Read Online Siren's Song by Heather McCollum - Free Book Online

blew out on her exhale. Her eyes narrow like a sneaky idea has formed under her cute curly hair. “You know, with all this insanity going on, we should have a code word,” she says. Carly’s always loved Nancy Drew mysteries and likes to prepare for all types of evil-doings.
    We walk down the emptying hall together. “Why?”
    â€œWell, if one of us is in trouble but it’s not obvious, like if you want to get away from Luke or if he’s mentioned killing someone and then he tells you to get rid of me, you say the code word or phrase, and I leave like it’s a natural thing, but then I run like hell for help.”
    She’s rambling, so I wait for her to finish. “Okay. A code word. In case we need help, but we don’t want the bad guy to know we’re asking for help.”
    â€œExactly.” Carly loops her arm through mine as we step out into the late summer heat.
    â€œGot any suggestions?” We climb into her car. I don’t see any sign of Luke or his strange family. Everything seems normal and I suddenly feel silly for worrying so much.
    â€œHow about, ‘Jule, can you go get me a snow cone?’” she suggests.
    I raise one eyebrow. “That would sound suspicious in the middle of January.”
    She laughs. “Let’s hear your ideas.”
    â€œHow about, ‘Do you have any lip gloss?’” I say.
    â€œWhat if you really need lip gloss?”
    I shake my head but smile widely. “Okay…how about, ‘Carly, can you get my iced-strawberry lip gloss?’”
    â€œYeah! You could say it’s in my car or in your locker or something. Then I could say I’ll go get it, when I’m really calling the cops.”
    I laugh. “Sounds good; tasty, even.”
    â€œIced-strawberry lip gloss,” Carly repeats to remember the phrase. “Hopefully, we’ll never need it.”
    * * *
    The next day drags along without any spectacles. Luke barely talks to me, but I still feel his stare. It’s like a constant burn on my back that radiates out along my arms and neck. And when I twist around, to show him I’ve caught him, he doesn’t look away like a normal person would. He just continues to stare with those dark, brooding eyes, arms crossed over the tight T-shirt covering his chest. He gives me a lopsided grin. When I glance away, I feel like I’ve lost somehow, backed down, even though I don’t know what the contest is about.
    The house is so quiet. Even Mica seems low. I stroke her head while we sit on the porch by the lilac tree. It smells like what I imagine heaven must smell like, clean and sweet. I do homework mechanically, but my mind ping-pongs among Luke’s bizarre friendships, Matt’s and Eric’s “options” and Mom’s warnings.
    It’s almost dark when the lamp on the corner of the subdivision where Luke lives blinks on. Luke. Geesh, he really is the least of my worries compared to possibly being stalked by people I thought were my second family, or to my mother being completely crazy. And Eric acted so weird at dinner the other night, asking me out, making it sound like he’d follow me to college.
    The worst part is that I can’t download all this to Carly. God, Carly . I can’t…I mean, I don’t believe that she is in any way part of this. She is closer to me than a real blood sister could possibly be. We know everything about each other, silly secret dreams and crazy wants. Without Carly, I have no one.
    I sit on the swing and let my legs dangle. My bare toes push against the polished wood to set the swing in motion. I scan the twilight behind me and my breath hitches. A tall figure leans against one of our old maple trees, watching me. Eric Ashe? God! Shit! Shadows mask him until he pushes away, and I inhale again. Not Eric. Luke. I stand up and Mica barks.
    â€œHey,” he says as he jumps easily onto the porch. He’s wearing