Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

Author:Robyn Schneider [Schneider, Robyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781471115479
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

18

THAT NIGHT I sat at my desk going over Moreno’s corrections on my Gatsby practice essay. The lampposts in Meadowbridge Park had been on for hours, illuminating the honeysuckle bushes. I thought about Cassidy’s flashlight, about how I stood at my window waiting for her room to go dark, and how F. Scott Fitzgerald would have loved that.

Cooper whined for attention. He’d draped himself across my feet and was chewing on a rawhide bone, holding it vertically between his paws like he was smoking a pipe. I leaned down to pet him, and he sighed.

“You’re right,” I said. “I know. I’m hopeless.”

I reached for the switch on my desk lamp and flashed HELLO.

The lights switched off in Cassidy’s bedroom, and her flashlight flicked on.

SORRY.

“She’s sorry,” I told Cooper, because he didn’t understand Morse code.

He lifted his head as if to say But you already knew that, old sport.

Her flashlight flickered again.

FORGIVE ME.

This time, I didn’t hesitate.

ALWAYS, I replied.

MY MOM WOKE me up way too early the next morning.

“Ezraaaaa,” she trilled, poking her head into my room. “You have company.”

“Ughhh, what time is it?” I managed.

“Nine o’clock,” she said. “Really, honey, you’ve been so tired lately. Do I need to call Dr. Cohen?”

Blearily, I realized that I needed to stop using “I’m tired,” as an excuse to spend time alone in my room.

“I was up late finishing an essay.”

“Well, there’s a very nice girl downstairs who wants you to go have breakfast with all of your friends from the debate team.”

I sat up.

“Cassidy’s here?”

“I had her wait in the kitchen with your father. She’s very pretty, honey. And her parents are both doctors.”

I had this horrifying realization that my nightmares were true: While I was sleeping, my parents had been downstairs grilling the girl I liked on what her parents did for a living.

When I dashed into the kitchen five minutes later, still buttoning my shirt, I found Cassidy sitting cross-legged on the tile, scratching Cooper behind the ears.

“Hi!” she said brightly. “You forgot about team breakfast, didn’t you?”

“Oops,” I said sheepishly, mostly for my parents’ benefit, since I was fairly certain there was no team breakfast.

“Can we bring Cooper?” Cassidy asked.

Cooper lifted his head, halfway interested.

“To a restaurant?” Mom asked, dismayed.

“Of course not, Mrs. Faulkner,” Cassidy said. “Everyone’s coming over to my house for pancakes. Our housekeeper won’t mind. It’s just across the park.”

“Well, I suppose,” my mom said doubtfully.

The moment we were out the front door, Cassidy holding Cooper’s leash, I raised an eyebrow. “What’s really going on?” I asked.

“You mean you didn’t believe me?” Cassidy made her eyes go wide and innocent. “Honestly, Ezra, I’m hurt.”

I followed her toward the pedestrian gate that led out into the park. Cooper bounded ahead, prancing importantly. He had part of his leash dangling from his mouth, and he looked very pleased with himself.

“There’s sunscreen in my purse, by the way. If you want to borrow some,” Cassidy said, holding open the gate.

“Why would I want to borrow sunscreen?”

“We’re going on a treasure hunt.

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