Don't Drink the Punch! by P.J. Night

indefinitely, but they’ll never wake up.”
    Kayla’s eyes welled up with tears. “My mom. Mymom is there, and she’s frozen. She’s all me and my brothers have.”
    â€œThen you’ll be just like me, won’t you?” said Matilda, her voice suddenly husky, almost quavering. “I don’t have anyone. Now you’ll see how it feels.” She sniffed loudly.
    Kayla felt her hysteria growing. She pulled out her phone. “I’ll call the police,” she said. “They’ll come. They’ll be able to help.”
    â€œThere’s nothing they’ll be able to do,” said Matilda. She stood up. “Now it’s time for you to go.”

CHAPTER 15
    But Kayla couldn’t move from fear. She thought about her mother, about her little brothers, about her classmates and her classmates’ parents. She couldn’t fail them. Everything now depended on her and her ability to reason with this strange, vindictive girl. She had to make Matilda understand just how much she would hurt so many people. She turned.
    â€œMatilda, I’m sorry about your parents. I’m sorry that I made that prank call. You have every right to be angry with me. I know my friends weren’t nice to you. You’re right about them. They aren’t true friends. They aren’t even nice people, especially to anyone outside their clique. Sometimes they make me feel awful, so I can only imagine how they must make you feel. Iunderstand what it feels like to be left out. Kids can be really mean.”
    Matilda shook back her bangs and glared at Kayla. “What do you know? You don’t know the half of it,” she spluttered. “You’re as much to blame as the rest of them. Do you think I’m going to undo two years of work? I’ve plotted this revenge very carefully, and it worked perfectly! I’m sorry you got in the way, but what’s done is done.”
    Matilda went on. “Sure, you’re a nice enough person, but you’re so worried about belonging, about fitting in, you let them push you around. You let them talk you into doing things you shouldn’t do. You’re smart , too. I see your name on the honor roll every semester. You should appreciate what you have.” She put out a hand to stroke Jinx. He let her pet his back once, twice, and then he jumped off the counter and trotted over to where Kayla was standing near the door. He wove himself around in a figure eight between her feet, purring loudly.
    Matilda stared at the cat. “All right, all right! I get it!” Then she raised her head and looked at Kayla. “Come. Sit.” She pointed toward two chairs that were arranged side by side in the shadowy back corner of the shop.They had matching worn-out red upholstery with gold-painted wooden trim. They looked as though they had once been very fancy chairs.
    Despite her panic, and her feeling that time was running out fast, Kayla did as she was told. She knew the only way to help her mother and the others was if she could win over Matilda.
    Matilda sat, looking lost in thought, as though debating what she wanted to say. Finally she leaned in to whisper something to Kayla. “I am not what I seem,” she confessed.
    Kayla nodded. She didn’t dare distract Matilda with questions.
    â€œI don’t just work at this store. I own it. There is no ‘owner,’ other than me.”
    Kayla raised her eyebrows, but still said nothing.
    â€œI was once a mean girl. Just like your friend Alice. I was pretty and spoiled, and the boys all flocked around me like hogs to slop. I loved being the center of attention. I loved how other girls tried to look like me, to dress like me. But that was seventy-five years ago.”
    â€œSeventy-five—”
    â€œYes. Close your mouth,” Matilda snapped.“Seventy-five years ago, when I was twelve years old. I may still look as though I’m twelve, but I am, in