Don't Look Back(85)

At the sink, Veronica grabbed a sheet of brown paper towel and scrubbed under her eyes, furiously wiping at the mascara. I started to hightail my butt out of there, but girl code demanded that I at least check on her.

Cursing myself under my breath, I let the bathroom door shut behind me. “Veronica, are you okay?”

Her lashes lifted. “What does it look like? I’m fantastic.”

And that was why I hated girl code. Shaking my head, I turned back for the door. There had to be other bathrooms around.

“I thought he actually liked me,” she said, voice cracking. “Wasn’t I stupid? I bet that just makes you so freaking happy.”

With a sinking feeling, I faced her. “Del?”

“Who else?” She laughed as she dabbed at the pink skin under her eyes. “He finally dumped you, and I had my chance. There wasn’t even Cassie to get in the way.”

I thought about correcting who broke up with whom but decided against it. “Seeing you cry doesn’t make me happy.”

She threw the towel on the floor and spun around, gripping the edge of the sink. The intricate curls atop her head bounced off her tear-stained cheeks. “All he’s done is talk about you. About how you guys were just taking a break—that you two will get back together. I’m so sick of it!”

I was dumbfounded. “We’re not getting back together.”

“You should try telling him that.” Veronica threw up her hands. Nails painted to match her bloodred dress. Dizziness crept up on me. “Not that it matters. He told me that your mothers are planning a trip for you to the Poconos to patch things up.”

My mouth dropped. Oh my god, I was going to strangle that woman. And here I thought she’d been making progress tonight. Ugh. “Del and I aren’t going on any trip.”

Veronica started to laugh, but then it choked off. She sniffed. “You’re not.”

“He’s all yours if you want him, but seriously, do you want him?”

She stared at me as if I’d suggested we go kick some puppies in the street. “Everyone wants him.”

“No, not everyone does.” Again, I started to turn but stopped. “You deserve better than some guy who spends his time talking about someone else.”

Snatching another paper towel, she blotted her face. “Why are you being nice to me?”

Good question. “Why not?”

She sniffed again, turning back to the mirror. “Whatever.”

I left the bathroom then and nearly plowed into Candy and a gaggle of girls. Oh, for the love of God...

Candy popped her hand on her hip. “How far have you fallen? Dating the help?”

“How desperate are you?” I shot back. “Dating your dead friend’s ex-boyfriend?”

Her eyes shot wide and then narrowed, but I pushed past the girls. They followed me back into the ballroom, talking crap the entire way. I deserved a medal for not turning around and hitting one of them.

“Are you going to cry?” Candy crooned.

“What?” I frowned but kept going. Almost to the ballroom...almost.

“Or are you going to freak out and need to see your therapist?”

I spun around. “Why don’t you try acting like a real friend and go check the bathroom instead of following me around like a pathetic puppy?”

Candy cocked her head to the side. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your friend—Veronica? She could use you right now. She’s in the bathroom. Not having a very good time.”

Her nose scrunched up as if I’d just asked her to figure out the square root of three. “You’re probably seeing things again, huh? Veronica is having a great time. She’s going to be voted prom queen.”

I gave up at that point. “Whatever.”

“Insanity Sam!” Candy trilled, earning a few chuckles.

I rolled my eyes. “Clever, real clever.”

She bobbed her head at me like an ostrich and then turned on her heel, teetering away. A few girls were left, and I met their stares. Something in my eyes must’ve reminded them of the old Sammy because they scattered like cockroaches.

Refusing to let any of them ruin my one night of normalcy, I entered the ballroom and searched for Carson. Spotting him with my brother and a few other baseball players, I headed in his direction.

A tall, slender body suddenly appeared in front of me, dressed in red. In an instant, the dancing bodies, the music, and the dazzling lights all disappeared. The world turned gray.

Cassie was in front of me.

Her pretty dress was ragged and hung limply from her ghastly pale arms. A dark oily substance seeped down her face. I took a step forward. The side of her head... it was shaped wrong, sunken in.

Cracked. Shattered.

Bile rose in my throat. “Cassie,” I whispered.

And I realized then she wasn’t really standing. Her arms and legs sort of waved in a lazy rhythm, as if something carried her body. Part of me recognized what I was seeing—Cassie floating in the lake, which explained the doll-like vacancy in her eyes.

Another form appeared between us, scrambling through the air ... or over the boulders. Moonlight reflected off the slender body. Wind blew back long strands as she screamed out, “Cassie!”

My heart stuttered. It was me—me staring down at Cassie’s body.