Free Dead Is Just a Dream - [Dead Is - 08] by Marlene Perez Page B

meant it wouldn’t be long before Tashya figured out it was time to leave Nightshade.

    But Tashya show no signs of departing when I got to school the next day. She and Harmony were standing about a foot from my locker. I was sure it was deliberate, and their loud conversation only confirmed my suspicions.
    “Isn’t it gorgeous?” Tashya held out her hand in a flamboyant way.
    “He gave you a ring?” Harmony asked. “And such an expensive one.”
    “Yes, for my birthday,” she boasted. “And he took me to Wilder’s.”
    I gritted my teeth as Tashya and Harmony swanned away. I knew she was baiting me, but I couldn’t help the jealousy I was feeling.
    Raven overheard them and walked over to me. “Ignore them,” she said. “Dom didn’t give Tashya that ring.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Positive,” Raven replied. “It came from her parents.”
    “Why is she trying to make it seem like it’s from Dominic, then?”
    “C’mon, Jessica,” she said. “You know why. She wants Dominic back. But he’s not buying it.”
    “I wish I were as sure of that as you are.”
    “Sure of what?” Dominic asked. I’d been so caught up watching Tashya that I hadn’t noticed him approaching.
    Raven opened her mouth to explain, but I shook my head at her.
    “It’s nothing,” I said. “Tashya’s just trying to make everyone think that you gave her a ring for her birthday.”
    “A ring?” Dominic repeated. “Why would I give her a ring?”
    “And more importantly, why would she think I’d be stupid enough to believe it?” I scoffed. I didn’t add that she was a good enough actor that she’d almost had me fooled.
    He gave me a quick kiss. “Her dad gave her that ring. He was in town.”
    “I’m surprised her parents are letting her stay in Nightshade this long. Don’t they miss her?”
    He shrugged. “They travel a lot.”
    “Why is that?”
    He hesitated. “Don’t tell anyone, because Tashya is really sensitive about it, but her parents work for a traveling circus. The one that just rolled into town.”
    “A circus? She doesn’t seem like the circus type at all.”
    I didn’t want to say that Tashya seemed like she should be starring in
Mean Girls
or something. Still, learning that her family was in the circus made me wonder if she was somehow involved with the creepy clown I had seen outside Eva’s house.

    Harmony coincidentally brought Tashya to chorus practice that same day, when Dominic and I had our audition.
    Or, judging from Tashya’s smirk, maybe it wasn’t a coincidence.
    “Just ignore her,” Dominic said. “You’ll do great.”
    We were third in line. Connor and Selena did a skillful cover of Frank Sinatra’s “Witchcraft,” which I thought was pretty funny, considering that Selena is a sorceress. Connor’s voice was strong, but had a little Tom Waits thing going for it. Raven and Eva sang a song from
A Nightmare on Elm Street
. Then it was our turn.
    Dominic grabbed my hand as we headed to the microphones. I felt Tashya’s eyes on me the whole time, and my voice started out shaky. But I finally hit my stride and the notes came out clear and strong. The song ended without any major goofs on my part. “Sally’s Song” from
A Nightmare Before Christmas
seemed to be a hit, judging from the applause from the choir. Even Ms. Clare had a smile on her face.

Chapter Fourteen
    On Wednesday it was back to Phantasm Farms. When Poppy honked the horn, I grabbed the gift bag containing Sanja’s present and herded my sisters into the car.
    It turned out that Mr. Platsky had rented out part of the farm to the circus, because when we arrived for our lesson, they were setting up the big top in the pasture near the main road.
    “A circus!” Katie said. “Can we go?”
    “Not today,” I replied. “But once they’re open, we’ll go, I promise.”
    When we reached the stables, Poppy said, “I’ll be a little late picking you up. I have to take Sydney and Sarah to the art supply