I stared at him and held on to his hand. I could see the horror on his face. I hoped it had helped him to tell the story to someone.
“We never told anyone we were there that night when Candy died,” he said. “But here’s the weird part. Later, I went to bed—and I found a pig’s head in my bed. A bloody pig’s head under my covers.”
I gasped. “But—how? What does that mean?”
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “It means there’s something evil out there. I don’t know why. I can just feel it, Dana.”
He grabbed me and held on to me. “I know you didn’t kill Ada. But someone did. And . . . and Candy didn’t just fall. She went flying. It wasn’t natural. It was like an invisible force pushed her.”
“An invisible force?” I said, my voice trembling. “Evil? You really believe that?”
He nodded.
I hugged him and held him tightly. He was so tense, I could almost feel the fear in his body.
“Something evil out there . . . ” As I pressed my cheek against his, the words repeated in my mind.
Impossible, I thought. Impossible.
But, Monday afternoon, I started to agree with him.
21
Four folding chairs were lined up in a row in front of the curtain on the auditorium stage. I stared at the four chairs as I walked down the aisle, and my throat tightened.
I can’t sing today, I thought. I’m too nervous.
Get it together, Dana, I scolded myself. I had no choice. I had to sing. This afternoon was the first round in the singing competition for the Collingsworth Prize.
I saw ten or twelve kids hunched in seats near the stage. Jamie waved to me. She and Lewis had come to cheer me on.
At the side, Ms. Watson sat with three other teachers. They all had clipboards in their laps. They were the judges. I waved to Ms. Watson, and she smiled back.
My throat felt even tighter. I struggled to swallow. My mouth suddenly felt as if it were filled with sand.
How can I do this?
I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder. Startled, I jumped.
Nate grinned at me. “Sorry. A little tense?”
“You got that right,” I said. “Are you staying for the contest?”
He nodded. “I’m going to send you good vibes. Who else is singing? Whitney, right?”
The sound of her name sent a shiver down my back. “Yeah, Whitney,” I said. “And Sharona and Yuri.”
Nate’s eyes went wide. “Yuri? He’s a math nerd. I didn’t know he could sing.”
“Jamie says Yuri can do everything,” I replied.
Nate squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry about him. You’re gonna win this thing. It’s a piece of cake. I know it.”
“I need to win it,” I said. “If I don’t, my life is garbage.” I realized I was squeezing the amulet, almost tugging it off its chain.
Nate kissed me on the cheek. “Go get ’em.”
I glanced up to the stage. Whitney had already taken her seat at the end of the row of folding chairs. She looked very prim in a loose, white top and a knee-length gray skirt. She was straightening her long, blond hair with one hand.
When she saw me, her smile faded. Her face went hard. She glared at me and mouthed a word.
I recognized it: MURDERER.
“Whitney hates me so much,” I whispered to Nate. “Check out that look on her face.”
Nate raised his eyes to the stage. “Cold,” he murmured.
“Jamie tried to reason with her,” I said, holding on to his arm. But Whitney wouldn’t listen.” I sighed. “Jamie and Whitney were good friends—before I showed up.”
Nate gripped my shoulders. “Hey, forget all that,” he said. “Don’t think about Whitney. Just get up there and sing.”
I nodded. “You’re right. Thanks, Nate.”
I followed Yuri and Sharona onto the stage. I took the chair at the far end, as far away from Whitney as I could get.
I hoped I didn’t have to sing first. I needed time to get my head together. But wouldn’t you know it? Ms. Watson motioned for me to step to the microphone.
I handed her my music and tried to clear my throat, taking deep breaths as she walked to the piano. I knew Whitney was sending me hate vibes. I looked straight out at the kids in the audience.
I sang “Mister Snow,” from the Broadway musical Carousel. I probably should have done something classical. But I knew this was my best song.
I did okay. Not my best performance. My voice was a little thin in the beginning. I could hear it, but I hoped maybe the judges didn’t notice.
When I finished, Jamie, Nate, and Lewis went wild, cheering and shouting. The other kids clapped politely.
As I took my seat, I glanced at the judges. They were scribbling furiously on their clipboards. One of them had a smile on her face. The other two had blank expressions.