Read Online Rhythm & Clues: A Young Adult Novel by Rachel Shane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachel Shane
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See if the silver car follows. If it does, then drop me off and you go get the rest of the clues and save Gavin.” Her voice is somber, yet determined.
“And what about your parents?” I shake my head. “Sabrina, that’s a bad plan.”
“They’re not home.”
I roll my eyes.
“No, I swear. My mom got a job at the church preschool. She’ll be there until three. And my dad has his construction gig across town.”
I cluck my tongue. “And yet you didn’t mention this earlier.”
“Why would I? You said we should get the clues before going to my house.”
“Sabrina, I promised to be nice, but I still don’t trust you.”
“I believe you now.” Her voice is soft, her eyes sympathetic. “Gavin’s in trouble. Someone’s following us. I know you think M+D refers to my parents, but maybe it refers to the person following us. I think the only way to save my brother is to evade this car. So let’s just go, okay?”
I switch my blinker to the left on the off chance she’s right.
We drive most of the way in silence, my car puttering along at the speed of a golf cart. Cars crowd the streets, probably a lot of the high school students going out for lunch. I check my rear-view mirror every few seconds, but there are no silver cars as far as I can see. A low breath leaks from my lungs.
When we’re a few blocks away, one of the cars behind me turns off the road and the others move closer. Then I see it. The silver Ford Focus changes lanes, separated from us by several cars.
My knuckles tighten on the wheel. “It’s behind us.”
Sabrina sits up straighter.
“I’ll just keep driving. Maybe we can lose them on the highway. I don’t want you—”
“No, go to my house.” She wipes away a tear and takes a deep breath. “I need to do this.”
I sigh, but follow her instructions except I don’t plan on ditching her. Maybe I can keep her in the car until the other one stops, the person gets out, and then I can peel away and take both of us to safety. If my car allows me.
As I round the corner, I spot Josephine and Chuck standing in the drive, arguing, their arms flailing. Their white Volvo sits in the driveway with the trunk popped open.
I swerve into the nearest driveway and slam on my breaks. “You little liar.”
“No, I swear.” Sabrina twists in her seat, her eyes wide. “What are they doing here?”
I don’t want to believe her. But when I see Chuck bend down and lift one suitcase and then a second into the trunk, I have to.
“Suitcases? Where are they going?” Sabrina’s voice has fear in it. “And why didn’t they tell me? Mom dropped me off at school on the way to her new job!”
Chuck and Josephine get back in their car, slam the doors, and peel out of the driveway without enough time to buckle their seat-belts and look both ways. They speed off in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later, the silver Ford Focus whips past us—too fast to glimpse its driver—and follows the Tullys down the road, leaving our car alone. Sabrina and I stare at each other, dumbfounded.
Six Weeks Ago
I’ d invited Gavin to a free concert in the park as a joke, never expecting he’d say yes. Even though he’d been standing up to his parents more since dinner two weeks ago, I still didn’t think his parents would withdraw their stance on rock & roll. But much like the way I temporarily dyed my hair when I met Gavin’s parents, I couldn’t exactly show up to pick him up in my steaming turd of a car. Even with its dents and scratches, Krystal’s car was still more presentable than my own.
So I sucked in a deep breath and pushed inside the diner where she worked the lunch shift.
“Can I switch cars with you?” I asked Krystal in lieu of a hello.
She wiped her hands on her apron, her platinum blonde hair twisted up into a messy bun. She wore only mascara during the day, probably so her face would remain a blank canvas before she painted it for her night job. “I’d rather you didn’t.
“And what about your parents?” I shake my head. “Sabrina, that’s a bad plan.”
“They’re not home.”
I roll my eyes.
“No, I swear. My mom got a job at the church preschool. She’ll be there until three. And my dad has his construction gig across town.”
I cluck my tongue. “And yet you didn’t mention this earlier.”
“Why would I? You said we should get the clues before going to my house.”
“Sabrina, I promised to be nice, but I still don’t trust you.”
“I believe you now.” Her voice is soft, her eyes sympathetic. “Gavin’s in trouble. Someone’s following us. I know you think M+D refers to my parents, but maybe it refers to the person following us. I think the only way to save my brother is to evade this car. So let’s just go, okay?”
I switch my blinker to the left on the off chance she’s right.
We drive most of the way in silence, my car puttering along at the speed of a golf cart. Cars crowd the streets, probably a lot of the high school students going out for lunch. I check my rear-view mirror every few seconds, but there are no silver cars as far as I can see. A low breath leaks from my lungs.
When we’re a few blocks away, one of the cars behind me turns off the road and the others move closer. Then I see it. The silver Ford Focus changes lanes, separated from us by several cars.
My knuckles tighten on the wheel. “It’s behind us.”
Sabrina sits up straighter.
“I’ll just keep driving. Maybe we can lose them on the highway. I don’t want you—”
“No, go to my house.” She wipes away a tear and takes a deep breath. “I need to do this.”
I sigh, but follow her instructions except I don’t plan on ditching her. Maybe I can keep her in the car until the other one stops, the person gets out, and then I can peel away and take both of us to safety. If my car allows me.
As I round the corner, I spot Josephine and Chuck standing in the drive, arguing, their arms flailing. Their white Volvo sits in the driveway with the trunk popped open.
I swerve into the nearest driveway and slam on my breaks. “You little liar.”
“No, I swear.” Sabrina twists in her seat, her eyes wide. “What are they doing here?”
I don’t want to believe her. But when I see Chuck bend down and lift one suitcase and then a second into the trunk, I have to.
“Suitcases? Where are they going?” Sabrina’s voice has fear in it. “And why didn’t they tell me? Mom dropped me off at school on the way to her new job!”
Chuck and Josephine get back in their car, slam the doors, and peel out of the driveway without enough time to buckle their seat-belts and look both ways. They speed off in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later, the silver Ford Focus whips past us—too fast to glimpse its driver—and follows the Tullys down the road, leaving our car alone. Sabrina and I stare at each other, dumbfounded.
Six Weeks Ago
I’ d invited Gavin to a free concert in the park as a joke, never expecting he’d say yes. Even though he’d been standing up to his parents more since dinner two weeks ago, I still didn’t think his parents would withdraw their stance on rock & roll. But much like the way I temporarily dyed my hair when I met Gavin’s parents, I couldn’t exactly show up to pick him up in my steaming turd of a car. Even with its dents and scratches, Krystal’s car was still more presentable than my own.
So I sucked in a deep breath and pushed inside the diner where she worked the lunch shift.
“Can I switch cars with you?” I asked Krystal in lieu of a hello.
She wiped her hands on her apron, her platinum blonde hair twisted up into a messy bun. She wore only mascara during the day, probably so her face would remain a blank canvas before she painted it for her night job. “I’d rather you didn’t.
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