The New Neighbor (16 page)

“We went out, had lunch, and he wouldn't talk to me. And when I tried to find out what was wrong, he snapped at me, told me it was none of my fucking business, if he wanted to tell me, he'd
tell
me, and we came back home. When we got here, the twins didn't look so good either. They've felt bad ever since. I guess the flu's going around, but ... it's like I'm alone in the house and I'm sick of it. He still won't talk to me and I don't know
why
." She winced, on the verge of crying again, then coughed and tried to perk up. "Oh, well. We've been married all these years, and this is the first time we've ever had one of those long silent fights for no apparent reason. They happen to everybody, I suppose. Guess it was just our turn."
 

Karen didn't tell her that she was going through something similar with George. Instead, she tried to reassure her by blaming it on the flu.
 

"It's a bad one this year," she said. "Makes you ... I don't know, just sort of pissy, you know? He'll get better and things'll be fine."

But, although she tried to hide them, Lynda's worries did not go away and she was not the company Karen had hoped for. So she made an excuse and left. She went across the street to see Betty LaBianco.

Ed LaBianco kept their yard in impeccable condition and Karen sometimes thought he cared more for his lawn and garden equipment than for Betty. But as she went up their front walk, she noticed he'd left his Snapper mower in the middle of the front lawn. In the rain. She frowned as she passed the machine, knowing that wasn't like Ed at all.
 

Ed answered the door, looking as if he'd just woke up. He was a small, cheerful, balding man with a beak-like nose and pleasant smile. But he wasn't smiling now. He looked like he'd been crying; his round face was red and puffy.

"Betty's in bed," he said wearily. "She's not feeling well. And neither am I, really."
 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, tell her I stopped by, okay?"

"Yeah, fine."
 

"Oh, and Ed, your lawn mower's – “

He shut the door.
 

Karen stood on the step a moment, surprised by his abruptness, then started back home.
 

She'd left the house hoping to make herself feel better, but had only darkened her mood. Thinking that perhaps everyone else in the neighborhood had the right idea, Karen decided to go home and go to bed.
 

One house seemed untouched by the flu.
 

Lorelle Dupree was the picture of health as she walked her dogs down the drive and out onto the street.

* * * *

On her way out of the house, Jen met her mom coming back in.

"Where are you going?" Mom asked.
 

"I'm gonna go see Tara and Dana."
 

"Uh-uh. They're sick."
 

"Is
everybody
sick around here?"
 

"Looks that way." She went inside.
 

Outside, Jen saw Miss Dupree taking her dogs for a walk, across the street. She stopped, smiled at Jen and called, "Hi, there."

"Hello." Jen stayed on her side of the street. She didn't want to be rude, but she couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that there was something different about Miss Dupree, something unpleasant.

As if sensing that Jen would not come to her, Miss Dupree led her dogs across the street. No, that wasn’t right – the dogs led
her
across the street.

"Would you like to walk with us, Jen?" Miss Dupree said.

One of the dogs pressed its nose into Jen's hand and licked her palm while the other lifted its paw and patted her arm to get her attention. Jen laughed and petted them.
 

"Why don't you come with us. Just to the end of the road and back."
 

"Okay."
 

As they walked slowly and Jen patted the dog closest to her, Miss Dupree asked her about school, her hobbies and friends, what she did during her summer vacations.
 

As they reached the intersection of Deerfield and Mistletoe, the dogs slowed to a stop, ears perked with interest. Suddenly each one bounded forward, pulling the leashes taut, barking viciously toward the left corner of the intersection.
 

"Calm!" Miss Dupree snapped, and the dogs became still, emitting low, throaty growls. Miss Dupree looked in the direction in which the dogs were growling and Jen did the same.

A tan car was parked at the intersection's corner, pointing west on Mistletoe. Someone sat behind the wheel, but the glare from the steel grey sky shined on the windshield, hiding the driver. The engine started and the car pulled away. Miss Dupree watched it go, her face stern. The dogs whined and looked up at her, as if asking what to do next.
 

"It's okay now," she whispered to them, turning to walk back down Deerfield. After a silent pause she asked, "By the way, where's Robby? I haven't seen him today."
 

"He's not feeling well."
 

"Oh, I'm sorry."
 

Watching Miss Dupree's face closely, although for what she wasn't sure, Jen said, "He's been kinda sick ever since he helped you move your stuff."
 

"Really? That's too bad."
 

"So's Mom. Since Friday."
 

"Oh?"
 

"Dad doesn't feel too good either the last couple of days."
 

"Then you must be very lonely with no one to keep you company. Why didn't you come over?"

Jen shrugged.
 

"You must get lonesome, anyway, with only a brother at home with you. Do you two get along well?"

Another shrug. "Okay, I guess."
 

"Really? I know some girls who don't even
like
their brothers."

"Oh, I like him okay. He's smart." She smiled. "He always gets good grades. Better than me. School's hard for me sometimes, but it always seems so easy for Robby."
 

"Does he help you with your homework?"
 

"Dad usually does. I wish Robby would, sometimes, but ... you know, he doesn't have time to do that."

"He has a busy schedule, does he? Does he pay any attention to you at
all
?"
 

Jen frowned, thinking it over. "Sometimes. Well ... once in a while. We fight over the TV. That kinda thing."

“But in a nice way. Does he ever pay attention to you in a nice way?"
 

"Oh, yeah, sure, some ... times."
But not that much
, she thought.
 

They stopped in front of Jen's house and Miss Dupree smiled slowly. "Would you
like
him to?"
 

Jen felt suddenly suspicious. "What do you mean?"
 

"Well, I think I know how you feel. You admire your brother. Look up to him. You'd like him to ... well, treat you with a little more respect, pay more attention to you, am I right?"

Jen relaxed her frown slowly as she nodded, but she didn't lose the frown
inside
where she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Miss Dupree looked like a perfectly nice person with pretty eyes and the straightest, whitest teeth Jen had ever seen. But in spite of that, Jen had a gnawing feeling of suspicion. She studied Miss Dupree's face, then –

"Yes," Jen finally answered.
 

"Well, if you'd like, I think we can get him to do that."

"How?"
 

Miss Dupree gave her a big smile and touched her cheek with a gentle stroke. "I'll think of something."
 

Chapter 11
 

A New Toy
 

“Look, Miss Weiss, I've gotta go to  my  next class," Robby said, standing before her desk.

"I really don't care, Robby. We have to talk."
 

Robby put a hand on her desk and hoped it didn't look obvious that he was leaning so he wouldn't sway. He felt so weak and shaky, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stand up much longer.

"Pull up a seat," she said. Reluctantly, he turned to one of the small school desks and dragged it closer to her desk, then plopped into the chair as if his knees had given out.
 

"Okay, Robby. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just – “

"Please,  Robby,"  she interrupted. "You weren't ready for the test on Friday, you're not ready for the make-up today. That's not like you. I
know
it's not like you." She paused, then: "You came up in a conversation today. With another teacher. It seems you have quite a reputation, Robby. Nearly straight A's. You're an outstanding student. So. What's wrong?"
 

"There's nothing wrong. I just ... forgot."
 

"You forgot."

He nodded without looking at her.
 

"I don't believe you, Robby. I admit I don't know you well, but I know you're not the kind of student to
forget
a test."
 

His jaw worked back and forth as he stared at the floor.
 

"Is it because you're sick?" she asked. "You don't look well at all, you know. But if you're ill, why don't you stay home?"
 

He said nothing, hoping she would steer clear of the subject of home.
 

"Is something wrong at home? Is that it? Because if – “

Robby's head jerked back and forth suddenly.
 

"Are you sure?"
 

He looked at her and spoke quietly and slowly through his teeth. "Nothing's wrong, okay?"
 

Miss Weiss leaned forward over her desk and softened her voice. "If there is something wrong, Robby, it's okay. I mean, everybody has – “

"Look, I'll take it tomorrow," he said, his voice wavering slightly. His eyes left her and darted around the room. "The test. I'll take it tomorrow. Okay?"

She watched him a moment before saying, "Listen to me, Robby. If there's anything I can do ... or even if I
can't
do anything, maybe I can turn you to someone who – “

“Tomorrow? Please? I'll do it tomorrow, I promise."
 

"Okay, okay. Tomorrow, I'll give you the same test you just took. I want all the questions answered, okay?
All
of them. I want you to
try
, which you didn't seem to do today, because almost three quarters of the questions haven't been touched. If you don't ... well, I think I'll have to talk with your parents."
 

Panic widened his eyes slightly and his neck stiffened as he turned to her to protest, but said nothing for a moment as his hands fluttered nervously with one another over his books on the small desktop.
 

"No," Robby whispered. "Don't do that."
 

"Why?"
 

His mouth felt dry suddenly. "I don't ... want you to ... well, they ... wouldn't understand. That's all." Then, after a long pause: "Please?"

"Will you be ready tomorrow?"
 

He nodded quickly.
 

"Okay."
 

Robby stood so suddenly that the desk scraped over the floor and he staggered toward the door, clutching his books beneath one arm.
 

"Robby?"
 

He stopped but looked at his feet instead of turning toward her.
 

"Are you ... taking any drugs? Or – “

"No," he whispered.
 

"You're not well. And I don't think it's just the flu. Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"
 

"No," he said on his way to the door. "Everything's fine."
 

He was out of the room before she could say anything else.
 

Robby trudged down the hall, out of the building, and tried not to drag his feet as he crossed the grass toward the next building, where his biology class was about to begin. He expected Dylan to be waiting for him in the hall, but remembered he'd stayed home sick that day. Robby had been tempted to stay home, too, but there was really nothing wrong with him, except for the weakness that made him nearly unable to get out of a chair or carry his books, and he hated to miss school unless he really had to.

Unfortunately, he'd completely forgotten about the test. Staying home had been a better idea than he'd thought.

He heard whispering footsteps in the damp grass behind him, but ignored them, until –
 

– a hand touched his arm and a familiar voice said, "Your sister is in danger."
 

When Robby turned to him, the stranger's mangled face seemed to wither, as if he were looking at someone more hideous than himself.
 

"My God," he whispered, squeezing Robby's arm.
 

"Get away from me," Robby said, pulling away. He knew he didn't sound very convincing, but he went on anyway. "I'll have you thrown off campus. You know, you can get into a lot of trouble for coming to the – “

"No, no, please, wait." The man simply stared at Robby for a moment, then whispered, "She's already started. She's not wasting any time."
 

"Who?" Robby snapped.
 

"You're sick. You look awful."
 

"So I've got the flu. It's none of your goddamned busin – “
 

"Is anyone else in your family sick?"
 

"Why? What're you – “

The man stabbed his cane into the wet grass, as his face twisted into an angry scowl, and muttered, "She's moving faster now. It won't be long, she's – “ He looked at Robby again.

"You've got to listen to me. I saw your sister today. With
her
."
 

"With
who
?”