Lurlene McDaniel by Prey (v5)

Author:Prey (v5)
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780307497369
Publisher: a cognizant v5 original release september 20 2010
Published: 2010-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

Honey

Hanging out with Ryan and all our friends is the best part of my holidays. I love being with everyone; it's like old times, before we all started high school and drifted apart. I linger after the others leave. Mom's going to yell because it's late and tomorrow school starts up again, but I don't care. Being with Ryan again, even as a friend, is worth any grief I get from my mother.

“Let me see what you brought home from D.C.,” I say when we're alone.

“In my room.”

We go upstairs. His room is neat as a pin. Same old Ryan. “My room looks like a campground for the homeless,” I say. “How do you do this? More to the point, why do you do it?”

“Habit. I hate messes,” he says, pulling out his desk chair for me. He hands me a clear container full of brochures. “My Christmas vacation in a box.”

I sort through the pile. “Is there any place you didn't go?”

“I didn't make it to the Oval Office,” he says with a grin. “Don't tell Dad, but the Smithsonian was pretty cool. You should have seen the aviation room and the gems rooms. One diamond was this big.” He holds his thumb and forefinger apart.

Just then, his cell rings. He glances at the display, looks at me, then down at the ringing phone. “I have to take this. Old friend.” I could swear he's nervous.

“Should I leave?”

“No…I'll take it in the hall. Stay put.”

I sit alone, wondering why he's acting flustered. I don't care who calls him…. Okay, maybe I care just a little. But it's odd. We've just spent an evening with all our friends. I sigh, set the container on the floor and cruise the room. I feel good being with him. He's more like the old Ryan, my friend from years past.

As I pass his dresser, I see a small black velvet box, the kind that usually holds jewelry. Back off, Honey, I tell myself. But I don't. I grab the box and open it. Inside is a necklace, a chain of hammered silver with a twist of curved silver strands dangling from the center. Where have I seen this before? Somewhere…Inside the lid is printed SMITHSONIAN GIFT SHOP in old-English-looking type.

Then it hits me. This is one of those Celtic love knots like the girl on the street was selling on the day Jess, Taylor and I went shopping. But why did Ryan buy something like this in Washington as a souvenir? A sick feeling hits my stomach—the slap of rejection mingles with the burn of jealousy. Does he have a girlfriend? One he's never told me about? I rack my brain, trying to imagine who it is. I come up blank.

I hear him heading down the hall. I snap the lid shut and drop the box where I found it. I'm back in the chair when he returns.

“Sorry,” he says, coming into the room.

“No problem,” I say, knowing it's a lie. I have a problem.

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