The Birch House

Chapter Eight

Chase's turn for cooking dinner, and he came up with chili dogs - more chili, but at least he did a good job with it. I had two, watching in amazement as Alex and Chase downed four each, and Alyssa nibbled one. She smiled at Chase, and shot back barbs whenever he sent one sailing her way, but I noticed something else.

Alyssa couldn't keep her eyes off of Alex. At first, I thought, She knows something, but then I saw the flush in Alyssa's cheeks showing through the pale makeup, and the glitter in her eyes.

Oh. Well, I guessed Alex had looked pretty hot, grabbing her out of danger like that and dragging her out of harm's way. And now that I thought about it, Alyssa had been making little glances his direction every time they'd been together.

Alyssa finally shoved her plate away and claimed dibs on the bathroom for a long, hot, soaking bubble bath. Which I wished I'd thought of first. Me and Alex did the dishes while Chase practiced his zombie-fighting skills on Xbox.

"Lyss likes you, you know," I said casually as I was rinsing off the last plate. He nearly dropped the one he was drying.

"What?"

"She does."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No."

"I don't think you understand Lyss, then."

"Don't you like her?"

"Of course I like her!"

"Enough to...?"

"I am not talking about this." He put the plate into the drainer. "Jesus, Evie!"

"Oh, come on. You like her, don't you?"

"Even if I did - " He stopped short, glancing toward the doorway and lowering his voice. "Even if I did, there are a few problems, don't you think?"

"Everybody's got problems," I said. "Especially in this town. I've only been here six weeks, and I already know that."

Whatever he thought about that, he dried his hands and walked out. I heard him talking to Chase, and when I went out the two of them were deep into the video game, elbowing each other and fighting for every point.

Boys. Sheesh.

I was on my way to my room, passing the bathroom, when I heard Alyssa crying. I knocked quietly, and looked in when Alyssa muffled her sobs. The door wasn't locked.

Alyssa was dressed in a black fluffy robe, sitting on the toilet; she'd stripped off her makeup and let her hair down, and she looked like a little girl in a too-large adult outfit. Fragile. She gave me a shaky grin and wiped tear tracks from her face. "Sorry," she said, and cleared her throat. "Kind of a suck-ass day, you know?"

"That guy. That vampire. He acted like he knew you," I said.

"Yeah. He - he's the one who gives my family Protection. I turned him down. He's not too happy." She gave a hollow little laugh. "Guess nobody likes rejection."

I studied her. "You okay, though?"

"Sure. Peachy." Alyssa waved me out. "Go study. Get smart enough to blow this town. I'm just a little bit down. Don't worry about it."

Later, when Alex started playing, I heard Alyssa crying through the wall again.

I didn't go investigate, and I didn't watch Alex vanish. I didn't think I had the courage.

Chase went with me the next day to buy some clothes. It was only three blocks to the colorless retail section of town, with all its dingy-looking thrift stores; I didn't want his company, but he wasn't letting me go alone.