Free The Hidden by Jessica Verday Page A

right?”
    “Maybe if I grow another six inches.” I shook my head at him. “I think basketball is out. But bowling? That I can do. And it doesn’t require any talent.”
    He scoffed. “No talent? I’ll have you know that I’m a talented guy when it comes to shoving heavy balls down wooden lanes.”
    I stared at him, then started laughing.
    Ben scratched his head and cocked it to one side. “Wait a minute. That didn’t come out right.”
    “You’re crazy,” I said, grinning at him.
    He grinned back. “Yeah, what else is new?”
    “What did you think about that whole lockdown thing this morning?” I asked. “That was new. Talk about overreacting.”
    He held up his hands. “Anything that gets me out of classes for half the day, I do not question.”
    “Can’t say I disagree with that. I skipped English today too because of the new girl that was assigned to Kristen’s locker.”
    “New girl?” He looked intrigued.
    “Down, boy.”
    Then he cast a glance at her locker and moved closer to it. “I guess they had to give it to somebody new sometime. But I thought …” He trailed off and looked sad.
    I put out a hand and reached for his arm. “I know what you mean. I thought maybe it would stay empty this year too.”
    “Now she’s really gone, you know?” His face darkened. “That’s stupid to say, but it’s true.”
    I shook my head. “It’s not stupid. This was like one last piece of her, and now it’s gone.” We both looked at the locker, and a lump started to form in the back of my throat.
    Ben cleared his throat, and I saw that his eyes were watery.He looked embarrassed that I’d noticed, and he stepped away from me, cracking his knuckles as he went. I guess that was the manly thing to do to cover up embarrassment or something.
    “I need to get to work,” he said. “See you on Monday?”
    “Yeah.” I shifted my book bag again. “See you then.”
    Ben turned and started walking backward down the hall. “We need to hang out again soon,” he called. “Maybe get something to eat?”
    Always thinking about food.
“You know where to find me,” I said.
    He raised one hand in a salute, and then disappeared around the corner. Smiling to myself, I headed to the main door and pushed my way out into the late afternoon sunshine. Cyn was standing on the curb outside, looking at something, with one hand shading her eyes from the sun. She let out a low whistle when I came near.
    I followed her gaze across the street just in time to see a black Mustang turn slowly around the corner. A flash of white-blond hair glowed, and I could have sworn I saw a silver Rolex watch on the wrist hanging out the window.
    Panic chased a ribbon down my spine, and I stood ramrod straight.
    Vincent
.
    “Such a hot car,” Cyn mused. “God, what I wouldn’t give to take a ride in that.”
    “Looks dangerous,” I said, stepping away from her. “I’d stay away from him—
it
,” I corrected myself, “if I were you.”
    She didn’t say anything, and I moved away from the curb. Angling myself firmly in the opposite direction, I started toward the cemetery.
    “It was just a stupid car,” I said to myself out loud as I kept walking. “You can’t be positive that it was him. There’s no reason to worry everybody. Let it go. Just drop it.”
    Nodding my head in self-affirmation, I tried not to think about Vincent anymore.
    Or the fact that I wasn’t going to tell Caspian he might be hanging around.

Chapter Seven
U NCERTAIN

    It is said by some to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball …
    —“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
    W hen I got to Caspian’s mausoleum, he was inside reading a book by candlelight. I was so happy to see him that I couldn’t stop a huge smile from taking over my face. It would be even better when I could finally touch him.
    “Got your note,” I said.
    He put the book down onto the floor. “Hey, beautiful. How was school?”
    I moved