you?”
“You tell me,” Benny shot back. “Why were you here last night?”
“What?” Anna stared at him.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I
saw
you.”
“Saw me where? What are you talking about?”
“Last night, you were in my backyard,” Benny said. “I was sleeping when I heard someone call my name. It was you, Anna.”
“You must have been dreaming,” Anna told him. “I wasn’t here last night. I was home sleeping.”
Benny shook his head, growing more agitated. “I wasn’t dreaming. I saw you, Anna. And I know you saw me. You waved at me. You called my name. I leaned out the window to see what you wanted, and then … something pushed me.”
Anna felt a shiver run down her spine. “You imagined it, Benny. I wasn’t here.”
“Stop
lying,
Anna. I
saw you!”
Benny’s voice rose to a shout.
“Just tell me what happened!”
Anna shook her head to say she didn’t know. Shehad a cold feeling in her stomach, as if she’d swallowed a gallon of ice water.
“Are you afraid I’m going to tell on you? Is that it?” he snarled. “Well, you don’t have to worry. I didn’t. Everyone thinks I was sleepwalking. My mom didn’t find me until morning. She got up to let the cat in, and there I was, lying on the ground. She thought I was dead. And now I can’t play hockey. They said it could take up to two months for my leg to heal, maybe more. They won’t let me play this year if I miss two months of practice.”
A tuft of hair was sticking up on the back of his head, like ruffled feathers. Anna felt an urge to reach out and smooth it down. Instead, she took a deep breath.
“Benny, I swear to you, I don’t know who you saw last night, but it wasn’t me. I swear it.”
Benny gave her a long look, and for a moment Anna thought he believed her. But he shook his head. “You’re not who I thought you were, Anna. Go away. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Anna quietly left the room. Her legs were trembling as she made her way down the stairs to the front door. She was relieved not to run into Benny’s mother on the way out.
Outside, she felt tears pressing at the back of her eyes. What was going on? Why was Benny saying those terrible things about her?
He said he hit his head,
Anna reminded herself. She had heard her mother tell stories about the crazy things people did and said when they had head injuries. Maybe something had happened to Benny’s brain so he imagined things that he thought were real.
Yes,
Anna decided.
That must be what happened. He’s just confused now. When he gets better, he’ll realize that none of it is true.
But she couldn’t shake the image of his eyes, glaring at her with hot hatred. His eyes had been so clear. He hadn’t seemed confused at all.
Chapter Ten
The next day, Anna was more anxious than ever to talk to Emma. She had to tell someone about the strange things Benny had said. But Emma seemed to be avoiding her. Once or twice, Anna thought she saw her in the hall, but Emma always disappeared before Anna could catch up with her.
At lunchtime, Anna planted herself next to Emma’s locker, determined to stay there until her friend arrived.
A few lockers down, Jessamyn and her friends were clustered in a group, talking. Jessamyn kept glancing over at Anna. She seemed to be growing more and more annoyed.
Finally, Jessamyn strode over to her. “What do you think you’re doing?” she snarled at Anna,putting her face so close that Anna could smell the bubble gum on her breath.
Anna was startled, but she tried not to show it. “Nothing that’s any of your business,” she snapped back.
“You’re always hanging around here, watching me and my friends,” Jessamyn accused. “It’s creepy.”
Anna suddenly felt a surge of rage. “I’m not watching you, you self-absorbed twit.”
Jessamyn’s mouth formed a perfect lip-glossed O. But she recovered in a millisecond. “Loser,” she hissed at Anna.
A few weeks ago, that very word had
“You tell me,” Benny shot back. “Why were you here last night?”
“What?” Anna stared at him.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I
saw
you.”
“Saw me where? What are you talking about?”
“Last night, you were in my backyard,” Benny said. “I was sleeping when I heard someone call my name. It was you, Anna.”
“You must have been dreaming,” Anna told him. “I wasn’t here last night. I was home sleeping.”
Benny shook his head, growing more agitated. “I wasn’t dreaming. I saw you, Anna. And I know you saw me. You waved at me. You called my name. I leaned out the window to see what you wanted, and then … something pushed me.”
Anna felt a shiver run down her spine. “You imagined it, Benny. I wasn’t here.”
“Stop
lying,
Anna. I
saw you!”
Benny’s voice rose to a shout.
“Just tell me what happened!”
Anna shook her head to say she didn’t know. Shehad a cold feeling in her stomach, as if she’d swallowed a gallon of ice water.
“Are you afraid I’m going to tell on you? Is that it?” he snarled. “Well, you don’t have to worry. I didn’t. Everyone thinks I was sleepwalking. My mom didn’t find me until morning. She got up to let the cat in, and there I was, lying on the ground. She thought I was dead. And now I can’t play hockey. They said it could take up to two months for my leg to heal, maybe more. They won’t let me play this year if I miss two months of practice.”
A tuft of hair was sticking up on the back of his head, like ruffled feathers. Anna felt an urge to reach out and smooth it down. Instead, she took a deep breath.
“Benny, I swear to you, I don’t know who you saw last night, but it wasn’t me. I swear it.”
Benny gave her a long look, and for a moment Anna thought he believed her. But he shook his head. “You’re not who I thought you were, Anna. Go away. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Anna quietly left the room. Her legs were trembling as she made her way down the stairs to the front door. She was relieved not to run into Benny’s mother on the way out.
Outside, she felt tears pressing at the back of her eyes. What was going on? Why was Benny saying those terrible things about her?
He said he hit his head,
Anna reminded herself. She had heard her mother tell stories about the crazy things people did and said when they had head injuries. Maybe something had happened to Benny’s brain so he imagined things that he thought were real.
Yes,
Anna decided.
That must be what happened. He’s just confused now. When he gets better, he’ll realize that none of it is true.
But she couldn’t shake the image of his eyes, glaring at her with hot hatred. His eyes had been so clear. He hadn’t seemed confused at all.
Chapter Ten
The next day, Anna was more anxious than ever to talk to Emma. She had to tell someone about the strange things Benny had said. But Emma seemed to be avoiding her. Once or twice, Anna thought she saw her in the hall, but Emma always disappeared before Anna could catch up with her.
At lunchtime, Anna planted herself next to Emma’s locker, determined to stay there until her friend arrived.
A few lockers down, Jessamyn and her friends were clustered in a group, talking. Jessamyn kept glancing over at Anna. She seemed to be growing more and more annoyed.
Finally, Jessamyn strode over to her. “What do you think you’re doing?” she snarled at Anna,putting her face so close that Anna could smell the bubble gum on her breath.
Anna was startled, but she tried not to show it. “Nothing that’s any of your business,” she snapped back.
“You’re always hanging around here, watching me and my friends,” Jessamyn accused. “It’s creepy.”
Anna suddenly felt a surge of rage. “I’m not watching you, you self-absorbed twit.”
Jessamyn’s mouth formed a perfect lip-glossed O. But she recovered in a millisecond. “Loser,” she hissed at Anna.
A few weeks ago, that very word had
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