Free Afraid by Jo Gibson Page A

danced off into the night.”
    Steve laughed. “Right. If you believe in magic, I guess that’s possible, but I’m willing to bet that Rondelle knows exactly where they are.”
    â€œAnd if Rondelle thinks she won’t get into trouble for taking them, she might give them to us?”
    â€œIt’s worth a try.” Steve nodded. “I’d better let you go in. It’s getting cold out here.”
    He was right. It was a cold night. But Donna hadn’t even felt the cold before Steve had mentioned it. Perhaps it was because he was still holding her hand.
    â€œI’ll pick you up around three. Rondelle and her parents should be home by then.”
    â€œOkay.” Donna smiled. And then something popped right out of her mouth before she’d had time to think. “If my mother wasn’t watching, would you kiss me?”
    Steve laughed. “You bet I would! Mr. Parks was right. You’re wonderful, Donna.”
    â€œYou’re wonderful, too.” Again, the words popped out before she’d had a chance to think. Was it wrong to tell a boy that he was wonderful? Donna wasn’t sure, but Steve was still smiling and he looked as if he liked what she’d said.
    The curtain fluttered again. Steve noticed, and he grinned at Donna. “Your mother’s still watching.”
    â€œI know.” Donna nodded.
    â€œLet’s show her what a nice guy I am.” Steve was still grinning as he bowed from the waist and raised her hand to his lips. He kissed it lightly and then he released it. “Thank you for a very enjoyable evening, Miss Burke.”
    Donna giggled. And then she held out the corners of her skirt and curtsied, something she’d only seen in the movies. “Thank you, Mr. Harvey.”
    â€œUntil tomorrow?” Steve backed down the steps, grinning all the way.
    â€œUntil tomorrow.” Donna answered him. Then she opened the door, stepped inside, and smiled all the way up the stairs to her room.
    Â 
    The night seemed endless. Rondelle huddled in the old fur coat and recited to the rats until her eyes closed in exhaustion. But every time she fell asleep the rustling sound would awaken her and she’d have to recite some more. Finally, a faint gray light began to filter in through the attic vents. Morning was here, and she was sure she’d read somewhere that rats only fed at night.
    She could sleep now. There was an old couch against the far wall, but Rondelle was too tired to drag herself across the attic floor. She stretched out by the door where she’d be sure to hear her parents when they came home, and tried to go to sleep.
    But Rondelle couldn’t sleep. Her eyes snapped open every time she thought of Alice with Craig. Alice had stolen her boyfriend. Her best friend had turned into her worst enemy.
    What could she do to punish Alice? Rondelle sat up, her back propped against the attic door, and thought about it. But her thoughts were so jumbled, nothing seemed to make sense.
    Rondelle was still thinking when the first rays of sun came in through the vent. They streamed across the floor, almost blinding her, stopping directly at her feet. The red shoes glowed brilliantly in the bright stream of light, the red shoes she’d stolen, the red shoes that some people thought were cursed.
    â€œThe red shoes!” Rondelle’s hands were shaking as she reached down to take them off. She didn’t know why, but she was sure that the red shoes were responsible for everything bad that had happened. Rondelle was about to toss them away, in the farthest corner of the attic, when she had a wonderful idea. She’d give the cursed red shoes to Alice.
    Â 
    â€œHello?” Alice’s voice was groggy with sleep when she answered the phone in her room. But she sat up straight and began to smile as she recognized the voice on the other end of the line. “Hi, Craig! What’s going on?”
    As she listened to