dizzy. “But there are all those cars out there,” she said weakly, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. By morning, everyone on campus would know that Cassidy Kirk had shown up for a party-that-wasn’t.
“We’re having a meeting,” Jess explained. “Student government.”
A meeting. The cars parked along the driveway were there for a meeting, not a party.
Cassidy took an awkward step backward, wanting desperately to escape. So many pairs of eyes looking straight at her, so many voices silenced by embarrassment…for her .
I should make a joke, she thought as she valiantly battled tears of humiliation. I should laugh and say something like, “Just wanted to check up on how our student government is doing, make sure you guys aren’t goofing off.”
But some inner instinct told her the joke would fall flat.
“I guess I must have read the invitation wrong, after all,” she squeezed out between clenched teeth. “Sorry I interrupted your meeting.” Then she turned and headed for the front door.
Cath followed. “You’ll come next week, though, right?”
Cassidy almost laughed aloud. She’s trusting me to get the time and date right? she thought bitterly.
“Sure!” she called over her shoulder as she yanked the front door open, hurried across the porch, and ran lightly down the steps, “I’ll be here. Count on it!”
If she hadn’t died of embarrassment by then.
She could feel Cath’s concerned eyes following her down the driveway. The back of her neck felt like it was on fire. Although her legs moved like wooden boards, she walked as fast as she could, thinking that the driveway had lengthened by miles since she first went into the house.
Unwilling to wait for a shuttle, Cassidy began walking rapidly up the road toward campus. There was almost no traffic. Normal people who got their dates and times right were inside somewhere having a grand time and wouldn’t be back on the road until it was time to go home. Only Cassidy Kirk, who seemed to be losing either her eyesight or her mind, was trudging along a cold, dark road all alone.
As she walked, huddled deep inside her leather jacket for protection against a sudden cold wind that swept out of the thick, black woods on her right, she remembered that Sawyer hadn’t actually said, “I can’t go to the party at Nightmare Hall tonight.” He had said only, “I can’t see you tonight.” And then she hadn’t mentioned the party because she didn’t want to make him feel any worse than he already did about having to study.
And Ann’s note, she remembered, hadn’t said, “See you later at the party.” Ann’s words had been, “We’ll catch up with you later.” She hadn’t said where.
But someone, sometime during the week, must have mentioned, what night the party was taking place.
Yes, she remembered, they had. But each time, the actual date hadn’t been mentioned, only the vague phrase, “Friday night.” No one had said, “ next Friday night.” Just “Friday.”
Because, she thought, scuffing her foot angrily, everyone took it for granted that any idiot who could read an invitation knew the party wasn’t this week.
Cassidy had never walked up the road alone at night. She’d never had to. She decided she didn’t like it. The wind from the woods made a harsh, eerie, whispering sound, tugging at her clothes and hair, stinging her cheeks. Campus suddenly seemed much further away than she’d anticipated when she began walking.
Headlights from a lone oncoming car illuminated the road briefly, then swept on past Cassidy. She was once again alone on a dark, deserted road.
She had been so absolutely certain about the date on that invitation.
What was wrong with her? This was so terrifying, seeing things that weren’t there, getting things all wrong. Not like her at all.
She was so lost in misery that she never heard the car until it was right there beside her, a huge hunk of metal so black it was almost invisible
“We’re having a meeting,” Jess explained. “Student government.”
A meeting. The cars parked along the driveway were there for a meeting, not a party.
Cassidy took an awkward step backward, wanting desperately to escape. So many pairs of eyes looking straight at her, so many voices silenced by embarrassment…for her .
I should make a joke, she thought as she valiantly battled tears of humiliation. I should laugh and say something like, “Just wanted to check up on how our student government is doing, make sure you guys aren’t goofing off.”
But some inner instinct told her the joke would fall flat.
“I guess I must have read the invitation wrong, after all,” she squeezed out between clenched teeth. “Sorry I interrupted your meeting.” Then she turned and headed for the front door.
Cath followed. “You’ll come next week, though, right?”
Cassidy almost laughed aloud. She’s trusting me to get the time and date right? she thought bitterly.
“Sure!” she called over her shoulder as she yanked the front door open, hurried across the porch, and ran lightly down the steps, “I’ll be here. Count on it!”
If she hadn’t died of embarrassment by then.
She could feel Cath’s concerned eyes following her down the driveway. The back of her neck felt like it was on fire. Although her legs moved like wooden boards, she walked as fast as she could, thinking that the driveway had lengthened by miles since she first went into the house.
Unwilling to wait for a shuttle, Cassidy began walking rapidly up the road toward campus. There was almost no traffic. Normal people who got their dates and times right were inside somewhere having a grand time and wouldn’t be back on the road until it was time to go home. Only Cassidy Kirk, who seemed to be losing either her eyesight or her mind, was trudging along a cold, dark road all alone.
As she walked, huddled deep inside her leather jacket for protection against a sudden cold wind that swept out of the thick, black woods on her right, she remembered that Sawyer hadn’t actually said, “I can’t go to the party at Nightmare Hall tonight.” He had said only, “I can’t see you tonight.” And then she hadn’t mentioned the party because she didn’t want to make him feel any worse than he already did about having to study.
And Ann’s note, she remembered, hadn’t said, “See you later at the party.” Ann’s words had been, “We’ll catch up with you later.” She hadn’t said where.
But someone, sometime during the week, must have mentioned, what night the party was taking place.
Yes, she remembered, they had. But each time, the actual date hadn’t been mentioned, only the vague phrase, “Friday night.” No one had said, “ next Friday night.” Just “Friday.”
Because, she thought, scuffing her foot angrily, everyone took it for granted that any idiot who could read an invitation knew the party wasn’t this week.
Cassidy had never walked up the road alone at night. She’d never had to. She decided she didn’t like it. The wind from the woods made a harsh, eerie, whispering sound, tugging at her clothes and hair, stinging her cheeks. Campus suddenly seemed much further away than she’d anticipated when she began walking.
Headlights from a lone oncoming car illuminated the road briefly, then swept on past Cassidy. She was once again alone on a dark, deserted road.
She had been so absolutely certain about the date on that invitation.
What was wrong with her? This was so terrifying, seeing things that weren’t there, getting things all wrong. Not like her at all.
She was so lost in misery that she never heard the car until it was right there beside her, a huge hunk of metal so black it was almost invisible
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