I caught a whiff of wet dog just as I sensed someone behind me. I turned as Calvin reached for my hand.
“Come on Yuki, let’s head back to the truck,” Calvin said as he led me back down the hill.
I guess that was all the reconnaissance we were going to manage for today.
Sorry Mr. Green. We’ll try again tomorrow
. On the ride back I tried to laugh along with Calvin about Jared and the J-team, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit depressed. I wanted to help the ghost of Jackson Green find peace. I also wanted to stop smelling vinegar.
It was giving me a headache
.
Chapter 5
I sat in third period daydreaming about Garrett Hamlin asking me to the homecoming dance. I wasn’t usually into those things but this was senior year and I heard that Garrett and his girlfriend Nadine had broken up over summer break.
Yes
. Now I just had to turn on the Yuki charm and get Garrett to ask me to the dance. That would give me an excuse to wear the black corset dress I found in Salem last winter. I bought it after the Halloween rush when most of the shops were closing for a few months. It had been hanging in my closet just waiting for a chance to be worn. That chance was coming.
I could feel it
.
Or maybe it was just the non-stop vinegar smell going to my head.
This has to stop or I am going to go insane
. I tried to make it through the remainder of class thinking about Garrett. He was totally my type. He dressed all in black, with the big chunky boots that made him absolutely tower over me, not that he needed them. Garrett was 6’1” without the boots and I was 5’ nothing even when I piled all my hair on top of my head. He was perfection wrapped in a pretty, bad boy package. Garret always wore black eyeliner that made his emerald green eyes pop. He had dead straight dyed black hair in an asymmetrical cut that usually hid his right eye giving him a mysterious look. It also showed off the row of silver studs running up and down his ear.
Yum
.
Calvin always scoffed that Garrett used so much hair gel to hold his hair in place that he ended up with helmet head.
Right
. What did Calvin know? He always looked like a shaggy dog that just shook his head and let it dry. What was Calvin doing interrupting my Garrett daydream anyway?
Why was I thinking about Cal
?
It had to be the smell bombardment. It was throwing me off my game. With a sigh and silent prayer for some higher power to give me strength I focused back on the mystery of Jackson Green and his missing inheritance. I was convinced the missing money had something to do with why he was still connected to this plain of existence. The boating accident that killed his three sons also seemed suspicious.
Oh emm gees
. What if Jackson Green didn’t die of old age?
What if Jackson Green was murdered
?
I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before. I guess I just saw his advanced age and that idyllic farm and thought he must have passed away peacefully. Well, except for the part about him haunting me, but I figured he was going to lead me to the missing money which I could help deliver to his widow and voila, no more vinegar smell. I never considered that his spirit might lead me to a murderer. I was going to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. I wasn’t going anywhere near that farm without backup. I was going to have to ask Calvin for a favor.
Wonderful
.
This was probably going to cost me. Maybe I could treat Cal to his favorite Indian restaurant. Nothing a little Tandoori can’t fix, right? I tried sneaking a text to him before the end of school, “Wanna grab curry l8er? My treat.” and hit send before I could chicken out. It was just dinner with Cal right? No big. So why were my hands shaking so bad I could hardly send the text? Just as the final bell rang my phone vibrated. I looked down to see Calvin’s text, “sure, pick u up at 7?” “Sure,” I lamely texted back. For some reason I felt sick as I grabbed my bag and walked out of class.
Son of a dung beetle
. I was nervous to meet Cal for dinner. What was wrong with me lately? Maybe I had the flu, or malaria.
I could only hope
.
Chapter 6
By 6:45 PM my bed was covered in clothes and I still had no idea what to wear for my date with Cal.
Correction, this is not a date
. I just suddenly had no idea what to wear for a dinner non-date. I was holding my black fishnets and tossed them back on the bed. Fishnets after dark would scream slut. My scary tramp look during daylight was
ironic
but it took on a whole new meaning after dark. Great, what was I supposed to wear tonight? I opted for a black kimono top over red leggings with my black boots.
Too combat ninja
? Last minute I added a red and black choker and pulled my hair up with chopsticks. They were the kind from Yumm Mee take-away, not the fancy kind you buy at the mall, but they would have to do. There. Eat your heart out Calvin Miller.
Yup, there was something seriously wrong with me today
.
I came downstairs as my mom was coming through the front door. My parents worked really long hours during the week so we didn’t usually have dinner together except on the weekends.
“Hi mom, I hope you don’t mind but I have dinner plans tonight. Calvin’s taking me to the Shalimar in Portsmouth,” I said hoping that dropping Calvin’s name would soften the fact I was going out on a school night. It seemed to do the trick.
“That’s great sweetie, you look amazing,” she said with an approving nod, “Cal’s a lucky boy.”
I thought about correcting her but was already running late and figured arguing over it being a non-date might cause her to make me stay home. I settled for blushing instead.
That was something I was going to do either way
.
Just then I heard Cal’s truck pull into the driveway. Hoping to leave before anymore awkwardness, I ran for the door. “Bye mom!” I said as I opened the door.
“Bye sweetie,” my mom answered before I closed the door, “Have fun!”
I was about to turn to walk down my front steps when I smelled wet dog.
Calvin
.
“You look amazing,” Calvin said as he walked beside me to the truck.
“Um, thanks. You too,” I stuttered as I he opened the passenger door for me.
You smell like wet dog
. I was starting to wonder if Calvin was taking in strays or working a side job at a pet grooming shop, but I didn’t ask.
Maybe I don’t want to know
.
“So the Shalimar?” he asked as we backed down my driveway.
His arm was over the back of the seat as he looked behind the truck and my heart started doing flip flops in my chest.
Yuki, get a grip
.
“Where else are we going to get Chanaa Masala?” I asked as an old argument began.
“Ew Yuki, why waste perfectly good Indian food on a chickpea dish?” Calvin replied, “Now
I
am going to order Lamb Jalfrazi.” He actually looked like he was drooling.
Must be the reflection from the street lights
.
“Emma would pass out if she were here,” I tossed back at him.
“Emma isn’t here,” he said with a dangerous glint in his eye.
You got me there Calvin Miller
.
“Plus, you said dinner was your treat so that means you are paying for a lamb to be slaughtered for my pleasure. That makes me some kind of god or something,” he gloated showing that toothy grin that I was starting to think had a somewhat predatory look to it
.
I kind of liked it
. Oh man. Why do I have to have a bad boy complex? And why was Calvin Miller suddenly triggering it? I shivered and tried to change the subject.
You’re in over your head Yuki
.
“So um, are we going to have to cross the bridge?” I asked lamely.
“No Yuki. I thought we’d swim,” Calvin replied doing that eyebrow thing of his. “Of course we have to drive over the bridge.”
“Oh,” I whispered suddenly wishing we had picked somewhere else to go for dinner. That’s me, tough combat ninja Yuki afraid of crossing over bridges. Someone once told me not to worry that I would outgrow my fear, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Calvin seemed to tense up all of a sudden and then relax, “You can close your eyes the whole time we’re on the bridge. I’ll let you know when we’ve gone over it.” He said it so softly and compassionately I was at a loss for words.
“Thanks. It means a lot,” I hesitated for just a second and added, “Thanks Calvin.” I was suddenly awash in wet dog smell, but I didn’t have time to worry about it. I quickly squeezed my eyes shut and wrapped my arms around myself while inching down in my seat.
I had a bridge to cross
.
Chapter 7
Day three of school and the air was saturated with the smell of vinegar. I think Jackson was getting frustrated.
Could I blame him
? I had been distracted last night by thoughts of Calvin when I got home and hadn’t gone online for any more research. Something was going on with Calvin, but I couldn’t quite figure out what had changed about him. It was like someone had abducted my annoying friend and replaced him with a darker more secretive version.
He was still annoying though
. Maybe when I start my research on Jackson Green’s family I should think about doing a covert search of Calvin’s house. I could suggest doing the research at his place. We were on good terms since I stuffed him with Indian food last night. That boy really likes his meat, I thought with a shudder.
It was unnatural
.
Maybe I’d grab him an extra burger at lunch time to soften him up. It’s not like I ever used my full lunch allowance on cafeteria food anyway. The only guaranteed vegetarian food was from the salad bar and I draw the line at getting my food from something that requires a sneeze guard.
So gross
. Emma says it’s a conspiracy against non-flesh eaters. I’m not so sure, but today it just meant that my meal ticket was going to help me enlist Calvin’s help after school.
Sorry cow and other meat byproducts
.
“Can you taste its fear?” Emma asked Calvin as he bit into his second burger. She was looking at him intently, probably revving up for one of her arguments against eating meat.
Calvin actually looked a little spooked by her question.
Could he taste its fear
? I was glad to be eating fear-free celery sticks. “So Emma, you have a date for the dance?” I asked just to get her to change the subject. Was I actually trying to help Cal?
Maybe
.
“What? From this student body?” she guffawed. Seriously, she guffawed. It was kind of amazing. “There isn’t a vegan among them,” she said as she surveyed the boys in the cafeteria, “They all smell rancid to me,” she said turning her attention back to us.
“Hey, I thought I was the one with smell issues,” I laughed and grabbed another celery stick. Was she serious or was Emma making this up? I turned to Calvin to nudge him in the ribs but he was sitting there frozen mid-bite.
What was going on with him
?
“I’m serious Yuki. All that meat and dairy they eat just leaks out of their pores. It’s disgusting,” she said wrinkling her nose.
“So are you saying that since I eat dairy I stink too?” I asked wondering if I reeked of sour milk or something. I was tempted to sniff under my arms, but it didn’t seem like a classy thing to do.
“You stink less than most,” Emma said with a smile.
Was that a compliment? My friends were really starting to bug me today. Emma was looking smug and Calvin had gone from startled to contemplative. I really wasn’t sure what was on his mind. He was rubbing his upper arm over and over like he was trying to reassure himself.
About what
? Plus I wasn’t sure if it was all of the talk about smells, but I was starting to catch a whiff of that wet dog smell again.
Weird
.
“I’m taking my slightly stinky self to the computer lab. Maybe I can find something out about Mr. Green during my free period,” I said as I stood up to leave. Lunch was almost over anyway. I might as well get to work on helping my ghostly shadow.
Why did he have to smell like vinegar?
I wondered for the millionth time today.
“You never told me who you were going with,” Emma said as she came up behind me tossing her juice can into the recycling bin, “Do you have a date for the homecoming dance?”
I glanced across the cafeteria to where Calvin was still sitting. “I was thinking about asking Garrett to the dance,” I said surprising myself with my boldness. Right at that moment a dark look crossed Calvin’s face and he stopped rubbing his arm. He thrust himself upright with both palms flat on the lunch table and glared at me through his shaggy bangs.
What was his problem
? There was no way he could hear my conversation with Emma since he was on the opposite end of a noisy cafeteria. I had lost my bravado though and sheepishly looked back at Emma. “Well, I might maybe possibly perhaps ask him. I’m not really sure yet.”
Way to be decisive Yuki
.
“Good luck with that,” Emma said sarcastically and turned gracefully to leave.
I scanned the cafeteria one more time for Calvin, but he appeared to have vanished. I pulled my backpack further up my shoulder and headed for the doors closest to the computer lab.
Looks like it’s just you and me Vinegar Dude
.
Chapter 8
In the computer lab I was chewing on my second pen and typing away with my overly chewed manicure.
Oh yeah, that’s attractive
. I would just have to repaint my nails over the weekend. Right now I needed to focus on helping Jackson Green and doing some super secret snooping on Calvin. I had already sent a copy of Jackson’s obituary and a few maps and satellite images of the farm to the printer. I was just about to open up another window to do a search on Calvin Miller when a voice beside me made me jump.
“Did you know that every time a fly lands it either defecates or lays an egg?” Calvin asked while looking pointedly at the chewed pen in my mouth.
That’s why I hate you Calvin Miller
.
“You’re beginning to sound like Emma,” I said bluntly looking to the stack of papers in his hands.