Following Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci Read Free Book Online

had happened to somebody else. That was precisely what I'd been looking for, because that was how I'd survived my own break with my family: I viewed it as a
him
and
me
thing. I often said as much to people who knew I'd left an unhappy home life, but most of the time they didn't get what I was talking about. RayAnn seemed to.
    "One out of five isn't bad," she said. "You'll write that paper up an hour before it's due and ace it—your usual."
    I didn't care about the grade so much. "I'm thinking maybe I could give the exercise to the Psych Department and they could actually research the therapeutic value of it. You can't get the money to form a microcosm for research when you're broke."
    RayAnn nodded thoughtfully, supportive as always. "It's a shame you can't get Chris Creed to contribute. I know you think that's how he stayed away so long."
    "That little cuss had it too easy. Torey Adams did the writing as his 'kind person.' All Chris had to do was click and read. Most people are not lucky enough to have someone else do the writing."
    "You really think Chris Creed has read Torey Adams's website?" she asked with a glint and a smile.
    People seemed to find that concept interesting, though I felt it was logical. "I don't think he's dead or electronically challenged. My question is, how could he
miss
it?"
    "Unless he's living in the Congo, with a plate in his bottom lip and spearing fish in the Amazon for his daily intake." RayAnn smiled.
    I pulled her up to me by the back of the neck and kissed her. "You're funny. It's one of the reasons I adore you."
    "Oh, you
adore
me," she said. She was a much faster mover than I was. She wanted the L-word. She wanted to be sandwiched between me and my dorm mattress. I wasn't stupid about that. I was stupider about why I'd been telling myself "tomorrow" for more than a month.
    Fortunately the screen door creaked open, saving me from spiraling into the confusion I loathed. The three girls came down the steps, and as it turned out, RayAnn and I didn't have to do anything to lose Elaine.
    "You guys are crazy," she announced. "I wouldn't go back out there for a million bucks. Straight or otherwise. Have fun."
    "We will," I promised. I held my hand out behind my back and RayAnn 'fived me as Elaine's departing footsteps tromped across the parking lot stones. I can get lucky some times.
    Chan and Katy said nothing as they piled into the back seat, and I promised them Lanz would neither bite them nor drool on their burgers. Their forced giggles made me suspect they too were having second thoughts. They ate their cheeseburgers and fries in silence as RayAnn drove.
    We had to leave the bay area and head up Route 9 another mile and a half, then turn back toward the bay again. I was laying a picture in my head. There weren't a lot of side streets in these woods, and if you wanted to get from one place to the other that was close to the water, you had to either go by boat or drive west to Route 9.
    "Get ready to walk," Chan said as RayAnn finally slowed the car and cut the engine.
    As I opened the door, the air smelled densely of earth and forest, and the only sound was the
drip, drip
of raindrops still falling from the trees. I figured I would take Lanz this time. RayAnn mentioned that no other cars were parked here.
    "No bikes," Chan noticed as the engine went silent. "Unless they're hidden in the brush from cops. But I've heard this about the Lightning Field lately—ever since Justin took off, people are afraid to come back here without him after dark."
    "Why?" I asked.
Did he carry a ghost buster shield and a silver stake?
    "They say it's just ... eerie. When he's back there, talking about how wonderful the place is, people can actually get to feeling that way. When he's not around, people say, it just feels like a vortex. You can't have any fun for being creeped out. The only one I know who enjoys it out here without Justin is Kobe Lydee. He's in our grade. He thinks he's a ghost chaser and he'll