Don't Tell Mother (4 page)

“We apologize, Bob.” Ted, my step-dad, winked at me while carefully cutting into his venison steak. “We’ve never had a vegetarian in the house before.”

“Mmmm, meat’s good, Ted.” Mike shoved a piece of meat into his mouth, never taking his eyes of my BF’s green hair.

“Thanks.” Ted stabbed a piece of meat with his knife. “Killed it myself.”

I rolled my eyes. They were trying to scare him away. My family couldn’t make it any more obvious. “You already told us that when you showed Bob your gun collection.”

Mother cleared her throat as if to speak. The table fell silent. She hadn’t spoken a word since Bob walked through the door. “I hope you don’t become a vegetarian, too, Allison Jenette.”

I cringed at the sound of Mother using my full name. A sure sign she was less than happy in my choice of boyfriend.

“You’ll go hungry in this house,” Ted said.

“No, I’m not going vegetarian,” I growled while pushing my food across the plate.

I looked at Mother’s frozen features. Her lips were twisted in a tight knot as she took dainty sips from her water glass. I’d been trying and trying to get Mother to accept me. Maybe if I changed—
really changed
—she would miss the old AJ.

Don’t even think it, AJ, that’s crazy. Your mother would go nuts.

Then I looked over at my boyfriend. He was wedged in between Mike and Ted. His elbows were bent at awkward angles and he hunched over his salad, toying with his fork. Poor Bob. He was too nervous to eat.

Maybe it was the overwhelming urge to vomit, but for some reason, I wasn’t in the mood to eat, either. I sensed this night would be a disaster. Having Bob over for dinner was a bad idea, and I’d tried to talk my mother out of it all week. She refused to listen. Now my stomach was doing back flips. He was the first guy I ever liked who actually liked me back, and my family was going to scare him away.

Ted stabbed a big, juicy piece of meat with his fork and held it under Bob’s nose. “Are you sure you don’t want some deer, Bob?”

Bob shifted in his seat. “That’s okay. This lettuce stuff is really good.”

Mike exploded into laughter, nearly choking on his food. “It’s called salad, Bob.”

I slammed my fork on my plate, causing my mother to jump in her seat.

“Shut up, Mike,” I hissed.

I didn’t need to have Sophie’s powers to sense my boyfriend’s discomfort. Just because Bob had green hair didn’t mean he had no feelings. He was smart, sensitive, and he made me laugh. They weren’t giving him a chance.

“Mind your manners at the table,” Mother said between clenched teeth.

I cursed under my breath, trying hard not to throw the mashed potatoes in my brother’s face. “Why doesn’t Mike mind
his
manners?”

Mike set down his fork and flashed a menacing grin. “I’m sorry, would you like a refill on your drink, Bob? I can get you some
green
punch.”

I couldn’t help but wish I’d never had a brother.

****

Bob left shortly after dinner. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be around my family. I couldn’t stand being in the same room with them, either. My mother would probably be mad I didn’t help with the dishes, but I didn’t care. Storming into my bedroom, I slammed the door in frustration. How could they be so mean to him? My first real boyfriend, and it was over. He wouldn’t want to be with me now.

I slumped into the chair in front of my computer. No sense calling my friends. My mother would only try to listen in. At least she wasn’t good with technology. She read my email once, but I changed my password. Anyway, I just wanted to IM Krysta. She told me she was having
visitors
over and would be home. Hopefully, she’d be near her computer. Luckily, she was on my buddy list when I signed on.

-
Hey, U there?

— Yeah. How’d it go?

- What do U think?

— Rents don’t like green hair?

- LOL.

— What did Bob say?

- Nothing, but I bet he dumps me.

— How do U know?

- Family hates him.

— Maybe not if he changes his hair.

- I can’t ask that.

— What if you changed something for him?

- Like what?

— Hey, somebody’s here. G T G.

- Company?

— Sort of. Later.

- Later.

Krysta didn’t have much family, so I didn’t know what kind of company she had. I did know she was getting a lot more supernatural visits lately. Crap. I really needed to talk to someone. Sophie was at a game tonight, and I had no family I could go to.

This sucked.

What could I change for Bob? I liked my image, and my mom would skin me alive if I came home with green hair. But what if? Hmmmm. It was only a passing thought at the dinner table, but could I give up eating meat? Maybe if I went vegetarian, he’d tone down his image for my family.

It was worth a try. After all, I wouldn’t be losing much. I ate cereal for breakfast. Giving up the processed cardboard at school wouldn’t be hard, which meant I would only make the sacrifice at dinner. How would Mother react? Would she cry? Would she say I was doing this to hurt her? And what about Mike? This would just add more fuel for his endless tormenting.

Sighing, I stripped out of my clothes and pulled on my snuggly flannel PJs. I used to fantasize I’d been switched at birth and my real family was looking for me. I knew that couldn’t be true. Mother, Mike and I all had the same blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Forcing a laugh, I recalled my latest fantasy. Mike was abducted by aliens, and I never had to see him again. Why did it seem his only pleasure in life was to make my life hell? Exhausted from the night’s stress, I crawled into bed hoping that tonight the little green men would pay Mike a special visit.

Chapter Four

“Stay away from the ledge before you fall!”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Don’t do it, Mike!”

Aaaaaahhhhhh!

“AJ, wake up. You’re dreaming.”

The sound of my step-dad’s voice startled me. My eyes found Ted’s and then trailed toward his fingers, which had my arm in a tight grip. My focus traveled downward, and I found myself looking at my bare toes that were hanging just over the edge of our empty swimming pool. All I had to do was lean forward, and I’d find myself at the bottom of an eight-foot concrete hole.

“How’d I get out here?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“You were sleepwalking”

Sleepwalking?

“Must have been a pretty wicked dream.” Mike’s voice sounded strangely hollow, like he was speaking from somewhere miles away. I knew he was right behind me, so why did I think he was still in my dream?

The dream!

The images from that nightmare came racing back and the realization sent my head spinning. Mike was the person who was falling.

My brother was going to die!

I felt my legs give way beneath me. I heard my mother scream as I fell into steady hands.

Then darkness.

****

My life sucks.

Hand across my forehead, I lay motionless on my twin bed, staring up at my Michael Phelps posters. Mother had restricted me to my room all weekend. I didn’t want to be around my family anyway. My thoughts were way too troubling. However, being locked away like this, only gave me more time to mull over that wicked dream.

Only one more day until Monday.

I didn’t think I’d look forward to school or basketball practice with my annoying coach, but anything was better than being locked away, forced to dwell on my brother falling to his death.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I jumped at the sound, nearly falling off my bed. Was that a tree branch hitting my window, or did some of Krysta’s friends decide to pay me a visit?

Neither.

Staring at two sets of widened eyes, I gently pried open my window, hoping not to make a sound. Either Krysta and Sophie were awesome friends to risk my mother’s wrath, or they were idiots who were about to get me in more trouble.

Squinting into the setting sun, I wondered if they’d brought news or if they were looking for gossip. “What are you two doing here?”

“Did you think of something to change?” Krysta’s eager eyes barely peaked from above the window sill.

“We’ve been trying to IM you all day,” Sophie scolded. “Did they put you on social probation because of Bob?”

I sighed, sinking into my seat. “Kind-of. Mother took away the phone and computer this morning when I refused to eat bacon.”

The effects of my restless night of sleep had set in. Afraid of having that dream again, I’d practically slept with one eye open. Now every muscle in my body hurt from tension, exhaustion and depression. When I said I wanted Mike to die, I never really meant it. I rubbed my swollen eyelids. Mother was right. I would feel really bad if he died, and though he wasn’t dead yet, I felt as if he’d already been buried.

My brother was as good as gone—forever.

My visions
always
came true.

“What’s wrong with bacon?”

I broke from my thoughts to see Sophie squinting at me like I was some specimen in science class.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of all thoughts of Mike on a cliff, at a morgue, in a coffin. “What?”

Sophie’s eyes widened. “You love bacon. Why wouldn’t you eat bacon?”

I exhaled slowly. Since I ate lunch with them at school, Sophie and Krysta would have to find out sooner or later. Hopefully, they wouldn’t make a big deal out of it like my mother. “I’m going vegge.”

Sophie cocked her head. “You’re going where?”

I tensed. “Not where - what.”

Contorting her face, Sophie scratched her head. I could see her mentally trying to process the conversation. “What…what?”

I tried to stifle a laugh. My whole world was upside down at the moment, yet watching my friend’s confused expression was funny. “Vegetarian.”

“Why would you do a thing like that?” Krysta squealed.

I put a finger to my lips. Krysta’s big mouth was going to get us caught. Dropping my voice to a hiss, I leaned closer. “It was
your
idea.”

Angling back, and nearly sitting on my mother’s well trimmed bushes, Krysta splayed her hand across her chest. “
My
idea?”

“You told me to change something for him.”

Krysta’s eyebrows disappeared beneath her perfectly sculpted bangs. “I didn’t think you’d do something like this.”

“What else was I to give up? Basketball? I don’t think so.”

Sophie was still scratching her head, only now she was seriously chewing on her bottom lip. “So does that mean Bob is a vegge person?”

“Yeah, he’s a vegetarian.”

Their appalled faces reminded me of my family the night Bob came over for dinner. I cringed at the image of Bob accidentally dumping the entire bottle of ranch dressing onto his salad. Mike had loosened the spill-proof top right before he handed it to Bob.

“Whoa,” Sophie’s mouth fell open. “Bob just keeps getting weirder.”

“Look,” I snapped. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Come on, AJ,” Sophie whined.

“Are you still allowed to see him?” Krysta refused to drop the subject.

Throwing my head back in annoyance, I folded my arms across my chest. “I’ll do whatever I want.”

“How?” Krysta nagged. “Your mom knows everything.”

My heart plunged, and I felt a burning emptiness in my chest. “Not everything.”

Sophie bit her bottom lip and moving forward, she eyed me intently. “What happened, AJ?”

I could tell by her fixed gaze; her mind had sensed my despair.

“I had the dream again,” I whispered. My eyes locked with hers, as I willed myself to let her see what I was too afraid to say out loud.

Understanding flashed in Sophie’s eyes, and I knew that she knew. She leaned back, her jaw locked, and I watched her process what my mind had just told her.

Krysta cleared her throat. “Did you see who it was this time?”

My mouth instantly dried up as if it had been stuffed full of cotton. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t say his name. It was as if speaking it out loud would make Mike’s death real.

“Mike,” Sophie breathed.

“O-mi-god!” Krysta practically yelled. Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes darted from side to side.

Sophie’s serious, steady gaze found mine again. “What are you going to do?”

I barely choked out the words. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Tell your parents,” Krysta said sternly.

“Tell them what?” I shook my head. “I had a psychic vision Mike will fall off a cliff.” Knowing how I felt about Mike, they’d think I was just fantasizing.

“Well,” Krysta’s voice was shaky and high-pitched. “You can’t let him die.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” But how would I save my brother? There wasn’t a single adult on the planet who I could tell my secret to. Sometime in the future, Mike would be near a cliff. He would fall. He would die.

And there was nothing I could do to prevent it.

Chapter Five

The doorbell had been ringing for nearly ten minutes. Yet, no one got off their lazy butts to answer the door. Room restriction or not, I couldn’t stand the noise anymore. Marching down the hallway to the front door, I was determined to tell whoever it was to go away. Probably one of Mike’s girl groupies, anyway.

Shoving open the door, I knew my face was fixed with a pissed-off scowl. I didn’t really care. Ten minutes was long enough to ring a doorbell.

My jaw dropped as I stared down in stunned silence at the person who was standing in the entryway. I thought no adult could help me save Mike, but my prayers had been answered—Grandma.

“Well,” She pointed a jeweled finger up at my nose. “Are you going to just stand there all day? My bones are tired. I need a hot cup of lemon tea and
somebody
is going to rub my feet.”