The Brain Invaders

Chapter 16

When Mom picked us up later that day, she asked about Cassie’s report. “Find everything you needed?”

 “More than enough,” Cassie said.

“And what book did you pick for your report?” Mom asked me.

 “Emma.”

“Oh, another Jane Austen book.”

“Well, figured I liked “Pride and Prejudice” that I’d like this one.”

“You will,” Mom said. “You have some of Emma’s qualities.

“Like what?”

“Like you sometimes meddle in things.”

I glanced at Cassie sitting in the back seat. She rolled her eyes.

 “Do not,” I said.

“What about the time that boy you knew swindled Mrs. McGee and you hunted him down and got her money back.”

“But that was a good meddle. He ripped her off. Sold her two boxes of cherries that were rotten except for the ones on top.”

“What about the time...”

 “I get it,” I said. “I sometimes meddle. But it’s because I care.”

“I know that,” Mom said. “Just be careful what you care about. Sometimes, it can come back and bite you.”

Or crawl into my head, I thought. I leaned over and turned up the radio. I didn’t feel like talking. We dropped Cassie off on our way home. She didn’t want to be anywhere near her parents, but we worked out a plan. She had all of our cell numbers and could call at any time. We planned to spend a lot of time together this week with the excuse that we were working on Cassie’s campaign for student council. On the days I had intramural field hockey after school, she’d do homework in the library.

When I got home, I headed to my room.

“So what do you want for dinner?” Mom called as I headed up the stairs.

I stopped mid-way. “Not hungry. Maybe later.”

“But I won’t be here later,” Mom said.

“I’m not a baby, Mom. I think I can make myself something to eat.”

“Well, OK, then. There’s soup in the cupboard and some frozen dinners. And a leftover cheeseburger from the other night in the fridge.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t starve.”

  I was reading in my room when Mom knocked on my door.

I checked to make sure my shirt was covering my birthmark. “Come in.”

“Reading Emma, huh?” said Mom, walking over to the bed.

I nodded.

“I’m leaving with Mrs. McGee. Don’t forget to eat something. I’ll see you later.”

“See ya. Have fun.”

I was never so glad to see Mom leave. I sort of felt horrible feeling that way, but I couldn’t help it. I hated being around her because my stomach hurt all of the time. I had to keep telling myself that as long as Mom had one of those things stuck in her head, she wasn’t really Mom. It helped a little.

I wondered where she and Mrs. McGee were going, what friends they were meeting. If the friends were already turned or if Mom and Mrs. McGee were going to turn them. It made me sick just thinking about it.   

I was trying to find more information about sea slugs online when Zach called. He had some news. Some bad news. Turned out his mom came home from a Sunday luncheon with her friends and was one of them. She was stumbling all over the place and Zach said his dad yelled at her because he thought she was drunk. Zach suggested his mom rest and when he helped her to bed, his dad left the house boiling mad.

“Thing is,” Zach said, “Mom never drinks. “Even those girly drinks with umbrellas and fancy fruit. So she completely blindsided Dad by the way she was acting.”

“Will you be all right?” I asked.

“Yeah. Just hope Dad can let it go. If he gets on her case too much, it won’t take her long to turn him.”

I knew Zach was right. They shut people up fast before they can become a problem.

“Talk to Kate and Ryan?”

“Yeah. Everything’s normal. Well, as normal as it can be.”

I told Zach about the bearded man in the black leather jacket and jeans who interrupted the church service. And how two men from the congregation scooted out of their pews and carted him away.

“Did you see him later?” Zach asked. “When church was over?”

“No. And Cassie and I got out of church as soon as we could. There was something else that was odd, though.”

“What?” 

“There was this man on a motorcycle watching the church door from across the street, like he was waiting for someone. When we all started leaving, he took off. Drove a red motorcycle.”

“Wonder if it’s the same guy I’ve seen around town. Kind of spooked me a couple of times. Showing up unexpectedly. Like he was following me or something. That fire engine red cycle is hard to miss. Wonder who he is?”

“And if he’s on our side or theirs,” I said.

“I think we should operate on the assumption that he’s on their side and be careful,” Zach said.

“I couldn’t agree more.”