Page 78
Story: I'll Be Waiting
“Patrice? If I’ve done something—”
She spins so fast I jump.
Fever-bright eyes fix on mine. “I don’t know.Haveyou done something?”
“If I did, I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t you. I know who it was.” She looks over my shoulder. “Traitor.”
“What?” I say.
Patrice resumes walking. I fall back to Heather and lower my voice. “Does she know about the mushrooms?”
“I think you’re right, Nic,” Heather says, voice hardening. “This is all bullshit. An act.”
“Are you going to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about?” Patrice says. “He’s the one who started it, but you’re blaming me. Your guy messes around with me, and I’m the one you cut loose while he gets off scot-free.”
Heather’s face scrunches up. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Has everyone lost their fucking minds?” I look between them as my mind races. “Is this about Cody? Heather, did you and Cody have a thing before—”
Her look of disgust answers before she says, “Absolutely not. I seriously have no idea what she’s talking about.”
Something cracks in the forest. Heather wheels toward it.
“Did you hear that?” she says.
“Roddy,” Patrice whispers.
“It isn’t Roddy,” I snap. “We’re in the forest, and that’s a goddamn forest animal. I want to know what the hell you are going on about, Patrice.”
Patrice ignores me and resumes walking.
I seethe and turn to Heather. “What is this bullshit?”
She flails a wild shrug. I want to storm out of this forest. Say to hell with both of them and their drama because, seriously? Something is very wrong with Patrice, and they’re sniping aboutboys?
Unless Heather is right. Unless nothing is wrong with Patrice. Unless this is part of the drama. Patrice likes a boy—presumablyCody, though the thought makes my skin crawl. She thinks Heather has been messing around with him, so she’s pulling some weird séance shit to scare us.
If that’s it, I’m done. I don’t have time for this bullshit.
But am I leaving right now? No. Keith is the uber-responsible one, but whatever he was taught, I was taught too. I might rebel, but at heart, I know the right thing and I do it.
My gut says that the right thing is to see this through. Play referee. Make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. If these two are at each other’s throats—even over a boy—I need to stick around.
We reach the spot. Heather yanks out the blanket and slaps it down, along with the chalices. She sloshes in wine and then—as she sprinkles harmless mushroom powder on hers and Patrice’s—she looks at me, her jaw set.
What the hell is that look for? Defying me to say the mushrooms are just regular fungi? I don’t give a shit. In fact, if anythingiswrong with Patrice, it’s in everyone’s best interests for Patrice to think the drugs are real. The power of suggestion. We are repeating the ritual exactly, and that will “fix” her.
I am so done with this fucking bullshit.
I drop to the ground hard, and if I’m scowling like a toddler, I don’t care. So is Heather. Patrice just keeps glaring at her, and Heather glares back, and fuck my life. Really? Keith should be here to see this, get a laugh out of his little sister needing to be the mature one for once.
“Well, go on,” Heather says to Patrice. “Summon the ghosts or whatever. If you’re not toopossessedto do that.”
Patrice only looks at her, and it’s less glare than stare now. A stare so cold it curdles my anger and has me rubbing down goose bumps.
She starts her incantation, but this time, I can’t make out what she’s saying. I struggle to concentrate on words so garbled, it’s like she’s talking through a mouthful of marshmallow.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78 (Reading here)
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134