Searchlight (Crystal 1)

Chapter 12

Crystal’s hair wasn’t frizzy on Friday. It was flat-ironed to perfection. Poker straight. She eyed her reflection in the school restroom after school. “I look like my mom,” she muttered.

Trixie, who was at the next mirror, dusting her cheeks with shimmery powder, snorted. “Your mom is the hottest thing on this planet so I’d say that’s a good thing.”

“I don’t want to look like my mom.”

“You look pretty, Crystal,” Jamie said. Jamie was leaning against the wall, studying the tips of her long dark hair. Her hair never got frizzy or wild. Even windblown it looked good. “But I can point out the differences between you and your mom if you want. Your complexion is darker than your mom’s. You have a hint of blue in your eyes. You have natural blond highlights.”

“Juda is going to know I straightened my hair because of him,” Crystal said, ignoring Jamie’s attempt to prop up her self-esteem. Her self-esteem was fine. She just didn’t like being compared to her mom all the time. People never said ‘you look nice, Crystal.’ If she looked nice it was ‘because of her mom.’ A girl could only live in her mom’s shadow for so long.

“So what if he knows you straightened it because of him?” Trixie asked.

Crystal ran her hairbrush through her hair a few more times and then tossed it into her purse. “He’ll think I’m trying too hard. He’ll think I’m being desperate.”

“No, he’ll be flattered that you made the effort,” Jamie said.

Trixie rolled her eyes as she put her compact away. “Just shut up and stop complaining, Crystal.” She shouldered her purse. “C’mon, the bell rang ten minutes ago. I have a date in an hour.”

Crystal raked a hand through her hair as she followed her friends out of the restroom. The caramel, not blond, bits in her hair did look nice when her hair was straight. When it was frizzy it all just kind of melded together. Juda had better not tease her, or say she’d molested her hair. He’d better appreciate the effort she’d made.

She parted with her friends in the parking lot. They both had spaces in the front parking lot. Her car was round back. She was going to have to drive fast if she was going to make it to the church in time to rehearse with the choir before youth group started. Anyone who was more than ten minutes late for the bi-monthly rehearsals wasn’t allowed to sing. Ms. Carlisle, the young adult choir teacher, was no Miss Congeniality.

Crystal’s heeled pumps clicked as she walked. She didn’t wear heels much because she preferred an easy life without sore feet, but she figured she should wear heels tonight. She would have worn a dress too, but the burns on her legs hadn’t completely healed yet, so her skinny jeans would have to do. She should call Grayson and ask for more of that gel though, because it had worked wonders.

As Crystal entered the rear parking lot she caught movement from the corner or her eye. She spun around. She didn’t recognize the man standing against the wall that ran around the parking lot, he could be a janitor for all she knew, but her heart thudded anyway and she turned around promptly and picked up her pace.

Footsteps sounded behind her. “Crystal.”

He knew her name. Definitely not a good sign. She was about to run when he grabbed her arm. The door to a nearby car opened and a man stepped out. Randall.

“There are security cameras here,” Crystal said as Randall stood behind her. “And my school has been informed—” she felt something hard press against her back. Crystal froze. Was that a gun?

“Don’t scream and don’t move.” His voice was as hard and cold as the last time she’d had the misfortune of making his acquaintance. The barrel of the gun pressed harder into her spine. “Give him your car keys.”