Double Date (12 page)

“But I don't really know how to use Photoshop,” Devon told her.

“I do,” Tristin said. “You can ride home with me and I'll help you do it. We'll get it up tonight if you want.”

“Really?” Suddenly Devon felt even more worried. Besides the possibility that Tristin was setting Devon up, which seemed more than likely, Devon realized that Tristin would expect her to have an actual person—a high school girl with an actual MyPlace page that they could nab photos from. Who could she use? If she did use someone, would she be able to get it off in time to avoid real trouble? Maybe she was in over her head. And yet, it felt like the adventure was on. How was she going to back down? Still, she would need to proceed carefully—and without trusting Tristin.

E
mma was just putting a frozen casserole into the oven when she heard the landline phone ring. Thinking it was Mom checking on her to see if she'd remembered to start dinner, she casually answered it. But to her surprise it was Devon. She sounded upset and out of breath and strange.

“What's wrong?” Emma demanded.

“Don't you ever answer your cell?” Devon shot back in a raspy voice.

“What are you talk—”

“Never mind. I
need
your help.”

“What's going on?”

“I can't tell you right now, but I was trying to clear Felicia's name. Now I'm in big trouble.”

“What do—”

“I'm stuck in Lakewood, trying to hide from Tristin.”

“What?”

“I need a ride, Emma. Can you come?”

“Mom's not home—I have no car.” Emma turned the oven to automatic timed cook. “Why are you hiding from Tristin?”

“Because she's going to
kill me
!”

“Seriously?” She ran to her bag, extracting her phone.

“Seriously! I downloaded a flash drive from her computer. She caught me and I had to run—”

“Where exactly are you?” Emma had her cell phone in the other hand now, hitting speed dial. “I'm calling Cass—maybe she can help.”

Devon gave her the street coordinates. “I'm hiding in a hedge,” she whispered. “I hear someone coming.”

Keeping Devon on the landline phone, Emma told Cassidy it was an emergency, quickly explaining Devon's dilemma in Lakewood. “She's got the goods on Tristin. For Felicia. But she needs a ride.”

“I'll pick you up first since you're on the way,” Cassidy told Emma.

“We'll be there soon,” Emma said into the landline, but when Devon didn't respond, Emma realized she'd already hung up. Feeling seriously concerned, Emma scrawled a quick note for Mom then grabbed her jacket and went outside to wait for Cass. It was dark and foggy and getting colder by the minute. She was tempted to call Devon to make sure she was okay, but if her phone wasn't on silent mode, it might give her away to Tristin.

Feeling like a spy in a movie, Emma stomped her feet to get warm and ran out as soon as Cassidy's car pulled up. “Devon hung up on me,” she said as she jumped into the car. “It sounded like Tristin was nearby.”

“This is crazy,” Cassidy said as she drove away.

“I know. But Devon sounds really upset. Like she's really scared.”

“What does she think Tristin will do to her?” Cassidy asked.

“She said Tristin was going to kill her.”

“Seriously?
Kill
her?” Cassidy sounded doubtful as she turned onto a main road.

“I'm sure Devon's just being melodramatic, but I'm just as sure that Tristin must be furious. What kind of measures do you think she'd take to get that flash drive back?”

“I have no idea. But if Devon really got the evidence, Tristin's going to be in big trouble at school. Maybe even legal trouble.”

“Tristin isn't exactly a passive sort of person. Plus she's tall.” Emma cringed to think of Devon being cornered by an enraged Tristin. Who knew what she might do?

“Do you think Tristin was armed?” Cassidy sounded even more concerned now. “Is it possible her dad might have a gun or anything like that?”

“A gun?” Emma couldn't imagine Tristin with a firearm . . . or even a knife. “I don't think so. Devon didn't say anything to suggest that. But she did sound totally scared. I'm guessing Tristin is pretty desperate to get that drive back.”

“This is creeping me out big-time,” Cassidy said as she turned on the street that paralleled the Lakewood development. “Think we should call the police?”

“I don't know . . . I mean, really, could it be
that
serious?” Just the same, Emma reached for her phone. “Devon didn't say to call the police.”

“What if we find them and Tristin is beating up Devon? Or what if she has a knife or a gun or something dangerous?”

“Oh, Cassidy, you don't think that could happen, do you?” Emma nervously fingered her phone.

“I don't know . . . but no, not really.”

Emma leaned forward, peering out into the foggy darkness. “Devon said she was near the corner of Aspen and Willow.” She pointed to a sign. “That's Willow, you better turn there.”

“Which way?”

“I don't know.” Emma looked up and down the darkened street. “Try right. If we don't find Aspen soon, we'll double back.”

“This really is creepy,” Cassidy said as she slowly drove down Willow. “Like I'm expecting to see Devon's lifeless, bleeding body in the middle of the street.”

“Cassidy!” Emma scolded. “Now you're creeping me out.”

“Why did Devon do this—go there all by herself? She should've given us a heads-up or something.”

“I don't know any details.” Emma was looking back and forth, trying to spot some kind of movement in the headlights.

“Maybe you should have your phone ready to call 911 . . . just in case.”

“Don't worry, I do.”

After slowly cruising several blocks, Emma spotted the Aspen sign. “This is the right corner!” she exclaimed. “Devon should be near here.”

“Should I stop driving?” Cassidy asked. “You want to open your window and call out for her?”

“What if Tristin is nearby?” Emma cringed.

“Yeah, good point.”

“Devon knows your car. She knows we're coming.” Emma looked down at her phone, wondering if she should call Devon to let her know—

“Look!” Cassidy pointed to a shadowy figure on the other side of the street.

“That's Tristin,” Emma whispered. “Keep driving. Don't even look at her. Just keep going.”

“Where is Devon?” Cassidy asked in a hushed tone.

“She can't be far from here.” Emma looked from side to side.

“Dear God,” Cassidy prayed out loud. “Please, help us find Devon. Safely. Amen!”

“Amen,” Emma agreed.

“Why don't you call her?” Cassidy urged. “Find out where she's hiding.”

“What about the ring tone? If Tristin's nearby she'll hear it.”

“Where is she?” Cassidy muttered as she slowly cruised.

They were several blocks beyond where they'd spotted Tristin. “Maybe you should double back,” Emma suggested. “She might still be hiding at that intersection.”

As Cassidy turned back, Emma hit speed dial. “I'm calling her,” she said quietly, pressing the phone to her ear to hear better.

“Hurry back!” Devon hissed as a greeting. “Same place. I saw you just now.” Before Emma could warn that Tristin was nearby, Devon hung up.

“She's still at Aspen and Willow!” Emma told Cassidy. “Hurry!”

“She's not the only one there,” Cassidy pointed to someone standing next to a tree alongside a driveway as they came up to the intersection. “Tristin's there too. Like she's waiting.”

“I'm unlocking the doors,” Emma said. “In case Devon makes a break for it.”

“Just be sure to lock them back up after she's in,” Cassidy commanded.

“There she is!” Emma exclaimed. Devon was making a mad dash for the car and Tristin wasn't far behind.

“Drive!” Devon yelled as she leaped into the backseat. “Go!”

Tristin pounded on the back of the car, yelling, and Cassidy stepped on the gas. The car lunged forward as Devon slammed the door and Emma pushed the lock button. “Go-go-go!” Emma screamed in terror. “Tristin looks furious!”

“Does she have a gun?” Cassidy asked as she continued driving fast.

“No,” Devon said breathlessly. “But if she'd gotten her hands on me, she wouldn't have needed one.”

“Are you crazy?” Emma turned around to peer at Devon. “Going to Tristin's alone like that?”

“How did you do it?” Cassidy demanded. “Tell us everything.”

“I hooked Tristin earlier today,” Devon explained in a gruff-sounding voice. “Got her interested in talking about MyPlace and how it wasn't that hard to create a phony page. She invited me to come home with her so she could show me her tricks.” Devon coughed.

“Are you sick?” Emma asked. “Your voice sounds raspy.”

“I pretended to have this bad cough while we were on her computer. I coughed so long and so hard that I convinced her to go get me some hot water and honey for my throat.” She coughed again. “I could actually use some now. Anyway, it was while she was gone that I did a quick search in her photo file and found some Felicia pics. So I pulled out my flash drive and had just loaded a couple when Tristin came back.”

“Oh no.” Emma gasped.

“She didn't know what I'd done at first. I got up from the computer and met her at the door, but then she saw one of the pics still open on her computer and she got suspicious.” Devon made a nervous laugh. “Then I did something pretty stupid, but it worked.”

“What?” Cassidy and Emma asked simultaneously.

“I bumped her arm, spilling the hot water down her front as I made a break for the door. You should've heard her screaming at me.”

“Was anyone home?” Cassidy asked. “Her parents?”

“Unfortunately, we were alone. So I knew I had to get out of there before she really did try to kill me. You should've heard the language she was using. And I thought Northwood girls had class.” Devon laughed. “Hey, I need you to take me to Emma's grandma's house, Cass. Remember, I live there now.”

Cassidy nodded, turning down the next street.

“Does Tristin know you live there?” Emma asked fearfully. “What if she comes looking for you and Grandma is—”

“Tristin doesn't know where I live,” Devon assured her. “If she tries to look it up, she'll get my mom's address. If she goes looking for me there, she'll probably meet Rodney, and he can scare anyone.”

“Just the same, you better call your mom and warn her,” Emma said. “Tell Lisa not to give Tristin my grandma's address.”

“Yeah. Good point.” As Cassidy drove, Devon called her mom and without going into details explained that a crazy girl was looking for her. “Do not tell her where I'm staying,” Devon commanded. “This girl is totally psycho. I'm not kidding, Mom. In fact, if she shows up, you might want to call the police. Seriously!”

Devon was just hanging up with her mom when they got to Emma's grandma's house. “Thanks for rescuing me,” she said lightly. “I'll fill you in on the rest of it tomorrow.”

“So we can schedule a meeting with Mrs. Dorman in the morning?” Emma asked eagerly. “And present all our evidence to clear Felicia's name?”

“Sure.” Devon grinned. “See you tomorrow.”

“Wow.” Cassidy shook her head as they watched Devon running up to the house. “That was a little too much excitement for one night.”

“I think Devon thrives on excitement.” Emma let out a long sigh. “At least she's got the goods on Tristin. I can't wait to tell Felicia.”

“Should she come to our meeting tomorrow?” Cassidy asked as she backed out.

“Maybe it would be easier on Felicia not to be there,” Emma said. “It seems cruel to make her sit there and see the evidence all over again. Pretty demeaning, you know.”

“Right.”

Before long they were back at Emma's. “Thanks for being willing to run out there like that,” Emma told Cassidy. “I don't know what we would've done without you.”

“It was worth it,” Cassidy assured her. “To help Felicia.”

“I'll tell her how you helped,” Emma promised as she opened the door. “I'm sure she'll appreciate it. I plan to call her as soon as I get inside.”

Emma was slightly relieved to see that Mom wasn't home yet. As she went inside, she realized that she hadn't even been gone for an hour so the casserole wasn't finished cooking yet. She dialed Felicia's number and, after apologizing for calling at dinnertime, told her the good news.

Felicia let out a happy squeal. “That's so wonderful! Thank you so much, Emma. I can't wait to tell my parents I get to return to Northwood.”

“Well, we won't know for sure until tomorrow, but I don't see any reason they can keep you out. If anything, they owe you an apology.”

“Tristin is the one who owes me an apology.”

“That's for sure. You should've seen how angry she was. Devon was really brave to do that for you.”

“I owe Devon my life.”

“Cassidy drove the getaway car. You should've seen her go.”

“I owe her too.”

“So we'll let you know how it all shakes down tomorrow. After we meet with Mrs. Dorman, I'll call you. Okay?”

“Thank you so much, Emma. I really do owe you. Big-time!”

“We're just glad to see you're going to be treated fairly.
Finally.
” After Emma hung up, she went back to working on the Santa sleigh. So far she'd cut the box into a graceful sleighlike shape. Spotting an old pair of roller skates in the garage, she chopped off the tops of them and, using hot glue, adhered the wheel portions to the bottom of the sleigh—making it appear as if the sleigh was gliding along. Then she painted the whole thing hot pink. She'd considered going with a traditional Christmas red, but thought it might be more interesting to make this sleigh
flashy and colorful. As she left it in the garage to dry, she felt a real sense of accomplishment. Not because of the sleigh so much but because of how things were looking up for Felicia. And, she decided as she went into the house, petite Felicia was just the right size to play the second elf with Emma at Friday's promotional assembly. After all, hadn't she just said that she owed Emma big-time? Emma had no problem letting her pay up by being an elf.