The Taste of Night by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

you heard from your sister?”
    â€œNo,” Destiny replied. “We don’t know where she and Ross went.”
    She saw Ari at the bar, talking to a short, red-haired girl, tossing back another beer. Was he flirting with her?
    Destiny made her way through the crowd and grabbed him by the elbow. “Are we going to dance or what?” She pulled him onto the dance floor.
    They danced for a while under the flashing lightning bolts. Destiny shut her eyes and tried to lose herself to the music, the soaring voices, the insistent beat.
    When she opened her eyes she saw Ana-Li nearby, dancing with one of the guys from the lounge. Ana-Li looked great in low-riding, black denims and a green tube top that showed a lot of skin. They waved to each other. Ana-Li pointed to Ari. They both laughed.
    Yes, he was a terrible dancer. He had no sense of rhythm at all. Thrashing his arms around, bending his knees, Destiny thought he looked like a puppet that had lost his strings.
    Destiny put her hands on Ari’s shoulders and tried to guide him. He gave her a lopsided smile. His eyes were cloudy. How many beers had he drunk?
    They danced for a long while. Destiny loved the feel of the floor vibrating beneath her, the lights pulsing, the constant beat of the dance music shutting out all other sound.
    Ari had a good idea, she decided. I’m actually enjoying myself.
    Then she saw the blond again, the one who reminded her so much of Livvy. She was dancing with her back to Destiny, swaying to the music with her arms above her head, her blond hair swinging from side to side.
    With a sigh, Destiny stopped dancing. She stumbled into Ari. Her eyes were locked on the blond in the red mini-dress.
    The kind of sexy outfit Livvy would wear. Her hair swinging like Livvy’s.
    â€œI…can’t do this,” she told Ari, holding onto him with both hands.
    She pulled him off the dance floor. They found a small, round table near the bar and sat down. “What happened?” Ari asked, holding her hand.
    â€œI can’t do this,” Destiny repeated. “I can’t be here dancing and pretending.”
    â€œHey, we came here to have fun, right?” Ari said, rolling his eyes. “Just for once, can’t we forget about what’s happening?”
    â€œI tried,” Destiny said. She found a tissue in her bag and wiped the sweat off her forehead. “But Livvy is out there somewhere.” She pointed to the door. “Out in the night. My sister alone in the night. How can I—”
    â€œIt’s not your fault,” Ari shouted. “She made a stupid choice. She made a totally selfish choice. She didn’t think about you, Dee. Or your father. Or your brother. She only thought about herself. So why are you thinking about her all the time? Why can’t you lighten up for just one night?”
    â€œYou don’t understand—” Destiny started. “Knowing that she’s out there somewhere, prowling around, searching for God-knows-what, it’s…it’s worse than if she were dead.”
    Ari jumped up, a scowl on his face. “Give me a break,” he muttered. “Enough already.” He turned and stormed away, disappearing into the crowd on the dance floor.
    â€œAri, no—wait!” Destiny jumped to her feet and started after him. She bumped into a guy on the dance floor, then pushed past another couple. The flashing lights started to hurt her eyes, made her blink. The steady,pulsating beats began to pound in her ears.
    â€œAri—?”
    Where was he?
    I tried. I really tried, Destiny thought. I understand why he lost it. He’s been so patient. He wants to have a little fun before he goes off to college. And I haven’t been able to shake off this sadness.
    She edged her way to the other side of the dance floor. No sign of Ari. Ana-Li stood with a Coke in one hand, talking to Fletch Green and two other guys from their class.
    Destiny rushed