Read Online Super Dark (Super Dark Trilogy) by Tanith Morse - Free Book Online Page B

machine and we’ll take it in for you. It won’t take long.”
    “Cool,” I smiled. And I meant it.
    ***
    Taffin Carter lived in a white, mock Tudor mansion off Priory Lane, a street in Elmfield where no house cost less than two million. His parents were seriously loaded, and rumor had it Taffin had been expelled from three private schools before ending up at St. Mary’s. His father, John, was a newscaster for one of the big cable channels—I couldn’t remember which one.
    Frasier and I arrived at nine-thirty and I was stunned by how beautiful everything was. Hundreds of tiny fairy lights lit up the driveway as our taxi drove through the entrance gates. As we entered the backyard, we saw tables filled with barbequed meat and fruit punch, and there was a bandstand off to one side where a DJ was busy whipping the guests into a party mood.
    Frasier was wearing a black fedora, a white pin-stripe jacket with wide shoulders, and a pair of shiny silver trousers that tapered at the ends. For my part, the adjustments Mum had made to the jumpsuit were perfect, and it hugged my body as if it had been custom designed just for me. My short black hair was gelled like someone from an ‘80s music video, and I had even let Mum put some make-up on my face—just a little mascara, lipstick, and blush.
    Still, I’d never liked large crowds and there were so many people there it looked as if Taffin had invited the whole school. I wondered how we’d ever find Becky.
    As I looked around, Frasier went and got us each a glass of peach-flavored punch. It was way too sugary for me, but I thanked him for the effort and smiled as I sipped it in tiny gulps.
    For a long while, we stood observing our surroundings until a boy with a fluorescent pink mohawk came up to us. “Hey, guys! I’m so glad you made it.”
    “Hey, Taffin,” Frasier said, giving him a high-five.
    “Are you enjoying the party?” Taffin asked excitedly.
    “Yeah, it’s great,” Frasier enthused. “Oh, by the way, happy birthday.”
    “Thank you!” Taffin turned to me and flashed a devilish grin. “Who’s your friend, Frasier? I don’t think we’ve met.”
    “She goes to St. Mary’s with us,” Frasier replied. “Sam, this is Taffin.”
    “Hello,” I said flatly, not happy with the way birthday boy was ogling me.
    Suddenly, Taffin snatched Frasier’s fedora off his head and put it on his own, saying, “I think I’ll borrow this for a while.”
    “Hey, give it back!” Frasier shouted above the noise of the DJ’s PA system.
    Without a reply, Taffin raced away and disappeared into the house.
    “Great. Just great,” Frasier said, shaking his head.
    I bit my lip as I looked at him. His head looked like a shiny boiled egg. I then realized that his fedora hadn’t been a fashion statement. It was a way to cover my botched barber job.
    I leaned toward him and asked, “You don’t like your haircut, do you?”
    “I never said that.”
    “I’m sorry, I messed it up. Can you forgive me?”
    “Don’t worry, it’ll grow back,” Frasier replied stoically. “Eventually.”
    “Come on,” I said, changing the subject. “Let’s go find Becky.”
    We went inside the house and I marveled at the lush decor. Everything was done in white and beige, with marble floors and pillars, and ceilings so high they made me dizzy when I looked up. For the next hour we roamed from room to room, but there was no sign of Becky.
    “Well, it’s still early,” I said, glancing at my watch. “She’s probably on her way. You know how long girls take to get ready.”
    Frasier nodded glumly. Without his hat, his confidence seemed to have disappeared.
    “I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll see you in a bit,” he said.
    As Frasier walked away, I suddenly felt exposed and self-conscious. I didn’t even have a glass of punch for company. I had set it somewhere during our search for Becky.
    As I stood by the marble staircase, feeling like an idiot, Taffin reappeared clutching a