On the Fringe (28 page)

Crazy Hair Lady.
Nico.
Claire’s aunt.

She was still under the water, floating a few feet in front of Aden, wearing a red floral dress, her eyes swirling turquoise and yellow.

Aden was seething. “Why did you do that? You ruined everything!”

They were facing each another, circling like animals. Nico seemed to be enjoying herself, a triumphant smile forming on her lips. “You need to quit bugging the
living
,” she said, flicking her hand against Aden’s shoulder and shoving him backwards through the water. “It’s not very fun when you’re the one getting pushed around, is it?”

Aden tensed his shoulders and crouched low, making some sort of strange growling noise. Then he rushed at her, like he was going to wring her neck. “You need to mind your own business, Witch!”

Nico turned and winked at me just before he reached her—and this time I saw it coming.
For once.
I felt myself smiling when I heard a soft metallic
clink
the second Aden made contact with her.

“You need to learn to
think
before you act, Aden. Now I’ve got you,” she said, mimicking Aden’s earlier words to me, making me wonder if she’d been eavesdropping the entire time.

Aden fought. He punched.
Screamed.

“Hopefully now you’ll realize you can’t change the past,” she said, pulling him with her as they began to drift away. “Next time try focusing on the future. It’s much easier.”

Aden’s shrill screams flooded the watery world. I tried covering my ears, but the noise reverberated through the lake, the water magnifying the sound waves, multiplying and engulfing my senses.

Finally it stopped.

Aden’s broad shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned to Nico and whispered, “Where are you taking me?”

“I’m going to teach you a few lessons.”

They started to fade away. Just before the water appeared to swallow them up, Nico turned back to me and winked. Her eyes were a cool green. “Don’t forget our date. How about this Thursday night at the Galleria? Eight-o’clock, sharp. I’ll bring the popcorn.”

“Wait. Do I…?”

But they were gone, and the lake was suddenly quiet.

I shifted to the shore, where Claire’s cold, pale body lay in the mud. Compared to the still quiet beneath the water, the rest of the world seemed alive and angry, sound waves bouncing around me like a rubber ball—sirens, walkie-talkies, voices yelling, screaming, or crying.

Felix lay face down on the ground, his arms cuffed behind his back. The paramedics surrounded Claire and pumped her chest as Addie, Matthew and her parents huddled over her, crying, calling her name, begging her to live. I drifted through the circle of people surrounding her, and sunk next to the guy trying to save her life.

Matthew looked up at me, then grabbed Claire’s hand and leaned into her ear. “Claire. Claire, it’s me, Matthew. You have to come back. For Mom and Dad, and Addie. For me. For
Daniel.
Please, Claire, you have to come back.”

We waited, but she still didn’t move. Matthew gasped, choking hard before he found me again. I could see panic inside his eyes as they pleaded with me to save his little sister. That was when I realized Matthew needed Claire, and she needed Matthew. And because of that, I was going to be okay. She was going to be just fine.

I kissed Claire’s forehead, and placed my head on her chest, hoping the soft rhythm of her heartbeat would start. At the first muted thump, I looked up at the swollen lump of serrated flesh beneath Matthew’s blood-shot eye, the purple and black patches spreading like a disease beneath his skin, and I smiled—because
he
was going to be all right now, too.

I turned back to Matthew’s little sister and whispered in her ear, “Claire. I love you. I think I always have.”

Claire

I could feel my heart beating and the rush of blood waking me up. Slowly, I opened my eyes to a crowd of strange faces looking at me, to the feeling of wet and cold seeping through my skin into my bones.

My skin…my bones…

Startled, I reached out for Daniel. He was there, somewhere. I could feel him near me, but couldn’t find him.

“Claire,” I heard familiar voices talking amidst the swirl of commotion encircling me as Matthew came into view, followed by Addie and my parents, the neighbors, and a bunch of other strange faces.

“Daniel,” I called out weakly, trying to sit up as a dozen hands pushed me back down into the grass.

“Take it easy, there,” said a deep voice.

I wanted Daniel, but the overwhelming mass of faces smothered me. I finally located Matthew’s face, and looked at him hopefully. “Daniel?” I squeaked out. Matthew only smiled, his relieved eyes hiding any answers.

Everything felt upside down as the crowded world spun around me like a merry-go-round, my eyes growing heavy again. When I tried to lift my arms or move my body, I felt constrained like there was a weight pressing on my chest, and I sunk back to wherever I’d been…

…
back
to Daniel.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NOT THE END

Daniel

The moonlight shone down on us as we lazily drifted around in circles, her head resting against my chest as I held her, one arm along her waist, the other brushing her hair.

“This isn’t so bad,” she said, looking up at me.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead, letting my lips linger on her skin. She reached for my hand, her fingers interlaced through mine.

“I never said it was bad.”

“Then why don’t I just stay?”

“This isn’t a place where you should stay, Claire—you know that.”

“But I don’t want to leave you.” Sitting up suddenly, she gasped, “My ring, Daniel! Where’s my ring? It must have fallen off in the lake…”

“Shhhhh,” I hugged her…. “I’ll find it for you.”

Dusk or dawn filtered in through slatted shades, sending blurry patterns across the room. People came and went—some familiar, some not; some with flowers, some with cards or hugs. Claire’s face looked so peaceful on the pillow near mine. For hours at a time, I would get lost in her silhouette while dragging my fingers across her eyelids, then along her cheek, pretending I could feel her again.

When she had company, I usually stood off in the corner, burying myself in a small patch of sunlight.Even though no one could see me, I still felt like an intruder. Sometimes she would stir, her moaning cause for excitement as they all eagerly waited. When she didn’t wake up, their faces and heads would droop as they all tried to hide their disappointment after she eluded them once again.

“You can’t keep doing this to them,” I told her the next time she came to me.

“But I’m not ready.”

We’d found refuge at Hidden Lake again. The leaves were falling around us as we stood at the edge of the dock, this time in the shadow of a golden sunset. We faced each other as I brushed my hands along the sides of her arms. Her skin felt so delicate, though my memory could never do it justice. Soon, I was holding her face in my hands, closing my eyes, and letting my head fall forward until our noses were barely touching, her cheek grazing mine as our lips met….

“Claire.
Claire,
” we could both hear her mom calling her. “I’m so sorry, honey. Please come back…”

Claire’s lips stayed on mine.

I pulled back.

She hesitated, a look of confusion on her face.

“You need to go,” I urged, for her sake.

“But I’m happy here with you.”

“I love you, Claire,” her mom’s voice broke in.

Claire looked at me, her eyes sad, then scared, then uncertain. “I don’t want to leave you, Daniel,” she sighed, looking out across the lake.

“Say hi to Daniel for me,” Matthew’s voice intruded. “And then you need to wake up.”

Claire gulped.

I held her hand, even though I could only feel subtle pressure. Looking down, I tried to imagine or remember what it felt like to hold her. The memory weakly returned, but I couldn’t make it last. Suspecting the same for her, I squeezed her fingers as tightly as I could, and then released them.

“We’ll have our time.” I attempted courage. “Just not right now.”

Her eyes told me tears wanted to fall, but here they only brimmed with sadness. “I know.” She bowed her head, unwilling to look at me anymore, but still unable to let go. “I know,” she repeated.

Lifting her chin with my finger, I forced her to look at me, and then kissed her one more time, trying to remember how she felt in my arms, as numb as I was, insistent on retaining one final memory that would have to last years, or decades, or more.

And then she left me—to return to her life that still waited for her, to the life without me.

I was glad it had been her decision, and not mine.

Claire

Day and night blurred together, composing a continuous span of dripping, fading time. Mom and Dad were there when I opened my eyes. I first heard Mom’s gasp, then looked up to find Dad’s crooked smile.

“Claire,” he sighed in relief and squeezed my hand, his eyes brimming with emotion. Mom smothered my face with kisses and tears, and I felt my heart growing warm.

I’d missed them.

Over the next few days my foggy mind fought for awareness, unable to keep track of time. My life consisted of never-ending visits from family and friends who peppered me with a million questions interspersed with long naps and bland hospital food, both, which left me exhausted. I felt paper thin, my lungs weak as a butterfly at first, my mind shouting from the inside for my body to move. Eventually the beeping and whirring of machines were abandoned until all that was left were a few annoying needles I begged to have removed.

The only thing I couldn’t get rid of was my insomnia. Night after night I tossed and turned, sometimes only sleeping an hour or so, my daydreams blurring with reality, thanks to the various drugs taking up residence in my mind. Visions of Daniel seemed to come and go. As long as I was dreaming he was never far away, so I wanted to sleep as much as possible.

Everyone was afraid to speak of that night; they all avoided it—even Matthew, though occasionally he looked at me like he was bursting inside. The doctor had probably ordered everyone’s silence. That was fine by me, because not only did I prefer not to have to think about Aden and Felix ever again, but I also didn’t want anyone to see me cry. Being stuck half-naked in a hospital bed was bad enough.

After almost a week in the hospital, I finally got to go home. It felt good being surrounded by familiar walls, smells and sounds, and even better being fattened up by Mom’s cooking. She pretty much made whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, which opened it up to just about anything when your mom could make absolutely everything. I never really noticed before.

I had been home only a few days, and was sinking my teeth into a warm pumpkin scone slathered in butter, when Matthew invited himself in my room and sat beside me on the bed. He still looked pretty bad, with two huge bandages on his face and head, and another on his arm. At least his eye was almost down to its normal size.

“How are you doing?” he asked, smiling.

“Okay, I guess. Addie updated me on all the drama at school.” I laughed, taking another bite.

“Good. Important stuff,” he said, bringing his hand down on my knee.

“So have you officially dropped out of school?”

“No. I just worked a few things out with my professors,” Matthew said, looking out the open window that was letting in a cool breeze Mom thought would give me pneumonia, never mind it was 65 degrees outside.

“Mom and Dad might kill me for doing this,” Matthew said, “but we
have
to talk about what happened—about Daniel.”

Hearing Matthew say Daniel’s name out loud sent my heart racing. I swallowed hard and looked up at him, not sure where things were going.

“I know,” he apologized profusely, afraid to look at me directly, “It sucks, Claire, but–”

“It’s okay,” I interrupted. “Really, I’m fine. You’re the only one who understands, anyway.”

He shifted back and forth on the bed, like he wasn’t sure how to begin. Every time I thought he was going to say something, he’d close his mouth again and look out the window.

What was going on?

“Matth–” I started, but he interrupted.

“I saw Daniel, Claire.”

I dropped what was left of my scone, and sat up. “WHAT?” Matthew nodded, his deep ocean eyes overflowing with excitement. “
How?
”

“I don’t know. But he was there.
I saw him
. I couldn’t believe it, either. I kept trying to convince myself it was a dream, but Daniel really
was
there. And then he was gone.”

“This is
insane!
” I said, leaning forward. “Did anyone else see him?”

“No. I mean, I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure it was just me.”

“I don’t get it. There has to be some reason you saw him. You really don’t know why?”

Matthew looked away for a second, almost like he was hiding something, but then he laughed, and punched me in the side. “Nope. I thought
you
would have all the answers.”

“I don’t get it
at all
.” I tried coming up with some kind of explanation, but my mind was blank.

“What about you?” he asked, almost apologetically. “Have you seen him…since then?”

I shook my head, feeling a lump forming in my throat. “No. I think he’s gone now. I mean…I don’t really know where he is…I definitely can’t see him anymore.”

Matthew leaned over and hugged me, apologizing like everything was his fault. “I’m sorry, Claire.”

“It’s okay.” I kissed his cheek and hugged him back. “Thanks for listening, and for believing, and for
everything
. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, Matth–” but my throat caught, and I couldn’t finish. Instead, I just held onto him, grateful for his solid, unmoving, predictable existence.