Rattled by Lisa Harrington Read Free Book Online Page B

attention.
    â€œReenie? Reenie Barretto? I can’t believe it!”
    The voice came booming out of a large, sunburnt, bejewelled platinum blonde. The intriguing bit was that she seemed to be directing her outburst towards Mrs. Swicker.
    I repositioned myself, stepping behind a spinning rack of Maritime cookbooks so I could watch the scene unobserved.
    The blonde stepped closer to Mrs. Swicker and tried again. “Reenie! It’s me, Phyllis!”
    My eyes darted to Mrs. Swicker. I saw her back stiffen, and her face turned almost grey. It was just like in a book, when it says, “the colour drained from her face.” It was just like that. She acted as though she couldn’t hear the woman and didn’t look up from the soap display.
    The blonde reached out and put her hand on Mrs. Swicker’s arm as if to turn her around.
    I held my breath. This was getting good. I actually hissed “ Move! ” to a tourist who wanted to look through my cookbook rack.
    â€œRemember? Coral High? Same homeroom? Mr. Simmons, the crazy suspenders?” The blonde was not giving up.
    My eyes flew back to Mrs. Swicker. I watched as she took a deep breath, pressed her lips together, and slowly turned around. Her hands were shaking slightly as she lifted the woman’s hand off her arm and let it drop as though it was something infected. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You must have me confused with someone else.”
    The blonde began poking herself in the chest. “It’s me, Phyllis Gregory, of course now Phyllis Munroe.” Poke, poke. “Can you believe I married Jerry after all the miserable things I called him? Remember the three of us smoking Kools under the bleachers?” Poke, poke.
    I frantically looked around for Sam and Megan. I couldn’t believe they were missing all this. They were way over on the other side, a sea of people between us.
    â€œLike I said, you have me confused with someone else,” Mrs. Swicker said coldly.
    The blonde must have finally picked up on something in her voice. She took a step backwards. “Pardon me, I guess I have. You look exactly like a girl I used to go to school with.” The blonde tilted her head as she spoke, as if maybe she wasn’t so sure anymore. “Sorry to have bothered you.”
    Mrs. Swicker ignored the blonde’s apology. Her eyes swept the shop and landed on me, still hiding behind the rack. I blinked and quickly looked away, making like I was flipping through the cookbooks. She picked up a couple of soaps and headed for the cash.
    I stayed in my hiding spot for a minute, chewing on my fingernail. That was more than a little interesting. Too bad Sam and Megan hadn’t seen it. I still didn’t really know what to make of it. I wondered if Mrs. Swicker would say anything. Maybe not, if she didn’t think anyone saw. She must know I saw at least some of it. Of course, it may have been totally legit, just an innocent case of mistaken identity. And maybe Mrs. Swicker’s reaction was just because that big, loud, blonde woman freaked her out. She was kind of overwhelming…Nope. No matter how I tried spin it, I just couldn’t convince myself. It was all way too bizarre.
    The crowd in the store thinned. We finished our shopping and met up outside.
    â€œThat was actually pretty all right, as far as shopping goes,” Sam said.
    â€œOh yeah? What’d ya get?” I asked.
    â€œThis book on Maritime history, and this other one on local ghost stories. Oh, and I blew eight dollars on fudge.”
    â€œImpressive. What’d you get, Megan?”
    â€œI had to have this lobster. That pretty much drained me of all my cash.”
    I turned to Mrs. Swicker, determined not to let on that I had seen the exchange in the gift shop. I plastered on a smile. “And what did—”
    â€œI’m going to that booth to grab some maps,” she said, cutting me off.
    We watched her walk