Don't Stay Up Late

  “No,” Nate replied softly.

  Rivera nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. He studied me for a long moment. “Do any of you have anything else to add?” he said finally. “Any detail that might help my guys? Any little thing you saw?”

  “I can’t remember anything else,” Nate said. “I … I’ve never seen a dead body before. I mean…” He lowered his head. He still refused to look me in the eye.

  He thinks I’m crazy.

  They all do.

  Captain Rivera stood up. “I’m giving you all my card,” he said. “It has my direct line on the back. If you think of anything at all, call me immediately.”

  He opened the door and stood aside so we could leave. “Thank you all for coming in,” he said. He stopped me as I passed him. “Lisa, I hope your concussion gets better. Brain trauma can really be frightening.”

  34.

  Later, I paced back and forth in my room. I crossed my arms in front of me as I walked. Then I lowered them and clenched and unclenched my fists.

  I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wanted to jump out of my skin and fly away. Escape. I didn’t want to be me. I didn’t want to be someone everyone thought was crazy, someone everyone felt sorry for.

  Saralynn called but I didn’t answer. She texted me: Where r u?

  I didn’t answer her text. I was beginning to suspect she wasn’t a very good friend. Why were she and Nate together so often? I had a strong feeling something was going on between them.

  I didn’t have any real proof. I just had a hunch. A strong hunch.

  I desperately wanted someone to confide in. Someone to believe me. But I could picture the fake sympathetic expression on Saralynn’s face if I told her about the demon-creature. I could hear her telling me I should discuss it with my doctor.

  Who could I confide in?

  Mom was hopeless. Nate wouldn’t even look me in the eye when we sat right across from each other at the police station. Could I talk to Isaac about it? No way.

  So many questions whirred through my mind as I paced my room, I could feel the blood pulsing at my temples. I never get headaches but now I could feel the pressure building, and my forehead felt ready to explode.

  Why was Summer Lawson outside Brenda Hart’s house that night?

  She was coming to see me. She wanted to warn me about Nate.

  But—what about Nate? I realized I really didn’t know him that well. I mean, I was really attracted to him. And he seemed to care about me.

  So what did Summer want to tell me?

  Unless … unless … Did it have something to do with his horror collection?

  No way.

  Sure, Nate has all those masks and movie posters and props from old horror films. But lots of people are into horror.

  Nate collects that stuff for fun. It doesn’t mean he is into real-life horror. It doesn’t mean he secretly wants to be a crazed ax murderer or carry a chainsaw around.

  That’s a totally insane idea.

  So what did Summer want to warn me about? What was wrong with Nate?

  When I asked him point-blank, he made a joke about it. He said she was jealous, that’s all. He said she was crazy.

  I flung myself facedown on the bed. Tears were forming in my eyes, but I forced myself not to cry. “What a mess,” I muttered to myself. “What a total mess.”

  No way I wanted to go back to that house on Fear Street. No way I wanted to risk seeing the creature again or pass the spot across the street where Summer was murdered. And eaten.

  But did I have a choice? Mom and I had no money. Mom couldn’t go back to work because of her arm. I needed to keep the job. I had to go back there. And to be honest, I felt close to Harry. I didn’t want to abandon him.

  Who could I talk to? Who? I never felt so alone.

  Of course, Dr. Shein was the logical person. She was kind and caring. She would listen. She would be understanding. But she was a doctor. She wouldn’t believe that the demon-creature was real.

  I couldn’t confide in her, even though that’s why I kept going to see her. I didn’t want to be put on medication. I didn’t want to be treated like a sick person. I knew I wasn’t sick. This was really happening.

  And then a face floated into my mind. The face of someone I knew would believe me. The face of someone who always took me seriously. The only person I could confide in.

  “I miss you, Dad,” I whispered into my pillow. “I miss you so much.”

  * * *

  Wednesday morning, I pulled Nate out of study hall, and we sneaked outside. It was a warm spring day. The sun was high in a cloudless blue sky. The air smelled fresh and sweet.

  I held his hand and tugged him across the student parking lot at the back of the high school. I recognized Isaac’s green Honda, a guitar standing up in the backseat. The bike rack was filled and several bikes were on their sides, strewn on the ground around it.

  “Where are you taking me?” Nate asked. We both kept looking back to the school to see if anyone had seen us.

  “Sshhhh.” I put a finger on his lips. I pulled him to the far side of the parking lot behind a tall SUV. “I want to talk to you.”

  He brushed back his hair and smiled. Then he slid his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “We should be in study hall. This is dangerous. But I like dangerous.”

  He kissed me, softly at first, then the pressure of his lips hardened and his mouth opened.

  “No,” I pulled my head back. “I want to talk. Seriously.”

  He laughed and kissed me again, holding me tightly against him so I couldn’t escape. I returned the kiss. I really did like him. But then I squirmed out of his grasp.

  We were both breathing hard. I grabbed him by the arms and pushed him back. “You don’t understand, Nate. I have to talk to you. I’m desperate.”

  His smile faded. His dark eyes locked on mine. “Talk?”

  I could still taste his lips on mine. “I don’t have anyone else I can talk to,” I said. “I need you to believe me.”

  “About the creature you saw in the house?”

  I nodded. “Yes. It was real—not in my mind. I didn’t imagine it, Nate.”

  He frowned. “You know I’m into horror, Lisa. Horror movies and games and stuff. But it’s hard to believe—”

  “People warned me about Fear Street,” I said. “About the evil things that happen there. Don’t you think it’s possible—”

  He shook his head. “Lisa, you’ve been imagining creatures since the accident.”

  I felt a burst of anger. “I didn’t imagine Summer being murdered—did I?”

  He took my hand. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “You’re very upset.”

  “I’m beyond upset, Nate. I’m … I’m…” I didn’t know what to say.

  “You have to chill,” Nate said, squeezing my hand. “That’s all you can do. You know Dr. Shein said your subconscious is playing tricks on you.”

  I nodded. “Yes, she did,” I said in a whisper.

  But then I tugged my hand free. I took a step back.

  WAIT a minute, I thought. I don’t remember telling Nate what Dr. Shein said.

  How does HE know what my doctor said?

  I realized I was staring at the scratches down Nate’s face. A chill tightened the back of my neck.

  Summer wanted to warn me about Nate, and now Summer was dead.

  And Nate’s face had those long scratches down both cheeks. From a rosebush? Really?

  Nate is all scratched. Summer is dead.

  Am I next?

  35.

  Should I be afraid of Nate?

  That’s crazy, I decided. My mind is going crazy. Nate is just Nate.

  I realized I was still breathing hard. If only I could push away these crazy thoughts. I must have told him about Dr. Shein. And those scratches really could have been made by walking into a rosebush in the dark.

  “Nate,” I said, “I really need you to believe me. I need you to—”

&n
bsp; “Can I ask you a question?” he interrupted. He brushed a fly away from his face. I couldn’t read his expression. He narrowed his dark eyes at me.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “What’s up with you and Isaac?”

  “Huh?” The question startled me. And he asked it like an accusation.

  “You and Isaac,” he said. “I saw you kiss him.”

  I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. “Have you been holding that question in all this time?”

  “It isn’t funny,” he said. “Are you and Isaac—”

  “No,” I said. “That was nothing. You don’t have to think about that.” I gave him a playful shove. “Don’t be dumb. I don’t have a thing about Isaac. Anyway, I thought we were talking about me and my babysitting job.”

  He nodded. “Okay. Okay. Let’s drop it.” He glanced over my shoulder to the school. No one there. No one had seen us.

  “I really don’t want to go back to that house,” I said. “I know you don’t believe me, but that creature is real. What if he decides to kill me next?”

  Nate scratched his head. “You can’t just quit and never go back there?”

  “Mom and I need the money. Brenda is paying me three-hundred dollars a week.”

  “Phew.” Nate whistled. “Big bucks. I’ll take the job!”

  “Don’t be funny,” I said. “I need you to be serious. I—”

  He squeezed my hand. “I have an idea. A good idea.”

  “Well? Spill,” I said.

  “I can’t come tonight. But I’ll come with you Friday,” he said. “I’ll stay with you the whole time. Will that make you feel safer?”

  “Hmmmm.” I thought about it. “That’s a sweet offer,” I said finally. “Really. But I don’t think Brenda would approve if I have my boyfriend over. I mean, I’m supposed to pay all my attention to Harry.”

  He blinked. “Okay. Okay. No worries. Here’s a better idea. What if I bring Saralynn, too? Brenda shouldn’t have a problem if all three of us are there to entertain Harry.”

  “Well…”

  Nate and Saralynn again. They were practically inseparable. Was I being paranoid? Was something going on, or did Nate just want to help me?

  I saw a flash of color by the side of the school building. I turned and, squinting into the sunlight, I saw Saralynn against the brick wall. She wore a bright red top, which caught my eye.

  “Did you know Saralynn is over there?” I said, pointing.

  Nate turned. His face filled with surprise. “No way. How did she know we were out here?” He motioned to her, and she came trotting toward us, her long hair floating up behind her.

  “Hey,” she said breathlessly. “Are you two hiding back here? Third period is almost over.”

  “We were just talking,” I said.

  She studied me. “You okay?”

  “Not really,” I said.

  “I have a good idea,” Nate said.

  “That’s a first!” she joked. She gave him a playful shove. He pushed her away.

  “No. Seriously,” Nate insisted. “Lisa is afraid to go back to the house on Fear Street. So I said you and I would stay with her Friday night. You know. Help entertain the kid.”

  “And help entertain me,” I added.

  Saralynn didn’t even think about it. “Brilliant!” she exclaimed. She tossed her hair back with a wave of her head. “Count me in.”

  She flashed Nate a knowing look.

  Saralynn didn’t even think about the plan for Friday. It’s as if she already knew about it.

  She and Nate keep exchanging glances, like something is up between them.

  “That will be awesome,” Saralynn said to me. “And we’ll keep you from getting freaked. Can we order a pizza?”

  I started to answer, but I heard the class bell ring inside the building. “We’d better get back,” I said. “If someone catches us out here…”

  We started across the parking lot toward the back door. Saralynn and Nate walked fast. I started to trot, trying to stay up with them.

  They were both talking at once, their heads close to each other.

  I was pretty far behind them, but Saralynn’s voice carried on the wind. And I was sure I heard her say:

  “Shouldn’t we just tell her the truth?”

  Did I really hear that?

  What did she mean? The truth? The truth about what?

  36.

  After school, I hurried to Alice’s house. The TV was on in the den, but Harry wasn’t there. I found him on his stomach on the living room rug, reading a picture book about spiders. He raised his head with a big smile when I came in. “Lisa—hi!”

  He was so glad to see me. It made me instantly feel more confident.

  Harry wore a red-and-blue striped polo shirt and navy shorts. His legs were skinny and pale and looked like toothpicks stuck in his red sneakers.

  “Are you afraid of spiders?” he asked.

  I leaned over the book. The photo on the page was so closeup, it made the spider look as big as a cat. “I’m definitely scared of that big dude,” I said.

  That made him laugh.

  I heard footsteps on the stairs and Alice appeared from the basement. She was carrying a large wooden salad bowl and looked surprised to see me. “Lisa? Are you early?”

  “No. I came right after school.” I heard the human-sounding cat cry from the basement.

  She bumped the basement door closed. “I’ve been running behind all day.”

  “Look at this red spider,” Harry said, stabbing the book with his pointer finger. “That’s a scary one.”

  “The red color sure makes it look angry, doesn’t it,” I said. “Are you ready to go home? Maybe you could take the book home, and we both could look at it there.”

  “Could I see you for a moment?” Alice said. I detected tension in her voice. She motioned with her head to the kitchen.

  I followed her. She set the big salad bowl down on the counter and blew a strand of hair off her forehead. She looked more tired than usual, her eyes kind of dead, deep circles around them.

  “Harry is enjoying that spider book,” I said. “Maybe he’ll be a scientist when he grows up.”

  “He says he doesn’t like scary things. But he devours anything about bugs or snakes,” Alice said. She wore a long plaid shirt over faded jeans.

  “Did you study spiders today?” I asked.

  She didn’t answer. She stepped up close to me. “I want to talk to you seriously,” she said, lowering her voice. She glanced back to make sure Harry hadn’t followed us.

  I had a sudden feeling of dread. “Is anything wrong?” I asked.

  “You let him stay up late on Monday, didn’t you?” she said. “It’s very bad for him. It’s important you get him to sleep at the right hour.”

  I swallowed. “Actually, I put him to bed a little after eight,” I said. “I think he stayed up late without me knowing it. He came out on the stairs when Brenda came home. He was bragging about how he stayed up late. But I didn’t know—”

  “You have to make sure he goes to sleep,” Alice whispered, glancing to the kitchen door again.

  “Why?” I said. “Does Harry need more sleep than other kids his age?”

  Alice nodded. She jammed her hands into her jeans pocket. I heard the cat cry again from downstairs, a sad wail.

  “Brenda doesn’t like to admit it. But he has a condition,” Alice said. “It has to do with brain patterns. I’m not a doctor. I think it’s something like epilepsy. If he has his sleep, he’s fine. Perfectly normal. He needs a regular sleep pattern to regulate these brain patterns.”

  I didn’t really understand, but I nodded.

  “If he doesn’t get his regular sleep,” Alice continued, “he’s a very different kid, very difficult. It makes him moody, even angry. But his personality definitely changes, and he totally loses his ability to concentrate.” She sighed. “Those days are difficult for me, being his teacher. And there is always the possibility of seizures.??
?

  “Seizures? Really? I-I-I’ll be more careful,” I stammered. “I didn’t know. Brenda didn’t tell me. She only said—”

  “Brenda has a lot on her mind, what with the new job and all. That’s why I’m so happy to be able to help her out.” She smiled. “Also, because I love Harry so much. He’s really an angel. And as I said, he really is perfectly fine … if he gets his sleep.”

  “Yes, he’s terrific,” I said.

  And there he was at the kitchen door, the spider book tucked under his arm. “Lisa, can we go home now?”

  I wanted to ask Alice about last Monday night. Had Harry heard anything about the murder across the street? Had he heard the intruder in the house? The frightening chase I had with the ugly creature?

  “Come on, Lisa,” he pleaded, grabbing my hand and tugging me to the kitchen door. “I want to go home. Can we play Candy Catastrophe tonight?”

  “Maybe after you do your homework,” I said.

  He grinned at me. “My homework is Candy Catastrophe.”

  Alice and I both laughed. “What about the arithmetic worksheet?” Alice said.

  Harry shrugged. “Maybe I forgot it.”

  I walked him home. I really didn’t want to go into that house again. I wanted to stay at Alice’s where it was pretty and quiet and comfortable, and there were no creatures lurking.

  But what choice did I have?

  I took a deep breath as I unlocked the kitchen door and vowed to be brave. Alert and brave. I’d checked my phone after school to make sure it was fully powered. If there was any trouble tonight, at least I’d be able to call for help.

  Harry and I paged through the spider book for a while. Then I made dinner for the two of us. Brenda had left a package of ground beef, and I made hamburgers. I kept them on the stove a little too long, but Harry didn’t seem to notice.

  I kept listening for any sound, any blur of movement. My senses were on super-alert, but I was determined not to give Harry a clue that anything might be wrong.

  It was obvious that he didn’t know about Summer’s murder across the street. That made me very relieved. He was such a sensitive kid. If he heard anything about it, I knew he’d be totally freaked.