Koko as she pulled. Koko grabbing the metal arm and pulling Chelsea through the small hole, so that he, with his lazy Kermit grin, could more easily feed on her.
124, 125, 126 tiles.
She wasnât stupid. She wasnât going back by herself. She had to bring someone with her, just in case it was true. Someone who didnât think she was crazy. Someone who would just help.
Someone who wouldnât tell anyone else if I asked.
Derek.
He was at school this morning, but Chelsea didnât know which test he was taking. She did know, like she knew the length of the back of her hand, that inevitably heâd head to the cafeteria for a snack. There were no classes. The school was only open for the midterms, so she was free to head there at will.
A powerful smell of cleaning fluid and sour milkblasted her face as she opened the double doors to the huge cafeteria. That and the fact that the huge room took up most of the basement reminded her of Kokoâs habitat. Keeping herself under control, she scanned the sparsely populated tables and didnât spot him anywhere.
It could be hours before he showed, but was she in a hurry? Should she be in a hurry? If Chelsea was wrong, it didnât matter at all. And even if she was right, did it matter when Tess Sullivan found out her pet was dead?
Two of her closer friends, Tony and Darlene, a couple for six months, sat at a corner table, so Chelsea walked up to join them. Unfortunately, they were sitting with Penny Denning, a junior who made no secret of the fact that she wanted Derek. Pennyâs gray sweater picked up the girlâs black hair and smoky blue eyes. She looked positively predatory, even had a half grin on her face.
The three were chatting excitedly until Chelsea walked up. Then, all of a sudden, on seeing her, they clammed up.
She rolled her eyes. âYou heard I had to leave the bio test, huh?â
They all looked puzzled.
âNo,â Tony said.
âYou had to leave the bio test? Are you okay?â Darlene said. Darlene had become horribly sympathetic to the pain of others now that she had her own boyfriend. When she was single, if she was on her cell phone, sheâd walk right past you if you were bleeding to death.
âEep,â Chelsea said as she sat down. âGuess I didnât have to mention that then, huh?â
âGuess not,â Penny said.
âBut are you okay?â Darlene repeated.
One of the ways OCD kept victims in its grip was by getting them to keep secrets, to lie and say they were fine when they werenât. Her parents and Dr. Gambinetti had worked with her for ages, getting her to talk about it as much as she could, keep it all out in the open. Still, Chelsea didnât feel like announcing her insanity to any group bigger than one, and certainly not to Penny.
âIâm fine. Just having a bad day. Bad weekend. Iâll take the test Thursday. The sub was a royal bitch,â Chelsea said. She twisted her head sideways. âSo what were you guys talking about when I walked over?â
âNothing,â Tony said. He was a crappy liar, too.
But Penny spoke up immediately. âWeâre all goingto Hobson Night at nine. Some of the college kids have made a sluice out of carved ice and they pour vodka down from the top. You sit on a chair at the bottom and drink as it comes down.â
âPenny!â Darlene protested.
Penny shrugged. âShe asked. Sheâs a big girl. Am I supposed to lie?â
Darlene rolled her eyes and offered Chelsea a soupy grin. âWe didnât want you to feel bad, because, you knowâ¦â
âBecause my OCD wonât let me go, right? Itâs okay, Darlene. Iâm fine. Who else is going?â
Darlene fumbled, but Penny picked up the ball. âEveryone. Itâs like a celebration for finishing midterms.â
âNot Derek, though,â Tony said.
âRight, not Derek. I tried to talk him into going,â Penny
124, 125, 126 tiles.
She wasnât stupid. She wasnât going back by herself. She had to bring someone with her, just in case it was true. Someone who didnât think she was crazy. Someone who would just help.
Someone who wouldnât tell anyone else if I asked.
Derek.
He was at school this morning, but Chelsea didnât know which test he was taking. She did know, like she knew the length of the back of her hand, that inevitably heâd head to the cafeteria for a snack. There were no classes. The school was only open for the midterms, so she was free to head there at will.
A powerful smell of cleaning fluid and sour milkblasted her face as she opened the double doors to the huge cafeteria. That and the fact that the huge room took up most of the basement reminded her of Kokoâs habitat. Keeping herself under control, she scanned the sparsely populated tables and didnât spot him anywhere.
It could be hours before he showed, but was she in a hurry? Should she be in a hurry? If Chelsea was wrong, it didnât matter at all. And even if she was right, did it matter when Tess Sullivan found out her pet was dead?
Two of her closer friends, Tony and Darlene, a couple for six months, sat at a corner table, so Chelsea walked up to join them. Unfortunately, they were sitting with Penny Denning, a junior who made no secret of the fact that she wanted Derek. Pennyâs gray sweater picked up the girlâs black hair and smoky blue eyes. She looked positively predatory, even had a half grin on her face.
The three were chatting excitedly until Chelsea walked up. Then, all of a sudden, on seeing her, they clammed up.
She rolled her eyes. âYou heard I had to leave the bio test, huh?â
They all looked puzzled.
âNo,â Tony said.
âYou had to leave the bio test? Are you okay?â Darlene said. Darlene had become horribly sympathetic to the pain of others now that she had her own boyfriend. When she was single, if she was on her cell phone, sheâd walk right past you if you were bleeding to death.
âEep,â Chelsea said as she sat down. âGuess I didnât have to mention that then, huh?â
âGuess not,â Penny said.
âBut are you okay?â Darlene repeated.
One of the ways OCD kept victims in its grip was by getting them to keep secrets, to lie and say they were fine when they werenât. Her parents and Dr. Gambinetti had worked with her for ages, getting her to talk about it as much as she could, keep it all out in the open. Still, Chelsea didnât feel like announcing her insanity to any group bigger than one, and certainly not to Penny.
âIâm fine. Just having a bad day. Bad weekend. Iâll take the test Thursday. The sub was a royal bitch,â Chelsea said. She twisted her head sideways. âSo what were you guys talking about when I walked over?â
âNothing,â Tony said. He was a crappy liar, too.
But Penny spoke up immediately. âWeâre all goingto Hobson Night at nine. Some of the college kids have made a sluice out of carved ice and they pour vodka down from the top. You sit on a chair at the bottom and drink as it comes down.â
âPenny!â Darlene protested.
Penny shrugged. âShe asked. Sheâs a big girl. Am I supposed to lie?â
Darlene rolled her eyes and offered Chelsea a soupy grin. âWe didnât want you to feel bad, because, you knowâ¦â
âBecause my OCD wonât let me go, right? Itâs okay, Darlene. Iâm fine. Who else is going?â
Darlene fumbled, but Penny picked up the ball. âEveryone. Itâs like a celebration for finishing midterms.â
âNot Derek, though,â Tony said.
âRight, not Derek. I tried to talk him into going,â Penny
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