They Know Me

AUNT KAREN

After class was over, Rhys and I walked out into the corridor, but I wasn't watching where I was going, and bumped into a nearby locker. My notebook fell and papers spilled everywhere. Grumbling under my breath, I bent down to pick them up.

Rhys suddenly squatted next to me. "Don't look up, but Principal Carnegie is coming over here with ..."

A familiar, but unexpected voice rang out, "Ashe – Rhys ... hi, kids."

I froze.

He nodded.

Over my shoulder, I saw my aunt, escorted by Principal Carnegie, was on her way over to us, smiling brightly.

I scooped up the last of my papers and stood. Rhys did, too.

Looking absurdly proud, Principal Carnegie asked, "So, Ashe, how do you like your new school? Is Rhys showing you around?"

I returned her smile with barely-there one of my own. "Yeah, he has. It's – nice."

"I'm glad to hear it. How are your classes going?"

"Fine."

She turned Aunt Karen. "Let me know if you need anything." She left us and started down the hallway, calling out to some boys to quit their 'horse play.'

"Why are you ... is anything wrong?" I asked.

My aunt's smile broadened. "No. I just wanted to come by and take you both out for ice cream."

Annoyed, I glanced at Rhys. He looked embarrassed. "We have to study."

Her smile faded. "I thought you would, but I hoped to catch you before you got started. It's my way of making up to you for being gone for the next two weeks. I also wanted to see for myself how things were going for you so far here at school."

As curious as I was to know the exact date she'd be back, I didn't ask. She might think I'd miss her and find a way to stay home. "Okay. Tonight, then. Just us."

Her face lit up and she pulled me into a suffocating bear hug. "Oh honey, that would be great."

I glared at Rhys over her shoulder as he choked back a laugh, and then gently pushed away from her. "I'll see you when I get home."

"Why wait when we can go right now?" Aunt Karen started to fish through her purse for her keys.

Quickly, I said, "Actually, I need to pick Rhys' brain – for the test."

Unsure if she'd bought into my lie, or only pretended to, she said to hurry home and headed for the exit.

"Thanks for taking one for the team and going alone," Rhys mumbled. "I'm not in the mood for her to plan our wedding again."

I rolled my eyes. "You owe me."

We walked down the corridor slowly. By the time we'd reached the double doors, my aunt's car wasn't in the parking lot. Glancing over to the small hill that led to the back of Cemetery Raven, I said, "Let's take the short cut."

"Going through town takes longer ... or, are you in a hurry to get your 'girl's night' started?"

"I hate you for making such a solid point. Fine. We'll leave the cemetery for another time."

"A much later time."

We walked through the parking lot, headed for town. Rhys brought up the Mythology test, but my mind was already busy thinking of other things – returning to Cortland Bridge, going to the warehouse, finding a place to escape to when I wanted to be truly alone, preferably inside of Cemetery Raven, and to finally discover the true identity of the French guy – and to ask him why he wasn't in school and why I only saw him at night the next time I saw him.

"Mrs. Brown's not going to make it easy, even with the answers given, so we'll still have to study."

"What about history?" I lifted my chin in the direction of Cemetery Raven. "That graveyard has a lot of it."

Sourly, Rhys replied, "Forget it, Ashe."

We crossed the street to ours and parted ways at his front lawn. "Have fun tonight."

"You're welcome to join."

Without replying, he left me and jogged up the steps of his porch and went inside.

"Coward," I grumbled under my breath.

I crossed the adjoining lawns and climbed the steps of the porch. Just as I'd started to reach for the front door, it swung open. Almost too cheerily, my aunt asked, "Ready?"

Fake smile, I thought to myself, nodding.