The Last Place on Earth by Carol Snow Read Free Book Online Page B

and the Man-Fran are on their cruise.” He trotted over to the soda aisle. After some consideration, he got an orange Fanta.
    I opened the next fridge case over and plucked out an iced green tea. “Think this thing with, what’s his name, Randy, will last?”
    â€œYou mean forever ?” Peter looked like I’d asked if he believed in fairies.
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous. I mean for the length of the cruise.”
    He considered. “Seven days. Small cabin. Not looking good.”
    I didn’t have to use tax records to track down Bethany’s address because her last name was unusual—either there weren’t a lot of Bratts to begin with, or the rest had enough sense to change it—and I found her parents listed in at least ten online directories. Thanks to Google Earth, I was able to view a satellite picture of her large house and pool. It’s too bad I would never want to spend time with Bethany, because the Santa Ana winds were blowing hot and dusty, and I could use a friend with a pool.
    The drive took maybe fifteen minutes—not long enough to justify Peter’s supersize chip upgrade, but enough time for every sweat gland in my body to go into emergency mode. The car’s air conditioner worked, at least in theory, but it had run out of coolant over a year ago, and Peter couldn’t be bothered to get it refilled.
    At least there was no community gate to deal with. We pulled right up to Bethany’s house, which looked smaller from the street than it had from the satellite.
    Peter pulled over to the curb and turned off the car. He hauled the potato chip bag onto his lap and ripped it open.
    â€œShe’s not going to be home,” I said, peeling my legs off the seat. A droplet of sweat slithered down my neck.
    â€œHow’d y’know?” Peter asked through a mouthful of salt, grease, and artificial flavors.
    â€œBecause people are disappearing. One after another. Without a trace. Like…”
    â€œThey’ve been abducted by aliens?” Crinkle, crinkle. Peter reached back into the bag.
    â€œWell … yeah.”
    â€œAwesome.” Peter peered at the house with sharpened interest. His face shone with perspiration and perhaps the first infusion of potato chip oil.
    At last I got up the courage to leave the car, walk down the path, ring Bethany’s bell, and face … silence.
    Alien abduction. Come on. There had to be a better explanation for why people kept disappearing. But what?
    I was squinting up at the hot, bleached sky, looking for evidence of other life forms, when Bethany opened the door. The house’s air-conditioning hit me like a bucket of cold water.
    â€œYou’re here!” I blurted out.
    â€œI live here.” She looked awful: red nose, dirty hair, circles under her eyes. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a faded pink T-shirt. But at least her hair wasn’t stringy with sweat like mine was.
    â€œYou weren’t in school,” I said.
    â€œI’m sick.” It came out like Ibe zick.
    â€œIs Gwendolyn sick, too?”
    She shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Did you bring my math homework?”
    â€œUm, no.”
    She looked at me funny. “Then why are you here?”
    â€œUm … I mostly just came to see if you knew where Gwendolyn was.”
    â€œI don’t.”
    â€œOkay.”
    We gawked at each other in an agonizing silence.
    â€œThe math homework is in the book,” I said. “I can’t remember the page, but if you give me your cell phone number, I’ll text you when I get home.”
    â€œI’ll get it from someone else,” she said.
    â€œOkay.” I forced a smile. “Hot day today.”
    â€œIt’s kind of weird,” she said. “You coming here.”
    At a loss, I said, “It’s not weird. My brother drove me. Um. We have potato chips if you want some? Chicken-and-waffle-flavored. Which sounds kind