A dull roar filled Sydney’s ears.
Her vision blurred. The hallway started to spin.
Her hand shook so badly, she had to squeeze her fingers around the ring to keep from dropping it.
Jason wore this ring last night! her mind screamed. I saw it on his finger. I saw it gleaming when he was shoveling under the tree!
How did it get here?
Sydney slowly uncurled her fingers.
Jason’s ring gleamed in the palm of her hand.
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head violently. “No!”
“Sydney, what’s wrong?”
Startled, Sydney turned quickly, banging her shoulder on the sharp edge of her locker door.
Emma stared at her, a concerned expression on her face.
“Emma,” Sydney whispered in a hoarse voice. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“Believe what?” Emma asked, frowning. “What is the matter with you, Syd? I saw you shaking your head and mumbling to yourself.”
“Look!” Sydney opened her fingers and held out the ring. “It’s Jason’s school ring.”
Emma’s eyes bulged.
“I found it in my locker, inside that envelope.” Sydney pointed to the muddy envelope that had fallen to the floor. “See the mud? It’s still damp.”
“Syd …”
“How did Jason’s ring get in my locker?” Sydney demanded shrilly. “He was wearing it when he … last night! I saw it, Emma! I saw it on his hand, I know I did. So how did it get here?”
“Sydney, calm down and let me think!” Emma replied impatiently. “I don’t remember seeing it last night, Syd. Are you sure he was wearing it?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Well … almost.”
“Well, maybe you just thought you saw it,” Emma suggested. “Anyway, Jason could have left it here yesterday. He used your locker before, right?”
“Right, but …”
“And the gym is just down the hall,” Emma continued. “So maybe he put it in here before gym class. You know, so he wouldn’t lose it.”
“But, Emma, I went to my locker two times today,” Sydney argued. “And the envelope wasn’t there!”
“Are you sure?”
Sydney closed her eyes and tried to remember. She had gone to her locker that morning, hung up her jacket, taken out some notebooks. Then after lunch, she had put away the morning notebooks and taken out the ones she needed for afternoon classes.
“Well?” Emma asked.
“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there,” Sydney told her. She sighed. “But—but—Fm not sure of anything anymore!”
“Then I bet the ring was in your locker all this time,” Emma declared. “It was probably stuck in a book or something.”
“Do you think so?”
“Come on. It had to be there!” Emma insisted. “There’s no other explanation.”
Sydney stared at her, still shaken. “First the muddy footprints,” she murmured. “Now this. I thought …”
“Stop thinking about it.” Emma squeezed her arm. “You’re freaking, Sydney. You have to get a grip!”
“I’m trying!” Sydney cried. “But everybody keeps asking me about …” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “… About Jason. Where is he? Why isn’t he with me? It’s driving me crazy! And now I find his school ring in my locker!”
“I know. But it must have been there already and you just missed it.” Emma squeezed Sydney’s arm again. “That’s what happened, Syd. Please don’t fall apart!”
Sydney forced herself to breathe deeply. Emma was probably right about the ring, she thought. And she was definitely right about falling apart
You have to get a grip, Sydney ordered herself. You have to!
Sydney stuffed Jason’s ring into the pocket of her jeans. Then she raked her fingers through her hair and managed a smile. “I’m better now,” she murmured. “I’ll be okay.”
“Good.” Emma smiled back. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. Today was the worst. It will get easier after this.”
I hope so, Sydney thought. I can’t take many more days like this.
Sydney grabbed her jacket. “Do you want me to drop you off at the Cineplex?” she asked as they walked down the hall.
“No. But you can give me a ride home,” Emma told her.
“Aren’t you working?”
“I called and said my head is still bothering me.” Emma touched it and winced. “It was no lie, either. It’s pounding right this very minute. I’m going to lie down as soon as I get home.”
Me, too, Sydney thought, pushing open the doors that led to the student parking lot. I’ll take a hot bath, and then I’ll take a nap.
I just hope I don’t dream about Jason.
Clouds covered the sky outside, but the rain had let up. Skirting the puddles, Sydney and Emma hurried through the parking lot to the car.
Emma pulled open the door and began to toss her backpack inside. “Oh, no!” she gasped.
“What? What’s wrong?” Sidney cried.
Emma’s face had gone pale. Her finger shook as she pointed. “Look!”
Sydney stared into her car.
And felt a cold wave of fear ripple up her spine.
A shovel lay on the seat, caked with mud.
But not just mud, Sydney realized.
Splotches of blood.
Dark red blood, still shiny and wet, smeared the shovel and dripped onto the pale beige seat cushion of her car.