Free Haunted by Melinda Metz - Fingerprints - 2

asked.
    “Longer hair, no tattoos. You know,” Yana answered.
    “Come on. I bet there are tons of guys out there who think you’re totally hot,” Rae protested. “If no one’s approaching, maybe it’s because you don’t act like you want anyone to. Guys like to have some idea that they’re not going to get shot down if they come up to you.”
    “Maybe,” Yana admitted.
    “Not maybe. Definitely,” Rae insisted. “Because we both know it’s not about hair and tattoos. I’ve seen girls with no hair and a zillion tattoos with guys.
    And not repulsive guys, either.” She smoothed the corner of the plaid bedspread, then smiled at Yana.
    “So, is there anyone in particular you are so sure wouldn’t want to go out with you?”
    Yana didn’t answer. But she blushed. Actually blushed.
    Rae sat up. “There is! So who is he?”
    “Just a guy,” Yana muttered.
    “And have you given this just-a-guy any signals?” Rae pressed. “Have you ever even smiled at him?”
    “What if he thinks I’m a loser?” Yana asked. “I don’t want to be the pathetic girl who goes after some guy who’s out of her league.”
    “Okay, first, if you use the word loser about yourself again, I’m going to slap you,” Rae threatened.
    “And second, what guy could possibly be out of your league? You’re awesome.”
    Yana laughed. “Yeah. All males shall bow down and worship me,” she said. But Rae could tell she still hadn’t convinced Yana even to say hi to this guy, whoever he was. She had some work to do tonight.
    For once we’re talking about her problems and not mine, Rae thought. It meant that they were real friends. Equals.
    Yana wasn’t just doing her good deed of the day by hanging out with Rae.
    Rae closed her eyes for a moment, letting the feeling sink in. As worried as she was about Jesse, it was still cool to feel like she and Yana were getting closer.
    Hopefully soon they’d have Jesse back, and then Rae could concentrate on convincing Yana to go after everything she deserved to have.

Chapter 6
    Where should I drop you?” Anthony asked as he pulled out of Yana’s driveway the next evening.
    “It’s okay to take me home,” Rae answered. “My dad meets up with a couple of people in his department every third Sunday to-dork alert-play bridge. So he won’t be around.”
    Anthony nodded. The car felt a lot quieter without Yana. Smaller, too. Which was weird. It should have felt bigger with one less person. Except without Yana’s musky perfume, all he could smell was Rae’s grapefruit scent. Without Yana’s yammering, he could hear each breath Rae took. He could almost feel the heat coming off her skin.
    Why had she worn that friggin’ halter top last night? It was like seeing her in it had flipped a switch, and he couldn’t quite get back to seeing her in that pre-halter-top way, even though she was back in one of her regular button-down prepster shirts with a bra underneath. A lacy bra. He could kind of see the pattern, just faintly. I’ve got one word for you, Anthony told himself.
    Cardinal. No, make that two words. Cardinal and Bluebird. He and Rae weren’t even the same species.
    Or maybe all birds were the same species. But whatever. Cardinals and Bluebirds didn’t hang together.
    They hung with their own kind.
    “We’re going to find him,” Rae said, giving his arm a fast squeeze.
    It took Anthony a second to understand what she meant, then guilt swept through him, strong as battery acid. Rae thought he was all knotted up about Jesse, and Anthony’d been thinking about her. What a guy. What a freakin’ jerk.
    “I’ll pick you up after school tomorrow, and we’ll hit some of his usual places,” Anthony answered.
    “You can do your fingerprint thing on anybody we find that knows him or has even seen someone who looks like him.”
    If he was going to find Jesse, he needed to focus on Jesse. Nothing else. No one else.
    Usual places. He needed a list. Little Five Points, definitely-the