Read Online April Fools by Richie Tankersley Cusick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richie Tankersley Cusick
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues, Horror & Ghost Stories, Friendship, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Adolescence, Horror Fiction, Traffic accidents
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brings him pain medicine." On a sudden hunch she asked, "Do you know Adam very well?"
Noel's head went slowly from side to side. "I guess it sounds kind of funny, but we haven't really been around each other that much. Mom married Fred -- my stepdad -- just three years ago. I've been away at school -- and I think Adam's been hving with his mother ever since his folks split up years ago."
"Do you ... do you happen to know where his mother lives?"
"No, I've never been there. I don't think it's far,^ though. Some Httle town."
"But where? Close to here?"
Noel gave her a strange look. 'Why? Are you planning a visit or something?"
"No," she said, flustered. "I'm just curious."
His eyes flicked back to the road. "I don't know. A couple hours' drive, maybe. I really don't know."
Belinda flinched, her voice coming out taut. "I don't think he likes it here very much."
"Well" -- Noel looked almost sympathetic -- "I can't really blame him. My mom's pretty hard to take most of the time." He adjusted the volume control, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel. "So how long is he staying, do you know?"
She shook her head. "He's . . . he's really a very scary person sometimes. ..."
"Ah. From what I've heard, the wreck didn't have anything to do with that." Noel threw her
another quick glance. "From what I've heard, Adam's never been known for his charming personality."
Belinda pondered this, remembering the photograph in the kitchen. "From what you've heard or from what you know?^^
Noel smiled. "Our only thing in common is having a parent and a stepparent. The times we have been in the same house, we never spend time together. Adam's a real loner. I don't think he has any use for people."
"Haven't you ever just talked?"
"No. Like I said, all I really know about Adam is what I've heard." He hesitated and glanced at her. "Look, I don't want to give you any unfair impressions of Adam. He's not here to defend himself, and I don't know him, it's that simple."
"I have my own impressions." Belinda sighed. "I want to help him, but he doesn't want me to. I don't know if I should come back or not."
Noel shifted his shoulders. "And I'm not being much help at all, am I? I don't know what to tell you."
"Oh, this is my street." Belinda straightened, pointing. "Last house -- the green shutters." She tried not to feel embarrassed by him being here -- after the kind of house he was used to, she was sure this neighborhood looked near poverty level to him. Asking Noel in was out of the question.
"BeUnda?"
She was already out of the car. He leaned across Sasha as Belinda looked back in the window, and
his hand reached up to touch her arm.
"I know this is none of my business," he began hesitantly, "but this thing with Adam -- he^s been through a bad time, and I don't imagine he's over it yet. If I can do anything . . . you know ... I hope you'll tell me."
Belinda tried to smile. "Maybe," she said lamely. "Thanks for the offer."
"You think about it." He started to back up, then stopped again. "And if you do decide to come, why don't I pick you up?"
"That's nice of you, but there's a bus that runs right past my school."
"It wouldn't be any trouble -- "
"Thanks. Really. But I can take the bus all right."
He waved and honked the horn, a blur of shiny red fading down the street. Belinda stood there looking after him, then let herself in with a sigh. Yes, I could definitely get serious about Noel. . . . "Noel and Belinda" -- it sounded good, she decided, and then who are you kidding, Belinda Swanson; you're as ordinary as they come.
Laughing at herself, she went out to get the mail, her shoulders hunched against the chilly twilight. She took a deep breath of air and waved at a passing neighbor, plunging her other hand into the mailbox.
Something oozed beneath her fingers.
As Belinda gasped and jerked away, she looked wildly back at the sidewalk but the neighbor had gone; the street was empty.
And then she looked down at her
Noel's head went slowly from side to side. "I guess it sounds kind of funny, but we haven't really been around each other that much. Mom married Fred -- my stepdad -- just three years ago. I've been away at school -- and I think Adam's been hving with his mother ever since his folks split up years ago."
"Do you ... do you happen to know where his mother lives?"
"No, I've never been there. I don't think it's far,^ though. Some Httle town."
"But where? Close to here?"
Noel gave her a strange look. 'Why? Are you planning a visit or something?"
"No," she said, flustered. "I'm just curious."
His eyes flicked back to the road. "I don't know. A couple hours' drive, maybe. I really don't know."
Belinda flinched, her voice coming out taut. "I don't think he likes it here very much."
"Well" -- Noel looked almost sympathetic -- "I can't really blame him. My mom's pretty hard to take most of the time." He adjusted the volume control, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel. "So how long is he staying, do you know?"
She shook her head. "He's . . . he's really a very scary person sometimes. ..."
"Ah. From what I've heard, the wreck didn't have anything to do with that." Noel threw her
another quick glance. "From what I've heard, Adam's never been known for his charming personality."
Belinda pondered this, remembering the photograph in the kitchen. "From what you've heard or from what you know?^^
Noel smiled. "Our only thing in common is having a parent and a stepparent. The times we have been in the same house, we never spend time together. Adam's a real loner. I don't think he has any use for people."
"Haven't you ever just talked?"
"No. Like I said, all I really know about Adam is what I've heard." He hesitated and glanced at her. "Look, I don't want to give you any unfair impressions of Adam. He's not here to defend himself, and I don't know him, it's that simple."
"I have my own impressions." Belinda sighed. "I want to help him, but he doesn't want me to. I don't know if I should come back or not."
Noel shifted his shoulders. "And I'm not being much help at all, am I? I don't know what to tell you."
"Oh, this is my street." Belinda straightened, pointing. "Last house -- the green shutters." She tried not to feel embarrassed by him being here -- after the kind of house he was used to, she was sure this neighborhood looked near poverty level to him. Asking Noel in was out of the question.
"BeUnda?"
She was already out of the car. He leaned across Sasha as Belinda looked back in the window, and
his hand reached up to touch her arm.
"I know this is none of my business," he began hesitantly, "but this thing with Adam -- he^s been through a bad time, and I don't imagine he's over it yet. If I can do anything . . . you know ... I hope you'll tell me."
Belinda tried to smile. "Maybe," she said lamely. "Thanks for the offer."
"You think about it." He started to back up, then stopped again. "And if you do decide to come, why don't I pick you up?"
"That's nice of you, but there's a bus that runs right past my school."
"It wouldn't be any trouble -- "
"Thanks. Really. But I can take the bus all right."
He waved and honked the horn, a blur of shiny red fading down the street. Belinda stood there looking after him, then let herself in with a sigh. Yes, I could definitely get serious about Noel. . . . "Noel and Belinda" -- it sounded good, she decided, and then who are you kidding, Belinda Swanson; you're as ordinary as they come.
Laughing at herself, she went out to get the mail, her shoulders hunched against the chilly twilight. She took a deep breath of air and waved at a passing neighbor, plunging her other hand into the mailbox.
Something oozed beneath her fingers.
As Belinda gasped and jerked away, she looked wildly back at the sidewalk but the neighbor had gone; the street was empty.
And then she looked down at her
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