Ace of Spades Sneak Peek(72)
Belle sighs as she sits down, placing her wallet on the table. “Ordered us a huge ice-cream sundae to share. Thought all that sugar would cheer you up,” she says with a smile, sounding stuffy. She’s sick, but she still came out to see me. I try not to feel too bad about that.
“I don’t need cheering up—I told you, I’m fine. Just wanted to hang out,” I say, lying through my teeth.
“Could’ve fooled me.” She takes my hand and squeezes. “You look like you haven’t slept … or eaten in ages.” There’s concern riddling her face. Her expression, however, quickly changes as the waiter places the huge glass bowl in front of us.
Belle claps her hands together, eyes lighting up. She’s so happy that I smile a little too as I survey the dessert. Seven big scoops of ice cream, chocolate flakes in each corner, with sprinkles and deep-red strawberry syrup. My stomach twists and a wave of nausea hits.
Out of nowhere, images of deep-red blood flash in my brain, and I feel dizzy as I look up at Belle, who’s asking if I’m okay. Her face morphs into the girl’s.
The girl Jamie and I left at the side of the road.
The girl who isn’t dead.
Tears sting my eyes and I try to breathe deeply, but I can’t get enough oxygen. Belle is beside me suddenly, her arms wrapping around me.
“Is she okay?” I hear someone ask.
I don’t know, I answer in my head, closing my eyes.
By the time I’m calm again, our ice cream has melted and been taken away and Belle is looking at me like I have a third head or something.
My chest aches as the images continue to flicker, blurring with reality. My nightmare is coming true, like I always suspected it would.
“I know it’s been hard for you at school,” Belle starts, “but I want you to know … you can trust me.”
I look at her, and I feel like I can tell her anything. I’m so exhausted, these secrets weighing on my conscience. I can trust her. I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Aces was right about me. I’m a bad person, and before you say I’m not, I am. I’ve done a lot of bad things, and it’s all coming out now and I can’t stop it.”
Belle is silent for a few moments. I don’t look at her at first, too scared that she’ll look at me like I’m some monster. But when I open my eyes, she’s weirdly calm.
“I’m scared,” I say quietly, sniffing. “Of what’s happening to me and what’s going to happen.”
“You’re going to be fine,” Belle says, taking my hands again. “We all have skeletons.”
I feel hot, hoping my sweaty palms don’t gross her out. Belle looks at me like I’m not the person I think I am. I wonder how many skeletons she has?
Every face in here flickers, morphing into the girl’s. Is it a trick of the light? Or is it my brain playing games once again? I feel like I’m surrounded.
I look at Belle and see her hair matted with blood as her face shifts. I feel like I’m losing it. The walls of what was left of my sanity are cracking and breaking away.
“Chi…,” she says softly. “No matter what, you’ll always have me, okay?”
There’s a snap in my head, like someone clicking their fingers, and all the faces return to normal, including hers.
It’s not much, but being here with Belle makes me feel better. And hearing her say those words makes me feel a little bit safer.
* * *
Monday
I’m surprised I slept at all last night. Rather than the usual dream sequence—that starts with me at the side of the road next to her dead body and ends with me in a dark room surrounded by blond dolls—my brain finally lets the dark consume me instead.
Coming back to Niveus feels like I’ve returned to the scene of a crime. Like those guilt-ridden criminals in investigator shows, I feel as if I’m walking into an open trap. One step in the wrong direction and it’s over. Somehow a girl I never met before the accident is behind Aces and wants to ruin my life. But who is she? Why is she doing this? And how? Is this revenge for what happened that night last year? Has the girl found out who I am and wants me to suffer like she did?
On first thought, it might seem like a smart move for me to stay at home, but with Mom and Dad gone all day, and knowing that girl could be coming for me—waiting until I’m alone to strike—I had no choice but to return to the safety of a crowded school of my peers, who hate me.
I drag myself through the hallway, trying to keep my head up as I spot Ruby, Ava, and Cecelia Wright by Ruby’s locker. I haven’t spoken to them in a while. There hasn’t been anything I’ve wanted to speak to them about.
I feel like there’s a target on my back. I failed last night, failed to stop Aces like I’d planned, and today anything could happen.
Belle is at home with a cold, and I have no idea where my phone is, so I can’t even text her between breaks. I’m forced to go up to my “friends,” to avoid looking like the loser I feel like.
Despite how tired I am, I force a smile as I approach them.
“Hi, girls,” I say, eyes locking on Cecelia. CeCe’s never liked me much; she made that clear when she told me once in sophomore year, Someday someone’s going to knock you off your high horse. I laughed and told her to keep wishing for the impossible.