Chapter 21

At the ten-thirty ‘nutrition break’, Eric headed for the school library. With all the kids running loose, it was the only place of safety. He’d discovered this sanctuary during the second week of school, after spending his nutrition and lunch periods in terror.

Nate Houlder had chased him, that day, threatening to beat the shit out of him.

Eric barely made it to the library door. He rushed inside, Nate hot on his tail.

‘Hold it! ’ Mr Carlson had yelled, his voice booming through the quiet library.

Eric stopped, but Nate kept coming and grabbed his arm.

‘Let go of him! ’

Nate dragged him toward the door.

Mr Carlson’s face turned bright red and he suddenly ran from behind the circulation desk, his corduroy jacket fluttering behind him.

Nate hesitated, then smirked as if he thought the librarian was a joke. He pulled Eric toward the door.

‘Damn it, you little …! ’ Carlson’s hand chopped Nate’s forearm. Eric pulled away from the loose fingers.

‘You hit me, ’ Nate snarled.

‘I told you to let go of him. ’

‘Man, I’m gonna sue your ass. ’

‘Be my guest. In the meantime, get out of here. ’

Nate glared at him.

Carlson shoved him.

‘Hey, don’t push me! ’

‘Get out of here. ’

Nate turned away. ‘I’m going, I’m going. ’

‘Not fast enough. ’ Following the boy, Carlson nudged his trailing foot sideways and tripped him. Nate caught himself on the bar of the door. As he left, he looked over his shoulder. ‘Goddamn fag. You two deserve each other. ’

Eric smiled, remembering the scene. By driving him into the library that day, Nate had done him a real favor. His life at Ashburg High had improved a lot since discovering the refuge: nutrition and lunch periods were no longer times of being chased, punched, and trash-canned. Instead, he could sit in the safety of the library, read, or join the others chatting with Mr Carlson.

Of course, it was still a problem getting there unscathed. As he walked past the other students, today, he kept a sharp eye out for Nate and Bill and half a dozen other guys with nothing better to do than torment him.

Glimpsing someone close to his side, he took a quick step away and looked around. Only Beth. She smiled slightly, her lips together in a way she’d started smiling since she got her braces.

‘What happened to your hand? ’ she asked.

‘Ah, nothing. I cut it on a broken glass, last night. ’

‘Where’re you going? ’

‘The library. ’

‘Me, too. No more snack bar for me. ’

‘You’re not fat. ’

She laughed softly. For a moment, her bright clear eyes met Eric’s. Then she lowered them as if embarrassed. ‘I’m not skinny, either. ’

‘Who says you have to be? ’

‘Oh, nearly everyone. ’

‘What do they know, ’ he said.

As they talked together, he sneaked glances at Beth. She was no taller than him, with light brown hair and a band of freckles across her nose and cheeks. He’d known her since she moved to Ashburg three years ago. She never made fun of his size or his mind, and she wasn’t pretty enough to frighten him so they got along just fine.

‘Are you going to the Halloween party? ’ Eric asked.

‘Which one? ’

‘Which one? ’ He looked at her, frowning. ‘The one at the old Sherwood house. ’

‘Do you think that’s for real? ’

‘Sure. I got an invitation. ’

‘So did I, but I can’t imagine the place will be opened for a party. It’s been boarded up for years. ’

‘It’ll be open tonight. ’

‘You sound awfully sure. ’

‘It just doesn’t make sense for somebody to send out all those invitations and then not have a party. ’

‘I think it’s just a gag, ’ Beth said.

Eric shook his head. ‘Gee, I was hoping …’

‘What? ’ She looked at him, smiling.

‘I was kind of hoping you’d be there. ’ He reached for the library door.

‘Wait. Let’s not go in yet. ’

Their eyes locked. He saw her blush, and felt heat rushing to his own face.

‘Aleshia’s having a party tonight. ’

‘She is? ’ Eric tried to keep his disappointment from showing. If Aleshia had a party, she wouldn’t be at the Sherwood house. Not Beth, not Aleshia. How many others wouldn’t show up? Maybe he’d be the only one…

‘Eric, would you like to go with me to Aleshia’s party? ’

‘Me? ’ He pictured Aleshia, lithe and smiling. At her party, he could look at her for hours, talk to her, maybe even somehow touch her, feel the warm smoothness of her skin. ‘I’d sure like to …’

Beth shrugged. ‘I know it’s awfully late to be asking. You probably have other plans. ’

‘Sort of. ’

‘It’s all right. I can ask somebody else. ’

‘No, don’t. I’ll go with you. ’

‘Really, you don’t have to. ’

‘I want to. It’s just that … I’ve got a problem about …’ He sighed. ‘I want to go to the Sherwood house. ’

‘What on earth for? ’

‘I guess because it’s been shut up, all these years. I’ve always wondered what it must be like inside. Haven’t you? ’

‘A little, maybe. ’

‘And it just seems like such a great place for a Halloween party. ’

‘Great, like a boneyard. ’

‘Yeah, that’s just the point. And another thing is, nobody knows who’s giving the party. Like it’s a big mystery. I’d like to go and find out. ’

‘I don’t know. ’ Beth shook her head. ‘I promised Aleshia I’d go to her party. I guess, if you really have to go to the other one … Well, maybe I’d better find someone else for tonight. ’

‘Oh, don’t do that. ’

‘What about the Sherwood house? ’

‘It won’t be much fun, anyway, if nobody else is there. ’

Beth smiled, this time not holding back to hide her braces, this time beaming.

⇐ Предыдущая 18 19 20 21 222324 25 26 27 Следующая ⇒