The Monster Within (10 page)

She glared at me for a second, and then her eyes fell on my necklace. “Where did you get that?”

I touched the necklace, feeling its warmth on my hand. I’d forgotten I was still wearing it. I’d tucked it under my shirt to keep it safe while I worked, but it must have slipped out at some point.

“I found it in my locker at school today. I don’t think it was meant for me, though.” I shrugged. “The funny thing is, it’s my birthstone, and it matches a ring my boyfriend gave me.”

“A ring?”

Why was I telling her all this? I didn’t even like her. “Never mind.” I took the salt and moved to the other end of the counter.

She got up and followed me, sitting down in the seat in front of me.

“What gives? I thought you didn’t want me refilling the salt and getting it in your coffee? I moved away from you, so why did you follow me?”

“Forget the salt.” She moved back a little. Apparently she really disliked salt. “Tell me about the necklace and the ring.”

“Why?”

“Because I like jewelry.”

I looked her over. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry. None. She was in a simple green dress, like the other day. How many green dresses did she own?

“Why aren’t you wearing any then?”

“Huh?”

“Jewelry. If you love it so much, why aren’t you wearing any?”

She looked down, avoiding my eyes. “None of it goes with green.”

That was the lamest excuse I’d ever heard. “Whatever.” I finished refilling the salt and went to check on the coffee pot.

“I’ll take another cup,” the girl said.

“Really?” I whipped my head around to look at her. “How do you not have to pee by now?”

She laughed. “I drink this much coffee all the time. I’m used to it.”

It was odd to hear her laugh, but at the same time, it was nice.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I served you eight cups of coffee—no, make that nine.” I poured her another. “I think that deserves a name.”

“What’s yours?”

Was she always this much of a control freak? “Sam.”

“Nora.”

“Is that a family name? You don’t hear of many Noras these days.”

“Says the with girl with a guy’s name,
Sam.
” She emphasized my name, making it sound more masculine than I could’ve imagined.

“I was never a big fan of Samantha.”

“My grandmother’s name was Lenora Prudence.” She rolled her eyes, and I didn’t need to ask what her full name was.

I nodded, wishing she’d finish her coffee and leave. I’d had my fill of her for the day. Maybe two days.

“So, about that necklace.” She pointed to it.

“I already told you. I found it in my locker. I thought my boyfriend put it there, but he didn’t. Can I get you your check?”

“Who gave it to you then?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it was meant for me. It was a mistake or something. Was that a yes for the check?”

“But you said it’s your birthstone, so why would you think it was a mistake?” She ignored my question again.

“Because I don’t know anyone else at school. I just moved here.” I tore her bill from my pad and slammed it on the counter.

“I’d like another cup,” Nora said.

“Don’t you think you’re taking advantage now?”

“What do you mean?”

“The people who run this place are really nice, and you’re drinking all their coffee for a measly $1.75. That’s pretty crappy.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what. I’ll pay my bill if you take off that necklace.”

I wrinkled my brow. What a weird thing to say. “Why do you care if I’m wearing this necklace?”

“What’s the big deal? You said it wasn’t meant for you, so take it off.”

“No.” I suddenly felt very defensive.

“Fine,” she said. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Fine.” I matched her tone. “Then you can settle your bill,” I called after her.

I took her cup of coffee and dumped it into the tub of dirty dishes. I was cutting her off. I wanted her gone. I started cleaning the counter, trying to wipe away any trace of Nora and her strangeness.

After a while, she still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. I stormed in there, ready to demand she pay up and leave.

“That’s enough, Nora. You owe me money.” I flung the bathroom door open.

The bathroom was empty.

CHAPTER TEN

A
FTER
Nora’s little disappearing act, I was really pissed off. She hadn’t paid her bill
or
left me a tip. I couldn’t get her off my mind all evening. And her wanting me to take the necklace off only made me want to keep it on more. I tucked it under my pajama top and slept with it on. And for the first time since I’d come back to life, I slept soundly. No visions. No bad thoughts. Nothing. The warmth of the ruby on my skin lulled me to sleep, and I didn’t wake up until my alarm went off.

I thought Ethan was still sleeping when I got dressed, but as I pulled my shirt over my head he said, “You slept with that on?”

I jumped and tugged my shirt into place. Ethan sat up in bed, staring at me, waiting for an answer. “I guess I forgot to take it off last night.”

“You didn’t shower with it on, did you?”

I shrugged. “Kind of. Why?”

“It’s weird. You have no idea where it came from, yet you’re hanging on to it, keeping it close to you at all times.”

I knew it was weird, but I felt different with the necklace on. I felt more alive. More like Jekyll and less like Hyde. “Look.” I sat down on the bed and took his hands in mind. “I don’t have the ring you gave me, and ever since I found the duplicate in that wooden box under the sink, I can’t stop thinking about it. This necklace,” I reached up and touched it, “reminds me of that ring. It reminds me of
you.”

As I said it, I realized how true it was. I felt stronger with the necklace on because I felt like I had Ethan with me at all times. It was crazy because the necklace wasn’t even from Ethan, but that was how I felt—rational or not. Right now, I needed strength to fight whatever it was that was wrong with me.

Ethan touched my cheek. “Why do you need a necklace to remind you of me when you have me? In the flesh.” He kissed me softly.

I stared into his eyes, wishing I could tell him everything. Spill my guts and let him know why I was acting so strange. But I couldn’t break his heart like that.

“Yesterday was…tough. Nothing’s the same. I don’t have any friends here. I’m pretending to be someone I’m not.” I stopped when I saw the hurt expression on his face. “I’m glad I’m back. I’m glad I have a second chance with you, and I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done to make sure we can have this life together. Things are great when we’re together.” I looked down, watching the sunlight reflect off the ruby. “But you can’t always be with me.”

Ethan sighed and nodded. “Okay. If it means that much to you, then wear it.” He lifted my chin so I was staring him in the eyes. “But we’re going to that storage facility tomorrow morning. We’ll get your ring, and then you can find the real owner of that necklace and give it back.”

I smiled. “Deal.”

“And as for making friends, we haven’t even had one full day of school yet. Give yourself time. Besides, I think you and Beth kind of hit it off yesterday at lunch.”

Beth. She was the one who’d figured out what happened with the alarm and the lockdown. She seemed nice enough, but if she could piece together yesterday’s incident that quickly, she wasn’t someone I wanted to get too close to.

Day two of school was almost as bad as day one. I didn’t kill anyone, so I considered that a vast improvement, but no one seemed to want to talk to me. I found out why pretty quickly. Shannon Tilby. Looking at her, I never would’ve thought she’d be the popular type. She was a bitch with a capital B, but that’s where her source of power came from. Everyone was afraid of her. So whatever she said, went.

Thanks to Mr. Ryan and me, the principal reduced Shannon’s punishment to a week’s worth of detention, but she was still out to get me. She started a rumor that I was after Mr. Ryan. Yuck. He was cute for a teacher, but that was just it. He was a teacher, and he was like thirty-two or something. Ancient. He was the kind of teacher you liked because he wasn’t all wrinkly and didn’t smell like old cheese. But of course all the girls believed Shannon, and that meant lots of angry looks and mumbled insults in class and the hallways.

Even Mr. Ryan seemed strange around me, and I couldn’t help wondering if the rumor had gotten back to him. If that were the case, he’d probably avoid me out of fear of losing his job. There went my one ally. And worse yet, Shannon was in my class. Apparently she really had been in the girls’ bathroom—the excuse
I’d
used—when the announcement was made. That was the only reason why she’d been in Mr. Ryan’s second period. How I hadn’t noticed her in my class yesterday, I didn’t know.

After English, I went straight to the guidance office to beg Mrs. Melrose to change my schedule. She refused to switch my English lit class, so I focused on French.

“Please, I can’t take French this year. I was doing terribly in it at my old school, and if I fail, my parents will kill me.” That sounded normal enough.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Smith, but according to your records, you were maintaining a C average in French. That’s hardly failing. I see no immediate reason to change your schedule.”

“I cheated,” I blurted out in a fit of desperation. “At my old school. I copied off the girl who sat in front of me. I thought she was a straight A student, but it turned out she didn’t do as well in French. See, I didn’t even cheat well. I’ll flunk on my own.”

Mrs. Melrose shook her head. “Do you realize you just admitted to cheating?”

I nodded and lowered my head. “I feel awful about it, which is why I’m telling you. Please.” I leaned forward, placing both hands on her desk and putting my sad, pleading eyes right in her face. “Isn’t there an opening in any other class that period? Sculpture maybe?” Ethan’s class.

Mrs. Melrose sighed and shook her head again, but she typed something into her computer. “There’s one spot open.”

“Oh, thank you!” I practically jumped up and down I was so relieved.

“But Sculpture is an honors art elective. According to your records, you’ve never taken an honors course. You may be worse off than if you stayed in French.”

“I’ll work really hard. I’m interested in art, and I know a few students who take it. I’m sure I could get one of them to tutor me if I need it.” I wasn’t sure why Mrs. Melrose was so worried. How tough could Sculpture be, even if it was honors? Ethan was pulling it off.

“You’ll need both the teacher’s signature and a parent signature on this form to okay the schedule change.” She handed me a form.

“Done.” I smiled back at her. Forging a signature would be no problem.

“You may report to Sculpture & Design for the remainder of the period, but I need this form signed and returned to me on Monday, or you’ll be back in French. Understood?”

“Understood. Thank you.” I took my permission form and ran out of the office before Mrs. Melrose could change her mind. Sculpture & Design was on the first floor, around the corner from the cafeteria. I had planned to meet Ethan at lunch since French was on the other side of the building from the cafeteria, and I wanted to go to my locker in between periods. I decided to go to my locker now. After yesterday’s glimpse at the food selection in this place, I’d bagged my lunch—a turkey and cheese sandwich Ethan had made me at the diner last night.

I took the back staircase. I still couldn’t go near the other one. Everyone was talking about the break-in. The guy hadn’t been identified yet. I wasn’t surprised. His ID was at the cottage in my jeans, not that he looked anything like his school picture anymore.

I tried to force the thought from my mind. I had to focus on being normal. Instinctively, my hand went to the necklace. I held it as I opened my locker. I slipped my copy of
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
inside and grabbed my lunch. When I pulled it out, I saw there was a yellow Post-it note stuck to it.

The necklace suits you. Wear it always
.

I looked around the hall as if I expected to find someone watching me, waiting for me to get the note. But I was alone. The necklace wasn’t left in my locker by mistake. Someone had given it to me. Someone who had seen me wearing it today. Was it a student from English class? Or was it someone who had a locker near mine? Either way, Ethan wasn’t going to like this. At all.

I crumpled the note as I shut my locker. I found the nearest trash can and got rid of the note. Ethan didn’t need to know. It would only upset him, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. No,
the
last thing I wanted to do was kill someone else, and the necklace was making me strong enough to avoid doing that. I knew it was.

I hurried to Sculpture, eager to get there before the class ended, but as it turned out, the bell rang as I stepped into the room with my permission slip. Ethan came to meet me at the teacher’s desk.

“What are you doing here?”

“Transferring out of French. There’s an opening.”

“And you are?” asked the extremely artsy-looking woman teaching the class. Her hair was jet black with a blue streak down the back, and her dress was the deepest emerald green. It stopped at the knee, which was where her black lace-up leather boots came to. And her nails! They were black with silver stars painted on each one. This woman definitely wasn’t your typical high-school teacher.

“I’m Samantha Smith.” I still wasn’t used to the sound of my new name. “Mrs. Melrose said I could transfer into this class. I just need your signature on this form before I have my parents sign it.”

“Are you an art major?”

Major? This was high school. Who had a major? “Um, I’m very interested in the class, and I think I’d like to pursue a degree in art in college,” I lied.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Ethan said. “I’ve seen her artwork. It’s amazing.”

The lies were piling up, and I hoped no one was keeping track of the stories we were telling because they didn’t line up. We’d need to work on that before someone figured out the truth.