“I just mean other girls spend hours in front of the mirror and you obviously don’t. You seem like the right kind of person to go on adventures with,” he answered in a dreamy kind of way. “That’s what I want to do. Go on a dig, maybe. Wouldn’t you like to uncover mummies or discover an unknown temple in the jungles of Cambodia?”
“Why?” she asked with a rising sense of uneasiness. “When you’re safe and at home, adventures might seem like fun, but when you’re living them, they’re not.”
“I thought you’d enjoy roughing it,” he explained. “You don’t seem to care about appearances.”
He had said it again. What was wrong with the way she looked? Then a sudden thought came to her. Maybe that’s why everyone had been staring at her. She hadn’t looked in a mirror, and Hanna wasn’t likely to tell her anything was wrong. Old people always thought young people looked cute. Perhaps the other students were staring at her because she looked awful.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Where’s a rest room?” Her eyes were already scanning the buildings around her, looking for a sign.
“Over there.” He seemed confused. “Don’t you remember where the rest rooms are?”
“Is that really important?” she snapped, grabbed up her backpack and ran. She slammed through the rest room door and skidded to a stop in front of the mirror, expecting to see black mascara rings under her eyes and lipstick smeared to her ears or, worse, a long smudge of dirt or snot.
She let out a loud gasp.
Three girls sharing a cigarette in a stall turned and gawked at her. The girl standing next to her stopped brushing her long, sun-streaked hair.
Tianna gingerly touched her eyes, nose, and lips. She was startlingly beautiful.
“Wow,” she whispered, and brushed her fingers through her long silky black hair. Not many people ever got to see themselves as a stranger would. There was no prejudice in her vision or modesty imposed from a lifetime of living with her face and body. She could honestly say she was stunning. No wonder the guys were turning their heads, and the girls, too. She was a knockout.
The girl standing next to her began to giggle.
“What’s your problem?” Tianna glared at her.
The girl stopped laughing, picked up her lipstick and hairbrush and started to back away.
“Wait,” Tianna called to the girl who was slinking away from her.
She stopped and tentatively looked back, her finger nervously stroking her dangling earring.
Tianna tilted her head and smiled. “I need some makeup. Do you have any I can borrow?” Silly question, she thought. The girl’s eyes were caked with purple shadow and edged with a harsh black stroke, lips outlined in brown and glowing with too much gloss, and her cheeks were brilliant shocks of color. She looked like she owned enough makeup to paint graffiti on a stadium wall.
The girl nodded and pulled a large blue case from her oversized purse. “My mother says it’s unsanitary to share makeup,” she said, trying to argue. She seemed intimidated by Tianna.
Tianna gave her a friendly glance. “Do I look like I could give you anything?”
The girl considered, then handed over her makeup bag.
“What’s your name?” Tianna asked as she drew black liquid eyeliner over the top lid of her beautiful eyes.
“Corrine,” the girl answered, looking at her oddly. “I sit next to you in geometry.”
Tianna turned her head and stared at the girl. There was nothing familiar about her. “We must be friends, then,” Tianna mused as she added dusky shadow.
The girl raised one eyebrow. “I’d like to be, but…”
“But what?” Tianna rolled thick mascara on her lashes.
“You didn’t seem to like me,” Corrine answered.
Tianna wondered how she had acted on Monday and Tuesday. Corrine seemed afraid of her. She held out her hand for the hairbrush. Corrine handed it over.
“You know…” Tianna spoke as she brushed her hair. “I was just in a bad mood. New school and all. I’d really like to be your friend.”
“You would?” Corrine couldn’t hide her surprise. “Yeah, starting a new school is tough, but you seemed to be having it pretty easy.”
“Me?” Tianna handed back the brush and added gloss to her pouty lips.
“I mean, every guy has a major crush on you.” Corrine dropped the brush into her purse.
“You think that makes life easy?”
“I guess.” Corrine stared at her. “I like the way you look. I’ve never seen you bother with makeup before.”
Tianna considered what she was saying. She was confident that normally she didn’t wear makeup, but today was a celebration. She was seeing her face again for the first time.
“You look beautiful.” Corrine sighed.
“You could, too,” Tianna scolded, then tried to soften her voice. Why did she sound so on edge?
“I could?” Corrine seemed eager for more.
“You’ve got great style.” Tianna complimented her, and it was true. She wore a pale green top, jeans skirt, and incredible side-laced boots. “But you look like a doll with so much makeup. I mean, you’re so vamped out. I bet you look better with bare cheeks, and definitely ditch the purple shadow.”
“Take some off ?” Corrine reached for a paper towel.
“Yeah, it makes you look desperate and insecure,” Tianna answered absently, and turned in front of the full-length mirror behind her. Her reflection thrilled her. “When’s geometry?”
“First period.” Corrine gave her a questioning look.
“Lead the way,” Tianna ordered. “Let’s go.”
“Sure.” Corrine gathered all her makeup and put on her sunglasses.
Tianna picked up her backpack and started out to the hallway with a confident swing in her hips.
A sly smile crossed her face this time when she saw the guys stare. She walked down the unfamiliar hallways next to Corrine. The knot of anxiety was beginning to unravel, and she started to relax. She felt a rising sense of security here. She looked up and down the crowded hallway. Maybe it was because she wasn’t alone, not with a thousand other students pushing past her. It wasn’t likely anyone was going to kill her here, not with so many witnesses.
She stopped suddenly and Corrine bumped into her. She needed to find out who would want to kill her and why.
“What?” Corrine asked.
“Sorry, mood swing,” Tianna muttered, disheartened again. She closed her eyes, trying to recall the morning’s panic. It had been hot and raw. Maybe if she was patient, by the end of the day she’d have a memory or at least remember who was after her and why.
“Over here.” Corrine guided her.
They turned down an outside corridor. When they passed room 103, four guys dressed like skaters ran to the doorway and leaned outside.
“Hey, Tianna,” the first one shouted.
“Looking fine,” the second one added.
“Thanks,” she answered, and watched the other two admire her.
“I can’t believe the impression you’ve already made with the guys.” Corrine giggled and stopped in front of the closed door to a classroom.
Tianna slumped against the wall.
Corrine lifted her sunglasses. “You got that funny not-here stare.”
Tianna leaned closer to her. “Sorry, I was drifting.” Then she noticed three girls standing together in the sunlight staring at her. “What’s up with them?”
That made Corrine laugh. “You act so casual about it. I don’t even believe you.”
“Casual about what?”
“Everyone’s talking about it. I’m sure they’re just jealous. Usually Jimena, Serena, and Vanessa get all the attention, but you were the one who all the guys wanted to dance with last night. So why did you leave so early, anyhow? Nothing could have pulled me away from all that.”
Tianna raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t!” Corrine squealed.
“What?”
Tianna didn’t understand.
“Leave with some guy,” Corrine gasped, already assuming that she had. “You left with Michael, didn’t you?” she whispered quickly, and looked back at the three girls, who were still staring at Tianna. “No wonder they’re glaring at you.”
“I didn’t,” Tianna answered, but she didn’t know for sure. Had she left with someone? That might explain what had happened to her last night, but it still couldn’t explain the unnerving feeling of danger she’d had this morning or the note in her boot.
Tianna decided to tell Corrine everything. Maybe there was some way she could help. “Listen, I can’t remember—”
Corrine squeezed her arm. “Look who’s coming.”
Tianna turned and caught the eye of an incredibly good-looking guy in a black long-sleeved shirt, Levi’s, and a beaded necklace. She immediately liked his style.
“Hi, Tianna.” He had a great smile and soft brown eyes.
“Hi,” she answered back, loving the way he looked at her. She didn’t know who he was but she was sure they had done more than talk. At least she hoped they had. She glanced at his sensual lips and bit her own. She wondered if she had ever been kissed, especially by him. She hoped she had, but without a memory it was impossible to know.
“I wanted to catch you before class.” He ran a hand through his wild black hair as if talking to her made him nervous. She liked that she had that kind of effect on him. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“You were?” she asked. Her stomach felt queasy and she took three quick breaths. She didn’t mind this kind of nervousness.
“We missed you at Planet Bang last night.” His hand rested over her head on the wall. She could feel the warmth of his body, and she wanted to slide her arms around his waist and hug him, right there in front of everyone.
“How so?” she asked, and considered. At least now she knew she hadn’t left early with him, whoever he was.
“You’ve got great moves—”
“Moves?” she interrupted. “What does that mean?”
He burst out laughing. She loved his laugh.
“Your dancing,” he continued. “Everyone wanted to watch you some more, but you left so early.” The bell rang, and he ran backward away from her as if he were reluctant to let her go. “See you, Tianna.”
When he left, she turned to Corrine. “Who’s that?”
Corrine opened her eyes wide. “Are you kidding? That’s Michael Saratoga, and everyone is talking about the way you were trying to steal him from Vanessa.”
“Who’s Vanessa?”
“I don’t believe you. She’s only the most popular girl in the whole school.” She pointed a finger at the girl in the middle of the three who were still watching Tianna closely. “Everyone knows Vanessa.”
Vanessa had perfect skin, large blue eyes, and luxurious blond hair that curled over her shoulders.
“Are those extensions?” Tianna asked.
“All hers.” Corrine sighed.
Vanessa was dressed in a funky white coat of fake fur that went down to her brown suede boots; underneath was a low-hanging party-girl skirt with two gold belts draped around her tan waist.
“Where’d she get the clothes? They’re so cool.” Tianna glanced self-consciously at her own jeans. The knees were soiled, and there was a long black mark on the side, as if she had skidded in dirt or oil.
“Her mom’s a costume designer for the movies,” Corrine confided.
Tianna felt a pang of jealousy—not for the clothes, but from the mention of Vanessa’s mother. She wondered where hers was. Why hadn’t she been with her this morning?
“What?” Corrine asked, as if sensing Tianna’s emotions.
“Nothing.” Tianna shook her head.
“Don’t compare yourself to her if that’s what you’re doing. You’re glamorous in your own way.”
A man walked toward them carrying a briefcase. That had to be the teacher, Mr. Hall. He drew a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose, then stuffed the hanky in a back pocket and took out keys to the classroom.
Everyone started toward the door.
“Who’s that other girl with Vanessa?” Tianna asked. “The one with the teardrops tattooed under her eye?”
“That’s Jimena.” Corrine spoke in a lower voice. “Don’t mess with her. Everyone says she’s been in a camp twice.”
“Camp?” Tianna asked.
“Youth authority,” Corrine muttered, as if Tianna ought to know. “I can’t believe you didn’t hear. It’s all over school. She used to be in a gang.”
“And the one staring daggers at me?”
“The one with the cello case is Serena,” Corrine answered wistfully. “You should hear her play. I’m so jealous of her talent. She’ll be famous someday.”
Serena wore a fedora and a tie-dyed shirt with studded jeans. She had a beautiful face and compelling eyes.
“She also can tell your fortune with her tarot cards,” Corrine whispered. “She read mine once, and it was spooky, everything she knew. I never went back for a second reading.”
Corrine and Tianna edged closer to the door and joined the line forming to go inside the classroom. That’s when she noticed that Serena, Jimena, and Vanessa each wore matching silver charms.
Corrine caught what she was staring at.
“They never take them off,” she whispered. “Not in P.E., not for dances. Never. They had another friend, Catty, who wore the same amulet, but she’s gone now. Someday when we’re alone, I’ll tell you what happened to her.”
Tianna looked at the face of the moon etched in the metal on the charms. Sparkling in the morning light, the charms didn’t seem silver but more like a strange stone that reflected a rainbow of colors. She glanced up to find Jimena staring at her, her black eyes intense, as if Tianna had done something wrong by looking at their charms.
She waited for the three to go inside, then spoke to Corrine. “Are they witches?”
“What?” Corrine asked, and her head shot around, eyes wide and frightened, then she glanced nervously back at the three girls.
Tianna was sure Corrine had heard her. She wondered why she seemed suddenly so afraid, but instead of repeating her question, she shrugged. She wasn’t intimidated by them.
“Too bad for Vanessa,” she whispered to Corrine. “I’m not going to let some old girlfriend stand in the way of my getting Michael.”
“You are incredibly wicked,” Corrine joked, and Tianna sensed the admiration in her voice.
CHAPTER THREE
AT THE END OF THE school day Tianna sat alone, writing her name over and over on a piece of paper, hoping to stir a memory. She had discovered very little about herself. Several times she had felt on the verge of recalling something, and then the feeling slid away. She could remember some things like the taste of coffee and potato chips, but she couldn’t say what had been her favorite snack. Simple things like that had made her feel cut off from everyone else. It had been difficult to join in conversations, even though most of the kids had seemed friendly enough.
A hollowness filled her chest, and she pressed her fingers under her eyes. Crying wouldn’t help, but even as she tried to push the tears away, her vision blurred.
She supposed that she should go back to the apartment where she had started this morning, but she didn’t know how to get there. She had left in a rush, and instead of looking at the streets while Hanna drove, she had been rummaging through her backpack, searching for clues.
Her hands began to tremble again. She felt unsure. She had been vacillating between plans all day. Everything seemed too chancy. But that wasn’t the worst part. The loneliness was. If she only had a parent or a close friend she could confide in, someone to comfort her and tell her that things would be okay.
The note she had found in the toe of her boot this morning had made her leery about going to the authorities, even the school vice principal. If the police wouldn’t believe that someone was after her, then why should a tea
cher or principal? Maybe the best plan was to head for the Greyhound bus station in Hollywood and get out of town until she came up with some plan, but she was reluctant to leave. She felt safe here on the school grounds.
A shadow stretched over her, and she turned with a jerk.
Michael smiled down at her. He had taken off his shirt. Tattoos decorated his tan arms.
She wiped at her eyes carefully. She didn’t want him to see the tears. And she definitely didn’t want his pity.
“Hey, Tianna.” His lips curled around perfect white teeth as he swung his backpack onto the table. He seemed happy to see her.
“Hi, Michael.” She tried to keep the excitement from her voice, but already her heart was beating wildly. She wondered if he could tell how much she liked him.
“You okay?” He sat down next to her, and she caught the scent of spicy deodorant before he slipped on the long-sleeved black T-shirt.
“Sure,” she said. “The sun was making my eyes water.” She breathed deeply, disappointed that he had put on his shirt.
“I was trying to find you over at the gym.” His dark eyes looked at her openly, and a pleasurable shiver raced through her.
She smiled, pleased that he had been looking for her, and studied his lips, imagining what they would feel like pressed against hers. Then with a shock of excitement she realized that she might already know if she could only remember.
“And why did you need to find me?” She leaned closer to him flirtatiously.
“I wanted to give you this.” He dug into his backpack.
Eager anticipation flooded through her. She wondered if he had bought her a gift. A crystal, maybe, that she could hang on a silver chain, or a shell bracelet that matched his necklace.
He handed her a blue piece of paper. She took it and hoped he didn’t see the disappointment on her face. “What’s this?”
“My band’s playing at Planet Bang on Thursday,” he explained. “I hope you’ll come listen to us. We don’t go on until nine.”
“Sure.” She let a smile creep over her lips as she stared into his deep-set eyes. She had no idea where Planet Bang was, but she had been hearing kids talk about it all day and she knew if she went there, she’d be able to dance with Michael. She pictured his hands around her waist, his lips settling gently on hers. “I’ll be there.”