Page 9

CHAPTER

NINE

When Milly first suggested using a cat to induce visions, Theo had felt a second of queasy horror thinking Milly wanted to cut up a cat and consult its innards. Then he remembered this was Milly he was talking about, who once went on an impassioned rant about how she would love to have a pet, but she wasn’t sure she could give it the life it deserved since the house was empty half the time. Not to mention her habit of getting obsessed with things for weeks on end, leading her to neglect her own hygiene and feeding. She didn’t want to see if that carried over to a pet.

The cat plan, it turned out, involved Kade staring deeply into a cat’s eyes, and…that was it. Kade spent a lot of time crouching in front of Milly while she struggled to hold the cat still.

Theo leaned against a tree, waiting. Milly had lured a stray into a cat carrier and lugged it to the woods. So far, the biggest obstacle was making the cat look Kade in the eyes.

“It’s easier if you’re freshly resurrected,” Milly told them, readjusting her grip on the squirming cat. “Or if the cat is closer to death. This one’s far too new.”

Kade glanced away from the cat long enough to shoot Theo a look, half excited, half incredulous. He often did this when Milly came out with insane crap about her life before Lock, which got more terrifying and ridiculous every time she brought it up. Resurrections, dreamscapes, visions. An evil town that Milly and her friends defeated sometime in the early 2000s.

Vanquished with the power of friendship, gay love, and incredible violence, she’d said once. They had to go home immediately after that so Kade could stitch it into a shirt.

The cat meowed unhappily, wriggling in Milly’s grip.

“Good kitty,” Kade coaxed, following its disgruntled gaze. “Gooood kitty. Stay still so I can stare into your eyes and see unspeakable horrors.”

Something rustled in the bushes behind Theo.

“No,” Theo said automatically.

Sparky whined. Her nose poked into the back of Theo’s knee.

“You’ll freak the cat out,” Theo reminded her. “You don’t need to be near me every second of every?—”

Before he could finish, the cat writhed out of Milly’s hands and sprinted off into the woods. Sparky darted forward, only stopping when Theo grabbed her collar .

Kade sighed, climbing to his feet with a wince he was far too young for. Theo would have to talk him into stretching.

“Oh no,” he said, tugging at the hem of his homemade DIE YOUNG crop top. “The cat was a bust. Sorry, Milly. Theo, want to go watch some semi-entertaining movies?”

Theo narrowed his eyes. “We can find another cat. Or we can try Sparky, she’s magic, right? Or…something. Stare into her eyes.”

“I’ve stared into her eyes a hundred times,” Kade reminded him. “Have you seen those beauties? Like a sunset.”

He clapped until Sparky jogged over, rubbing her furry cheeks and cooing. Usually it would make Theo smile. Today it only pissed him off. He couldn’t go back to Kade’s place and watch movies. He needed to do something .

“We skipped school to get more visions out of you,” Theo pointed out. “Milly, is there anything else?”

Milly turned. She’d been watching the trees where the cat had run into the woods.

“Nothing I would recommend,” she said.

Kade shrugged, patting down Sparky’s flank. “Movies might help with visions! Or listening to music. Or going on a walk in the woods?—”

“We tried the tree a few days ago,” Theo said, but he already knew that wasn’t what Kade meant. Kade meant one of Theo’s walks in the woods, which involved a lot of Theo pointing and explaining to Kade what a particular plant was, and Kade repeating his words in a high voice until Theo threatened to throw something at him.

Theo checked his watch. “First period isn't over yet. I can get there in time for second.”

Kade laughed loud enough to startle birds from trees. “What is with you and school ? I thought jocks got to take it easy.”

Theo spun to face him. “Some jocks, sure! But not Fairgoods. Fairgoods have to be the best . Best in the class, best in the school, best on the court, best in everything . So yeah , I work my ass off. Maybe I don’t have to do that for basketball anymore, but I do have to do it for classes, so yes , Kade, I’m going to school.”

Kade shifted, chastised. Next to him, Milly was pretending to examine the leaves above them. Theo almost felt bad. But the dark feeling in his stomach was still there, coiling, demanding. He couldn’t rest .

“Besides,” Theo continued. “Felicity and Aaron are at school. Maybe I can get some information out of them.”

Kade groaned. It was much less enthusiastic than his laugh, like he was forcing himself into it. “Come on , mate. Let’s just hang out! I’m so tired from my vision last night.”

“You slept for nine hours,” Theo pointed out.

Kade ignored him. “I passed out , Theo. I’m traumatized . You need to take care of me. Sparky, are you traumatized? ”

Sparky’s tail thumped against the forest floor.

“Yeah you are,” Kade crooned, cupping her furry face and turning it so their cheeks were next to each other. “Take care of us, Theo.”

Something small and warm unfurled in Theo’s chest, not unlike when he watched Sundance and Kade eat the breakfast he’d made them. It sounded lovely—taking Kade back to the house, turning on some crappy TV show. Maybe getting him a blanket, jokingly tucking him into the couch. Sparky sprawled over both their laps. Sundance in the corner of the couch, providing dry running commentary. She’d sat with him as Theo made breakfast this morning, telling him a story about her and Kade’s mother going to a Dairy Queen after their own mom died—both mid-twenties, hungover, and cry-laughing over a fudge sundae at six a.m.—and by the end of it, the dark knot in Theo’s chest had uncoiled. For a second he even thought everything might eventually be okay.

But only for a second.

Theo shook his head. “No, I need…I need to do something. Okay? I need to do SOMETHING.”

Kade scratched his mouth, mumbling, “Okay, don’t know why I thought that would work.” Then, louder: “You don’t need to do something right this second. ”

“Yes, I do!” Theo yelled. “My dad got murdered ! We only have until spring to stop some weird plan where I burn you to death and let Cyth free to destroy the town! If you’re not going to try anything else to get visions, I’m going to…I don’t know. Raid my parents’ office again, see if my dad left any more notes I couldn’t find last time.”

Theo charged off. Kade called his name, but Theo didn’t turn back. He could hear Sparky running to catch up, falling into step easily beside him, ears pricked and anxious. She whined, and Theo couldn’t help thinking she would enjoy a day of TV-surfing on Kade’s couch more than whatever crap Theo was about to drag her into.

“You can stay with him today,” Theo offered as he strode through the woods.

She cocked her head. Then she swayed closer, her front paws almost tangling with his legs.

Tears gathered behind Theo’s eyes. He blinked them back furiously. He could see his Lexus from here, parked down the street from Kade’s house.

Russel was stepping off the front porch when Theo got in the gate. His gardening bag hung at his side and his forehead was smeared with dirt.

“Hello again,” he called as Theo came up the path. He had that face on, that stupid pity face that everyone kept wearing around him yesterday. “I was just, uh…” He pointed back at the house. “Free of charge this week. Any way I can help, you know? Been with you guys a long time.”

Theo nodded. He had hoped Russel would say something about the hedge out back, which Theo had violently over-trimmed several nights ago in a haze of grief and rage. Or about the dahlias, which were blooming wonderfully. Or the trees around town, which were vibrant orange in a way that reminded Theo of Sparky’s eyes when she was happy.

Russel clapped a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, bud.”

Theo nodded again, even tighter than last time. His dad hadn’t even been dead for two days and Theo was already sick of condolences. The funeral was going to suck .

Russel hesitated. His hand flexed on Theo’s shoulder, brown from the sun and covered with tiny scars from a lifetime of working with sharp objects.

“I’ll see you Friday,” he said.

“See you,” Theo said dully, and headed into the house.

Carol was cooking up a storm. Theo heard her before he even got up to the porch, banging pots around and cursing under her breath. Which was strange, because she was never much of a cook. Anything more basic than a roast, Theo had learned from cooking blogs.

He pulled off his shoes and set them near the door. A loud bang echoed from the kitchen, followed by another round of cursing that she would never say around him. Her voice was watery .

Theo thought about creeping past her, up to the offices. Leaving her to it, like his parents so often left him when he was upset. They were a family who liked to deal with their emotions privately. The idea of taking on an angry, maybe-crying mom sounded like something he wanted to avoid. He needed to check his parents’ office, anyway.

Theo started for the stairs, completely intent on ignoring her. But then he passed the kitchen doorway and saw her hunched over the stove with a twisted expression, and Theo’s dead heart lurched in his chest.

“Mom,” he said, poking his head in timidly. “What’re you making?”

She jolted in surprise. “Theo! Oh my gosh. Make some noise when you walk.”

“Sorry.” Theo squeaked his feet against the polished wood, hoping to make her laugh. It didn’t work.

“That smells nice,” he offered. “Can I help?”

She sniffed, turning away to wipe her face. She wasn’t crying yet, but it was a close thing. She had her robe on again, something red and slick smudging the silk. It smelled like tomatoes and wine.

One pan was filled with garlic and oil, heating slowly. The other was a boiling pot of pasta. Food lined the bench behind her: salami and pesto, capsicum, green onion, Himalayan rock salt, three types of oil.

“I know we have so much food in the fridge,” Carol said, twisting her hands together. “But I just—I had a craving for this dish your father and I ate together in Rome once. I looked up a recipe, it’s probably going to be nothing like I imagined it. Especially with me at the wheel…”

She trailed off, gaze traveling down his body.

Theo tensed. He was still wearing Kade’s clothes. He tugged at the hem of his U STAY SOFT / U GET EATEN shirt, trying not to look self-conscious.

Carol laughed, wet and airy. “What are you wearing ?”

“Nothing,” Theo said. “It’s laundry day. I’m sorry, I’ll go get changed.”

“You do that,” she said faintly. She pursed her lips. She looked at his clothes like they genuinely disturbed her, and Theo got the feeling it wasn’t just because she thought they weren’t his style.

Theo petted Sparky as he headed into the hall. She licked his hand. She knew what he was feeling. She always did.

“Wait,” Carol called.

Theo turned around. Carol was standing in the kitchen doorway, holding a spatula.

“It’s a school day,” she said waspishly. “What are you doing here?”

Theo winced. It had totally slipped his mind that she would notice. A lot of things had slipped his mind lately. Why had no one told him that grief turned your brain to mush?

“I just…” Theo wet his lips. “I couldn’t do it today. I’m really sorry.”

Carol’s stern expression wilted. “No, I know. I mean, I’m not at work. I probably should be, the case we wrapped up isn’t as…Anyway, I need to call the school.”

“Someone already did that,” Theo said.

She gave him a suspicious look. Then she seemed to decide she was too exhausted to follow it up, and turned back toward the kitchen.

Theo lingered in the hallway. “The case you wrapped up isn’t as what?”

“It’s not as wrapped up as we thought,” she replied. She rubbed her forehead, frowning when she accidentally hit herself with the spatula. “Your father—it doesn’t matter. I can’t understand it. Something for another day.”

“No,” Theo said desperately. “What is it?”’

Sparky nipped Theo’s thumb. He ignored her.

Carol sighed. “I’m not allowed to talk about specifics, honey.”

“Right,” Theo said hastily. “Sure. Sorry.”

She gave him another look. Then she readjusted her robe, the red stain gleaming in the light.

“That is terrible grammar,” she told him, pointing at his shirt.

“Right,” Theo repeated, tugging at it protectively. He liked this shirt. It was one of his favorites out of Kade’s whole wardrobe.

Water spat and bubbled in the kitchen. The pasta pot had boiled over.

“Dammit,” Carol hissed, ducking out of the hallway.

Theo breathed in: tomato, oil, wine. Then he headed upstairs to change into something acceptable and break into his parents’ office for a second time.

Forty-five minutes later, Theo sat on his bed in a sensible pair of jeans and a polo, waiting for Kade to pick up his phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” he said before Kade had even finished his greeting. “Can’t find anything else in the office. I think I was hoping for a secret compartment, since we’ve had pretty good luck with secret rooms, but no dice. Want to break into Felicity’s house before everybody gets home?”

Silence.

“I phrased that wrong,” Theo said. “I’m breaking into Felicity’s house as soon as I hang up. Are you coming?”

Kade sighed. Theo heard something clacking down the line, like Kade was putting down a pair of knitting needles.

“If you can wait until tonight,” Kade said reluctantly. “You won’t need to.”

Theo waited for Kade to explain what the hell he was talking about.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Theo said finally.

“The Sloan house will be home to an ‘absolutely killer party,’” Kade recited .

Theo frowned. “It’s a Thursday.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Felicity’s hosting? She didn’t invite me.”

“I got the feeling it was pretty last minute,” Kade said. “Like, she planned it yesterday. The day after your dad died. So no, she wouldn’t have invited you to a party.”

This was weird. Felicity had always struggled with impulsivity, but a last-minute party usually required an event . Like when she got her first modeling contract. Or she thought it would be fun to sleep with Aaron at a party and there were none coming up in the next month.

Theo frowned. “Is this an I’m-Single-Again party? Because I should go anyway. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“I don’t know Felicity very well,” Kade said dryly. “But the little I do know suggests she’s going to do whatever the hell she wants. You being there won’t stop shit.”

Theo lay back on his bed, full of fidgety energy. He’d been planning to go break into a house. Now he had hours before he had to go anywhere. He’d go for a sprint in the woods. Study. Drink some woodland animals. Find some new moss for his terrarium. He could go and see Kade, but he was still annoyed at Kade for trying to get him to relax today.

“Alright,” Theo said. “We’ll go crash a party.”

“ You’re crashing,” Kade corrected. “I’m invited . ”

Theo laughed. “She invited you ?”

“Hey,” Kade said. “I’m a hoot .” Then he coughed, more clacking coming down the line. Like he’d never actually put down the knitting needles. “She invited me…when she was telling me to take care of you?”

Theo swallowed. How much did Felicity know? She’d heard that someone saw them together in a car, but that was it, right? How much did Aaron tell her?

“So,” Kade said. “We’re going?”

Theo nodded. Then he remembered Kade couldn’t see that and said, “Yeah.”

“Great,” Kade said, sounding very tired. “Let me go pick an outfit.”