Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Author:Sophie Littlefield
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780375983566
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2012-09-10T21:00:00+00:00

An hour before the service, Rachel called to tell me that she was coming along with Giselle and Victoria. I was glad to hear from her, especially because I had nothing to wear.

“Don’t worry,” Rachel said. “I’ll tell them to pick you up before they come over here. I have something you can borrow.”

By the time the three of us got to Rachel’s, her parents had already left for the service with Adrienne. We were going to be late if we didn’t hurry, but as we filed up to Rachel’s room she ran to get something from the kitchen.

“We can share,” she said, pouring vodka over ice into a sport bottle. She added most of a can of orange soda, but it was at least two-thirds vodka. She took a healthy swig and handed it to Victoria while she dug through her closet.

I wanted to say something. It seemed completely disrespectful to be drinking at a memorial service. Giselle caught my eye and sighed. “Don’t worry, Clare. I’m not drinking.”

“Here,” Rachel said, pulling out a simple black dress with white topstitching. It was the sort of thing she favored, tailored and short and simple. “I wore this to the JV cheer banquet last year. It’ll look great on you.”

She tossed it to me and I caught it—and it was like catching a handful of fire. I felt the sparkle sensation that signaled a vision, and I had the foresight to head for the bathroom adjoining Rachel’s room before it took over my body completely.

This was one vision I didn’t want to miss.

“I’ll just change in here,” I called, hoping no one noticed the quaver in my voice.

Inside her bathroom—it was larger than the one in our house, and I happened to know that Rachel’s house had four and a half baths, while ours had exactly one—I sat down on the toilet and clutched the dress to my chest. My vision flickered and swam.… And then I was walking through a house, the rooms large and beautiful, people laughing and talking around me.

I was Rachel now, seeing what she saw, hearing what she heard.

I knew I was in the Stavros house because Rachel had told me they hosted the end-of-year awards banquet. I passed through the living room with its pale furniture, its glass-topped tables. I touched the handrail of a curved staircase that led upstairs. I was walking up it, my hand on the rail, my heart beating fast in my chest.

Where was I going? The party was downstairs, the laughter of all the girls echoing in my ears. But I was feeling something other than celebration. I felt … I concentrated, willing myself deeper into the vision, letting Rachel’s emotions take over mine, letting her memories fill my mind.

I was feeling resentment. Burning envy. But why? Amanda’s house was no more opulent than Rachel’s. Rachel was every bit as pretty as Amanda.

I walked into Amanda’s room—deep gold walls, ruby red covers on the bed, a bookcase filled with books and knickknacks—and started going through her things.

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