One Hundred Candles [2] (12 page)

My wonderful day, which moments earlier had felt so perfect as I kissed Harris, had dissolved into yet another bad memory for me. I wouldn’t remember the night as the one in which I was asked to prom for the first time. Instead, it would be etched in my mind as the night my parents’ marriage completely collapsed.

fifteen

“Time is against you.”

I awoke the following Wednesday in a state of confusion, Marcus’s threat lingering in my mind. It was barely light out. I groped for my alarm clock, then frowned when I read the numbers: 5:49. Way too early. I plopped back onto my pillows, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to return to sleep. Then I heard the sound that had roused me from my much-needed rest: the buzzing of my cell phone. I reached across my nightstand for it, nearly knocking over the vase holding my now-wilted roses from Harris. The phone buzzed again and I flipped it open to reveal an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?”

“Charlotte?”

I sat up and pushed the tousled hair out of my face. “Dr. Zelden?”

“I’m sorry to call you at this hour, but it was the only chance I had to reach you. I’ll be brief.”

There was a lot of static on the other end, and Zelden himself sounded like he was talking in a cave. His frantic voice echoed.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I can’t tell you that, I’m afraid. But I assure you, I am far away. I’m doing what I can to keep him at a distance.”

“Keep who at a distance?” Confusing conversations were not the best way to begin one’s morning. I had no idea what Zelden was talking about.

“Marcus.” The static coming from Zelden’s phone surged and crackled. “I’m trying to keep him away from you. But Charlotte, he knows where you go to school. It was on your sweatshirt that day at the asylum.”

“I don’t understand,” I said. “What’s going on?”

Zelden’s voice was being swallowed up by the increasing static. “It keeps happening,” he shouted, desperate urgency in his voice. “I cannot contain it! Watch for the signs, Charlotte, and find a safe—”

The line went dead. I kept the phone pressed to my ear, hoping that somehow, Zelden would get through and utter a few more words to clarify his rambling warning. He had sounded truly upset. Afraid that I would forget everything Zelden had said, I got out of bed and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen.

He’s trying to keep Marcus far away from me.

Marcus knows where I go to school.

Something keeps happening and can’t be contained.

I need to look out for signs and find safety.

But he hadn’t said
safety,
I realized as I came to the end of my little list. He had been cut off. I remembered Beth from Potion. She had told me that if I ever needed a safe haven, I should call her. Was that what Zelden was about to say?
Find a safe haven.
It was an odd word and an even odder request.

Beth had also said the Watcher was confined somehow. Confined within Marcus? Maybe that was what Zelden meant when he said he couldn’t contain it. Maybe the Watcher was breaking out. And if that happened, he would head for the one place where he knew he could find me: school.

I searched my desk for Beth’s business card. It was too early to call her, but I wanted to keep the card handy. I had a gnawing sense that I might need it soon.

Knowing that there was zero chance of my getting back to sleep, I decided to get ready for school. After a long, hot shower I dressed and went downstairs with the idea that I would surprise Mom with breakfast. She was already there, though, pouring her coffee at the counter.

“You’re up early,” she said with a yawn.

“Couldn’t sleep.” I poured myself a glass of grapefruit juice and grabbed a bagel from the fridge.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Okay.” I knew I should tell her about the phone call. She would take it seriously but not flip out over potential lawsuits, and then she and Beth could coordinate some kind of defense plan. I figured Zelden had taken Marcus away on a trip, possibly even out of the country, to keep his possessed assistant away from me. My dad might hate the guy, but I knew he was trying to help me somehow.

“I was thinking about spring break,” she began. “How would you feel about the four of us taking a trip to visit Annalise in Charleston?”

“Dad, too?”

“Dad, too.”

I was thrilled. Finally, my parents were making a step toward being together instead of living apart. Maybe that awful fight the week before hadn’t broken them up. Maybe it had pushed them to realize that they needed to be together in order to work things out.

I decided not to tell Mom about Zelden’s wake-up call. She would want to get involved, Dad would know and the fighting would begin all over again. I would not be the cause of that, I vowed, especially when they were so close to fixing everything. I needed to tell someone, but it wouldn’t be Mom. Not yet, at least.

Avery arrived to pick me up for school. I tried to pay attention to her chatter as she drove us through our neighborhood and down Main Street, but really, I had no idea what she was talking about. At one point, she mentioned Plexiglas.

“Why do you need Plexiglas?” I asked.

“Not me.” She looked over at me. “Jared bought the Plexiglas.”

“Why is Jared buying Plexiglas?”

“Have you been listening to me at all?”

“No,” I admitted. “I’m sorry. Lots on my mind right now.”

Avery guided her Mini Cooper into the senior parking lot. We were early, and only a few people lingered outside. Avery cut the engine, but neither one of us got out of the car.

“What’s going on?”

“Too much.” I focused on the morning sky, which was streaked with shades of purple and pink. “I got a weird phone call this morning. Dr. Zelden thinks I may be in danger.”

“Danger from what?”

“Marcus, I think. Or not Marcus, but the thing that was inside him.”

“Sounds creepy.”

“Welcome to my life. Creepy comes with the territory.”

“What can I do to help? I’m here for you. Whatever you need, name it.”

I felt lucky to have a best friend like Avery. “Thanks. What I need is a dose of normal, I think.”

“And you came here?” Avery joked.

We walked into the building together. It still wasn’t crowded yet, which I liked, but as I approached my locker, I saw that someone was standing there waiting for me.

“Bliss?”

I knew it was her, but at the same time, I felt like I had to ask because she wasn’t dressed in her usual bright, solid colors. Instead, she was wearing faded jeans and a lumpy gray sweatshirt. And her hair, which I knew she typically took great care to ensure its shiny smooth perfection, was dull and frizzy. But what really made me question whether or not the real Bliss Reynolds was standing in front of me was her blank face, which was completely barren of any makeup.

“Are you okay?” Obviously, she was not, but it was the only thing I could think to ask.

“My grandfather died.” She kept her eyes down.

“I’m so sorry.”

“He’d been sick but we thought he was getting better. And then, last night…” Her voice trailed off.

“Is there anything I can do?” I meant it, even if I had no idea what I could do to help a grieving girl who could barely stand me.

“I’m going to be out of school for the week,” Bliss said, her voice gaining strength. “I got here early today so I could get my books. I wanted to let you know that I already talked to Morley, and he said you could take over as anchor for the morning news.”

“Oh. Okay.” I absolutely did not want to take over for anything. I hated being in front of the camera. “Um, are you sure? I mean, can Morley find somebody else, maybe?”

The old Bliss resurfaced for a moment, her voice sharp. “Yeah, right. Don’t pretend you haven’t been waiting for the chance to step into my job, Charlotte. We both know that’s a lie.”

“Bliss, really, I don’t want—”

She turned around and stormed away. I told myself that it wasn’t really me she was angry with. She was upset over the death of her grandfather. Still, her harsh judgment of me stung. I would never be able to convince her that I did not place the same importance as she did on the school news.

“Was that Bliss?” Avery asked, coming up behind me.

“Yes. And she’s mad at me again.” I briefly filled her in. “Why does she care so much about ten minutes on the screen? Half the school doesn’t even pay attention.”

Avery shrugged. “It’s all she has, I guess.”

“That’s depressing.”

“What’s depressing?” Harris joined us, smiling wide and reaching for my books.

“Bliss’s grandfather died last night,” I told him.

“Huh. Well, old people die. We still on for tomorrow night?”

I was annoyed by his casual response, but he didn’t really know Bliss, so I could see how it wasn’t a big deal to him. “Yeah, we’re still on for tomorrow,” I said. “Are you ready to tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope.”

Avery giggled. “Charlotte hates surprises.” The first bell rang. “Have fun, you two!” she said as she hurried to first period. Harris walked me to class, nodding and smiling at people he knew in the hallway. As we passed by the library, he paused.

“Wonder what’s going on?” He motioned toward the glass doors. Behind them, a throng of students had gathered. As we got closer, I could see that the library was a mess, books scattered everywhere.

“Someone trashed the library?” I asked out loud.

“Mind if we stop in?”

Harris opened the door for me. I was greeted with a chorus of confused voices as people looked around trying to figure out what had happened.

“It was like this when I arrived this morning,” the librarian, Mrs. Gladysz, wailed to the security guard.

I looked around. Hundreds of books surrounded us. They were all open, I realized. I knelt down to pick one up. Page fifty-five looked up at me.

“Didn’t Bliss tell a story about this?” Harris whispered next to me.

“Yep.” I looked at some of the other books on the floor. The ones I could see were all open to page fifty-five. I knew in my gut it was yet another elaborate prank, but I couldn’t figure out who would be able to pull it off. Sneaking into a locked library at night, avoiding the security system and ravaging the shelves would take careful planning and more than a few hours.

And possibly more than one person.

The second bell rang, declaring that Harris and I were officially late for class. “Let’s go,” he said, steering me toward the doors. “Doc Larsen might let you off with a warning.”

I knew my English teacher would shake her head and demand that I obtain a late pass from the main office. Five seconds late or five minutes—it didn’t matter to her. Late was late. So when I saw Noah emerge from one of the bare stacks, I stopped. “Go ahead,” I told Harris. “I’ll get a pass.”

He handed over my books and rushed out. I waved at Noah, who came over to me. “Can you believe this mess?” he asked. “Mrs. Gladysz is taking it personally. She thinks someone did this to hurt her.”

“Why would anyone want to hurt her?” Mrs. Gladysz was a quiet, smiling woman who went out of her way to locate good books for the few students who actually approached her for something not required for class.

“This was Bliss’s candle story, right?” Noah asked. “We should find her.”

“She’s not here,” I said, my eyes still on Mrs. Gladysz. She was sitting in a chair, looking out at the library like it was a battlefield strewn with bodies. “Her grandfather passed away last night.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Noah said. “I thought I saw her, though, earlier this morning.”

I turned my attention to Noah. He was wearing the red shirt again, the one that contrasted with his eyes, making them shine more green. “She came by to pick up her things. She’ll be gone all week, though.”

Noah nodded. “Okay, then.” He looked over at the librarian. “I feel really bad for her. I wish I could do something.”

“Maybe we can.” I walked over to Mrs. Gladysz. “Can we help you pick up?” I asked.

“So many books,” Mrs. Gladysz responded, her voice soft. “I don’t care what the security guard said. This was not a harmless prank. This was malicious.”

“We can come by during lunch,” Noah offered.

Mrs. Gladysz looked up, surprised. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

I didn’t mind the fact that Noah had just volunteered us to spend our entire lunch period organizing books. In fact, I thought as I hurried to the main office to obtain a late slip, I was looking forward to it. It would give Noah and me a chance to talk more. AV class was not enough sometimes, and our conversations were constantly interrupted by people needing to watch footage or hand us discs.

I met up with Harris after first period and told him what I’d be doing. “Don’t they have people to take care of that?” He frowned. “Like, you know, the custodian or someone?”

“It’s a big job,” I replied. “Extra hands will make it go faster.”

Harris nodded, but he looked confused. “Did you get a chance to talk to your parents about Gwyn’s house?”

“Not yet.” I felt guilty, but I’d barely seen my parents in the past few days. Even though they were planning a family vacation to Charleston, they managed to avoid one another. They had choreographed a routine to make sure they were never in the same room at the same time, and I didn’t want to risk asking one and infuriating the other, jeopardizing our spring break plans. “I’ll ask as soon as I see them,” I told Harris, but I knew that meant waiting a week.

I don’t know why I looked forward to lunch. Spending forty-five minutes crouched on the library floor was not going to be enjoyable, but still, I found myself glancing at the clock often during third period. When the bell finally rang, I nearly raced toward the library. For the first time all day, I felt like I was moving toward something good. It didn’t make sense, really. I wasn’t headed toward anything special.

Just Noah.

sixteen

Noah was already in the library when I got there, kneeling on the floor and shutting each book before he checked the spine and returned it to the correct shelf. He smiled when he saw me. “Ready for five kinds of fun?”

I looked around at the colossal disaster I had volunteered to tackle. “Only five kinds? Come on, this is at least nine.”

Noah nodded toward some scattered dictionaries. “I saved those for you. I’ll finish here and we can meet in the middle.”

I got right to work. There were a ton of dictionaries, but they all went in the same spot, so I didn’t have to sort through them as carefully as Noah did with his random stack of novels. It was quiet in the library. Mrs. Gladysz walked around with a clipboard, making notes about which shelves were missing books and double-checking to make sure that the books still on the floor hadn’t been damaged.

“How’s it going over there?” Noah asked.

I had finished shelving a few dozen heavy dictionaries. “My arms are getting a good workout,” I replied. “You?”

“I think I’m going blind from reading the little numbers on the spines of these things.”

Mrs. Gladysz came over to us. She held her clipboard against her chest and beamed. “You’ve already made such wonderful progress! Thank you so much!”

“No problem, Mrs. G,” Noah said. “We’ll work on nonfiction next.”

“Very good. I’m going to lunch, but I’ll be back before the end of the period.”

“Where’s nonfiction?” I asked after Mrs. Gladysz left. Noah led the way to a corner of the library. There were fewer books strewn across the floor, so I knew we could clean it up within a few minutes.

“Something’s been bothering me,” Noah said as he closed books.

“Really? But everything has been so normal around here,” I joked.

Noah shook his head. He placed a book back on the shelf, then sat down on the floor. “The cell phone incident,” he began. “It’s the one story that wasn’t told at the party, and it’s the one thing that caused the most disruption here. Any theories?”

“None,” I admitted. “And it’s weird, because that was the same day Zelden called me for the first time.”

“The demon guy called you?” Noah frowned. “What did he want?”

I shut an open book. “I don’t know, exactly. My dad intercepted the call.”

“You said it was the first time he called. So he’s called you again?”

“This morning, actually.”

I stopped shelving and told Noah everything. It felt good to confide in him, to share the details as clearly as I could recall them. I kept my voice low in case anyone else was in the library, but sitting on the floor with Noah, it felt like we were the only two people in the school. After I described Zelden’s calls, I explained that I hadn’t yet told my parents anything because I didn’t want to endanger their possible reunion.

He was looking down at the floor. “So you’re saying that basically, there’s an evil force heading in this direction and that its one and only goal is to punish you?”

“Um, yeah. I guess that sums it up.”

“And your parents are clueless and no one is actively doing anything to protect you right now? What about Harris? You told him, right?”

I fidgeted with my amethyst necklace. “It’s too complicated. He wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re killing me, Charlotte.” Noah ran a hand through his hair. “You’re in serious danger and you’re acting like it’s not a big deal. I saw your arm in that sling. I know what Marcus was able to do in under a minute. If he gets his hands on you again…”

“I know, but Zelden said he’s far away. And spring break is in two days. I’ll tell my parents while we’re in Charleston, okay?”

“But Marcus could show up here in the next two days.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Careful how?” Noah was obviously agitated. He kept messing with his hair. “You need protection. I’ll keep my eyes open for strangers around school, but there’s only so much I can do to keep you safe.”

I don’t know why it thrilled me to hear him say that he wanted to keep me safe. We were friends—of course he wanted me to be safe. But the way he said it, like my security mattered to him, well, it made me want to hug him. Maybe more than hug. I wanted to feel his arms around me.

“It’s just two days. I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah?” Noah’s gaze went to my neck. “You only play with that necklace when you’re worried about something.”

I immediately let go of the amethyst. “That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is. I’ve seen you. Every time you get upset, your hand goes right to it.”

“Yeah, well, every time you’re upset you run your hands through your hair.”

We stared at each other for a moment. Then Noah laughed. “I know, I know. Nervous habit.” I relaxed, but then Noah reached for my hand. “I’m worried about you Charlotte, I really am. Promise you’ll tell me if you see or feel anything weird.”

“I promise.” I tried to ignore how warm his hand felt on mine. “But promise me you won’t tell my parents or Shane.”

“Only if you promise you
will
tell them over break.”

“Deal.” I didn’t want him to let go of my hand, but we still had work to do. By the time the lunch bell rang, we had cleared about half the floor of books and earned eternal appreciation from Mrs. Gladysz, who happily wrote us late-passes.

Noah walked me to class. “This isn’t necessary,” I protested.

“Over the next two days you’re going to say that a lot,” he replied. “But for me, it is necessary. So don’t bother fighting with me. You’ll lose.”

“Fine.” I tried to sound annoyed, but it was hard to hide how pleased I was.

The next two days flew by more quickly than I thought possible. It wasn’t just the onslaught of pre-break tests that the teachers loved to throw at us; it was also the fact that I was now the temporary anchor of the school news, a job I absolutely hated. I complained until Morley agreed to let one of the freshman guys co-anchor with me, but the boy was so nervous he could do little more than offer a nervous smile the moment the lights came on. I was determined not to overshadow Bliss, so I wore jeans and neutral shirts and did my best to look as unpolished as possible. Despite my efforts to be entirely forgettable, though, people kept complimenting me on my “natural” way in front of the camera. Harris, in particular, was thrilled.

“People love you!” he said as we walked to class together. And although I felt safe with his strong arm securely planted on my shoulder, I felt even better knowing that Noah was nearby. Every time I turned around, Noah was there, taking the long way to class to make sure he saw me.

Another person who always seemed to be around was Gwyn. I didn’t ask Harris about her directly, but I thought that they had probably gotten over their fight the night of the basketball game and that he had told her that I would try to get my parents to reinvestigate her home. She didn’t talk to me, but I noticed the dark circles under her eyes when we were in class and the way she lingered at her locker, staring into it as if she couldn’t remember what books she needed.

Friday finally arrived. I was relieved that nothing strange had happened since the library incident, happy that I would no longer be forced to read the school news, and excited that spring break was only hours away.

“How’s our celebrity news anchor?” Avery asked me at lunch. The cafeteria was less congested than usual. A lot of people had decided to begin their break early.

I groaned. “Not funny. I can’t wait to get back to editing and leave the interviews to Bliss.”

“Come on, you’re great! That piece you did on the vegetarian nuggets was a hit.”

I poked at my soggy tuna fish sandwich. “Maybe I should have gotten those for lunch today instead of this.”

“Just think, though—this time tomorrow you’ll be dining on real seafood in Charleston.”

I smiled. “Shrimp and grits. My favorite.” I pushed the sandwich aside. “I wish you weren’t going to be stuck here.”

Avery nibbled at a carrot stick. “It won’t be so bad. My mom’s taking a few days off so we can go shopping.” She looked around at the small crowd of students eating their lunch. “Have you seen Jared today?”

“No.” I hadn’t seen Harris, either. The only person I kept running into was Noah, who always seemed both panicked and relieved to find me in one piece.

“I thought he’d be finished with the memorial by now,” Avery said.

“The one-year anniversary isn’t until the Monday after break, though, right?”

“Yes. I guess I thought he’d be done early.” She sighed. “Not that I’m looking forward to it.”

I was surprised. “You’re not?”

“I mean, I want to see what Jared’s been working on, but it just reminds me that this horrible date is approaching.” She stared at her carrot sticks. “One full year since Adam died. It doesn’t seem possible.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I’d known him.”

Avery smiled. “He would have liked you.” She wrapped up the rest of her uneaten lunch. “Enough sad stuff. I’m coming over tonight to help you pack. And I’m expecting a cool souvenir when you return.”

“Done. One glitter-encrusted plastic crab coming your way.”

The rest of my classes were only half-full and the teachers showed movies while they sat at their desks. I saw Harris before the end of the day, and he asked me to meet him by the back doors when school was over. “I have something for you,” he said with a wink. When the final bell rang, I stuffed everything in my locker, grabbed my jacket, and was standing by the doors before most people had a chance to leave their classrooms.

Soon the hallways were empty, but I was still waiting. I heard running footsteps approach me and looked toward them, expecting Harris, but it was Noah.

“I think he’s here,” he gasped.

“Who’s here?”

“Marcus.” He paused to catch his breath. “There’s a strange guy walking around, looking into classrooms.”

I felt a chill pass through me and immediately touched my necklace. “Are you sure it’s him?”

“I never met the guy, so no, I’m not sure. But I’ve never seen him before and he has dark hair. I’m getting you away from here. Let’s go.” He put his hand on the small of my back and gently pushed me toward the doors.

“Sorry I’m late.” Harris jogged up to us. When he saw Noah touching me, he frowned. “Everything okay?”

I froze. What was I supposed to say to him?

Noah let his hand drop. “Hey, Harris. I want to get Charlotte out of here. I thought I saw one of her family’s creepy fans wandering around the school. They can be a little intense, you know?”

Harris turned to me. “Is someone bothering you?”

“Um, well, there’s this guy—” I began.

“Where is he?” he asked, his voice hard.

“I saw him by the science labs a couple minutes ago,” Noah said. “Tall guy, dark hair.”

“That him?”

Noah and I spun around. A man was walking slowly down the hallway, peering into the open classrooms. My first thought was that it wasn’t Marcus, but it had been a while since I’d seen him. I couldn’t make out his face, but the height was about right. I tensed.

“That’s him,” Noah whispered.

“Hey!” Harris yelled. The man stopped and looked at us, then began walking faster in our direction.

Noah stepped in front of me. “Are you crazy?”

I squeezed my eyes shut and stayed behind Noah, one hand on his back and the other clutching my necklace. It wasn’t warm or tingling or doing anything that Beth had said it might do. It was just a rock, as powerless as I was. “Hey, coach.”

I opened my eyes. Harris was shaking hands with the mysterious guy, and now that I saw him up close, I realized he wasn’t Marcus; in fact, the only resemblance was the height and hair color.

Harris introduced us. “This is the new JV coach,” he explained. “You lost?”

The coach laughed. “I think so. I’m supposed to talk to a teacher in room one thirteen.”

“That way.” Harris pointed. “All the way down the hall, then turn right.”

After the coach had left, Harris put his arm around my shoulders. “You didn’t need to scare Charlotte like that,” he said to Noah.

“I’m sorry,” Noah stammered. “I’d never seen him before and—”

“Well, maybe you would have recognized him if you spent more time sitting in the bleachers instead of crawling around under them.”

Noah clenched his fists and Harris stood a little taller, and I stepped in between them before things escalated. “Noah was just looking out for me,” I said calmly. “No harm done.” The guys were staring hard at each other. I tried to appeal to Harris. “Please. We’re about to leave on break. I won’t see you for over a week.”

Harris broke his stare and smiled at me. “That’s right. And I have something for you.” He pulled a small black box from his jacket. Noah was still standing there, watching us. I opened the box and pulled out the necklace inside. At the end of a thin gold chain was a single pearl.

“So you have something else to wear besides that big rock,” Harris explained, nodding toward my neck.

I smiled. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”

“Here, let me put it on you.” Harris moved behind me, nudging Noah out of the way, and gingerly clasped the jewelry. Then he kissed the back of my neck softly, making me shiver a little. “Think about me over the break, okay?”

Noah cleared his throat. “I should go.”

Harris grinned. “No, stay. I have to get home, and Charlotte might need someone around to protect her from the girls’ volleyball coach.” He winked, then gave me a kiss on the cheek before striding through the doors.

“I’m so sorry,” I said to Noah. “He’s not usually like that.”

“Right.” Noah’s face was red, and I wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or rage.

I didn’t know what else I could say. “Do you have a ride home?” I asked.

“I missed my bus.” He wasn’t even looking at me. I felt so guilty. I had put him in an uncomfortable moment and I didn’t know how to make it right.

“Noah—”

“Is that Jared?” Noah was looking past me. I turned around and, sure enough, there was Jared near some lockers at the end of the hallway. He waved and came toward us. His limp, which had been so pronounced a few months earlier, seemed less noticeable now.