Shocking Pink by Erica Spindler Read Free Book Online Page A

hearing that music again,” Raven murmured, two nights later as the three girls sat on Andie’s bed, an open Cosmo and a half-dozen bottles of nail polish between them, all shades of pink, from pale to shocking. “It just doesn’t seem right to me.”
    Andie reached for one called Blush. She painted her thumbnail, then blew on it. “I was thinking the same thing. Hearing it twice like that, that’s got to be more than a coincidence.” She held out her hand to inspect her nail, then frowned. “Why do you suppose girls always wear pink?”
    “That’s just the way it is,” Julie said, inching her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. “Girls are pink, boys are blue.”
    “I suppose.” Andie decided she didn’t like the shade and reached for the polish remover.
    “Guys—” Raven made a sound of impatience “—what if somebody is in one of those empty houses?”
    Andie looked at her. “Why would they be?”
    “Why indeed? That’s the question.”
    Julie glared at them. “You guys are creeping me out. Stop it. I’ve got to live there.”
    “Exactly.” Raven sat up. “I think we should check it out.”
    “Now?” Julie held out her hands. “My nails are wet.”
    “Your dad’s going to make you take it off anyway.” Raven looked at her friends. “What else do we have to do?”
    “Nothing, I guess.” Andie looked at Julie. “What do you think?”
    She shrugged. “Okay by me. I’ve got to be home in an hour anyway.”
    After telling Andie’s mom they were going over to Julie’s house, the girls headed outside. They took the shortcut, angling through several backyards, dodging a particularly vicious Doberman pinscher, dragging Julie away from a couple of guys they knew who were shooting hoops in a driveway, reaching Julie’s street within minutes.
    They went to the end of the cul-de-sac and gazed at the four dark houses.
    “This is so exciting,” Andie whispered. “What if we actually discover something?”
    Julie giggled nervously. “I’ll pee my pants, that’s what.”
    Andie glanced at Raven. “Which one do you think the music was coming from?”
    Raven considered the houses a moment, squinting in thought. They were all dark; their windows eerily empty. All four had For Sale signs in the yard, two of them still sported the builder’s signs. The one-story ranch houses were modest in size, though equipped with all the latest appliances, conveniences and colors. Though the lots weren’t large—not as large as those in Phase I—the developer had taken care to leave as many trees as possible. The big shade trees gave the appearance of a richer, more established neighborhood.
    “That one,” Raven said finally, pointing to the one farthest left. “It’s the most secluded. There, next to the empty lot. And look—” she pointed “—that streetlight’s out. If I was up to no good, that’s the one I’d want to be in.”
    The other two girls murmured their agreement and fell into step behind Raven. Darting glances in every direction, they crept around to the back of the house. Julie poked Andie in the back, making her jump. “Boo,” she whispered, giggling.
    Andie brought a hand to her heart and scowled at her friend. “Stop that. You about gave me a—”
    “Shh.” Raven held up a hand. “Listen.”
    Andie did, heart thundering. A moment later she leaned toward Raven. “I don’t hear anything.”
    Julie put her head close to theirs. “Me neither.”
    Raven grinned. “Gotcha.”
    “Very funny.”
    “Thanks a lot.”
    Raven laughed softly. “Come on.”
    They crept to the first window and peered in. The room beyond—it looked as if it was supposed to be a bedroom—was empty. They made their way to the next window, then the next, finding the same thing. An empty laundry room, breakfast room, kitchen.
    Then they hit pay dirt. A chair. A single, high-backed, wooden chair, the kind you’d find at a desk or dining table. Only there was no table or desk, no television, lamps