Shocking Pink. Erica Spindler

day dreading the night. Dreading sneaking out of the house and going to the tree house to wait and watch. She didn’t want to see the couple again. She wanted them to disappear from her life, from all their lives.

       If they didn’t, something bad was going to happen.

      Andie shivered and rubbed her arms, chilled though the night was warm. She glanced at her friends: Julie who was staring dreamily into space, Raven who had the binoculars trained on the house next door, waiting quietly, like a cat for its prey.

      Andie shifted, her butt sore from sitting so long on the hard platform. “Are you guys okay?”

      Raven lowered the binoculars. “I’m fine. Why?”

      “You’re quiet tonight, that’s all.”

      Julie giggled, and Raven scowled at her. Julie immediately shut up.

      “Maybe we should go?” Andie offered.

      “Go?” Raven repeated. “What do you mean? We haven’t been here that long.”

      “Long enough,” Andie said. “They’re not coming.”

      “How do you know?”

      “Just a hunch.”

      “Well, I think they are.”

      “Fine.” Andie frowned at her friend, annoyed. “We’ll wait a little longer.”

      “Andie,” Julie whispered, leaning toward her. “I met the coolest guy at the pool today, when I took my brothers swimming.” She lowered her voice a bit more, then giggled again. “I had that icky grandma suit on, the one my dad makes me wear, so I didn’t even take off my cover-up. We sat and talked the whole time my brothers swam.”

      Andie glanced at Raven, then back at Julie. “What was his name?”

      “Bryce. He was so cute.”

      “You didn’t make out with him, did you?” Raven asked, not moving her gaze from the house.

      Julie bristled. “Right there, in front of my brothers and everybody else? No, I didn’t make out with him.”

      “Never can tell with you.”

      Julie’s head snapped up, her expression hurt. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      Raven lowered the binoculars and looked at her. “Sometimes I wonder. I mean, sometimes it seems like all you care about are boys and making out.”

      “Leave her alone, Raven,” Andie said, furious. “It beats what you care about.”

      “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      “This,” she answered. “Ever since that first night, this is all you can think about. You’re obsessed.”

      “I am not! I only want to figure out what’s going on. Who these people are and what they’re doing in this house. You just have a weak stomach.”

      “I do not have a weak stomach!” Andie couldn’t believe she and Raven were arguing like this. “I have a feeling something really bad is going to happen to us.”

      Julie’s eyes widened. “Like what?”

      Raven began clucking her tongue at her. At them both. “Chickenshits … chickenshits.”

      “Stop it!” Andie shouted, scrambling to her feet and glaring down at Raven. “You’re really starting to piss me off!”

      Julie whimpered. “Guys, don’t fight. We’re supposed to be friends.”

      Ignoring Julie, Raven launched to her feet and faced Andie. “And I’m getting pretty sick of your pansy-ass whining.”

      “Whining!”

      “That’s right. We decided that Mr. X was a freak. We decided to pursue this a little longer. We made a deal.”

      “Well, we were wrong. We weren’t thinking clearly.”

      “Speak for yourself. I was thinking plenty clear.” Raven fisted her fingers. “Just ’cause your parents are splitting up, you think everybody should do what you want. Well, you’re not the only one whose home life is shit, okay? Welcome to the club.”

      Andie flinched and took a step backward. “I can’t believe you said that to me. How could you? You know how much—”

      Andie bit back the words, her eyes flooding with tears. She started past Raven, intent on grabbing her binoculars and heading home. At the same moment, Julie jumped to her feet. Andie knocked into the other girl, unbalancing her.

      As if in slow motion, Andie watched as Julie swung her arms trying to rebalance herself. A cry on her lips, Andie grabbed for her friend; she wasn’t fast enough. Julie went over the side of the platform.

      She landed on her side with a sickening thud. She lay there, eyes open but completely still.

      “Julie!” Andie cried, her heart in her throat. It didn’t look as if she was breathing. “Are you okay?”

      She didn’t reply, and Andie and Raven rushed down the ladder to their friend. They knelt beside her. “Are you all right?” Andie asked again, voice shaking. “Please … please … tell me you’re okay.”

      “I … I think I am,” Julie said, beginning to shake. “But I’m afraid to move.”

      “Then don’t,” Andie said. “Give yourself a minute to catch your breath.” She met Raven’s eyes. She saw her own concern mirrored in her friend’s gaze.

      “I can’t be hurt,” Julie whispered. “If I am, my dad’s going to find out what we’ve been doing. He’ll kill me.” She started to cry then, softly, heartbreaking mewls of despair.

      “He won’t find out.” Raven squeezed her hand. “I won’t let him. I promise.”

      “Okay,” Andie said. “Let’s see if anything’s broken.”

      Carefully, they tested Julie’s arms and legs; they had her move her head, fingers and toes, then helped her sit up. She was fine, they realized. Just shaken.

      They all were, Andie decided. Even Raven.

      Andie swallowed hard. “I’m really … really sorry, Julie. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

      “I know. It was an accident.” Julie drew in a hiccoughing breath. “No more fighting. You’re supposed to be best friends. Best friends don’t hurt each other like that.”

      “Julie’s right, Rave.” Andie looked at her friend, a lump forming in her throat. “Now do you see what’s happening to us? Ever since this started, we’ve changed. We’re at each other’s throats all the time. Either that, or not speaking at all. This thing’s tearing us apart.”

      Raven stared at her for long moments, then looked away. “I just wanted to figure this guy out.”

      “I know,” Andie said softly, touching her arm. “But it’s hurting us. And I don’t want to lose you two.”

      “Please, Rave,” Julie said, her voice quivering. “I want to go back to the way we were before.”

      Raven moved her gaze from one to the other, then nodded. “Okay, guys. Starting now, none of this ever happened.”

       12

      But Raven wasn’t about to forget about Mr. and Mrs. X. No matter what Andie said. Andie was wrong. She and Julie didn’t understand. They didn’t see how important what had happened to them was. They had been given an opportunity, an open door.

      To the secrets. The way.

       But she saw. She understood.

      And that was okay. She was the strong one; she always had been. Andie