pencil box, then takes my hands.
Thereâs an instant connection. Not like electrical tingling or anything like that. More like weâre pulling on Silly Putty, stretching it out so weâre joined in a loose, rubbery way.
Pollyâs silent, just staring at me, making a connection with our eyes too. Then sheâs gazing off across the room.
âItâs all shimmery,â Polly says.
Iâm tapping my foot. All shimmery? What kind of lame psychic gibberish is that?
âOh, I see.â Polly squinches up her eyes. âItâs a pool. A swimming pool.â
I tap a little slower.
âItâs a guy with kind of messy hair. Heâs talking to a girl.â She pauses. âNot you.â
I quit tapping altogether.
âThe girlâs talking, talking, talking to him. I canât hear any words, though. Standing too close to him. Glitter everywhere. You know what? Heâs not interested in her.â Polly pins me with her eyes. âHe likes you. A lot.â
Is she seeing Josh and Candy? No, no, no. I set my foot to tapping again. Because in Phoenix, everyone has a pool. Because every girl I know, except Junie, is crushing on a guy. Because itâs nothing for two girls to want the same dude. Because we all love glitter.
âMore water.â Pollyâs grip tightens on my hands. âNot a pool, though.â Sheâs silent for a second. âItâs an aquarium. You have fish?â
âYeah. Bala sharks.â My foot hangs midair, uncertain as to whether it should tap or not.
âAre they sick? Or maybe theyâre gonna get sick. Something. You need to take good care of them.â
You can bet your booty on that; I am no negligent fish owner.
With a head jerk, Pollyâs staring off. Way off. Like at a park two states over. âI see a woman.â Sheâs talking in a low, sleepy voice with lots of pauses. Itâslike sheâs choosing her words super carefully, the way you choose your eye shadow to match your outfit. âSlender ⦠stands very straight ⦠beige outfit.â She stops.
My heart stops too. My arms go all chilly and goose bumpy. Itâs The Ruler!
Polly blinks chameleon-slow, showing lots of blue eyelid. âSheâs outside. ⦠Thereâs a knife ⦠a sharp knife ⦠glinting in the sun.â
My foot may never tap again.
Polly shakes her head, like sheâs trying to get rid of a scary thought. âWhoever this woman is, she needs to seriously watch out.â Polly drops my hands.
And my arms immediately stiffen up and lose their wobbliness.
Pollyâs eyes focus. âWho is she?â
âThe Ruler,â Junie whispers. âSherryâs stepmom.â
And at that very second, my cell phone rings. Well, more like makes waterfall + loon sounds.
Itâs The Ruler.
chapter
ten
âH ello,â I squeak. I clear my throat. âHello.â
âSherry!â The Ruler says fast and high. âIs Amber still there?â
âAmber?â Iâm confused.
âSee if she can bring you and Junie home.â
âSee if Amber can bring me and Junie home?â I repeat like a just-woke-up, clueless person.
âWhy?â Junie says to me.
âWhy?â I parrot into the phone.
âItâs my car.â Now The Rulerâs voice is shaky. âThe tires, Sherry. Someone slashed my tires.â
âSomeone slashed your tires?â Iâm squeaking again.
Junieâs eyes are round as hubcaps.
Pollyâs eyes are fixed on me.
âWith a knife?â I say. âDid they slash them with a knife?â
âThat would be my guess.â The Ruler takes a rattly breath. âRight now Iâm waiting at home for the police to show up.â
Junieâs on her cell, texting Amber. She gives me a thumbs-up.
âIt works for Amber,â I tell The Ruler.
âGood, good,â she says.
âWhy donât you have a cup of that
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