Chapter Sixteen

Within an hour’s time, everyone’s anxiety had disappeared, so boys and girls were mingling with enthusiasm. Twice I’d demonstrated how Dance Revolution should be done. As I laughed and talked with the kids around me, I wondered how I’d managed to go so long without this.

I was bummed when the power went out around eleven. It was no use stumbling around in the dark even though everyone wanted to keep the party going. They talked about meeting up at other places in town. It didn’t take long for everyone to leave. Everyone but Nikki.

She’d cornered Ian by the TV.

I was on trash duty, so I headed their way with a flashlight and a garbage bag. I picked up a couple soda cans and heard Nikki say, “You should come over to my house. My parents will be out late. We can watch a movie…or something.”

“I have to help clean up,” he replied.

She looked my way and spoke in a voice that was meant to be overheard. “Brandy’s little friend…oh…I mean big friend seems to have things under control.”

“I can’t,” Ian said patiently. “I’ve got some stuff to do tomorrow. I can’t be out late.”

Realizing she wasn’t going to prevail, she smiled up at him. “Maybe next time.”

“Maybe next time,” he agreed, taking her by the elbow. “Let me walk you to your car.”

I shoved another can in the bag.

“I can’t stand that girl,” Brandy said from across the room.

“I’d like to let my big self drag Nikki up the stairs by the hair and hang her from the roof by it,” I said. “I wonder what she’d think of me then.”

Brandy chuckled. “I’d pay to see that.”

When Ian came back, he went straight to the utility room and flipped the breaker back on. “You turned the power off,” I said in disappointment.

“That’s the deal I made with my mom. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

Spencer and Katherine walked in. We all stood silent, looking at the mess around us.

“Apparently the party was a success,” Katherine observed.

I put another soda can in the garbage bag and yawned. Spencer came my way and took the bag from me. “You have the night off, young lady,” he said.

I stifled another yawn. “I can help.”

“No. You need to get some rest,” he insisted. “I’m sure you’re still sore from the tiger’s attack. Better take advantage of some sleep.”

Without adrenaline coursing through me, the aches in my body were back. “Okay,” I said reluctantly, “but I’ll do the dishes tomorrow. You can leave them in the sink.”

Spencer pushed me gently out of the kitchen. “I’m an expert dishwasher,” he said. “I’ve been doing it for almost two hundred years now.”

Ian caught me by the arm when I stumbled on the rug. “Come on, sleeping beauty.”

On Katherine’s orders, all the bedrooms had been locked during the party. I leaned against the wall while Ian ran a hand along the top of the door frame, feeling for the key to my room. The only boy at the party who came close to being as attractive as him was Michael, and he’d take a distant second.

Ian’s gaze lingered on me after he unlocked the door. Maybe mine lingered a little long, too. I was too tired to stop myself. “Thanks,” I said, pushing away from the wall.

He blocked my way into the room. “You made quite an impression tonight,” he said. “At least ten guys asked me your name. I told them it was Kate.”

I laughed. “Kate?”

“It’s all I could come up with on short notice.”

He smiled down at me, and the soft light around us caught the green flecks in his eyes. Like a moth to a flame, my gaze was drawn to his mouth. I remembered feeling safe when he slept behind me, and the warmth of his lips on mine when he kissed me. A piece of me wanted that again. Ian’s gaze flicked to my mouth, too. If I tipped my chin up, he’d kiss me. Warmth spread over me, tempting me to do it, but I took a deep breath and swallowed. Then I pushed him gently out of my way. “I flew my freak flag high tonight,” I said.

His smile deepened. “You’ll never be invisible at Fillmore High again. It was good to see.”

“Thanks.”

“Good night, Alison,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Good night,” I replied, closing the door between us.

I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. The girl in the mirror looked a lot like she had before the party. Her hair was wavy and shone in the light. Her light gray eyes were still wide and framed by lots of dark lashes. The difference was the dreamy expression in them. She was changing from the inside out. It was coming on fast, too. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.

Morning came too soon for me, and it was accompanied by a profound longing for home. The first thing I did was call Mom’s cell phone.

“Hi, sweetie,” she answered.

I knew she was trying to hide it, but I could hear anxiety in her voice. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

She sighed. “My car got broken into at the gym this morning. I’m with the police and insurance man right now.”

An uneasiness made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “How bad is it?”

“It could be worse. They smashed the back window and riffled through the glove box, but they only took the navigation system. I should have known better than to park along the street. There’s been a lot of this kind of thing around the gym recently.”

“Do the police have any ideas?” I asked.

“No, not yet. But I’d sure like to be there when they catch the guy. No one messes with my baby this way.”

I smiled, knowing her baby was the car.

“How is everything going with you?” she asked. “How was your little get-together last night?”

Remembering the mess I had to clean up, I choked back a laugh. It hadn’t been a little get-together. Brandy had turned it into a full-on party. “It was fun,” I managed. “I got to show off some of my gaming skills. Alex would have been proud.”

“I’ll tell him,” she said. “I’m sorry to cut this short, sweetie, but the police need me to answer more questions.”

“Okay. Be careful, Mom. This isn’t the safest town in the world.”

“I know. I will.”

I hung up feeling troubled. Mom had talked about a string of break-ins near her gym, so it wasn’t like it came out of nowhere. But it worried me. If Spencer was right, the tiger had told someone that he was suspicious of me. “Suspicious” was the operative word. He hadn’t known for sure who I was, so why pass specifics along, right? Thankfully, Lillian was planning to drive by my neighborhood throughout the day. She’d let us know if anything changed.

Whatever my concerns, the best thing was to get trained as soon as possible. I dressed for pain in shorts and a T-shirt. My hair was still wavy from the hot rollers. I pulled it back in a ponytail so it wouldn’t get in my way. Then I was ready.

Well, maybe not ready, but I wouldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore. People I loved were in danger, and I had to learn how to protect them.