The Festival of the Moon (Girls Wearing Black: Book Two) by Spencer Baum Read Free Book Online Page B

and flipped it. A single fluorescent bulb came on, showing her the entire space. She was on a staircase that led down to a short corridor. At the end of the corridor was a solid steel door.
    “Oh..I was just saying…now I get it. People were more curious about who wasn’t at the party than who was there. They were thinking about my party even when they were at Kim’s.”
    “Yes, that’s exactly it,” Ryan said. “Your party was the big topic of conversation at Kim’s, and let me tell you, that made her furious. She hated it that everyone was trying to figure out who had ditched her party. The first person we all noticed was absent was Jill.”
    “Right. Who else?” Nicky said.
    “Then everyone noticed Art wasn’t around, of course. That thing you did with Art at the dance, with the wine glass and the dinner jacket…that had everyone all atwitter. What was that about anyway?”
    “I was improvising,” Nicky said. “Once you told me you had to go to Kim’s party, I had to get to work on someone else with money.”
    “That’s what I figured,” Ryan said. “It was never Art’s idea to crash into Rosalyn, was it?”
    Nicky went down the stairs and to the end of the corridor. She rubbed her hands on the steel door. Shiny and cold, she got the sense that it was really thick. There was a numeric keypad on the wall to her right. Nicky leaned in close to inspect it, thinking of how wild things had become. She and Jill wouldn’t be here if last night had gone according to plan, if Ryan had been their big money player rather than Art. Now Ryan was schmoozing with Kim and Nicky was burgling Art’s house.
    “Remember Ryan, the story is that it was Art’s idea--”
    “I know what the story is and don’t worry, you can trust me. I see how you played this. Art gets to pretend it was his idea to crash into Rosalyn and be a rebel bad boy, and you get Art’s money at the Date Auction. Am I right?”
    “Yes, that’s pretty much it.”
    Ryan laughed. “Oh Nicky—who knew? Who knew you had it in you to come in here and mix everything up like this? That thing with Art was really well played, but how are you gonna keep him?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Art’s dad and Kim’s dad are old chums. There’s no way Art’s dad will let this continue. You got Art for the after-party, but come the Date Auction, I’d think he’ll be ready to beg Kim for forgiveness.”
    Nicky went back up the stairs and towards the foyer, stopping at the edge of the dining room where she could see Art’s sleeping body.
    “I think Art might surprise you,” Nicky said. “He’s ready to spread his wings a little.”
    “You’re not…” Ryan’s voice was suddenly more serious. “Are you and Art..?”
    “Ryan, I’m going to tell this to you and you alone,” Nicky said. “Whatever you hear about me and Art next week is a lie. Art may come into school tomorrow ready to brag about scoring big with me, but it’s not true. It’s all part of the ruse. I need for everyone to think that, come the Date Auction, Art’s money is going to me. Letting people think Art and I are sleeping together is a way I can do that. But I have never and will never be with Art. I know this contest is all about playing dirty, but there are a few lines I’m not willing to cross.”
    There was a pause on the other end, then Ryan said, “I wish it wasn’t like this, Nicky. I’m still thinking about what I said to you last night. I’m still wondering if there’s a way out of this for both of us.”
    “There’s no way we’re getting out, Ryan. We have our parts to play and we have to see it through to the end.”
    Out in the foyer, Art stirred a little, his arms moving across his body, his eyebrows twitching. He looked like he might be about to wake up, but then he rolled over onto his side and fell back into a deep sleep.
    “Can I ask you something, Ryan?” Nicky said.
    “Of course you can.”
    “This secret that Kim has on you…when all of