Death of the Mad Hatter (20 page)

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTY-
F
IVE

(
Ryley: Present Time)

Alice Mae
beat me to the closet. The tardy bell rang just as I pulled the door closed behind me. I set my backpack down and flipped over a bucket to use as a seat. Alice Mae leaned against the shelf used for cleaning supplies. I handed her the picture Becky gave me. I noticed the purple painted peacock feathers on her nails. The polish changed hues when the light reflected on it. It was mesmerizing, but I stayed focused.

“
You’re not good at making friends,” I said.

“I thought we already established that neither of us wants to be just friends,” Alice Mae said and winked.

“Becky doesn’t like you or me for that matter. She’s on a mission to get us in trouble,” I said, trying to stay on topic. “Do you have any ideas why?”

A
lice Mae pressed her lips together in a thin line as she studied the picture. “I should make a confession.”

“
Go on.”

Crickets chirped—well, not actually. But, I could have heard them
with as silent as it was in the closet.

“
I said that I
should
make a confession, but that’s not what I’m going to do.”

“
Why do you make everything so difficult? Becky wants blood. She will expose your B&E tendencies if we don’t break up, or if I don’t tell her why my mom and I skipped towns so much.”

“
First, you’ve never taken me anywhere except for this closet. So, as far as I’m concerned, we had not officially had a single date. It’s a far cry from dating, and I don’t remember you ever asking me to be your girlfriend,” Alice Mae said. “And second, why did you move so often?”

I crossed my arms.
“I ask you questions and get nowhere. Why should I answer any of yours?”

“
Because you like to kiss me.”

Oh.

“It made you rather hard to find,” Alice Mae said and bit her bottom lip. She was right. I did want to kiss her.

“
Why were you looking for me?”

“
Because Hearts asked me,” she said, looking at the photo again. Alice Mae dropped the photo in the mop bucket. The image blurred as it sunk lower. She blew over the water like it was a warm drink she was trying to cool. The water boiled. She grinned as the water turned colors. When she blew over the water again, it turned clear. She pulled out the photo paper. It was absolutely white.

“
Becky has more,” I said.

“I guess I was wrong about her—she’s not a complete idiot,” she said
, and tossed the photo in the trash. “Good news for mankind, but bad news for me.”

“
What were you doing in the police station?”

She dusted her hand
s and placed them on my legs. She leaned close so that I could smell the sweets on her breath. She whispered, “Secretive things.”

The closet door opened. Alice Mae jumped back like someone was attacking her with a wet fish. I stood up so
fast that I hit my head on the broom rack. Half a dozen brooms and mops fell off, attacking Alice Mae as she raced toward the door.

Bob, the janitor, stood dumbfounded
as he blocked the opening. Busted. Within thirty minutes, Alice Mae and I were in the principal, Wittrock’s, office. The Maude sisters circled their niece. Alice Mae sat on her hands and kept her face down. I couldn’t figure out if her apparent shyness around them was all an act or if she was truly scared of her aunts. Then, there was my mom—my very angry mother. She paced the office like a caged animal, mumbling over and over that she couldn’t believe that I’d do such a thing.

I wanted to say,
“Mom, I was caught in a janitor’s closet with a girl. It wasn’t like I killed a man” but I didn’t. Everyone was acting like we’d committed a felony. I leaned over to Alice Mae and whispered, “I’ll be scrubbing the floors with a toothbrush for a week.”

The corners of Alice Mae
’s mouth twitched. Zola Maude walked in front of her niece and kneeled in front of her. “Keep smiling and I’ll tell Hearts that you didn’t learn anything from your last floor cleaning.”

Wittrock
entered and went to his office chair. Zola Maude returned to her position next to Vida Maude, behind Alice Mae. My mom never stopped pacing. He picked up a paper that was on his desk and examined it like it was a disciplinary report of sorts. I knew better. I’d stolen a glance at it. It was the school’s lunch menu for next week.

He said,
“Your teachers have noted that you’ve been caught
alone
in classrooms as well as demonstrating irrational behavior, Ryley.”

“What teachers?” I asked.

Alice Mae grabbed my hand. The gesture surprised me, thus stopping me
from asking any more impromptu questions.

“
Does it matter?” Wittrock asked, crossing his arms.

“
Of course it matters,” I said.

“
Ryley Edward Edgar!” Mom exclaimed, “Show some respect, I raised you better than this!”

A.k.a
: Shut up. It wasn’t hard to read between the lines on that comment. They were as evident as the scowl lines on her face.

“Mrs. Dotson and
Mr. Blanch, if you must know who reported repeated instances, Ryley,” Wittrock said, blithely. “Any more questions?”

Alice Mae tightened her grip on my hand.
“You’re making this worse,” she whispered.

“
I can only imagine how difficult raising a young boy would be, Lauren,” Wittrock said, sympathetically. “But, I have to treat Ryley like any other student. One more slip-up, and he’ll be suspended. Until then, he’ll have afterschool detention.”

“
I’ve never gotten into any trouble before now! Don’t you think this is a little harsh?” I said, through gritted teeth.

“
You’re a bright boy, Ryley. You read the news. Too often we read about school shootings and youth stabbings. I don’t want that happening at Rockingham.”

“
You found me in a closet with a girl!” I yelled. Alice Mae’s grip was cutting off circulation, but I didn’t care. “It wasn’t like I was holding a knife to anyone’s throat!”

“
A wonderful demonstration of
Edgar temper
,” Vida Maude said, inspecting her nails like she was bored.

“
And it’s a good thing Bob found you,” Wittrock said. “There are too many teen pregna—”

“
We didn’t even kiss!” I yelled, standing up. My chair fell over backwards.

“
What were you doing then?” Zola Maude asked, nonchalantly.

She may have been pretending not to care, but I could
hear the hint of curiosity in her voice. Alice Mae must have heard it too.

“
Enough lies, Ryley. We were caught neckin’ in a closet. It happens,” Alice Mae said and pulled her scarf back. On her neck was a bruise—a bruise that a vacuum could cause or a pair of lips.

“
You have a hickey,” I said, staring dumbly at her purple skin. I’d never considered myself as the jealous type, but it was in that moment that I understood what envy truly felt like. I wanted Alice Mae all to myself. I hate the idea of her being with other guys.

“
It’s what happens when
someone
sucks on your neck,” she said, and tightened her scarf.

Her purple nail polish
was smeared where it was perfect before. Only the feather design was untouched. Had she been scraping her nails when I wasn’t watching?

She curled her hands by her sides, hiding her nails
. “And my punishment, Mr. Wittrock?”

“
You’ve been absent and late entirely too much this year. You’ll be suspended for a week and then a month of in-school-suspension.”

I couldn’t get my mind off of Alice Mae and that horrid bruise on her neck. We weren’t exclusive. We weren’t really even dating. So
technically,
I couldn’t be mad. No, I wasn’t mad. Madness didn’t properly describe the level of rage. I was furious! Psychotically enraged.

And what made me even more livid was that I had no right to be. I couldn’t even ask the girl out!

So that night, after my mom went to bed, I snuck out of the house and joined Mick, Dax, and Irwin for a frog hunt. It got my mind off of girls for a couple hours.

However, a
t six forty-two the next morning, I received a pix message. I hoped it was from Alice Mae. I hoped it was some logical reason why she had the markings on her neck from another guy. I hoped it was an apology of some sort that would explain everything. Instead, it was an image of me climbing out my bedroom window. Under it was a text.

Becky:
Happy Hunting?

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTY-
S
IX

(
Ryley: Present Time)

I
glanced at my wrist watch. Seven-oh-five. Way too early to be out of bed, yet there I was, sitting in
Connie’s Coffea Shoppe
waiting for the head cheerleader to show. I was armed with the only other person I trusted, Dax. Sleep was still crusted in his eyes. It had only been a few hours since we called it a night from gathering frogs.

“
So, we need to bribe Miss Muffin Top to delete that picture,” Dax said, blinking at me like he wasn’t sure if he was still dreaming or if he was actually awake.

“
And figure out why she’s so interested in getting me in trouble.”

Dressed to the nines, Becky walked in. She had to have been up
for hours to look so good. Yet, I had noticed mud under her fingernails. That was all the more evidence I needed to have to know she followed us last night. She ordered a cappuccino and then sat across the table from us.

“
You’re following me,” I stated. I might as well get that obviousness on the table right away. “Why?”

“
You really want to know?” she asked and sipped her drink.

“
Would we be here at this ungodly hour if we didn’t?” Dax said. He didn’t do well in the mornings. Maybe I should have asked Irwin to join me instead.

“
If you really want to know, ask your
girlfriend
,” she said. “Alice Mae is the one who hired me.”

“
Alice Mae
hired
you to spy on me?” I could barely choke out the question.

“
Initially yes, but she made me swear not to tell anyone. In fact, she made me promise that I’d act like I hated her.”

“
That came naturally,” Dax said.

Becky rolled her eyes.
“Alice Mae knew I had family in law enforcement and wanted me to find out everything I could about you and your family.”

I said,
“Do I have to ask the obvious question of why?”

“She never indulged me with the details of her master plan,” Becky said. “But, when I found that document about your uncle, she immediately terminated my services. Then, I caught her crawling out of the police station window. So now I’m far too curious about you, and I’m not going to stop until I figure out your secret, Ryley.”

Dax nudged my shoulder.
“I think you should tell her about your dad, and then find Alice Mae…”

“
I know!” I interrupted. He was right. If I was going to get Becky off my back, I had to come clean that he was locked up in an insane asylum. Maybe she’d keep it a secret.

“
I’m not going to stop, Ryley. Like I said, I was curious, but then you went and publicly humiliated my best friend by making out with another girl. So, I’m making it my duty to see you disgraced as well.”

“
If I tell you, will you delete the pictures you have of me sneaking out of the house?” I asked. “Are you spying on me non-stop or did someone tip you off?”

“
I knew something was up when your little four-eyed friend blurted out that you guys weren’t up to anything yesterday. So, I figured it was an opportunity to get more dirt on you. Glad it worked,” she said, and held up her cell phone. She showed me the picture she had of me. “I’ll hit the delete button after you tell me your secret.”

“
My dad is alive,” I said.

“
Duh, I’m not a moron,” she said. “Details.”

“
He’s checked into the West Harbour Psychiatric Treatment Facility for schizophrenia and paranoia,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “He thinks that this evil queen from another realm is out to get him and made my mom promise never to stay anywhere for a long period of time.”

“
So that’s why you clammed-up in lit when we were talking about nut jobs,” Becky said. “It hit home for you. That makes sense. So why is Alice Mae so interested in you?”

I dug into my backpack and pulled out Mr. Ruth.
“Because I took her stupid bunny, and she’ll stop at nothing to get it back,” I lied.

By lunch time, everyone knew the truth about my dad. I guessed that it didn’t matter much because I rapidly became known as the crazy guy who carried around a stuffed bunny, destined to live in a madhouse like his dad. Becky got what she wanted: My public humiliation.

Everyone stared at me when I stepped into the cafeteria. I actually looked up to see if there was an audience monitor telling everyone to be silent. After grabbing my food, I found an open spot next to Irwin and Dax. Mick was sharing a table with his football buddies, but raised his milk container to me
in lieu of a greeting. At least he wasn’t going to
unfriend
me like most others.

In light of my recent principal visit, threat of suspension, and news of my
dad, Irwin suggested that we nix the Senior Prank. “J-just stay out of the s-s-spotlight for-r a w-while.”

“
No, I need a distraction from this pandemonium,” I said. “Let’s give everyone something else to talk about.”

Dax glance over at Mick.
“I’ll tell him the timetable moved up to tomorrow.”

I
’d never been more determined to figure out Alice Mae’s secret. Whatever it was, it had to be big—big enough to ruin my life. It was why I sent her a text, saying that it was imperative that we meet tonight, especially since my suspension/expulsion was possible after this stunt.

Alice Mae:
Is this your way of asking me out on a date?

A
little finesse would go a long way if I was going to get what I wanted. So I replied, saying that she should definitely dress up and be prepared to be swept off her feet.

Alice Mae:
I’ll wear good shoes then so I don’t slip too much…but, don’t people usually go on a date at the end of the week?

There was no winning with her.
Me:
Fine, let’s meet up on Saturday.