The Haunted by Jessica Verday

Author:Jessica Verday
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Romance, Mystery, Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781416978954
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 2010-08-31T00:00:00+00:00

I lifted up a netted tent flap, ducked under it, and chose a table next to her. I didn’t want to sit close enough so that she could talk my ear off, but I didn’t want her to think I was rude, either. Being a teenager is a tricky balance.

I sat down and gave her a friendly smile before angling my body in the opposite direction.

She had a four-legged cane resting next to her, and immediately I felt bad. So I put only one earbud in and turned my iPod on low. I thought the banging that I started feeling was part of the bass, until I realized she was trying to get my attention.

Pulling the wire from my ear, I turned to her. “Yes?” She had a mean look on her face, probably due to the fact that it was July and she was wearing a long-sleeved maroon sweater over a pinkish frilly blouse. That had to be suffocating. “I was trying to get your attention, girl. But I didn’t want to yell. Not polite, mind you.” I smiled my best You’re old; I understand and will be nice to you anyway smile. “Well, you have my attention now. What can I do for you?”

She raised her cane and then thumped it on the ground. “For starters, you can come sit next to me so I don’t have to keep yelling. It isn’t polite.” Yeah, well, it isn’t polite that I have to put up with you, either. I got up and moved closer. I thought about sneaking my earbud back into my ear so I could just ignore her, but then she poked me in the right foot with her cane.

“Hey!” I said. “Watch—”

“Eh? What’s that?” She grinned a toothy, denture-filled smile, and I could have sworn the smell of Polident wafted out at me. “Speak up. I’m an old lady; I can’t hear as well as I used to.”

I rubbed my right foot against the back of my left shin. “Watch out for mosquitoes. I think I just felt a big one bite me on the foot.”

Her eyes filled with an unholy delight, and I waited for the evil cackle that I was sure would be coming out of her any minute now. I needed an exit strategy. Fast.

“My mom probably needs some help with the—”

“Your mother is here? Which one is she?”

“Julie Browning.”

“Aha!” she crowed. “What’s your name then?”

Apparently, I didn’t answer fast enough, because she poked me with her cane again.

“Abigail,” I said through gritted teeth. “But everyone calls me Abbey.”

“I shall call you Abigail. I despise nicknames. Tell me, do you have a middle name? Everyone civilized has a middle name.”

I didn’t want to tell her, but I wasn’t sure how many more thumps my poor toe could take.

“Amelia,” I replied.

“You’re not still contagious are you?” She leaned away from me a little and put the cane in between us as a buffer. Like that would do any good.

“Contagious?”

“I heard you had that disease, the momo.

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