Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini Read Free Book Online Page B

“Pardon me. I
    didn’t mean to bring up personal matters. Is there any way you and
    I might have a word alone?”
    “NO!” Helen shouted. She lunged across the cot, grabbing her
    father’s arm and yanking him away from Castor.
    “What is wrong with you?” Jerry shouted. He tried, and failed, to
    shake Helen off.
    “Please don’t go anywhere with him!” she begged, tears welling
    up in her eyes.
    45/395
    Jerry made a frustrated sound, put his arms around Helen and
    held her reassuringly. “She hasn’t been well,” he explained to
    Castor, who looked on with sympathy.
    “I have a daughter,” Castor replied gently as if that explained
    everything.
    Mrs. Crane and the principal, Dr. Hoover, rushed into the room
    as if they had been trying to catch up to Castor.
    “Mr. Delos,” the principal began in an irritated voice, but Castor
    talked over him.
    “I hope your daughter feels better soon, Jerry. I’ve had heatstroke
    myself, and I was told I did all kinds of strange things. It can
    make you hallucinate, you know,” he said to no one in particular.
    Helen saw him glance quickly at her and then into the corner
    where the sobbing sister was still rocking back and forth. Did he
    see her, too, she wondered, and if he did, how the heck could two
    people share a hallucination?
    “Well . . . okay. There’s no animosity then?” Dr. Hoover said uncertainly,
    looking from Castor to Jerry.
    “Not on my part, nor on my son’s, I’m sure. I’m more concerned
    about you, young lady,” Castor said, turning politely to Helen.
    “Luke told me he had to be, well, a bit rough. Did he hurt you?”
    Castor inquired. On the surface, it seemed like he had extraordinarily
    good manners, but Helen didn’t buy it. He was just trying to
    gauge how strong she was.
    “I’m fine,” she replied tartly. “Not a scratch.”
    His eyes widened ever so slightly. She didn’t know why she was
    baiting a full-grown man, a very big man in the prime of his life at
    that, but she simply couldn’t help herself. Usually, she hated arguments
    so much she couldn’t even bear to watch those trashy daytime
    talk shows where everyone screamed at each other, and here
    she was for the second time in half an hour looking to mix it up
    with someone much bigger and stronger than she was. Thankfully,
    she wasn’t as desperate to kill Castor the way she had been with his
    46/395
    son. No one had ever enraged Helen the way that Lucas had, but
    she still wanted to put a few dents in Castor’s fender. That urge
    confused her deeply.
    “I’m glad you’re all right,” Castor said with a smile, diffusing the
    situation. He turned to the principal and made it clear that he and
    his family did not want Helen punished. As far as he was concerned
    Helen had been ill, and the whole incident should be forgotten.
    He left as abruptly as he had entered.
    As soon as Castor’s footsteps faded away, the sobbing sister vanished
    and the whispering stopped. Helen no longer felt angry. She
    slumped down onto the cot like a balloon with a fast leak.
    “You’d best take her home now, Jerry,” Mrs. Crane said with a
    no-nonsense voice and a comforting smile. “Lots of fluids, no direct
    light, and get her to take a cool bath to bring her core temperature
    down. All right?”
    “Sure, Mrs. Crane. Thanks a lot,” Jerry replied, reverting back to
    the teenaged boy he had been the last time he was in Mrs. Crane’s
    office.
    Helen kept her head down on their way out to the parking lot, but
    she could feel the other students staring at her as she passed. As
    she jumped up into the passenger seat of the Pig she saw the door
    by the principal’s office open and the two Delos boys leaving with
    Castor. Lucas’s eyes went straight to hers and held them. Castor
    pulled up and put his hand on the back of his son’s neck, talking to
    him. Finally, Lucas broke his stare contest with Helen and looked
    at his father briefly before nodding and looking at the ground.
    It started to rain. One, then two, then three big, fat drops