Page 88 of D for Dead

‘No, stupid, not ours. It’s someone else.’

Troy paused, his heart thumping as he watched the three girls looking around. He had kept his distance, tried to be as quiet as possible. Had he been rumbled?

Leslie turned on her flashlight; she shone it in his direction, then across the street.

‘Who’s there?’

For a moment there was nothing, but then a figure emerged from the shadows. As she came into sight, Troy recognised her. Danielle Colton. She was seventeen and had moved to town around the same time as the Cunninghams, but while Troy preferred his own company, Danielle was desperate to fit in.

She was kind of geeky-looking, with frizzy brown hair and a brace, and she dressed like a dork, wearing frumpy dresses that looked like they’d been handed down from her grandma. Troy knew her family were poor and lived in one of the clapboard houses on the edge of town. Their front yard was overgrown with weeds and Danielle’s stepdad drove a beat-up pick-up that was forever breaking down.

Danielle was desperate to fit in, but no one wanted to hang out with her. The other seniors ignored her and even the younger kids wanted nothing to do with her. Right now she was wringing her hands together looking like a frightened deer caught in the beam of Leslie’s flashlight.

‘Were you following us?’

‘I don’t mean any trouble. I saw y’all sneaking out and wondered if I could maybe come with you.’ Danielle smiled hopefully, but it was lost on Leslie.

‘We don’t need a fourth,’ she sneered, dismissively.

‘But please, I won’t be any trouble.’

‘You’re not wanted; go home.’

‘Yeah, loser. We don’t want you hanging out with us.’ Crystal moved to stand beside her sister, arms folded.

Danielle looked like she was gonna tear up.

Amy shuffled her feet, clearly uncomfortable. ‘Why don’t you let her tag along, Leslie? There’s no harm.’

‘Because we don’t want her with us, ruining our plans.’

‘Please let me come.’

‘No, go home. And don’t you dare tell anyone you saw us or you’ll regret it.’

‘Leslie.’ That was Amy again, protesting. She looked embarrassed and Troy guessed she felt sorry for the girl.

‘Shut up, Amy. I’m not interested in anything you have to say.’

‘I’ll tell.’

Leslie’s head shot back. She glared at Danielle. ‘What did you say?’

‘I’ll tell.’ For the first time Danielle stuck her chin out defiantly. ‘I know you snuck out. I saw you climb down the tree. If you don’t let me go with you I’m gonna go wake your parents up and tell them.’

‘You wouldn’t dare.’

‘Maybe we should let her come, Les.’ Crystal was backing down, looking uncertainly at Amy.

‘Or perhaps none of us should go,’ Amy added, her tone hopeful. ‘This was a bad idea. Let’s go back.’

‘I said shut up, Amy,’ Leslie snapped. ‘Quit being such a wuss. We’re going, so stop trying to get out of it.’ She was silent, weighing up the situation as she stared at Danielle, probably trying to determine how serious the girl was about telling on them. ‘Okay,’ she agreed eventually. ‘You can come with us, but I promise if you cause any trouble or if you don’t do exactly as I say, you will regret it.’

* * *

The Johnson house was a fifteen-minute hike along a dirt trail into the woods. Troy had walked it often and had passed the house on several occasions, but never at night.

The thick trees and bushes took on a life of their own at night, their dark mass engulfing the path from both sides, and the sound of every twig snapped and leaf rustled was magnified. Overhead an owl hooted and the noise sounded spooky. Although he would never admit it, he was glad the girls were there for company, even if they didn’t realise he was there. Eventually the path turned a corner and there in the clearing stood the house.