for what they had done to us tonight, yet I couldn’t.
I laid Seth’s fleece on the rickety chair in my room, and changed into my PJ’s, pulling the fleece back on after brushing my teeth. Mmmm, it still smelled of his aftershave. “Oh my gosh! What is wrong with you, you stupid, stupid girl?” I ripped off the coat, tossing it across the chair again. I don’t want a boyfriend, and I didn’t want to be used by some guy either.
Yet inside I knew Seth wasn’t like that, he’d never use a girl. He was like no one I’d ever met. He was the kind of person I wanted to be, and I was falling more and more in love with him every day. However, he was a guy, and he’d have expectations, only I wasn’t going to meet them. I had my own dreams and expectations.
But having a secret crush on him wouldn’t hurt anyone. I reached over and grabbed the jacket. “Yup,” I giggled, “I’m a stupid girl!”
12
Seth
“Good morning, Barry Bonds. How’s the arm doing today, slugger?” I did my best to ignore Booker’s teasing and continued thumbing through mug shots.
Undaunted, Booker persevered. “23 mirrors! 23! That has to be a record. Do you have any idea what the chief’s going to say when she gets the bill for 23 mirrors? I’d hate to be in your shoes.” He grinned and took a sip of the hot chocolate he was holding.
“Next time I’ll draw out my service revolver and explain to the crowd that there is no need to fear, I’m really an undercover MET agent trying to bust up the local heroin ring,” I said dryly.
“I knew they were there, Book. Everywhere we went I could feel someone watching us. I should have trusted my instincts and left before we went inside the Funhouse.”
“Any luck with the pictures?”
Rubbing my strained eyes, I shook my head and slammed the last book shut. “Nothing, nada, zilch! I can’t believe these guys have no criminal history.”
“In this area, they’re most likely from out of town. We’ll put out an APB across the state. Someone’s going to recognize them.”
Booker picked up the artist’s sketching of Alan and winced. “A face only a mother could love. The guy has zero fashion sense, I mean, seriously, black polyester?” He set his mug down and started thumbing through mug shots. “Maybe they’re not the big time dealers we thought they were. Maybe they’re wannabees like Hoffman.”
“Speaking of Hoffman, I met Maggie’s mother last night. Before you ask, I checked for track marks. Her arms were clean.”
“As you well know, the arm isn’t the only place for needle marks. There’s the feet, and—”
“I couldn’t very well strip her down, Book! And in answer to your next question, I didn’t smell it in the air either. If she’s smoking the stuff, it’d been quite a while. There was no sticky black residue on the walls or light switches, or anywhere as far as I could see, and I saw no drug paraphernalia lying around.”
“When I spoke with Maggie after the Byrne murder, I didn’t see any either.”
"I did notice the place smelled like a brewery.” Booker agreed. “Maggie
was pretty embarrassed, I felt bad. How could a mother embarrass her own daughter like that with no remorse?” I shook my head in disgust.
“How’s the unrequited love coming along?” Booker offered me a drink from his mug. It was good.
“I like it. New recipe?”
“Avoiding the question?”
“We’re friends, and growing closer,” was all I would comment to. She needs time, I could wait until she learns to trust me.
“She should be eating out of your hands by now if you’re doing what I told you to do.”
“It wasn’t working. We’re friends, and that’s good enough for now, I’m taking it slow. She …” Booker yawned dramatically. “When you start dating… if you ever have a date again, we’ll compare notes. We’re friends. We’ll get there, she’s worth the wait, Book.”
Booker’s face softened. “You really have it bad for her, don’t you? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you this gone about anyone before.” He took his mug back. “Okay, enough of this love drivel. Let’s find these two scumbags before anyone else gets hurt.”
Booker pulled me out of my chair and parked himself down in front of my antique laptop. Booker frowned while waiting an eternity for it to boot up. “Gees, kid, cave men had faster computers than this.”
“Tell me about it. Try filing a police report on that dinosaur.”
Several minutes later, he began typing a memo for the police stations across the state. These two polyester men had to have been in trouble before, people don’t just turn evil overnight. Unless I missed my guess, these two have a long, lengthy criminal past, and Booker and I intend on finding it.
13
Maggie
It’d been three weeks since the Winter Fest. Every morning without fail, Seth picked me up for school and brought me home again afterwards. When I tried protesting, telling him I was going to lose all my muscles for the track team tryouts, he volunteered to take me to his gym.