"He what?"
Poppy looked at me with amusement. "Just because he's incorporeal doesn't mean he shouldn't have to take responsibility for being a jerk."
She looked especially pretty with some color in her cheeks. She was wearing a hoodie that exactly matched her eyes. Ghost or plain old guy, he was no match for Poppy's big blue eyes. She glanced over to where Duke was leaning on the counter. "So what's up with this new guy?" she asked. "He's hot. And he seems rather anxious to please you."
"Unlike my boyfriend." I muttered it underneath my breath, but Poppy heard me.
She raised an eyebrow. "Trouble in paradise?"
"It's nothing," I said.
She raised her eyebrows. "It doesn't sound like nothing to me," she said.
I gave in. "It's just that ... Ryan hasn't asked me to prom yet. And I think something else might be wrong—"
Just then, Duke came back with a steaming teapot and cups. "First the tea must steep," he announced. "You must drink it first. It is the finest tea from China."
"Me?" I said. "No way. I'm not doing it."
Poppy mouthed, "Chicken."
I glared at her and then snatched up the teacup. "I'll do it." I blew on the tea gently to cool it and then sipped it slowly.
"Now take the cup and swish it like this." Duke demonstrated by cupping my hand in his. His hand lingered as he did it, and Poppy stared at us as if mesmerized.
I handed him the cup, and he peered into it.
"I see a chain," he said. "It's broken, I'm afraid."
"So?"
"It means that you have a hidden enemy," Duke said.
I glanced across the restaurant at Penny, who glared daggers at us. Maybe my enemy wasn't exactly hidden, after all. I relaxed my shoulders. Big deal, Penny Edwards didn't like me. It wasn't going to make headlines, not even in the front pages of the Nightshade Gazette.
Poppy was chattering away to Duke. It wasn't hard to figure out that Duke was a flirt, but I was a little miffed that he'd transferred his interest from me to my sister so easily. He was a good listener, though. He didn't talk much about himself, but instead spent the whole time asking Poppy about herself.
The bell jingled over the front door again, and I looked up, hoping to see Ryan. But it was only a couple of the teachers from school.
A minute later, Duke said, "Please excuse me. It has been a pleasure to become more well acquainted with the two of you, but I have seen someone I must speak with."
After he left our table, I used the opportunity to try to convince a reluctant Poppy to head for home. I wanted to look something up. Did a broken chain even symbolize a hidden enemy, or was Duke bluffing?
She glanced around Slim's, and I knew she was looking for Duke, but there was no sign of him. He must have slipped out when we weren't looking.
"I made peach ice cream," I coaxed. It was Poppy's favorite, so we were soon headed back to our house.
Rose and Mom still weren't back when we got home. Mom always said she worked late on this or that case, but I wondered if she spent some of her time doing something else. It had even crossed my mind that she was dating Chief Mendez on the sly. They did spend a lot of time together, but somehow I just couldn't quite picture it, especially since I was dating his son.
And a part of me didn't like the idea of someone replacing my father, even though he'd been the one to leave. Or vanish, to be completely accurate. One minute, my father was a devoted, loving husband and dad; the next, he was just ... gone. The rumors swirled that he'd abandoned us for another woman, but we never found out for sure.
Maybe that's what Mom was up to. Whatever she was doing, I was sure she was hiding something.
I combed our bookshelves looking for a book on tea reading, but I couldn't find anything.
"Poppy, have you seen a book about fortune-telling anywhere?" I called out. "I was sure Mom had one here."
"Mom isn't some hack like your friend at the diner," Poppy said, emerging from the kitchen, her mouth full of peach ice cream. "She's a professional." I guessed my sister's infatuation with Duke was over. Poppy could be temperamental, but she was usually a pretty good judge of guys.
I continued scanning the shelves. Mom had tons of books on the paranormal, a couple on police procedures, a few novels, and Dad's old textbooks. I avoided those, then finally found what I was looking for. The Big Book of Fortune-Telling told me that a broken chain did indeed mean a hidden enemy. But did that mean Duke was the real deal or just good at research?
The next morning, I saw Ryan in the quad during the mid-morning break.
"Daisy, there's something I want to talk to you about," he said.
Duke Sherrad's arrival interrupted Ryan's train of thought.
"Daizee, how are you this morning? I was unavoidably detained last night and couldn't return to continue our talk."
"It's okay, really," I said.
"What conversation?" Ryan said.
"Poppy and I ran into Duke at Slim's last night."
Ryan frowned but didn't say anything. I could tell he was upset.
When the bell rang, Duke walked with me to class. Ryan didn't. He stomped off in the other direction, with a curt "See you after school." I wanted to remind him that he'd see me in gym class, but I didn't think he was in the mood for any smart remarks.
I could count on the fingers of one hand how many months we'd been dating, but he was taking me for granted already?
I sulked my way through statistics and then stomped off to enjoy lunch by myself, but Duke caught up with me.
"Daizee, please allow me to take you to lunch to apologize for abandoning you. I did not mean to leave you or your charming sister." He looked so earnest that I couldn't say no. I didn't have any plans with Ryan or anything. Besides, it was a bit of a pleasure to get Penny's nose out of joint. She was hovering so hard that I finally took pity on her, though.
"Penny, would you like to join us?"
She shrugged but then trailed after us to stand in the lunch line. To my surprise, Ryan was right in front of us. He grabbed my hand. "Hey, sorry I was so grumpy earlier. I'll buy you lunch to make up for it."
Why was everyone suddenly trying to feed me? "I'm having lunch with Duke—and Penny," I added hurriedly when his face started to cloud. "Why don't you join us?"
He grabbed his tray and went to pay without a backward glance. I sighed. I wasn't any good at this relationship stuff. Where was Samantha when I needed her? She had Sean wrapped around her well-manicured finger, and I needed boyfriend tips.
Luckily, Ryan and I had a standing date on Tuesdays after school—it was the only day he didn't have baseball practice. Today we were going to have the house to ourselves. Poppy had gone back to Mort's for some reason, Mom was at a forensics seminar in Santa Cruz, and Rose was out with Nicholas.
I raced around the kitchen. I wanted the night to be perfect. I felt like I hadn't spent any time alone with Ryan in forever. I was sure we'd be able to clear up all our misunderstandings after a little quality time together. Maybe he'd even take this opportunity to finally ask me to the prom.
When the doorbell rang, I smoothed my hands down the front of my apron to wipe away my suddenly sweaty palms, then took off the apron and went to the door.
I opened it, expecting to see Ryan, but no one was there. I peered out into the night. I would have sworn that I had heard the doorbell.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving in the bushes near the front gate. There was a strange snuffling noise and then a squeal, which was abruptly cut off.
I shivered as I closed the door. It dawned on me that I was alone in the house, vulnerable to whatever was out there. I shook the thought off. I was perfectly safe, I told myself. But I still made sure to bolt the door.
The doorbell rang again a few minutes later, and this time Ryan stood in my doorway. But he looked stiff and uncomfortable, almost like this was a first date again.
I invited him in, but he just stood there.
"
Is something wrong, Ryan?"
He doubled over, grabbing at his stomach as if in a huge amount of pain.
I put my hand to his forehead. He was burning up.
"Uh," he managed to get out, "I'm not feeling well. We'll have to reschedule."
"Ryan, let me drive you to the doctor or something. You have a fever."
"No!" he said. be fine. It's just a bad ... case of the stomach flu."
It looked like more than the flu to me. His skin had been hot to the touch, and his complexion looked gray. He was shivering uncontrollably.
Before I could do anything else, he bolted, got into his car, and drove away.
I stared after him in disbelief for several minutes, then went inside and shut the door. Boys. Sometimes they were the biggest mystery of all.
Chapter Five
Ryan wasn't in school the next day. I walked through the day in a daze. Had he been telling the truth? Was he really sick or just sick of me?
I was incredibly relieved when the long, dull day ended and I could go home and hide. Poppy was in the kitchen when I got there.
"Thanks for the ride," I said as I threw my backpack down.
"Someone's in a bad mood," Poppy observed.
I ignored her and got out a bag of popcorn kernels. I'd make popcorn the old-fashioned way—on the stove. But I couldn't concentrate. Instead of cooking, I paced the length of the kitchen.
I could feel Poppy staring at me. "What's wrong with you?" she finally asked.
"Nothing." I slammed the corn popper on the burner.
Poppy snorted in disbelief. "You've been moping around all day!"
"I have not!" I said. The bag of kernels exploded into a blizzard of white, fluffy popcorn and rained down on the kitchen.
"Nothing, huh?" Poppy said. She caught a piece of the flying popcorn in her mouth.
My psychic powers went wonky when I was under stress. Part of me was mad at myself—getting all revved up over some guy. But Ryan wasn't just any guy. We'd been friends way before we dated, before I'd been a cheerleader, before Sam and I became friends again. There were times when Ryan had been the only person I had to confide in.
"Okay," I said. "I'm a little ... preoccupied. It's just that Ryan's been acting really weird lately."
I told her about our failed date and how sick Ryan had seemed. "And he wasn't in school today and hasn't been answering his cell. And he still hasn't asked me to the prom yet."
"Geez, Daisy," Poppy said. "It's only a few weeks away."
"I'm aware of that," I said.
"Has he asked someone else?" Poppy said. She wasn't exactly known for her tact. Despite all the problems Ryan and I had been having, I hadn't even thought of that.
"I don't know," I said. The idea of Ryan going out with someone else made me feel a little queasy. "Poppy, you're not helping."
"Hey, I've got an idea," she said. "Let's grab the Frisbee and head to the park. Spending some time outside will make you feel better. And besides, you really ought to work on getting a handle on your telekinesis. Things get out of control when you're upset."
I nodded and grabbed the car keys. What else was there to do?
On our drive to the park, Poppy looked out the window. "There's Ryan," she said, waving madly. "Who is that he's talking to?"
Ryan was standing outside Slim's. Next to him was a tall, beautiful brunette. I slowed down the car as we approached.
It was the girl I'd seen at the diner, the one with the amber eyes. I had no idea who she was, but the two of them were chatting like old friends.
"Are you going to stop?" Poppy asked.
"No," I said, gritting my teeth. The sight of Ryan with another girl made me feel like there was a cement mixer in my stomach.
I'd seen Ryan with another girl before and had completely misinterpreted the situation. Even so, seeing him with someone else again wasn't exactly doing much for my confidence. And besides, wasn't he supposed to be home sick today?
I stomped on the gas and headed for the park. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the bulbs in the Slim's Diner sign above their heads explode in a cascade of sparks that just missed Ryan and the girl. I hoped I hadn't caused it, but I had the guilty feeling that I might be responsible.
There was silence in the car until we pulled into a parking spot at the park. Then Poppy said, "I'm sure it's nothing."
Right. If it were nothing, she wouldn't be talking about it.
We walked to a secluded area of the park.
"Okay, toss me the Frisbee."
I did. Poppy didn't appreciate it.
"Without using your hands, Daisy. We're here to practice controlling your telekinesis, not to improve your Frisbee skills."
I tried moving it with my mind. My first few attempts resulted in the Frisbee careening off toward the fountain several yards behind Poppy, but I finally got the hang of it.
"Good!" Poppy said as the Frisbee took a perfectly straight path to her hands. "You're getting better."
It was getting dark. Normally, not much in Nightshade spooked me, but I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Someone was watching us.
I moved closer to Poppy, until I was right next to her. "Why don't we call it a night? Mom will be waiting for us," I said in what I hoped was a carrying voice.
"Don't quit now," she said. "You're just getting started. Besides, Mom—ooph. Hey, watch it." I'd elbowed her in the ribs.
"Someone is watching us," I explained in a low voice. "And I don't want to advertise that no one is expecting us."
Poppy nodded and picked up the Frisbee. "Yeah, we don't want to worry Mom. You know how she gets if we're late." I hoped I hadn't sounded as artificial as she did.
We made a beeline for the car. My skin didn't stop crawling until we pulled into our driveway.
Mom was already home, which was unusual and brought me ever so slightly out of my funk. I couldn't go to my room, not if I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for some quality time with my one remaining parent.
"It smells great in here, Mom," I said as Poppy and I entered the kitchen.
"I felt like cooking tonight," she replied. "It's just salad and baked chicken."
"Sounds good to me." It was nice to have a night off from cooking.
Mom glanced over at Poppy and frowned. "What happened to your hand?"
Poppy and I exchanged glances. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged. It was up to her.
"It was the ghost at Mort's," she finally said. "He was busting stuff up, and I got in the way."
"This ghost sounds dangerous," Mom said sharply. "I don't know if you girls should be handling this."
"It's nothing," Poppy said. "And besides, he calmed down after I talked to him."
"Let me see your hand," Mom said.
"It's just a scratch," Poppy said, but she obediently held out her hand. "I told you."
After a thorough inspection, Mom said, "It looks okay, but remember to put some ointment on it." She turned to me and said, "Ghosts can be unpredictable. Are you sure you girls have this under control?"
Seeing Poppy's pleading look, I nodded, though I wasn't so sure about it myself. "Everything is fine, Mom, don't worry," I said.
Just as we were about to sit down to eat, Rose came in and eased everyone's worries. "Mr. Bone sent this as a thanks." She handed Poppy and me small packages. "He hasn't had any more ghost trouble."
"Really?" Mom said, sounding impressed.
"You make him sound like a pest," Poppy protested.
"He was one," Rose said. "A big one, but Poppy managed to tame him."
Poppy ripped open her package and held up a big box of Donnelly chocolates. Donnelly's was in Santa Cruz and made the best chocolates. I resisted the urge to snatch the box out of her hands and snarf the contents. Chocolate is my weakness.
"Oh, I think he likes you," I teased.
"He does?" Poppy beamed. Not exactly the reaction we were expecting. Mr. Bone isn't exactly pinup material. "I'll have t
o thank Gage."
"Gage?" I asked incredulously. "I meant Mr. Bone."
I stared at Poppy, who was turning even pinker.
"You thought we were talking about the ghost!" Rose exclaimed.
"No, it's just—he's nice, that's all. He was only seventeen when he died. He listened to me."
"Poppy, he's a ghost. He's a captive audience," I emphasized. I wasn't trying to be mean, but I was worried.
"I'm tired of the guys at school," she said.
"Talk about a long-distance relationship. It'll never work," I said.
Rose giggled and then sobered quickly when Poppy turned to her and glared.
"Like either of you is doing any better," she said. "You and Ryan aren't even talking, and Rose's boyfriend is a..."
I gave Rose a panic-stricken look. Mom didn't know Nicholas was a werewolf.
"A what, Poppy?" Rose's voice was calm, but her face was a little pale.
"C'mon, you guys," I said, attempting to change the subject, "we shouldn't be fighting."
Mom was on full alert now. "Finish your sentence, Poppy."
"A mortician," Poppy finally said.
"I thought you were going to say something else," Mom said, raising an eyebrow. "You know Poppy, a person can't help it if he has Were blood. There's no reason to belittle him."
Due to her line of work, Mom was pretty tight with the city council members. She took offense to any sort of paranormal discrimination.
"Sorry," Poppy mumbled, looking at Rose apologetically. "I didn't mean to insult your boyfriend."
Rose relaxed a fraction, but Mom was chewing on something else Poppy had blurted out.
"Why aren't you and Ryan talking, Daisy?"
"It's nothing, Mom. Really." But was it nothing? Poppy had been reassuring in the car, but a few seconds ago, when she was mad, she seemed to be implying that my relationship was reaching the crash-and-burn stage. I wondered if she was right.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Mom asked, seeing the troubled look on my face.
I gave in to the female bonding instinct and blurted out my worries. "It's just that he bailed out of our date last night because he was sick, but then Poppy and I spotted him outside Slim's this afternoon."