Cheerleading Can Be Murder (Horror High #1) by Carissa Ann Lynch Page A

before!

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter
    Twenty-Six
     
     
    Although Andy’s family’s luxury home looked similar to mine, it was located on a private lot surrounded by birch trees. “What is this friend from school’s name again?” my mom asked, pulling into the neatly paved driveway in her Camry.
    “Andy,” I said, trying not to smile. I opened up my passenger side door and stepped out into the muggy heat. It was September, and way too hot for this time of year in Harrow.
    My mother rolled down her window, one of those outdated kind you have to turn with a crank. “Is Andy’s mother or father home?” she asked dubiously, sticking her head out the window and eyeballing the house in front of her.
    “Yes, of course, Mom. We’re just working on a Joan of Arc project,” I promised.
    By this time next year, I would hopefully have my own car and driver’s license. Until then, I needed to appease my mom. “There’s nothing to worry about, Mom.”
    I could tell by her tight smile that she trusted me, despite her concerns. She always had.
    “I’ll pick you up in…”she leaned in to look at the clock on her dash, “two hours.”
    I nodded and gave her a little wave, climbing the steps to the front door.
    I was nervous as I pressed my finger firmly to the glowing doorbell. A tall, handsome woman with red hair that matched Andy’s opened the door with a smile. My mother was waiting to make sure that I entered safely, and Andy’s mom waved out to her, signaling that it was okay for her to leave. I waved goodbye to her as well.
    “Hi, there! I’m Andy’s mom, Elly,” she greeted me, standing aside to let me into a fancy, wood-paneled foyer. Sitting on a tan leather sofa in a substantially sized, sunken living room, was Andy. Thick reference books were stacked on a glass coffee table in front of him. He smiled at me sheepishly, then stood up, wringing his hands nervously. “I’ll leave you two to your studies.” Elly gave us a little wave. She left the room, her heels clicking against the hard maple floors.
    “Your mom seems nice. Is it just you and her who live here?” I sat down beside him on the sofa.
    “My grandma comes to stay with us often. And my brother Cameron did live here but he just left for college this year. He’s studying psychology at Butler.” He glanced up at a silver-framed photo of an older redheaded boy on the fireplace mantle in front of us. It was obviously a picture of Cameron. His eyes also briefly scanned another picture—a man in a military uniform who was obviously his father. It was plain to see that he missed both his father and brother.
    “Psychology? That’s neat, because my mom is a therapist.” My comment seemed to distract him, which is what I’d been hoping for.
    “Really? That’s a cool coincidence. Does she ever try to psychoanalyze you?” he asked, a serious expression on his face. I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. At least I don’t think she does…” I giggled.
    A big furry Persian cat leapt on my lap, startling me. Andy tried to shoo her away. “Oh, it’s okay. I love cats,” I said, stroking its silky fur.
    Talking to Andy came easy, and that’s how it went for the next two hours…we talked about his father, who was stationed in Afghanistan, and I told him about my father’s work as a radio engineer. Although it felt like I was talking with a friend, it was different somehow, unlike any relationship I’d had. It felt natural, the words flowing out with ease. He told me about all of the places he’d lived, moving around so much due to his father’s work in the service.
    By the time the text alert chimed on my iPhone with my mom’s message saying she was there to pick me up, I realized that we hadn’t gotten any work done on our Joan of Arc project.
    “Oh, no! I can’t believe it’s time to go already!” I jumped up hastily, shoving a handful of notebooks and folders into my bag.
    “It’s okay, Dakota. We still have all week to