Twice Burned by David Bergantino

Author:David Bergantino [Bergantino, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_horror
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

A cloud of cigarette smoke rose from the table where Vicki and Melina sat. When it cleared, the booth formerly occupied by Colleen and her friends was empty; Kirk and Ricky hadn't stayed much longer after the others left.

Vicki ground her cigarette into an ashtray, extinguishing it. "We can get out of here," she told Melina, and stood. Melina didn't move.

"Uh, excuse me, mind telling me what we came here for anyway?" Vicki had dragged her out tonight without explanation, and was now dragging her away in the same manner. She was none too pleased.

Vicki raised a bored eyebrow and plopped back down into her seat. "Had some business to take care of. Didn't work quite the way it was planned, but we got the job done anyway."

"What? Hassle Colleen? I'm all for it when we run into her at school, but do we have to waste time looking for her?"

"We didn't look for her. I knew where she was gonna be." Vicki's expression was mysteriously self-satisfied.

"What's going on?" Melina asked curtly, the closest she had ever come to demanding information from Vicki.

Vicki didn't answer immediately. She never did. Instead, she slowly lit a cigarette, then took a long drag. The ash glowed bright orange at the tip. Vicki stared at the ember, and for a moment, Melina felt as if her friend had forgotten she existed. Vicki had made an art of such gestures.

"Oh, just a little conspiracy to split Colleen and her boyfriend. Nothing you have to worry about."

But Melina was not satisfied. "What? You expect to impress Lance by trashing his girlfriend? Ha! I'm sure that'll just make him flip for you!"

Vicki turned suddenly on Melina. "Don't butt in where you don't have business, Melina. Stage one is to get him away from that twerpy girl." Then she relaxed and leaned back in her chair, smoking luxuriously. "Stage two will call for different tactics. Believe me." Melina was looking at her as if she were crazy, but Vicki didn't mind. Her friend didn't know half of what was going on. But that was nothing new, Vicki thought, causing her to snicker to herself.

"I'm sorry, Vicki," Melina said carefully, "but you're getting kinda creepy these days. This obsession with the college guy. And what about Tish? You've barely said anything about her. Aren't you even worried? I am."

This time Vicki was angry. "You're beginning to sound like that mouse Colleen," Vicki spat with disgust. "Look, Tish loved to try throwing herself to the wolves. I'm supposed to feel bad if she finally found one? Gimme a break."

Suddenly Melina seized upon something. "She called you that night. Didn't she?"

Vicki was caught totally off guard. "What are you talking about?"

For the first time, Melina rose up against Vicki. "Don't deny it. I can see it in your eyes. She had a fight with her parents. Everyone knows that. But she called you for help. She'd do that, because she looked up to you." She narrowed her eyes. "Like I did.

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