Page 24 (1/2)

Hanna, Spencer, and Aria ee, Hanna dragged in the iPod speakers fro roo to in seventh grade They all sang along to the music, just like old ti it seductively down the length of her bikini-clad body Hanna strutted up and down the porch like she was on the catwalk, pausing at the end of the rooh Rockette-style kicks Aria tried to iirls doubled over laughing, wrapping their arainst the side of the hot tub, gasping for breath

"I can’t believe we didn’t talk to each other for sowith us?"

Aria waved her hand with an uninhibited flourish "We were stupid We should’ve stayed friends"

Emily’s face flushed "Seriously," she whispered She’d had no idea the others felt the same way she did

Hanna brushed a couple of dead leaves off one of the outdoor chairs and plopped down "I uys"

"No, you didn’t" Spencer pointed at her drunkenly "You had Mona"

They all fell silent, ru on what Mona had done to all of them Emily felt a lump in her throat as she watched Hanna wince and turn away It was bad enough that Mona had tormented Emily, but Mona had been Hanna’s best friend

Emily stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Hanna "I’m so sorry," she whispered Spencer moved in next, and then Aria "She was insane," Spencer muruys," Hanna mumbled into Spencer’s shoulder

"It’s okay," E, silky hair "You have us now"

They re petered out into silence The hot tub groaned A loud thump sounded fro "Ali sure is taking a long tie"

Everyone wrapped their towels around their shoulders and went inside Theyroom and into the kitchen "Ali?" Hanna called No answer Emily poked her head into the bathrooed Water dripped from the faucet The heat from the vent made the tail of the toilet paper roll float in the air

"Ali?" Aria called into the for roo thehosts Everyone stood stock-still, listening

Spencer paused in the kitchen "Maybe I shouldn’t be bringing this up now, but …"

"What?" Emily stopped next to the stove

"What if she followed us?" Spencer’s voice wobbled "What if she’s here?"

"She can’t be" Hanna took a fortifying swig of her cocktail "Spencer, there’s no way"

Spencer pulled her sweater over her head and padded toward the door that led to the side yard Erabbed her sweatshirt and jeans, pulled them on, and followed The old, rusty side door creaked as it opened The sky was bright with stars The only other light was a single golden beae The black BMW was parked in the driveway E desperately for a shifting shadow She pulled out her phone, wondering if they should call someone Her screen said No Service Available Everyone else looked at their phones, too, and shook their heads They were all out of range

Eain What if they’d been on the sun porch, having a great ti awful had happened to Ali? It was like a repeat of seventh grade: For irl had been murdered

"Ali!" Eht "Ali!" she called again

"What?" came a voice

Everyone whipped around Ali was standing in the kitchen doorway, still dressed in her jeans and cash at theuys been?" Ali laughed "I just went to check the temperature in the hot tub, and I couldn’t find you anywhere!" She pretended to wipe sweat from her brow "I was so scared!"

Eh of relief But as Ali held the door for her, giving her a huge, bright slanced over her shoulder, certain she would see a pair of eyes gazing at her fro was still and quiet There was no one

28

WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

Spencer and the others followed Ali back into the house "The hot tub is way too cold," Ali decided "But there are lots of other things to do"

Spencer plopped her unused bath towel on the kitchen table, walked into the living room, and sat down on the leather couch Her skin felt nuht have happened to Ali An uneasy feeling nagged at her, too, one she couldn’t quite describe How had Ali not heard theo into the porch and test the water of the hot tub? What was that thump they’d heard inside the house? And where was Melissa, anyway?

The other girls gathered around the roo chair they used to call "The Duchess Chair": whichever girl they deeot to sit in the chair and make the others do whatever she wanted for the entire day Hanna sat on the old yellow beanbag near the TV Eed on the leather ottoer into a tiny hole in the upholstery Aria sat on the couch next to Spencer and pulled a cherry-blossom-printed satin pillow into her chest