Don't Look Behind You (Don't Look Series Book 1) by Emily Kazmierski (summer reads .txt) 📗

“Huh? Oh, that’s great.” I yawn, wishing I had a soda in my hand. I could use the shot of caffeine.

Noah gives me a sheepish smile. His black hair is fluffy from sleep and his anime shirt is wrinkled as if he slept in it.

“You gonna tell me why you’re on my roof at four in the morning?”

The boy stretches out his legs, flexing his toes in the black athletic sandals. “Felt like a walk,” he says finally. “I let my feet lead the way, and they brought me here. You okay?”

I clutch my elbows tighter as a shiver courses through me. Glance at Noah before my eyes snag on the house across the street now that it’s abandoned. A deep sigh escapes. I hadn’t realized how tight my chest was as it loosens. “I’m okay, I guess.”

“I bet it was freaky, finding… all of that stuff in that guy’s house.”

There’s no way I know to explain to Noah how scary it is knowing that my guardian’s boyfriend is working with the murderer who destroyed my life. That he’s the one who’s been following me. Plotting to steal me away and finish me off. He was so close when he saw me with Esau. I bury my face in my knees. Why didn’t he act then? What is he waiting for?

A black and white car pulls around the corner. The patrol they promised. Crap!

Shoving at Noah gets my message across. He scrambles in the window before helping me inside. We crouch below the sill so the deputy patrolling the block can’t see us. I have no doubt that if we’re spotted on the patio roof, word will get back to Aunt Karen.

Once the car passes, we both breathe a sigh of relief.

Noah sinks to the floor with his legs butterflied and his back against the wall. The look he gives me makes me go still. “You asked why I came over here. I heard about what happened, and I wanted to… I had to make sure you were okay. I need you to be okay. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about how scared you might be. I… Can I, Megan?” Gently he reaches over and covers my hand with his own. His fingers are warm and rough from working odd jobs at the dairy.

I slip away and tuck both of my hands under my thighs. “Thank you. That’s sweet, but I can’t.” There’s a new awkwardness between us that I wish I could take away, but I won’t. Not the way he wants.

Noah runs a hand over the shag carpet, disappointment a pall over his expression. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He mumbles something as he stands up that might be, “See you at school,” before climbing out the window and shimmying over the edge. His eyes catch mine once more before he disappears below the roofline.

My heart is twisting in my chest as I climb back onto my bed, even though it’s pointless. I won’t sleep anymore tonight, not after Noah’s near confession. I lean back against the headboard and pull up a streaming app.

My mind wanders, wishing I’d had the foresight to grab my recorder.

Marisa stands still on a milk crate so Viv can adjust the hem of her costume. “Can you take it up a half inch? It still feels a little long.”

“It’s not, trust me.” Viv finishes pinning it and stands up, brushing off her knees below her long cutoffs.

They start bickering back and forth, which makes me smile. Marisa’s always trying to micromanage her appearance in the play, saying her mom expects her to be perfect. Sometimes I get the feeling that deep down, she’s only doing the drama club thing because her mom wants her to. My instincts are telling me that Marisa isn’t nearly as vain as she comes off.

Viv, who is probably the second most chill person I know next to Fiona, lets Marisa’s nagging roll right off her back. I’ve only ever seen Viv wound up when it comes to fried junk food. Other than that, she’s unflappable. The other day we picked up Erin on the way to the diner, and not even being stared at by a hundred girls in Catholic school uniforms could faze her.

Fiona appears at my elbow. “We’re all set upstairs.”

“Great!” I say, too cheerfully. Esau’s letting me play with some of the lighting cues today, and I’m determined to prove to him that my lighting scheme is the way to go with this play. Once he sees it all coming together—the lights, costuming, and the blocking he’s been drilling into the actor’s heads for weeks—I’m positive he’ll come to see things my way.

“Somebody’s giddy,” Fiona says, nudging me with her elbow. She grins. “Something you want to tell us? Maybe why Esau is suddenly letting you change some of the lights?”

Marisa and Viv turn curious eyes toward me. Marisa points at Esau, who’s pacing around the stage making sure the set is configured to his exact specifications, and winks.

“Nope.” I can’t stop my smile.

“Uh huh. Sure.” Fiona waves a finger. “You look about how Dariel and I did when we discovered the sound booth is basically abandoned after our club meetings end. “Don’t think you’re fooling anyone.” She puckers her lips in a kissy face that makes all four of us laugh.

“You two were the worst,” Viv tosses out, and Fiona gives her a playful shove.

“Let’s get started, everyone,” Esau yells, making Marisa jump and scurry to her mark for the first scene. “I want to get through all of act one today.”

I move toward the booth with Fiona.

“Megan, wanna sit?” Esau pats the chair beside him.

I swear everyone in the room goes silent as they swivel around to look at me. I fight the flush that threatens to rush up my neck and avoid their eyes.

Fiona gives me a meaningful look, a satisfied smile on her lips.

Ignoring this, I pick my way over the cables to sit down beside Esau.

There’s a tiny panda figurine