“Your ears look sort of funny. Is that rash back? Maybe I should call Dr. Abramowitz and get you an appointment.”
Claire’s hand crept up to cover the mark. “It’s nothing. I just burned myself with a flat iron.”
Lisbeth frowned. “Oh, okay.” She didn’t sound convinced.
Claire bounded upstairs and slammed her bedroom door. The cell phone sitting on the edge of her vanity caught her eye. The screen flashed at her—four new messages.
Claire flipped open the phone and speed-dialed her voicemail. The first message was from Matthew. His voice sounded shaky, and Claire could hear other people and cars in the background.
“I just wanted to make sure that you got home okay, since—well. Since what happened at the neighbors’ last night. Call me, okay?”
Claire deleted the message. The next two voicemails were from Emily. She demanded details about the night before—what had they watched, had the outfit worked, had they kissed? Claire was dying to talk to Emily but not about Matthew. She wanted to tell her best friend that her mother had ruined her life last night. But she thought about the dead-serious look on her mother’s face when she’d told Claire not to say anything. And also she didn’t really know how Emily would take that sort of news. Claire sighed and deleted Emily’s voicemails. The last message was blank. Claire checked the missed calls list—it had been Matthew, again.
There was no way she could talk to Matthew right now. It sucked that he was worried, even though it sent a little ripple of happiness through her middle to think that he had called—twice—just to check on her. The phone buzzed in her hand and Claire looked down at the screen. Emily. Claire shut her eyes and answered the phone, throwing herself down onto her unmade bed. She braced herself for Emily’s inquisition.
“Hello?” Claire tried to make her voice sound normal.
“Hey.” Emily’s voice held none of its usual excitement. She sounded sort of depressed, actually.
“Are you okay?” asked Claire.
“Not really.” Emily’s voice trembled. “Mom and Dad freaked out about the Engles’ neighbors. They’re talking about making me go stay with Aunt Masie until school starts. On the stupid farm. I am so, so pissed off right now. I don’t even think they get cell phone reception out there. Oh my God, Claire, I’m going to die if they send me away for the rest of the summer!”
If they send her away, at least I won’t have to think of a way to hide this from her, too. Her best friend was about to be shipped off and her first thought was “great”? Guilt filled Claire’s throat. It choked her when she tried to talk. “Emily—that’s horrible. I know your parents are sort of paranoid, but this is really over the top.”
“I know. I swear to God, Claire, they’re actually trying to ruin my life.” The thought of Emily leaving made Claire ache. She’d never been away from her best friend for more than a week. Now they would have to spend the whole summer apart if they couldn’t think of a way to stop Emily’s parents from going off the deep end.
“Emily, breathe. They’re just worried about what happened to Matthew’s neighbors. My—my mom’s totally freaked out, too.”That’s only sort of a lie, right? She said that the pack is worried about what’s happening. …
Claire hadn’t ever hidden anything this big from Emily. And it sucked.
“Oh my God, I didn’t even ask you about yesterday! What happened? How was it? Did he kiss you?”
Claire bit her lip. She didn’t really want to talk about Matthew, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to Emily about everything. “Almost. He would have if his dad hadn’t interrupted us.”
“Oh my God, didn’t I tell you he liked you? Were you so mad at his dad?”
“Not as mad as Matthew looked,” Claire admitted. The memory of Matthew’s frustrated expression made her smile.
“Well, next time for sure. There is going to be a next time, right? Have you talked to him today? I mean—has he called you?”
“Uh, yeah, he called, but I haven’t called him back yet. I just got up a little bit ago, and then my mom wanted to talk to me and stuff.”
“Then why are you still talking to me? Get off the phone and call him! I have to go beg my parents to see reason, anyway. Call me later, okay? And do you wanna hang out tomorrow?”
“Sure, tomorrow sounds great,” said Claire. “I’ll call you. Good luck with your parents.”
Emily groaned and hung up the phone without saying good-bye. Claire caught sight of her face in the mirror and it stopped her cold. It’s because of me. Emily’s parents are going to send her away because they’re afraid of me. …
Chapter Five
IT WAS WELL after dark before Claire could bring herself to call Matthew. “Hello?”
“Um, hi, Matthew.”
“Claire!” Relief flooded his voice. “Are you okay?”