Read Among You for Free Online Page A

Okay,” Mom sighed. “Sally, you watch this young man. He can be a sneaky snake – just like his father.”
    Dad held up his hands. “Hey, why do you have to bring me in on this?”
    Mom pointed at Dad. “See? See? Guilty as charged.”
     
    *
     
    Sally pulled her car into her official school parking spot, turned the key, and then glared at me.
    “ You realize it’s Halloween. You dragging us to the Gaultier House completely overlooks our long-standing tradition of dressing up and handing out candy.”
    “ Not so. Trick or treat officially starts at five thirty. We get dressed before that, hand out the goods, and then hop on your broomstick and fly to Tyler’s End. It’s a twenty minute drive. We can pull it off.”
    Sally grinned and punched my arm. “You’re lucky you are so damned cute; otherwise, you’d never get away with this.”
    Guilt flushed my system. I could see the entire story written on Sally’s face – how badly she wanted me to lean over and kiss her. The moment had become too familiar between us.
    She choked a sob back. “One of these days, Scotty.” Sally’s voice faded and her eyes closed.
    “ I know, Sally. One of these days.”
    It was a promise, on the first day of tenth grade, that we’d finally just fall into one another after so many years of being alive and alone. To me, it seemed a bit much for teenagers. Promising love when all other avenues were exhausted was an exchange best suited for college buddies.
    But then, Sally and I were fond of the road less traveled.
    Another familiar silence drifted into the car.
    “ Hey, Spooky,” a scream interrupted our moment.
    “ Oh crap, it’s Cody,” Sally sighed, just before she screamed out the window. “Go away, douche hammer.”
    Cody Sloan was my nemesis. He’d bullied me since middle school, when he first knighted me Spooky. Cody was the purest embodiment of bully. He was as big in mouth as he was in muscle and he always threatened me with both.
    “ Come out, Spooky. It’s your day, right? All Hallows Freak. Did you wear a dress today, Spooky?” Cody shouted as he jumped up on the hood of Sally’s car.
    Sally slammed on her horn and shouted, “Get off my car, jerkwad.”
    The name stopped Cody. His fists clenched and he dropped to his knees and stared, through the windshield at Sally. “You do not want to make enemies with me.”
    “ Guilty by association,” Sally hissed. She opened her door and faced Cody. “Get off my car or I’ll report you to the principal.”
    Cody jumped down and stood, nose to nose, with Sally.
    “ You don’t scare me. Just because you’re a girl, don’t think I won’t beat the crap out of you.”
    That was my cue. I jumped out of the car and ran to Sally’s side.
    “ I swear, Cody, you lay a hand on her I’ll make sure you pay for it.”
    He turned to me; the stench of cigarette assaulted my nostrils. My veins ran cold with fear. I wasn’t prepared to get my butt handed to me today. Instead of breaking my jaw, Cody flipped the tip of my nose with his finger and cackled like a man consumed with madness.
    “ One of these days, Spooky,” laughed Cody, “we’re going to dance the dance.”
    Without warning, Cody rushed off to meet his colleague in crime, Brian Redding. The two of them forced their way through a throng of kids. A wake of shouts followed close behind them.
    “ You didn’t have to do that, Sally.”
    “ Do what?”
    “ Stand up to him.”
    Sally laughed. “Even punks like that wouldn’t hurt a girl.”
    “ He put Jean Scheller in the hospital, Sally. Cody’s hatred doesn’t discriminate.”
    Sally turned to me and winked. “You’re forgetting who my dad is, Scott.”
    She was right. Sally’s dad was the Chief of Police. Even Cody wasn’t that dumb.
    Or was he?
    “ You still need to be careful poking that bear. He’s unpredictable. I heard that he once punched a nun just to see if he could get a rise from her.”
    “ That’s like cow tipping – it’s