Dead Is Just a Dream - [Dead Is - 08] by Marlene Perez Read Free Book Online Page B

to town,” I said. “Everyone at the bonfire saw it.”
    “Tashya’s not the Mara,” Mrs. Gray said sharply.
    “I never said she was,” I responded. “Especially since I don’t even know that much about what a Mara is.”
    “You will,” she said. “You will.” But she didn’t bother to provide any further information. I resolved I’d find out more on my own.

    On Sunday, we took a break from our virago duties. Everyone had been invited to the Black Opal to watch Side Effects May Vary’s practice.
    The Black Opal was an all-ages club. The interior was painted in vivid colors and the ceiling was sky blue with fluffy white clouds. A bright orange portrait of Teddie Myles, the owner and legendary rock goddess, was displayed prominently on the wall behind the stage.
    “Any news on Samantha?” Flo asked.
    “None,” I said. “Daisy is going to try again to reach her telepathically, but she needs all the help we can give her. Any ideas?”
    “Maybe changing what she’s dreaming about will wake her from her coma,” Raven said.
    I stared at her. “That’s genius.”
    “Could we knock the shadowy figure out of her dream somehow?” Andy asked.
    “Maybe Daisy and Rose could help us with that,” I said.
    “I wonder how Sam has survived when the others didn’t,” Raven said.
    “Sam is tough,” I replied. “And she’s best friends with Daisy. The two of them have seen plenty of strange things before this.”
    “Or maybe she wasn’t the intended victim?” Flo said as she took a doughnut from her bag and chewed it contemplatively.
    “You told us no desserts during training, Flo,” Andy pointed out.
    “And you thought I was serious?” she said.
    Bert, the manager of Side Effects May Vary, approached our table with the band in tow and handed everyone Cranky Kitten T-shirts.
    “What’s the occasion?” I asked.
    “Did you tell them the tour was moved up?” Flo’s husband, Vinnie, asked.
    Dominic gave me a nervous look. “I was just about to.”
    “We’ve got a couple of months to prepare,” Vinnie said. “And then we’re hitting the road.”
    I turned to Dominic. “What about school?” I asked. “I thought you weren’t going until after graduation.”
    He shrugged. “Most of the tour is during winter break. And Aunt Katrina is going to tutor me on the road the rest of the time. The school’s already agreed.”
    “Sounds like everything’s all settled,” I said.
    “Jessica, don’t be like that,” Dominic said.
    “When were you going to tell me?” I asked in a low voice, but I could feel his band mates’ eyes on me. I was being the difficult girlfriend. I wanted to be happy for them, but I was too angry.
    “I was going to tell you,” Dominic said. “But I knew you would be upset.”
    “You were right.”
    “How long are you going to be gone?” I braced myself.
    “A month. All of December.” He said it quickly.
    “You’ll be gone during Christmas? And New Year’s Eve?”
    He nodded miserably.
    “I thought we’d have your senior year together at least.”
    “We will have most of it,” he assured me. “I’ll be around for Homecoming and prom.”
    Most?
He looked so distressed that I felt like a horrible girlfriend.
    I sighed. “I guess it won’t be so bad. We can still talk every day.”
    He brightened. “I can send you videos.”
    He got to his feet as the rest of the band started to tune up.
    “I’ve got to go,” Dominic said awkwardly. “But we’ll talk more about it later, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be back before you even miss me.”
    That was highly doubtful.
    My anger disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. I had bigger things to worry about. Like catching a killer.
    He joined the rest of the band onstage, and Vinnie on drums led off the set. Dominic stepped up to the mike and started to strum the new song, but then a strange look crossed his face. He was about to provide a clue—at least I hoped he