The Girl Who Came Back

“Stop playing games and get me home,” she ordered. If he didn’t turn at the intersection that led to Poppin Hill, she’d jump out at the next stop sign and get there on her own.

Which was exactly what she ended up doing. Shell scoffed at her request and cruised past the turnoff. As he slowed for the next stop, never quite coming to a complete halt, she snatched her purse and flung herself from the car. He called after her, but she turned and began walking. The car roared away.

It took her more than forty minutes to walk home. The old house stood on a rise overlooking the sleepy Mississippi town of Maraville. Maddie Oglethorpe had opened her home to three foster girls many years ago. Eliza resented the fact she had to live in foster care, but with both parents dead and no known relatives, she had no choice.

She stormed into the back of the house. Amazingly, no one was around. She walked through the kitchen to the front, then up the stairs to her room. The silence was spooky.

Opening her door, she tossed her purse on the bed and went back down the hall, peeking into Jo’s room. When she heard soft sounds coming from April’s, she knocked on the door, opened it and stuck her head inside.

“You’re back,” April said, lying on her bed. She scooted up to lean against the headboard. “The shit hit the fan today.”

Satisfaction finally coursed through Eliza. “Cade wasn’t happy to hear I went out with Shell, I take it.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, he was majorly pissed. I’m talking about Jo. Someone beat the crap out of her and she blamed Maddie.”

“What?” Eliza couldn’t believe it. “Jo is two inches taller than Maddie and athletic as all get out. Maddie talks tough, but she’s never so much as slapped any of us. How could she beat up Jo?”

“Jo showed up here this morning black and blue with blood oozing from several cuts on her face. The cops came and took her to the hospital. She claimed it was Maddie.”

“She’s lying.” Eliza went to sit on the bed. “What really happened?”

“I don’t know the whole story. I was sent to school before I could find out more. When I got home, the place was empty. I don’t know where Maddie and Jo are right now. Your plan worked, by the way. Cade had a fit when I told him you took off with Shell.”

Eliza nodded, her own situation taking second place to the news about Jo. “I bet it was Heller. She should have dumped him weeks ago. He’s bad news.”

“Maybe, but she was mad as all get out and kept glaring at Maddie, saying it was all her fault.”

Who would have beaten a sixteen-year-old girl? It had to be Heller. He was a classmate from the wrong side of town. He’d been in and out of trouble as long as Eliza and the others had known him. He and Jo had a thing going—against Eliza’s advice and April’s. But Jo was headstrong. No one could budge her when she made up her mind.

“So spill, how was Shell?” April said.

“Not as hot as he thinks, though his car is cool,” Eliza told her. “The day was a drag.” She’d only gone to get back at Cade for his defection. Could she have found another way?

The phone rang.

April leapt up and ran down the stairs. The only phone in the house was located at the base of the stairs. Eliza followed right behind her.

“Hello…? Oh, yeah, she’s here.” April turned and held out the receiver. “It’s for you. Sounds like Chelsea.”

Eliza hesitated a moment. She didn’t want to talk to Cade’s sister. Chelsea had been the one to tell her about Cade seeing Marlise again. Eliza hadn’t wanted to believe her—Chelsea was known for being a class-A liar—but she had gone to Marlise’s house when Chelsea had told her. And sure enough, when Cade had rung the bell, Marlise had opened the door and flown into his arms and kissed him. Eliza had seen it with her own eyes. The boyfriend she’d dated exclusively for months had been kissing another girl.

“Hello.”

“So you dumped my brother,” Chelsea said. She sounded worked up, talking fast.

“If going out with Shell is dumping, then I sure did.”

“Ha, you’ll be sorry.”

“Yeah, how? Dumping a two-timer is the only way to go.” No matter how much it hurt. “You might consider that yourself.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come off it, Chelsea, the whole school knows Eddie is cheating on you.” Cade would be furious that Eliza had told his sister her boyfriend was seeing someone else. They’d argued over whether to tell her or not. But Eliza no longer cared what Cade thought. Maybe telling Chelsea some home truths would show her she couldn’t have everything her own way.

“He is not. He’s my boyfriend!”

“Whatever. Why are you calling?” Eliza had no desire to prolong the conversation.

“Cade wants to talk to you.”

“About what?” Eliza asked. “There’s nothing to say. You were right, I saw him kissing Marlise.” So much for trust and loyalty. The pain struck again. How long would it be before she got over the betrayal?

“I expect he wants to talk to you about your behavior,” Chelsea said with a syrupy tone.

“Mine? What about his?”

“You going to make up with him?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“You going to make up with Eddie?” Eliza asked.

“You’re wrong about him. There’s nothing to make up.”

“Ask your brother if you don’t believe me. He knows it as well as I do. You two deserve each other.”

Chelsea hung up.

“She’s so weird.” Eliza placed the receiver on the hook and told April what Chelsea had said.

“She’s hung up on her brother,” April observed. “She doesn’t want him to see anyone, just to pay attention to her.”

“That’s creepy. Besides, she was going out with Eddie Palmer. Now he’s going out with Darcy.”

“Yeah, well I think Chelsea’s a nut,” April said. “No wonder Eddie found somebody else. Look at all the times she’s called to get Cade home on some pretext or other. You’d think the guy would get wise.”

Eliza felt she had to defend Cade. “He’s the man of the family. He feels responsible for her and his mother.”

“For a crazy sister and a drunk mother? He’d better get that scholarship to Tulane and get the hell out of town when he graduates.”

“We all want to get out when we graduate,” Eliza said. “This is a dumb town.” She sat a few steps above April on the staircase. “I want to know about Jo.”

“As far as I can tell, we just have to wait until they get home to find out the scoop,” April said. “I already called some of Jo’s friends to see if they knew anything. No one did.”

By six o’clock, neither Maddie nor Jo had returned to the house. April and Eliza fixed sandwiches for their dinner, eating in the kitchen, speculating about the different scenarios that would explain what had happened to their friend.