Read Online One Black Rose by Maddy Edwards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maddy Edwards
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you and the flowers? Is it kind of like what happened at the airport?”
I obviously took him off guard, because he was taking a sip of coffee when I asked and he almost choked on it.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“You know what I mean. All the flowers around you, like, I don’t know…get happy when they see you or something,” I said. Now that I said it I could tell how ridiculous it sounded.
He was giving me the oddest look, but I couldn’t interpret it.
Finally he said, “My family likes to garden. And nothing happened at the airport.”
“Garden?”
“Yeah, you know, down in the soil. Maybe that’s what you mean. Look,” he said, cutting me off, “we should go. I’ll see you later.” And with that he got up. As soon as he stood, Susan and Casey were both at his side, ready to leave. I barely had time to wave before they were out the door. I didn’t even care that all of the flowers in the place smelled fantastic now. What had I done?
I glanced at Nick’s table. Samuel and Leslie were still sitting there, but neither would look at me. Leslie at least had a good reason not to, because she was sitting there, quietly texting.
Carley got off work a little before I did, because that night she was going to have dinner with a couple that was friends with her parents. She said she would have invited me, but there was no point in both of us being miserable all evening. Nick was busy at a summer league baseball game, which meant I was on my own. After she left I helped Mrs. Fritters clean up and get ready for the night of music.
At one point she said the oddest thing: “I hope you don’t spend too much time with that Holt boy.” But I merely shrugged and she dropped it.
She let me go around eight. Instead of walking home and having to make the decision about whether or not to cut through Holt’s yard, I headed for the little grocery store a few buildings down the street.
Once I had gotten everything on the list Carley and I had made that morning, I headed home. The streets were almost dark, and since the night was cooling off I stopped briefly to put a cardigan on over my white top. I waved to a couple of customers I’d had earlier in the day who were now seated on a street bench, enjoying ice cream from the same place I’d gone to with Holt.
There were very few cars out, so when I heard a car drive up behind me I didn’t even bother to turn around. I knew it wasn’t Holt. His car had given off a soft sort of purr, while this one sounded louder. I assumed the car would just pass me and in a breath I’d see taillights. Instead, though, it stayed behind me, while I walked in the light of its headlights. When I turned around to see what was going on, I had the unsettling realization that the car was following me. A chill ran down my spine. My mind instantly went to being dragged off and kidnapped. The headlights were so bright I couldn’t see inside, and it wasn’t a car I recognized.
I walked faster, but the car kept pace. When I turned down my own road the car came to a stop. About to break into a run, I heard my name: “Autumn.” It was a simpering female voice I’d heard just that morning: Leslie.
The difference a day makes was astounding. Just the day before at the beach she had been happy to see me. Even that morning she’d been nice. Now she was trying to run me over. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what I’d done.
I turned around and glared. “What do you think you’re doing following me?” I asked. I was tired and I’d had a long day and a car following me along a deserted road in an unfamiliar town at night was creepy.
Then I got a good look at her. In the dark of night she looked different. Frozen and hollow somehow. The bones in her cheeks protruded more than I remembered them doing and her hair was even blacker. I shrank away a little.
“Just wanted to have a little chat,” she said, stepping completely out of her
I obviously took him off guard, because he was taking a sip of coffee when I asked and he almost choked on it.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“You know what I mean. All the flowers around you, like, I don’t know…get happy when they see you or something,” I said. Now that I said it I could tell how ridiculous it sounded.
He was giving me the oddest look, but I couldn’t interpret it.
Finally he said, “My family likes to garden. And nothing happened at the airport.”
“Garden?”
“Yeah, you know, down in the soil. Maybe that’s what you mean. Look,” he said, cutting me off, “we should go. I’ll see you later.” And with that he got up. As soon as he stood, Susan and Casey were both at his side, ready to leave. I barely had time to wave before they were out the door. I didn’t even care that all of the flowers in the place smelled fantastic now. What had I done?
I glanced at Nick’s table. Samuel and Leslie were still sitting there, but neither would look at me. Leslie at least had a good reason not to, because she was sitting there, quietly texting.
Carley got off work a little before I did, because that night she was going to have dinner with a couple that was friends with her parents. She said she would have invited me, but there was no point in both of us being miserable all evening. Nick was busy at a summer league baseball game, which meant I was on my own. After she left I helped Mrs. Fritters clean up and get ready for the night of music.
At one point she said the oddest thing: “I hope you don’t spend too much time with that Holt boy.” But I merely shrugged and she dropped it.
She let me go around eight. Instead of walking home and having to make the decision about whether or not to cut through Holt’s yard, I headed for the little grocery store a few buildings down the street.
Once I had gotten everything on the list Carley and I had made that morning, I headed home. The streets were almost dark, and since the night was cooling off I stopped briefly to put a cardigan on over my white top. I waved to a couple of customers I’d had earlier in the day who were now seated on a street bench, enjoying ice cream from the same place I’d gone to with Holt.
There were very few cars out, so when I heard a car drive up behind me I didn’t even bother to turn around. I knew it wasn’t Holt. His car had given off a soft sort of purr, while this one sounded louder. I assumed the car would just pass me and in a breath I’d see taillights. Instead, though, it stayed behind me, while I walked in the light of its headlights. When I turned around to see what was going on, I had the unsettling realization that the car was following me. A chill ran down my spine. My mind instantly went to being dragged off and kidnapped. The headlights were so bright I couldn’t see inside, and it wasn’t a car I recognized.
I walked faster, but the car kept pace. When I turned down my own road the car came to a stop. About to break into a run, I heard my name: “Autumn.” It was a simpering female voice I’d heard just that morning: Leslie.
The difference a day makes was astounding. Just the day before at the beach she had been happy to see me. Even that morning she’d been nice. Now she was trying to run me over. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what I’d done.
I turned around and glared. “What do you think you’re doing following me?” I asked. I was tired and I’d had a long day and a car following me along a deserted road in an unfamiliar town at night was creepy.
Then I got a good look at her. In the dark of night she looked different. Frozen and hollow somehow. The bones in her cheeks protruded more than I remembered them doing and her hair was even blacker. I shrank away a little.
“Just wanted to have a little chat,” she said, stepping completely out of her
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