Blindfold by Diane Hoh

Author:Diane Hoh [Hoh, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-4532-4814-0
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media LLC
Published: 2012-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

MAGGIE, HER BACKPACK IN her arms, found herself balanced precariously on the top step of a steep, enclosed staircase. As if that weren’t bad enough, when Chantilly began talking, she also began jabbing at Maggie’s chest with an index finger for emphasis.

“The sheriff came here to school,” jab, “yanked me out of class,” jab, “made me stand out there in the hall where everyone could see me,” jab, each jab gathering strength, pushing against Maggie with added force, “asking me all kinds of stupid questions about my car and some stupid scale!” Jab, jab.

Maggie wobbled on the step. If I fall backward, she thought, I will fall hard, and I will fall far. There’d be no Picadilly for me tonight. She thought about dumping the backpack so she could grasp at something for balance, and quickly realized despairingly that there was nothing to hold onto, nothing but flat, smooth walls on both sides of her. She kept the backpack. It was heavy. If she had to, she could slug Chantilly with it. Knock her silly.

Chantilly’s voice rose. “James is right. You all let that dumb peer jury go to your heads. You see yourselves as caped crusaders, sitting in that gym dispensing justice! You’re crazy, you know that, Keene? Just like that mother of yours. They should lock up both of you and throw away the key, instead of locking me up.” Her bone-white face was ugly in its anger. And what struck Maggie as odd was that as angry as the girl was, there was still no life at all in her eyes. They were black, empty orbs, like lumps of coal in a snowman’s face.

“Maggie?” Helen’s voice, from the foot of the stairs. “Maggie, what’s happening up there? Something wrong?” And Lane called, “Who is that? Is that Alice Ann Beckwith?”

Reinforcements. Better yet, witnesses. When Maggie went to the sheriff this time, she would take witnesses with her. Then he’d have to listen.

Feeling braver now that she was no longer alone, Maggie said heatedly, “That was your car in front of my house that day. If you weren’t in it, you don’t have anything to worry about. But I have a right to tell the sheriff what I saw.”

Chantilly’s index finger hung in the air between them, as if it were uncertain about its next move. “You can’t prove that was my car.” Her eyes narrowed. “Just stay out of my way and out of my business, you got that?” Jab. Maggie came close to losing her balance, regaining it at the last moment.” You go to the sheriff about me again, and that peer jury of yours could be minus a foreperson.”

Maggie fumed. This unpleasant girl was ruining what was supposed to be a really good day in her life, spoiling her excitement about the party at Picadilly. “I am just so scared,” she said defiantly. She held up a hand, steady as a rock. “See? Look how I’m trembling. Go find your grungy little friends, and tell them to stay away from my house.

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