Crystal (Silver Hills #2) (2 page)

Chapter Two

A Bloody Ham

"I think I might puke," I whispered.

"Aim for your locker then," Alexa replied.  "These are new shoes."  Alexa didn't seem nervous at all as she leaned against the locker next to mine in
her jeans and volleyball sweat
shirt.

"I can't do it today," I gulped.  "I'll do it tomorrow.  I promise."  I clutched the middle of my pink top.  I'd spent all morning getting ready - curled hair
, best j
eans, a spritz of very berry vanilla
.

"No," sh
e replied with
bulging
eyes
.  "
That'll give
you
more time to think about it.  Ask him today before you have a heart attack."  I inched my head into my locker and rested it next to my Algebra book.
  I hadn't even spotted Brett yet but my heart was racing.  I could hear it beating loud in my ears.

"What if he says no," I muttered.

"He won't," Alexa sighed.  "You smell like
a
bucket of Halloween candy."

"I'm being serious, Alexa.  What if he laughs at me or something?"

"Then ask him if he's afraid of losing," she chuckled.  "He's a competitive guy.  This will work.  Just remember, this is it.  NO MORE Brett talk after this weekend.  Agreed?"

"Fine," I agreed.
  Though I doubted moving on would be easy. 
I saw him every day in the hall
way.

"I want a definite 'yes Alexa' this time."  She glimpsed over her sh
oulder as a crowd of football players
rounded the corner.  That was my cue.

"Yes Alexa," I recited.

"That means actually smiling when a cute guy checks you out."

"If it ever happens.  Sure."  My throat swelled up as Brett's face came into view.  He smiled at his teammate, stopping to check his backpack.

"It happens all the time," Alexa rolled her eyes. 
She watched my face turn red before she
turned around.  "Perfect.  He's alone."

"
Argh my head is buzzing," I murmured.

"Oh geez," Alexa said through her teeth.  "Remember how the two of you used to talk ALL the time?  Were you nervous back then?"

"We weren't in high school back then," I argued.

"He's still the same guy, C."  She eyed his bulky arms as he searched through his bag.  "Mostly.
  Pretend like nothing has changed.
"
  I nodded, remembering the time Brett had spilled Mom's barbeque brisket all over his shorts.  The piping hot meat soaked through to his skin, forcing him to hop up and down from the pain.  I smiled, shutting my locker and walking towards him with a straight look on my face.

My blood pumped at a hundred miles per hour and my feet felt like two giant stones the closer I got.
  Brett looked up, slightly grinning when he saw me.  My lungs froze, forgetting how to
properly
contract and expand
.
  My eyes met his.
  I couldn't back out now without making a fool of myself.

"Crystal," Brett said quietly with a startled look on his face.  He fumbled through his backpack before accidentally dropping it.
  "Hey . . . it's been a while."

"Yeah," I responded, feeling Alexa's glare at the back of my neck.  I cleared my throat, praying my voice wouldn't quiver when I started speaking again.  "Too long."

"
How h
ave you been?" Brett
eyed my
curls.  I shrugged.  I could've been better if he hadn't ignored me since freshman year.

"Okay," I admitted, noticing the familiar flecks of gold in his eyes.  My heart pumped so loud in my ears I was sure Bret
t could hear it.  I smiled
, remembering Alexa's advice. 
He's still the same guy.  Just older . . . and buffer . . . and more popular.  No pressure. 
"Um, do you remember when we used to meet at the old school house?"
  Brett smirked.

"Do I ever."  He looked down, scratching his br
own hair as his smile grew
.

"This weekend," I continued, trying to sound confident.  "You still up for some competition?"

"Seriously?" he chuckled.  "We haven't played that game in years."

"Oh come on."  I reached out and playfully squeezed his rocklike forearm - something I used to do all the time.  It felt like steam was rising from my fiery cheeks. 
Please don't sweat.  Please don't sweat.

"Uhhh . . ."  He glanced down at my baby blue fingernails.  I pulled the competitor card before he had time to say something else.

"Afraid of losing again?" 

"Not at all," Brett immediately replied.  He paused for a minute before suddenly nodding.  "Yeah, okay.  I've got just the thing.  You ain't winning this time, Crystal."

"Keep telling yourself that," I muttered.  "We both know why
I'm
the reigning champ."

"Because we stopped playing?" he suggested.  I let out a laugh, relieved that my heart rate was gradually starting to slow down.

"No."

"Because there are freaky things goin' on in that head of yours," he kept going.

"You're just jealous," I responded, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

"Not this time," he winked.  "I've got the mother of all pranks
up my sleeve
."

"I love a good prank," came a voice that made me cringe.  The red streaks in Amber's hair made it look like her scalp was bleeding.  My heart rate sped up again as she giggled, planting her feet close to Brett.  Too close.
  "Hi I'm Amber . . . from New York."
  Her long eyelashes bounced up and down as she eyed Brett's muscular shoulders. 
M
ake it more obvious why don't you
.

"Brett," he nodded.

"You two planning a prank or something?"  Amber's smile slightly died when she finally looked at me.  "
You
hardly seem like a daredevil." 
She looked me up and down like I was an unwanted guest who had shown up late for tea.

"You'd be surprised," I murmured. 
I glanced at Brett.

"Should we bring a friend?
" Brett suggested.  "Make this more interesting?"  It was a genius suggestion, but it would leave us no time to talk alone.  Though sca
ring Amber so much that she wet herself did sound
tempting.

"I guess," I agreed.  But only because I was put on the spot and desperate to walk away from Amber's judgmental eye.  "Saturday.  Same place.  Same time."

"I'll be there," Brett said as he bit the
in
side of his cheek.

"And I'm invited?" Amber giggled, directing all her attention at Brett.  "How nice of you to bring me along." 
She has no idea what she's been invited to,
I thought. 
What an idiot.

"Oh," I added.  "And don't ruin the surprise.  Otherwise, the results will be biased."

"You got it," Brett chuckled, looking
mischievously to
Amber.

*
         
*
         
*

I only had two days to plan the perfect scare.  I dug through our freezer, rubbing my fingers together when the ice made them tingle.
  Alexa tapped her foot while she waited
for the vital info I
'd kept from her on our chilly
walk home. 
My mind was running a million miles a minute and I couldn't afford to lose track of my thoughts before I was certain of how to play this.

"Crystal, I'm gonna start screaming."  Alexa hit the kitchen table as she plopped down in a chair.

"What do you want first?" I asked  - my head deep in the freezer.  "The good news or the bad news?"

"The bad news," she responded.  "Give me the bad news first.  I know it has to do with that freak from NY."

"Correct," I chortled as I pulled a frozen ham from the back
of
our frosty meat selection.  It made a loud bang as I set it on the counter.  The tips of my fingers were red and frozen.

"Ham?  I think I'd rather go for pizza."

"It's not to eat dummy," I said, taking a breath.  "It's for Saturday."

"You're going to serve up some baked ham?" she laughed.  "Romantic."
  I rolled my eyes.

"The plan worked," I went on.  "He's meeting me at the old school house.  But . . . he's bringing Amber."  I braced myself for a storm of shouting but instead Alexa looked confused.

"To scare?  I don't get it."

"So this is how the game works," I explained.  "Whoever scares the crap out of the other is the winner.  Though sometimes the best ga
u
ge of who should win comes from a third party.  Brett and I both agreed to bring a friend along - a friend that isn't supposed to know what's going on."

"I'm an excellent actor," Alexa smiled.

"
So the bad news: Amber will be there.  And the good news: Amber will be there."  I smirked as I imagined Amber screaming and running into the neighboring forest.

"Sorry," Alexa responded.  "How is that good news?"

"Amber won't know what's going on."

"Ohhhh," Alexa blurted out - her eyes widening.  "That's brilliant, C!
  So what do you have in mind?
"

"A nasty accident," I answered.  "Using this."  I touched the frozen ham as it made tiny puddles of water on the table.

"Like stag
ed gore?"  Alexa
looked more and more pleased.  Gore was her thing. 
I knew she'd fall in love with my plan.

"You said you were a good actor," I replied.  "This'll be all you.  Think you can pull it off?"

"Trust me," she laughed.  "This'll be my best performance yet."

"
I was thinking we'd fake an accident before things even get started.  Make it look like flesh is protruding from you
r
wound?"

"
I thought you wanted to win," Alexa snidely commented.  "You gotta go bigger than that.  My gut needs to burst open or something."  My face cringed as I thought of Alexa doubling over due to organ slippage.

"Sick," I muttered.

"That will freak them out more than anything."

"You don't think it's too much?" I asked.  "We don't want to give away that that's our prank.  What if Brett doesn't buy it?"

"That idiot Amber will," she replied.  "Isn't that all that matters?  Besides, we want her out of the way."

"True."  My chest jolted at the sound of tiny fo
otsteps in the hall.  The floor
boards creaked and Alexa quickly turned her head.

"Troy isn't here,"
Alexa shook her head.  My little sister Jade peeked around the corner.  Her long hair was darker than mine - almost black. 

"
It's
all clear," I sniggered.  "Mom ran to the grocery store like ten minutes ago and Dad isn't home yet."  She tossed aside her stealthy demeanor and skipped towards the freezer for a Popsicle.

"What's that?" Jade asked, pointing to the frozen ham.  She was six years younger and a full head shorter than me.

"It's called a ham," I joked.

"Obviously," Jade replied as she reached for her grape flavored treat.  "What's it doing on the counter?"

"Why are you sneaking popsicles before dinner?" I retaliated.

"Who
eats popsicles when it's like minus fifty
degrees
outside?" Alexa added.  Jade shot her a fierce look.  She would've picked fights with Alexa every time she came over, but luckily Troy usually tagged along to keep her occupied. 

"Understood," Jade turned to me
, ignoring Alexa's comment.  "
Whatever you plan on doing with an entire ham is none of my business."

"And what you sneak from the freezer is none of mine," I finished.

"We might need more than that ham though," Alexa commented.

"I can't just take half the freezer you know," I answered.  "I'm pretty sure my mom might notice."

"Might," Jade murmured, taking a lick of her Popsicle.  "She
will
notice.  You planning on making her think she never bought a ham?  Good luck."

"Troy's home," Alexa interrupted.  "Why don't
you
skip down the str
eet and out of our conversation?
"

"Well why don't you -
"  Jade's little cheeks went pink.

"Cool it," I interrupted, looking at Alexa.  "Both of you."