The Hollow (27 page)

I gave him a wry smile as I spread my books out in front of me and sat down. Then I carefully gave his books a gentle nudge over to the opposite side of the table. He was still prowling around the room, and I tried to ignore him, picking up a particularly heavy-looking book before opening it up to the table of contents.

"They obviously don't want anyone getting away with anything in here," he said, pointing to the keep this door open at all times sian.

I froze.

Caspian's words came back to me, and in my head I heard my response.
Well, they never said anything about keeping it
wide
open.
Ruthlessly banishing the memory, I forced my attention back to the book and stared down at the page in front of me.

But I wasn't seeing words. I was seeing a memory of white blond hair and deep green eyes that sparkled above a wide smile. That vivid black streak stood out, and for a second I swore that I could almost touch it.

Ben's hand waving in front of my face broke the moment, and my thought was shattered. I looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

He was sitting down now, over where I had pushed his books, and he looked aggravated. "I was calling your name, but you didn't answer me. Are you okay?"

No, I'm not okay!
my brain screamed, but I just gave him an annoyed look. "Sorry. I was concentrating. We
do
have to get some work done here, you know."

He leaned back in his chair and flipped open a book. "Fine. Let me know when you find something."

I shrugged and turned back to the page in front of me, halfheartedly flipping through a couple of different sections. I knew I should be paying attention to what was in front of me, but it was really hard to make my brain cooperate.

Reminding myself once again of the no-thinking-about-Caspian rule, I started reading about a project that used different scents and a blindfold to test the five senses. I quickly got caught up in that section. It sounded like an interesting idea.

Ben interrupted my train of thought. "Do you think we could get our hands on petroleum, alcohol, and ethanol? It would all be used strictly in the name of science, of course. I think that we could make our own gasoline."

Placing my finger on the spot where I'd been reading, I looked over at him. "And the point of that would be…?"

"To not have to pay for gas for my car anymore," he said. "Do you have any idea how much a gallon of unleaded is going for right now?"

I rolled my eyes. "We are
not
going to figure out how to make gas for your car as a science project. Now keep reading."

Returning to my spot, I tried to finish reading, but I ended up casting glances over at Ben. I knew exactly when he'd find another idea that he liked, because his eyes lit up and he wiggled in his chair like a monkey.

Sighing, I put my book down again and looked straight at him. "What is it this time?"

He looked up at me, practically bouncing in his seat, and said, "How do you feel about the space-time continuum? If we were able to take some mirrors, and refract the liaht, I think we couldcalculate a quantum physics theory, and then we could…" He trailed off when he noticed my expression. "Does that fit into the not-normal category?"

I nodded.

"What about time travel?" he countered.

I shook my head. "Leave that to NASA, or wherever it is they figure that stuff out. Here. I think I found one." As I read to him from the book I held about a project based on nose sensitivity and the power of compensating for lost senses, he stared at me blankly.

"Did you listen to any of that?" I asked when I'd finished. "I think it would be a really neat project to do. I've always wondered how strong the sense of smell is. When I'm making my perfumes, at times I swear I-"

He cut me off. "You make perfume? I didn't know that."

I ignored him and kept talking about the project. "Can you just focus here, Ben? Please? I think this is the one for us. It won't be boring. And you'll get to make people smell gross things. How much more fun can you get?"

He looked intrigued by the idea, and I took the opportunity to read some more to him from the book, but he interrupted me again. "Are you going to put those red streaks back in your hair, Abbey? I really liked them."

The breath sucked right out of me, and I felt like a fish, gasping for air. It was a blow aimed straight at my heart, and itbruised all the way down to my soul. He didn't have any way of knowing. No way to tell that his question could hurt me so.

"What do you think of mine?" Ben asked. "Should I put some red streaks in it? They could match yours."

He gave me a smile, but I just sat there in frozen shock. To my immense horror, a tear spilled down my cheek, and I immediately brushed it away, ducking my head in shame. I felt the table shift beneath me, and then there was an awkward touch on my arm.

"Hey," Ben said softly. "We can do the smelly stuff project. It's cool. I was just teasing you about the other ones. I didn't really mean it."

I laughed shakily, and wiped another tear away before lifting my head. "It's not that, Ben, but thanks." I looked around the room and gestured hopelessly. "This room… It has some memories for me… and when you said that about the red streaks, well…"

He dropped his hand and took a step back. "It reminded you of him, right? Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing?"

I shook my head and pushed a hand through my hair, tucking a stray curl behind one ear. "Honestly? I don't really know." My nose was feeling runny, and I tried to sniff it as discreetly as possible. "Things have been kind of messed up, and I don't know what to do. It's just that being in this room again… The memories were a lot happier back then, and I thought I'd be okay… But I'm not."

He stepped around the table and put his hand on my arm again.

"Abbey, it's all good. You should have mentioned it to me. We don't have to stay here."

I stood up and started pacing back and forth. "Would it be okay if we left? We can go back to my house or something. Maybe order a pizza?"

He nodded and started to gather up the books. "I'll go return these to the librarian. You take whatever time you need and meet me downstairs when you're ready, okay?"

"Thanks, Ben." I pushed the book I'd been reading over to him. "Check this one out for me, and we'll take it with us."

He picked up all the books from the table, including the ones that I'd been carrying, turned to the door, and then turned back to me. "Are you going to be all right now? No more tears? I don't know how to handle crying girls. Every time my five-year-old sister turns on the waterworks, I end up buying her a Barbie. You don't need a new Barbie, do you?"

I shook my head. "Shut up, Benjamin Bennett. Don't forget, I know the car naming story. You wouldn't want it to get told to the entire school, now, would you?"

He vanished out the door, and his laughter echoed up to me from the stairwell. After taking a few deep breaths, I forced my chin up and squared my shoulders back. So the no-thinking-about-Caspian rule hadn't gone very well. At least it couldn't get much worse than breaking down and crying in front of a classmate.

No,
I told myself as I flicked the light off and left the room behind me,
it definitely can't get worse than that.

I took my time walking down the five flights of stairs, and ran my finger over the dusty banister as I went. It was while I was stepping down to the first floor that something familiar caught my eye. My eyes registered it before my brain did, but as soon as I realized what it was, I took off in the same direction. I followed it down to a lower floor, and found myself in the poorly lit archives room.

The air was still stuffy, and towers of books loomed out at me from every turn. I walked down each long aisle, glancing wildly in all directions. I'd seen a flash of white blond, and there was only one person I knew who had that particular shade of hair. Caspian was here.

I searched all over, firmly convinced that I'd seen him. There were only so many places down here for someone to hide. I rounded the last corner before the stairs for a second time, and that was when I saw him sitting at a small table with a book in front of him. He didn't hear me coming, and I was almost right beside him before he looked up.

"Hi," I said softly. I looked down at what he was reading, and saw illustrations of stars. It was the book I'd gotten him for Christmas.

"Hi," he said back. "I got your gifts." He pointed to the book,and I nodded. "They're great. Thank you, Abbey."

My poor bruised ego soared at the way he said my name. "I got yours, too, Caspian. The drawings are… amazing. And the necklace, it's beautiful."

Of course I hadn't worn it yet, because just seeing it drove me to tears every time. So it had found a new home under the pillow, hiding away from view but close to my dreams.

He looked back down at the book, and awkwardness filled the space between us. I racked my brain for something to say, but only succeeded in remembering that Ben was waiting for me and that I should probably be on my way to meet him.

"I've got to go. Someone's waiting for me," I blurted out. He glanced up from the book again, meeting my gaze, and I went weak in the knees. I knew that at that precise moment I would have given
anything
to go back in time and be up in that study room with him again.

"Okay," he said, flipping a page and breaking eye contact. "See you around sometime."

"Y-yeah, see you around," I stuttered. He was back to reading his page again before I even finished my sentence. I hardened my resolve and turned away. If this was how he wanted to act, then two could play that game.

Climbing up the stairs, I peeked over my shoulder one last time before he was completely out of sight. I almost stumbled onthe step when I saw that he was staring back at me. My eyes locked with his before I tore my gaze away and continued up the stairs.

It didn't mean anything. I couldn't let myself think that it meant anything.

Ben was waiting for me at the checkout desk, and he looked confused when he saw me on the stairs leading up from the archive room. He did an exaggerated double take. "I thought you were upstairs."

"I was," I replied. "But I saw someone I knew and stopped for a minute to go say hi." I led the way out the front door and into the cold sunshine. Ben followed me down the steps.

"Was it Caspian? Is he cool with me going over to your house? I don't want to step on any toes."

I looked both ways before crossing into the parking lot and heading for his car. "You're not stepping on any toes.
Trust me"

Ben didn't say anything as we climbed in, and he started Candy Christine up. I gave him directions to my house and we rode in silence. When we got there, I made hasty introductions to Mom and Dad, who
happened
to be home at the same time, and then called in to order the pizza.

Ben and I got right to work, outlining what we'd need for the project, and we spent the next hour going over everything. Mom and Dad stayed pretty much to themselves, and I was completelyamazed at their restraint.

Even when Dad started winking at me whenever he could catch my eye, and I had to give him the stern Pm-going-to-kill-you-if-you-don't-knock-it-off look, they managed to keep their cool. I was shocked.

When Ben told me that he had to go, I grabbed my coat and offered to walk him out to his car. I gave Dad the look as I went, but he didn't wink at all. The brisk winter air felt cool on my face as I stepped outside, and I pulled my coat closer and buttoned it up. Ben opened the door and sat down, sliding his book bag along to the passenger seat next to him.

I stood by the driver side window.
^k,
So how do you want to do this? I have to work weekends at my uncle's, but I'm free after school."

Ben revved the engine, and the exhaust made a puff of white smoke in the frigid air.

"Do you want to meet Wednesday and Friday afternoons?" he asked. "Amanda has cheerleading practice those days, and I don't start work until seven each night."

I looked down at the gravel driveway beneath my feet.
Nice to know we 're planning our science project around his girlfriend

My thoughts must have shown on my face, because he spoke up a little defensively. "Or we can do something else. Whatever works for you."

I picked at a stray piece of string on my jacket before looking at him again. "That's okay. It works for me. We'll just meet during that last study hall of the day." He nodded.

"Okay," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow at school. And thanks for being so nice about everything today, Ben. I really appreciate it."

I caught his eye so he could tell that I meant what I said. But he just looked embarrassed, and shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

"So where do you work?" I asked with a teasing grin. I wanted to turn the topic of conversation as far away from me as possible before he left. "Maybe I'll come torment you sometime."

He laughed and put the car into drive, keeping his foot on the brake. "I'm a waiter at the Horseman's Haunt restaurant. Well, a glorified busboy is more like it. If you stop in, I'll make sure you get a free glass of water. On the house."

I grinned. "That's too good an offer to pass up."

He smiled and waved as he slowly pulled the car forward. "Bye, Abbey. See you around."

"Bye, Ben," I called back. "Take care of Candy Christine."

I heard his whoop of laughter as I walked back into the house. Dad was standing there near the door, winking one eye at me, and I sighed while I hung up my jacket. I was obviously going to have to give him a lecture.

Chapter Twenty-three

Confusion

He appeared to be a horseman of large dimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful frame.

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

January flew by and rapidly turned into February. OnWednesdays and Fridays, I met with Ben for an hour or two at school, and on the weekends I worked for Uncle Bob. I steadfastly ignored the cemetery, and every free moment I had I spent on my business plan. If I ever wanted to get that money from Dad, it was time to get serious about it. I had only a couple months left until the end of the school year.

It was during a short break from working on it one Thursday evening that I found myself in the mood for some peppermint tea. Grabbing my new, and still unused, teacup off my desk, I realized that I hadn't gotten the chance to thank Nikolas and Katy for their Christmas gifts yet. I'd been so wrapped up in the science fair project, and my perfumes, and my heartbreak that I hadn't stopped by for that visit.

I felt bad about that. They had both been so nice to me, and had seemed extremely eager for my visit. It was terrible that I hadn't stopped by yet. As my water came to a boil and I plunked a peppermint-flavored tea bag into the cup, I promised myself that if I finished my work early today, I would go see them.

With my plans firmly made, I went back upstairs and sat down at my desk, continuing my calculations of estimated gross profits for three years. When my screaming neck muscles and aching eyes finally reminded me that I'd been working for far too long, I looked at the clock on the wall with dread. It was almost midnight.

Way too late for a visit, and with school the next day, it wastime for me to climb into bed. I wearily pushed my papers to the side of the desk and left my empty teacup there. It could wait until tomorrow to get washed. Fighting back several large yawns, I changed into a pair of warm fuzzy pajamas and snuggled under the covers.
Tomorrow,
I assured myself.
I'll go see them tomorrow.

* * *

But when Friday afternoon rolled around, I found myself working on the project with Ben at school, and my plans changed again. If I could get him to give me a ride to the cemetery and drop me off at Nikolas and Katy's house, then I'd tell them a quick thank you and make plans for a longer visit another time. It sounded like a solid idea to me, and I quickly got caught up again working with Ben.

We were making our list of all the different things we'd need for people to smell, and he was doing a thoroughly disgusting job of grossing me out. Readjusting my seat at the empty table we were using, I looked over our list of categories again. They were divided up into yes, no, and maybe.

"I think we should add a new category on here, Ben," I said.

"The 'hell no' category. That's where the rotten eggs should be."

His shoulders shook with laughter, and the grin on his face was contagious. I started laughing too.

"I'm serious, Ben," I said in between giggles. "There is
no way
we can make people smell rotten eggs. Do you want them to throw up all over the project?"

His eyes lit up, and I threw my hands into the air, knowing immediately that I'd just given him another idea. "No. No. Definitely not."

He put on his saddest expression. "Come on, Abbey, you're not making this any fun. I thought you said I could make people smell really gross things. Weren't those your exact words?"

I sighed in defeat. He was right.

"Okay, okay." I gave in. "You can have the rotten eggs, but no vomit. And if people start puking from the smell, I'm going to make
you
clean it up. Okay?"

His wide grin was the only answer I got, as I shook my head and wrote "rotten eggs" under the yes category. Once I was done writing, he leaned over and scrawled "B.B." next to it. I stared down at the paper, trying to make sense of why he'd just done that. I looked over and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I give up. What does that mean?"

He pointed to the B.B. "Ben Bennett. My initials. I didn't want you to forget whose awesome idea that was."

I stared at him like he'd just turned green in front of my very eyes.

"Awesome? Oh, yeah. I'll be sure to remind you of that when you're knee-deep in puke piles."

The look he gave me was so comical that I doubled over laughing again, and a couple of seconds later he joined me. "Your laughter is catchy, Abbey," he told me after I'd gotten control of myself.

I nudged him on the arm. "It's all your fault, you know. You make me forget everything and laugh way too much. We'll never get this project done if we don't put some serious work into it."

He took the pen from my hand and started scribbling on the paper. "It's better to laugh than cry, though, isn't it?"

The seriousness of his question hit me, and I sobered, nodding my head slowly. He continued to look down at what he was doing, and kept scribbling. Tension settled around my shoulders, and I thought back to the scene in the library, regretting that moment yet again.

Ben kept silent, until he looked at his watch and then jumped up suddenly. "Oh, man, I'm late. I have to go. I'm supposed to pick up Amanda at five tonight. We have a date."

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and saw that it was 4:53 already. "Go ahead. I'll see you on Monday."

He picked up his book bag while I put the list we had madeaway, and he turned to face me before heading toward the door. "See ya, Abbey. It's been fun. You're the best science fair partner I've ever had."

I laughed. "I'm the
only
science fair partner you've had. Up until now, we haven't even had to participate in the science fair."

Grinning, he lifted one shoulder in casual concession. "Same difference."

"Go," I said. "Get out of here." He waved before he went, and I finished zipping up my bag, making sure that everything was sealed tight.

Ben could be a handful, but at least for the most part he kept my mind occupied.

Hoisting my bag onto my shoulders, I walked over to the door and stopped when I realized that I'd forgotten to ask him for a ride to the cemetery.1 hesitated, unsure if I should stick to my plans and just walk to Nikolas and Katy's house or if I should call Mom for a ride home.

Peeking out the nearest window, I tried to gauge the weather. It was getting dark outside, but it looked clear. I pulled out my phone again and dialed Mom's number, waiting for her to pick up. Her tone of voice sounded distracted, and when she told me that dinner would be late due to some last-minute paperwork, the decision was made for me.

I told her not to worry about it. I would walk home and getsomething to eat on the way. After checking to make sure I had enough money, she breathed an audible sigh of relief and quickly hung up the phone.

With that settled, I put my phone back in my pocket and walked out of the classroom. It was a bit strange to still be in school this late, and I hurried through the hallways and toward the main doors. The distant buzz of a floor buffer hummed in the background, and a couple of teachers looked up from grading their papers when I passed the rooms they were in. I gave them a fake smile and kept moving, anxious to be on my way.

Once I was outside, an immediate sense of freedom enveloped me. Rearranging my bag, I shoved my gloveless fingers into my pockets and turned to the cemetery.1 had a stop to make.

I chose the direction that would take me directly to the cemetery by crossing the river. It was a dangerous choice, and it was the first time I'd ever broken the pact with Kristen, but it was the quickest route. I walked quickly, and soon came to the rocky banks that marked my destination ahead.

Watching the swirling angry water for a minute, I sent out a brief prayer that I'd make it to the other side without falling in. All I had to do was watch my step on the rocks, and I'd be across it in no time. Anchoring my book bag more firmly across my back, and holding out my arms to steady myself, I took a small test step ontothe nearest rock to check for slipperiness. It seemed like most of the snow had melted, but in the freezing weather, ice was my biggest concern.

I placed a second foot on the rock and stood still for a minute. So far, so good. I had to step on only four or five more rocks to make it to the other side. The rushing water moved fast, and I tried not to look down directly at it. Keeping my eyes on the other side of the riverbank, I hopped to the next rock.

Choosing only the largest and flattest rocks was a bit tricky, but I stepped out onto the next one and found myself in the middle of the river. I looked around me, seeing the shore I had just come from, so far behind, and the shore I was trying to reach, so far away.

The next rock jutted out in a sharp, angular manner, and I knew that it would probably be hard to get to safely. I made my move, but my foot slipped off the rock and almost landed in the water. I jerked myself upright and back, trying to keep my balance. Trying again, my foot slipped for the second time, and I almost lost my book bag.

That shook me up, and I had to force myself not to panic. I didn't know if I should keep going or just turn around. The water was making a loud rushing noise all around me, and I felt surrounded. It was almost like my dream that night Kristen had died.

I stared down at the clear river. I knew it would be cold. Mind-numbing, breath-taking, and icy cold. And fast. The currentwould swell around me and cany me off if I should happen to fall in.

A thought struck me, and I looked at the rock I was perched on.
Is this the one she hit her head on?
Did Kristen's blood still stain this water somewhere?

The sound of someone yelling something pulled me out of my contemplation, and I glanced over at the opposite bank. A dark figure stood there, waving at me, and I could just barely make out the outline of overalls. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I called out, "Nikolas, is that you?"

"Yes, Abbey, it's me," echoed back.

"Hold on!" I yelled. "I'm almost across!"

Eyeing the rock in front of me, I slowly slid one foot out, trying for a different angle this time. It worked, and I was able to plant my foot more firmly. I straddled both rocks, held on to my book bag, and then swung myself over.

I didn't stay still for very long but tried to keep moving. The next rock was the largest of them all, and I quickly crossed it. When I stepped out to the last rock that stood between myself and dry land, I could see Nikolas standing right next to the water's edge. A frail hand was extended in my direction, and I latched on to it as soon as I hit the riverbank, grateful for the lifeline.

After casting one long last glance behind me, I turned to him and let all the gratefulness I was feeling show in my eyes. "Thankyou, Nikolas. You're the second man to come to my rescue at this river. A girl could get used to this sort of thing."

He shuffled his feet, and made disapproving noises, but I think he was pleased by my words. When I finally let go of his hand, he pulled his worn flannel jacket a little closer around his shoulders and gave me an anxious glance. "You shouldn't be crossing that river, Abbey. If you had slipped, or fallen in, I don't know what I would have done. It's not your time yet." His lined face looked worried, and I was overwhelmingly sorry for causing him any concern.

I patted his hand soothingly and put one arm around his shoulders. "I promise I won't cross the river again anytime soon, Nikolas. Once they finish the construction work on the Washington Irving Bridge, I'll be able to take that each time. Okay?" He nodded and looked relieved.

"Besides," I said, "what are
you
doing out in this weather? Katy's not out here too, is she?" I cast a glance around me, but I didn't see anything.

He looked affronted at the possibility that Katy would be roaming around out here in the cold darkness. "My lady love is safe and warm at home, tucked in front of a roaring fire. She wasn't feeling much like herself, so I volunteered to come out and gather some firewood, and along the way I took a small walk."

I grew concerned at the thought of Katy being ill. I couldn'tbear the thought of something happening to her, and I gripped both of his hands urgently. "Is she okay? Do you need me to do anything?"

Nikolas shook his head. "She's fine. Just a slight winter chill." Tucking one of my hands under his elbow, he turned to the gently sloping bank. "Nothing more, nothing less. I will tell her about your concern for her, though. I'm sure she will appreciate it." With only a slight hesitancy we climbed the bank together and stood near the top, close to the path that led over to his house.

"If there's anything I can do, please let me know," I replied. "Can you also tell her thank you for me? The gloves and scarf are absolutely beautiful. And the teacup is exquisite." He waited patiently while I babbled on. "Oh, and thank you for the carving! I love it! The detailing is amazing. And how did Katy know red is my favorite color? She must be psychic or something."

Nikolas beamed at me and squeezed my arm. "I will certainly pass along the kind words to her. She had a hunch that you would like the red. I will be glad to tell her she was right."

I smiled and gave him a spontaneous hug. "I hope you two had a very Merry Christmas," I said into his ear. He hugged me, and then stepped back, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Now, then," he said, straightening his jacket, "I must get back to my lady. Tell me, when can you come for a visit?"

I cocked my head to the side and gave him a serious look.

"Well, since you don't want me to cross the river at night…" He held up a finger and shook his head. "And you want me to give Katy enough time to rest…" I acted like I was pondering the question for a minute. "How about this coming Thursday, after school? I don't have any plans that day. Does that sound okay to you?"

Nikolas agreed, and I carefully removed my hand from his arm. "Okay. Then I'll see you on Thursday. Put some peppermint tea on to boil that day."

A happy look filled his eyes, and I expected him to leave, but he didn't. So I waited, wondering if he'd forgotten something. He turned to glance back at the water. "You're not going to cross that river again to get home, are you?" I thought I heard him mutter something about "falling in again," but I wasn't sure.