Free The Night House by Rachel Tafoya Page A

back.
    “It’s okay,” Ally says and I wonder why she said it, when I see my hand is clutching her arm.
    I release her, but I don’t feel any better.
    She touches my hand with hers and smiles encouragingly, but for some reason, she feels like she lost something too.
    The drive is short and, before I realize what’s happening, they’re helping me out of the cab.
    “What are we going to tell the ’rents?”
    “Tell them we grabbed some food and I ate something bad,” I say.
    That’s what I’m starting to feel like. I know I won’t get sick, but I feel it strongly. It’s as if the girl is still haunting me, like a phantom limb.
    When we enter my house, the lights are too bright. While Ally leaves some lies for our parents to chew on, Shiloh leads me to my bed where I willingly collapse.
    Shiloh sits on the edge of my bed. “I say we move on and try to pretend this never happened.”
    “I don’t know if I can.”
    He pats my shoulder. “How about I spend the night? Ally’s getting that look she gets right before she does something stupid.”
    I always forget that Shiloh knows Ally as well as I do, and he doesn’t even have my ability. His laughter is gruff. “I’m starting to think she just wants to meet this girl so she can have another crazy sibling.”
    “Remind me why you like her.” Shiloh’s face turns red like the sunset.
    “Shut the hell up, Jay, she’s coming.”
    Ally walks into the room, and the whole atmosphere changes like there’s a gas leak. Our parents are close behind.
    “Are you okay?” Mom rushes to my side. “Ally said you got food poisoning.”
    “I’m fine. I just ate something that didn’t like me.”
    She pats my head and frowns. “We can take you to the hospital.”
    “Oh no, that’s too much. I just kind of want to go to bed.”
    “Feel better. We’re really proud of you,” Mom says, and I feel it too. “But you don’t have to rush things.”
    “I didn’t get a panic attack.” I smile for her. “Really. I’ll be okay.”
    She smiles so brightly. Her hope almost erases some of the emptiness inside me. At least they believe in me. “Some luck you got,” she says and brushes my hair back.
    They leave and Ally lets out a long, overly dramatic sigh.
    “I think I’ve had enough excitement,” she says. “I’m going to bed.”
    When she leaves, the room deflates.
    “Definitely going to do something stupid,” Shiloh says.
    “Not yet. It’ll take her time to come up with the stupid plan. She likes to think about these things for a while before she does them.”
    We both stare at the door for a moment in silence, wondering what she’s going to do this time. For once, I think I understand Ally’s restlessness. This emptiness inside me is almost as bad as the connection to the girl was. It’s grating on my nerves.
    “I let her down.”
    “Ally?” Shiloh asks.
    “No, the girl. I disappointed her. She wanted me to be different, I guess. I chickened out, man.”
    “What could you have done differently?”
    I take a breath, putting my hands behind my head. “I could have been honest.”
    “So, there’s still hope.” Shiloh, ever the optimist. “She could still be like you. Maybe she knows about what you are. God, maybe she knows your parents…”
    Hope. Maybe I’m not alone after all. Maybe someone can understand me. I quickly try to stamp out the excitement. I can’t get too attached. I could be wrong.
    Despite myself, I feel something like nervousness blooming in my chest. I’ve never talked to anyone who knew what this was like. I’ve done the whole internet search thing with Ally. We tried to find others like me, but it turns out, if anyone is out there, they want to stay hidden. I don’t blame them, but…
    Maybe Ally’s not the only one about to do something stupid.

Bianca
     
    It’s unnaturally hot, even for June, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. I’m sweating bullets, but I’m shivering like it’s the middle of