My thoughts were all about Dyce as I retraced my steps down the path, replaying what he’d said and what I’d said back — which now seemed so lame that I burned with shame. What had I been thinking? Drooling at him and practically begging him to let me buy him a drink. Did mature college girls say stuff like that? I didn’t think so.
Good thing I’d probably never see him again.
As I reached a shopping area bordering the beach, I recognized Sadie’s dark braids. She was moving briskly despite carrying bulging shopping bags.
“Sadie!” I called but my voice carried away in a salty breeze and she didn’t even glance my way as she entered an artsy boutique.
So I hurried after her.
The store, called Life’s a Beach, displayed summery hats, T-shirts, swimsuits and colorful beach towels. Wind chimes jangled as I stepped in, squeezing past shelves crammed with cheesy beach souvenirs, from personalized key chains to glow-in-the-dark flip-flops. The narrow aisles were congested like rush-hour highways, so it was slow going while I searched for Sadie. Finally I spotted her — behind an inflated giant beach ball, weighed down with three enormous shopping bags.
Moving toward her, I started to call her name — then stopped with my mouth frozen open. Sadie had been adjusting the straps on her bag with one hand, but her other hand had snaked out toward a rhinestone watch. There had been a quick flash of fingers, like a magician’s disappearing act. Now you see the watch — now you don’t.
Before I could decide how to react, or even what to think, Sadie caught my reflection in a mirror on a glass counter.
“Rayah!” She whirled around to face me, scowling. “Where have you been? It’s about time you showed up.”
“Time … um … ” I glanced at the tray of sparkling rhinestone watches in their rainbow reds and purples; they were pretty but made of tacky plastic and priced under ten dollars. How time flies — especially with Sadie’s quick-fingered help.
But was I sure what I’d witnessed? Why would Sadie bother to steal? She wore ultra-chic clothes, kept her hair and nails manicured and smelled of costly perfume. She had no reason to steal a cheap watch.
“I hope you have a good explanation,” Sadie accused me, her ruby-glossed lips pursed angrily.
“Me? But you just—”
“Where have you been?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “I’ve been back to the car twice, walked the beach at least a hundred times and even checked the restrooms, which were seriously gross. I’ve been looking all over!”
“You have?” I shook my head, confusion making my head ache. Nearby, a clerk with pierced eyebrows narrowed her black eyes and watched me closely, as if my overall windblown, anxious attitude set off her suspicions. Ha! She had the wrong girl. But I couldn’t rat out Sadie.
Sadie’s shopping bags swayed, her hands waving as she talked excitedly. “Mauve said we’d meet back at the car but no one was there. I planned to leave my bags there, then go out to eat. But I couldn’t find anyone and carrying all these bags was killing my arms. So I called Mauve and she said she was still with Alonzo and would hook up with us later. She told me you had the keys to the car and that you’d be waiting there. Only you weren’t.”
“Sorry, but I’ve had some … um … problems.” I hesitated.
How much should I tell her? She’d been clear about her feelings for Warren and would be hurt. Worse — she might not believe me. And there was the whole shoplifting thing, too. Both topics I didn’t have the energy to discuss in the middle of the crowded store.
“Where exactly is Mauve?” I asked.
“Some sushi restaurant.” Sadie waved her hand, a turquoise and gold ring I’d never seen before sparkling from her pinky finger. Was it shoplifted, too?
“Oh, so she did go there,” I said with a nod. “I thought she and Alonzo changed their plans.”
“You thought wrong. Who told you that?”
“Um … I don’t remember.” Inside, I seethed — more lies from Warren the scumbag. “Anyway, I’m really sorry you couldn’t get into the car. But I’m here now, so let’s go put your stuff away … unless you’re not finished shopping.”
“There’s nothing for me in this tourist trap.”
“Sure there isn’t something you want to buy?” Or pay for, I thought.
“No. I’m done shopping — for today anyway,” she added with a laugh. She patted my arm and gave me a little push. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Reluctantly, I followed her out the door, the sound of wind chimes echoing in my head.
“Mauve wants us to join her later at a dance club called Revolution,” Sadie told me as we walked to the street. I was now carrying two of her bags.
“I don’t have enough energy for standing. Dancing? I don’t think so.” A truck whizzed by us, stinking of exhaust and whooshing up a breeze that tangled my hair.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Sadie asked.
“Dinner? I can’t even remember lunch.”
“This is not the time to diet. You’re already too skinny, anyway. Let’s pick up something to eat.”
But as we neared the car, it was guilt that was gnawing at me more than hunger. In the store, I hadn’t tried to stop her. Did that make me an accomplice? It wasn’t too late to do the right thing. All I had to do was tell her I knew she stole the watch and that she had to return it. But I didn’t know her that well and was afraid of how she’d react. What would the real Sharayah do in this situation?
In that split-second, a window in my mind opened to reveal a memory. Not my own, but one belonging to Sharayah. She’d been staying the night in Sadie’s private dorm room while Mauve had a “friend” over; she was lying on Sadie’s couch, a thick textbook propped on her chest as she tried to study. But her eyelids felt heavy and the textbook even heavier, so she gave in to an afternoon nap. She was just settled into a relaxing sleep when Sadie entered the room.
Not in the mood to talk, Sharayah kept her eyes closed, feigning sleep. She listened to Sadie’s footsteps, expecting her to flop onto her bed for a study session or tackle the homework on her desk. But the footsteps paused, then moved in the opposite direction — toward the couch.
Everything I saw, heard and felt came from inside Sharayah’s body, as if we’d merged together in memory. Together we lay still, listening to Sadie’s soft breaths, so curious now we peeked through the wispy hairs covering our face to watch Sadie bend over. When Sadie stood, I recognized the black purse in her hands — the same purse that I’d found a shocking amount of money in. Sadie snapped opened Sharayah’s wallet. She chuckled softly as she flipped through green bills, plucking out a few and slipping them into her own pocket. And all the while Sharayah and I gritted our teeth, silently seething with wounded rage.
The memory faded to reality, yet I continued to sting with feelings of betrayal.
Sadie didn’t just steal from stores.
She stole from her friends, too.
* * *
Despite this new insight into Sadie, I couldn’t hate her. I wanted to — she definitely deserved it — but she was just so darned sweet. Besides, I was playing the role of Sharayah, who was aware of Sadie’s thefts yet continued to hang out with her.
“How do you feel about Mexican?” Sadie asked as she started the car engine and waited to merge onto the street.
I shrugged, not really caring. I should have been hungry, but body-jumping had my inner system out of whack and it was hard to gauge ordinary things like appetite. “Whatever you want to eat is fine.”
“Except sushi,” she teased.
“Definitely not that,” I said, unable to resist smiling back.
Minutes later, we pulled into a parking lot surrounded by palm trees and entered a crowded, adobe-style restaurant with a cactus theme both inside and outside.
My real body loved a variety of food in large amounts. Bean burritos, tacos, enchiladas … hmmm. And once I got a spicy whiff, a volcano of appetite burst inside me and I ate breakfast, lunch, dinner and every meal for tomorrow. Afterwards, I was so stuffed I could hardly move or keep my eyes open. All I wanted was to curl up in a warm bed and sleep. So when we returned to the car and Sadie slipped into the driver’s seat, I begged her to take me back to our so-called condo.
“You actually want to go back to the crappo condo?”
“Where else would we spend the night? On the beach?”
“That could be fun,” she teased. “But I’m hoping for something much more interesting.”
“Like what?” I asked cautiously.
“Mauve hinted she’ll stay with Alonzo, at the house he rented with Warren and some other friends. I’m planning on seeing a lot more of Warren, too.”
“No! Not him!” I exclaimed before I could edit myself.
“Why not?” Sadie turned to me with a dangerous glint to her eyes. “Are you after Warren for yourself?”
“The total opposite.” I shook my head emphatically. “I don’t want you to get hurt by going off with some guy you barely know.”
“So says the girl wearing a guy’s shirt last night.”
“That’s not the same … ”
“You’re such a hypocrite — but your concern for me is sweet. Only trust me — I know what I’m doing with Warren.” The light turned green and Sadie hit the gas pedal hard, jolting us forward.
“Be careful,” I told her.
“I’m always a careful driver.”
But I wasn’t talking about driving.
Sighing, I leaned against the seat and closed my eyes.
“Don’t you dare go to sleep now,” Sadie said, slapping my shoulder. “We have a big night ahead of us. You need to find some guy for yourself, then none of us will have to stay in the crappo condo.”
“I don’t care where I sleep as long as it happens soon.”
“It’s not even seven yet!” Sadie complained. “It’s like a law that we have to party till the morning on our first night of spring break.”
“I’ll pass. I’m too tired.”
“Who are you? And what have you done with the real Sharayah?”
Shock ripped through me. Had she guessed my secret?
Then Sadie grinned and I realized she’d been joking.
“Please, please, please Rayah, come with me tonight,” she persisted. “It won’t be as fun without you — and there’s going to be karaoke.”
“So?”
“You love karaoke! And I love rooting for you from the audience. After you sing everyone always tells me you should be on American Idol. You could be as famous as Mariah or Britney if you had the guts to go out and make it big.”
I smiled to myself, thinking of the Voice Choice contest.
Still, I shook my head. “I’m too wiped to go anywhere tonight.”
“Since when do you choose sleeping over partying? Oh, I get it now.” Sadie gave me a look oozing with sympathy. “Here I’m rattling on about my new guy when yours is back in San Jose. Are you missing James?”
“Who?” I furrowed my brow. “Oh! James.”
Sadie reached across the seat to give me a playful slap on my arm. “You really must be tired if you can’t remember your boyfriend’s name.”
“Completely exhausted,” I said with a yawn.
“Would you be better if you called him? Use my phone.”
“Thanks,” I said, jumping at this opportunity.
When she handed me the phone, I pretended I was calling James (who I wouldn’t recognize if he plopped down in my lap!), but covertly checked for voice or text messages from Eli. Unfortunately, there were none. And when I tried his number again, I got his voicemail. Damn, what was going on with him?
“No luck,” I told Sadie as I returned her phone. “But I’m too tired to talk anyway. I can hardly lift the phone. I’ll be good to go tomorrow.”
“I’ll hold you to that. I’ll cover for you when I see everyone.” She stared out the windshield and gave a dreamy sigh. “It’ll be so great to see Warren again.”
She went on to talk about … you guessed it! Warren. Whenever she said his name, my stomach knotted and I wished I could warn her. But if I told her about Warren attacking me, she’d either accuse me of lying or leading him on. Sharayah had a track record when it came to stealing other girls’ boyfriends.
Besides, I needed to stay on Sadie’s good side to succeed at my mission. A big part of my plan to make Sharayah a singing star involved getting a ride to the audition in Beverly Hills. If Eli showed up, he could take me. But I couldn’t count on that. If I didn’t hear from him by tomorrow, I’d need to resort to Plan B — which meant not pissing off Sadie so she’d drive me to the audition.
Under the flicker of a short-circuiting street light and the gloom of a misty night, the crappo condo was even less inviting. There were no lights except a dim glow through the living room window, which added to the whole haunted house effect of the sagging porch, the peeling paint and the glass-eyed attic window peeking down at us like a spying ghost.
Fortunately, I had a good relationship with the other side; dead people didn’t scare me.
Our arms full of luggage and shopping bags, we went inside, kicking a box out of the way and walking over a pile of dirty clothes. Sadie found a note on the fridge instructing us to sleep in the room at the far end of the hallway. Not a luxury room with a view of the ocean, but it seemed decent. A queen-sized bed with a flowered comforter and four matching pillows took up most of the space, while an uncomfortable-looking rollaway was folded against a wall. There were two dressers, a desk, a glassed-door curio case filled with ceramic cats, and several framed paintings of cats adorning the walls. As a cat lover, I was completely at ease with the kitty decor. All I cared about was going to sleep … the bed looked so inviting.
Dropping my suitcase, I started for the bed.
Sadie grabbed my arm. “Not yet — there could be icky germs all over that. Wait until I clean up in here. I’ve got sheets, pillow cases and cleaning fluids.”
“You bought all of that today?” I asked, seriously impressed.
“That and more.”
“Impressive. You think of everything.”
“I try,” she said proudly. “Remember that, next time you call me a shopaholic.”
“Me? Criticize your shopping obsession?” I teased. “Never happens.”
“Yeah, right. And it’s not an obsession, it’s a talent. Check out what I bought.”
Sadie was showing me cleaning liquids and bedding when suddenly a sleek, multicolored creature shot out from underneath the bed and pounced on her lap.
Swearing, Sadie shot at least a foot off the ground.
The cat tumbled down, landing expertly on its four feet.
“A cat!” Sadie reached down to pick up a bottle of cleaner that had rolled out of her bag. “Who let it into our room?”
“It’s the other way around. I think this is her room and we’re the invaders.” I laughed as the calico turned its back on us and curled cozily between the two bed pillows. “I don’t think she has any intention of leaving.”
“Just great. We’ll have cat fur all over our clothes and I’ll need to take—” she sneezed “—an allergy pill.”
“You’re allergic to cats?”
“Duh, you know I am. Cats, dogs, ferrets, people with bad hygiene.” She rubbed her eyes. “And you can bet my cousin knows, too. She did this on purpose! Everything about this place has been a disaster! If all the hotels around here weren’t booked, I’d so check into one right now.”
“Hotels are really expensive,” I pointed out.
“So I’d just charge it. Or you can pay. Do you have any extra hundred-dollar bills lying around?”
She asked this in a joking tone, but her words startled me. I almost answered, “Yes, I happen to have a big wad of hundreds in my purse.” But I swallowed the idea of honesty and fought to hide my panic. Did she know about the hidden money? And why was Sharayah carrying around so much cash anyway — especially after discovering Sadie’s five-fingered habit? It seemed so reckless, as if she was daring Sadie to steal from her again.
While I was burdened with guilt and secrets, Sadie didn’t even notice. “There’s no way I can sleep in a room covered in cat hair,” she said, scowling at the sleeping cat.
“So, where … ” I yawned “ … will you sleep?”
“If things don’t work out with Warren, I’ll crash in the car.”
I tried to listen as I flopped onto the bed, but my brain had already checked out. Sleep, blissful sleep, that’s all I craved … I was only slightly aware of Sadie fixing her hair and changing into a clingy, night-black dress. I was glad when she left — relieved to be blissfully alone.
Well, except for the cat. She (I’d already guessed it was a “she,” since male calicos are rare) peeked out from her plush cave between pillows, a splash of white fur under her orange nose. Her large green eyes studied me, and her orange tail swished across my face, tickling. When I didn’t push her away, and instead scratched gently under her soft neck, she purred. She curled on my chest; her soft, warm fur-body pressed up against me was actually very nice. Closing my eyes, I imagined being at home with my own cat, resting in my bedroom with my parents just a shout away and my little sisters toddling around the house.
These memories were a sweet lullaby, carrying me deep into sleep. I only stirred once, to move my hand when it was being kitty-kissed by a rough tongue.
I don’t know how long I was deep asleep before I heard hissing, spitting, and growling.
Something heavy pounced at the edge of the bed.
Bolting upright, I gaped around the darkened room. It was dimly lit by a slice of moonlight shining through the curtain slits. Beside me, the orange cat continued to hiss at the murky shape, her back arched, her ears flattened back, and her fur raised in attack mode.
Following her gaze, I saw a beast twice the size of the cat.
Fierce sharp teeth, gleaming.
At me