The C I N Series Bundled Read online

  Woods? Was it going to be inside or out? Could Pig come along? I doubt it. “Can I bring my dog?”

  Michael roared with laughter. “Who, Pig? He doesn’t like anyone and you’ve made him your dog? Does he let you pet him?” I didn’t respond. “That will be the day when Pig lets anyone touch him.”

  I came out of the bathroom and stood in front of Michael. The TV was on and he was flipping through the channels. “I tell you what, when Pig here lets you pet him, then you can officially claim him as yours. Until then, don’t call him your dog. It’s politically incorrect.”

  “This isn’t a democracy, Michael. He watches out for me. I like him.” I blinked. Wow, I actually liked the bipolar, freak dog.

  “If he follows us then I suppose he can come but you’re responsible for him if he attacks someone. I’m not getting sued for his sake. He should be forced to wear a muzzle.”

  Pig growled and snapped at Michael’s feet. I realized when Pig’s hair was down that he wasn’t serious. His hair was down with Michael. His hair was always down with me too. Pig was all bark and no bite; except when he meant it, of course.

  I put on my Adidas jacket and Michael’s ski jacket. He helped me into the sleeves. We walked outside and followed the dirt path towards the lake. Alex sat outside in his purple porch swing. He stared at us as we passed him. Michael waved and I stared back. Alex wasn’t going to acknowledge us so why bother?

  “What is the story with Alex and Ally?”

  Michael inched closer. “They’re subhuman.” I smacked him. “What is it with you and violence?” He rubbed his arm. “You’ve hit me twice in less than a 24 hour period.”

  “Is Aunt Millie paying you to take me to this party?” I blurted. Michael stared numbly.

  “No, I just thought I’d be nice.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “I just thought after how mad I made you yesterday that—”

  “Lisa, please. You don’t faze me. I’d like to think I was a bit more mature than that.” He poked me in the cheek. “I will race you.”

  “Hey, no fair!” I grabbed his jacket and ran along with him.

  I turned around to check on Pig. He stood at the entrance of the woods. I stopped. “Bipolar, come on, boy!”

  Michael leaned over my shoulder. “You named him Bipolar? Well, if that isn’t just the perfect name for him. He will be right there waiting for you to get back, don’t worry. He’s not a people dog. It’s a miracle that he follows you around. Actually, it’s weird and disturbing.”

  “Leave my dog alone.” I shoved him. He gently pushed me back.

  “Lisa Brown, I think you just might be all right. I didn’t really like you at first but when you dared to make faces at Ally, well, let’s just say you practically stole my heart.”

  “You better hurry home.”

  I turned around to see where the voice came from. It wasn’t Michael’s. I searched the woods. It almost sounded like Alex but he was still on his purple porch swing.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  “Someone said that we should get home. You didn’t hear them?” I scratched my head and examined the treetops. My heart fluttered. Was someone playing a practical joke on us? “Pig, where are you?” I clapped my hands and the Boston terrier came to my side.

  “Let’s go, Lisa. I think these woods have you spooked. I promise they’re not haunted.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and dragged me forwards.

  The sky grew dark and thunder rumbled. Pig barked and stood on his hind legs. I giggled. He looked almost as if he were a prancing show dog.

  “Who would’ve known, Pig can do tricks!” Michael laughed, too. “What did you do to him? He’s a different dog. I have been coming here since forever and that dog has never been so friendly.”

  “How old is he? He doesn’t look old.” I knelt down and searched his face for any gray hairs. There weren’t any. “He looks almost like a teenager.”

  “You better hurry home.”

  There it was again! The voice rang in my ears and I winced with pain. The same pain I’d felt when Alex touched me. He was still on his porch, right? I turned to double check. Yes, he was still swinging; staring intently at Michael and me.

  Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky. I grabbed Michael’s arm and Pig barked. It shot through the sky like a bullet of fire. It was pink in color. Rain pelted me in the forehead. It began to pour.

  “We better go back to Millie’s house until this rain stops.” Michael guided me out of the woods. He pulled the hood of his ski jacket over my head so that I did not get drenched.

  When we got inside Millie’s house I stripped out of my two wet jackets and stood in front of her small portable heater, shivering. On one of the bistro chairs was the jacket Alex tossed at me in the henhouse.

  I reached over and snatched it.

  Michael sat in one recliner and I sat in the other. He smiled at me. “So much for the party; we have them every weekend except when it rains.”

  “Tell me the dirt on Alex and Ally. I think I have asked a hundred times already and still you evade the question.” I leaned over the arm of the chair so that I was close to Michael’s face.

  “I told you, they are subhuman. And don’t hit me.” He raised his arms to block any potential smacks.

  “I thought you were a genius? You were totally serious yesterday and now you can’t keep a straight face.”

  “Being serious with you didn’t get me very far, now did it?” He leaned forward in his chair. “But, if you insist, I’ll get serious. That’s something I can definitely do.”

  I turned my recliner so that it faced him.

  “Alex and his sister have the highest GPAs in our school and their aptitude scores are off the charts. They really never interact with anyone, and no one except Millie has ever met their parents. They are always out of town, and even though Millie swears they are nice people I have seen their kids and beg to differ.”

  “What is it with the no touching rule Alex has?”

  “Why would you want to touch him?” Michael barked. I shrugged my shoulders and pointed at the dog.

  “It’s weird.”

  Michael looked lost in thought. How hard was it to answer my question? He tapped his fingers on the armrest. “I’m not completely sure why but I can tell you this—Alex screamed when one of our classmates fell to the floor during an epileptic seizure. He held her down but screamed as if he were in horrible pain; as if he were having the seizure, too.”

  Alex kicked the door open. Michael and I both jumped at the sound. He stood in the entrance with his eyes narrowed at us; as if he’d heard every word we’d spoken. “It is time to come over to my house now. Millie wants me to lock up.”

  “Can’t I just stay at her house? I think I would be less of an inconvenience to you.”

  Alex looked away. “No, I will manage. Hurry on home.”

  I swallowed hard. That’s what the voice said earlier. Hurry on home. …Total coincidence, right? He was in his porch swing the whole time. I checked; twice.

  “I guess I will see you tomorrow.” Michael smiled. “Millie wants me to introduce you to Donna Denning. She is going to be your dorm mate in another week.”

  I followed Alex back to his house. He left the front door wide open for me but did not linger in the living room. “Are you going to bed?” I asked.

  Alex stopped abruptly in the middle of the hallway as if he were waiting for me to speak.

  I took a deep breath, “I heard someone in the woods say to me ‘hurry on home’ right before it started to rain. Do you know who that might have been?”

  Alex slammed his bedroom door. I sat on one of the loveseats in the living room and clasped my hands together. I’d forgotten my box at Millie’s house. I didn’t see Alex lock her door. Maybe I could go grab it real quick. It had my family heirloom inside. Well, my photograph anyway. “Come on, Pig,” I whistled. He crawled out from under the sofa. “We’re going on a secret mission
and you can’t tell Alex.”

  “Can’t tell Alex what?”

  I twirled around. Ally stood in the hall with her hand against the wooden framework. She’d tied her hair up in a ponytail. I grabbed my chest. What was it with these two? They showed up everywhere like sneaky little—

  “Can’t tell Alex what?”

  “I left my box next door and I-I just wanted to go get it.”

  “I brought that over for you already. There was some old flimsy photo in the box so I put it in a frame on the shelf in your room. Are those two your parents?”

  I thought Ally was the enemy? Why was she asking me personal questions? I nodded. “That is a picture of my mom and dad before I was conceived.”

  They were in love back then. Should I tell Ally this? Did she know what love was? Were her parents in love? Had she ever been in love?

  “Well, it’s on the shelf for you.” She turned abruptly.

  “Ally.”

  She let out a long sigh but turned to face me. She looked irritated and antsy to get back to whatever it was she’d been doing.

  “Who are those people in the handcrafted frames? Are they older relatives of yours? I mean, they look just like you and Alex.”

  “Mind your own business, Lisa.” She sauntered out into the living room and took a seat on the opposite sofa. I stuffed my hands under my butt so that she couldn’t see them tremble.

  “I just thought—”

  “Don’t think, Lisa, stop trying to make Alex and me into some exciting mystery for you to solve. You will be disappointed.” She crossed her legs and picked at her fingernails. Hers were perfectly manicured. Not like her brothers or like mine. There was dirt in my nails and the nail polish I wore had chipped. I wonder if Millie would get mad if she found out about my little incident at the food mart. Would she expect me to treat Ally well, too? I took a deep breath.

  “I’m sorry I made faces at you at the grocery store. I was just playing around. I saw you staring at me and thought it would be funny.” I tapped my feet against the floor boards. She did not look up.

  “What did you do to my dog? He hates me now.” Ally narrowed her eyes at me the same way Alex did. “You’ve turned him against me. And also my brother; who are you, Lisa Brown?”

  “Millie’s niece,” I replied. Ally sent chills down my back. I needed to try and get along with her. I’d have to live with her at school and next door as long as I was here. Peace. I needed to find some way to bring peace; a treaty of some sort. “Ally, what can I do to make you dislike me a little less?”

  “Go home.” She answered. She leaned forward with a sly smile on her face. “But that’s impossible, right?”

  I wanted to slug her. Ally was downright mean. “I-I think I will go to bed now.”

  “Stay, we were just getting to know each other. Besides it’s too early for bed. We didn’t even have dinner yet.”

  I wiped the tears that threatened to spill. “I’m afraid I don’t want to learn anything else about you. Goodnight, Ally.”

  Pig followed me into the room. When he entered, I slammed the door shut. Ally was pure evil and I hated her.

  Six

  Becoming Vegetarian

  A few hours later, Aunt Millie pounded on my door. “Lisa, come out for dinner.” I swallowed. If she made chicken—

  “I’ll be right out,” I shouted. “Pig, where are you?” He snorted from on the high shelf. “How do you get up there?” I shook my head. It really didn’t matter how he managed to climb so high. He was like a miniature mountain goat.

  Pig jumped down and I finally spotted the new photo frame. It was carved wood with sea shells and starfish glued to its corners. The frame was beautiful and very unique. My mother and father fit well in between. But a photo frame didn’t change the vile things Ally had said. She could give me whatever she wanted but it wouldn’t make me like her. Still, it was a nice gesture.

  “Lisa, are you coming?” Aunt Millie asked, tapping my door lightly.

  “Yes ma’am.” I put the picture back on the shelf and hurried to the table. There were two place settings only. Ally and Alex weren’t going to join us, I was sure of it. Why would they? That would be polite and they were the epitome of rude.

  “Alex and Ally eat in their rooms.” Millie placed a bowl of steamed vegetables on the table. She cut some French bread and put that down, too.

  “Millie, where is my place setting?” Alex asked. I turned sideways to get a better look. Alex stood in the hallway with a pained expression on his face; almost like he was forcing himself to eat with us.

  “I didn’t think you’d be joining us,” she exclaimed, nearly dropping the butter. “Sit down and I will get you a plate and utensils. You can cut the chicken.”

  “I suppose I might as well be social,” Ally sighed. My eyes bulged. Not her, too. I could handle Alex and his rude remarks but Ally—

  “Where is the Rat? She’s late for dinner.” Ally opened the front door.

  The cat raced inside and jumped up onto Aunt Millie’s chair. She put her front paws on the table.

  “She eats at the table like a human?” I laughed. “That’s interesting.”

  Alex frowned.

  “Does she use a fork and knife?” I tried to hide my smile but it was too funny. Aunt Millie cut up little thin strips of chicken and placed it in a dish that said “meow”.

  “Here you go, Rat.” Millie placed her cat bowl on the table. Rat bit into the meat. Ally sat down across the table from me and smiled. I pretended not to notice. I focused all my attention on Rat. She certainly acted like a normal cat. I hadn’t seen her attack anyone or act crazy. Cats were independent, right?

  Alex came out of the kitchen with the carved chicken and placed it in the center of the table. He chuckled when he sat down next to me. “Are you hungry?” I didn’t respond. He’d seen me throw up. How could they expect that I would want to eat something that I fed? They were almost like their pets, weren’t they?

  “Aunt Millie, aren’t you going to sit down?” She stood in the kitchen wearing an apron with apples printed on its pockets. She shook her head and went outside. “Where is she going?”

  Alex grabbed the plate of chicken and picked out all the dark meat. He handed it to Ally who took half a breast. “She isn’t going to eat the meat.” Alex laughed, stuffing chicken into his mouth. “She thinks I’m a murderer.”

  Ally found this information amusing. She stared at me with her almond shaped eyes. “Are you one of those overly emotional types?”

  “Where did Aunt Millie go?” If Alex or Ally didn’t feel the need to answer my question then I most certainly wasn’t going to answer any of theirs. “Is she okay? Should I go check on her?”

  “No, leave her alone.” Alex ordered. He shoved the steamed vegetables towards me.

  Rat jumped down and stretched out on the sofa furthest from the table. “The cat doesn’t seem all that bad. She just does her own thing.”

  Alex’s fork dropped. He narrowed his eyes at me and took a deep breath. “For some reason the animals do not mind being near you. Be wary; they cannot be trusted; especially the cat.”

  “Well, maybe they just need to be socialized properly. Animals are afraid of people if they’re not used to being around them. Maybe we could take Pig to a doggie park.”

  Ally burst into laughter. “I see now why everyone tolerates you so well.” She shook her head, still laughing. “Millie is going to be humiliated when school starts and she has to introduce you as her niece.”

  “That’s enough,” Alex growled.

  I pushed myself away from the table.

  “Where do you think you are going?” He snapped. I ignored him and hurried to the front door.

  “I wouldn’t go out there if I were you,” Ally said. She covered her mouth with her hand.

  Alex stood and pointed at me. “Where are you going?”

  I didn’t answer.

  I opened the front door and stepped outside. Within an instant, th
e sky rumbled and lightning flashed. My cheeks burned with anger. Ally was out to get me. I could see why the kids at C I N called her a Nazi. She cared for only one person and that was herself. She looked down on me as if I were a lower life form.

  “Come inside before you are struck by lightning.” Alex stood next to me. I was really getting sick of him sneaking up on me constantly. He just appeared whenever he wanted. It was frustrating.

  “Would you please leave me alone? When you want to be left alone I don’t bother you, do I?”

  Alex blinked. His eyes softened and he closed the front door. Pig scratched at the door and barked. I didn’t let him outside with me. He didn’t need to get wet. It was ridiculous how much it rained here in Lynn. It set the mood for sure. The thunder was Alex, angry but controlled, and the lightning was Ally all the way; beautiful on the outside but if you got too close she’d burn you. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

  Lightning bolted across the sky in zigzag patterns.

  I sat down on the porch swing and pushed with my feet. I swayed, listening to the pitter patter of the rain.

  Thunder rumbled through the sky like a locomotive derailing and tumbling into a metal wall. Lightning struck a tree just a few feet away. It was as if an ax chopped it, splitting the tree in two. Electrical lines broke and flicked in the dark sky, lighting it up like sparklers.

  I jumped. My heart beat furiously. I could hardly stand. “Will you please come in the house?” Alex insisted. I nodded my head and raced back inside. I shivered from the rain and took a deep breath trying to calm myself. That could’ve been me. Imagine if the lightning had struck two feet closer? I’d be a shish-ka-bob. Ally would love that.

  “Sit down.” He pulled out my chair and I sat while he pushed me in closer to the dinner table. He sat back down next to me and handed me the French bread. “We never have guests over. Please pardon our eccentricities.”

  “Are you speaking to me simply because I am here invading your privacy?” I ripped the bread into tiny pieces. I was slowly becoming less and less hungry.