Crystal (Silver Hills #2) Read online

  Crystal

  by Jacqueline Gardner

  Copyright © 2012 Jacqueline Gardner

  Cover Design by Calista Taylor

  Kindle Edition

  Crystal is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Author Contact

  website: jacquelinegardner.com

  email: author.jacquelinegardner (at) gmail (dot) com

  Twitter: Writer_Jacque

  FB: authorjacquelinegardner

  Other Works by the Author

  THOUGHTLESS (Thoughtless series #1)

  BESOTTED (Thoughtless series #2) coming summer 2012

  MUTINY (M.E.R. series #1)

  The Silver Hills Novellas

  #1: JADE

  #2: CRYSTAL

  #3: AMBER

  #4: PERIDOT

  FOR KASEY

  PART 2 - CRYSTAL'S STORY

  Chapter One

  Six Years Ago . . .

  "You set the ball like this," Amber said, rolling her eyes. She slammed the volleyball towards the net and smirked when the opposing team failed to hit it back. I shrugged and took a step back so Amber's big head wouldn't knock me onto the gym floor.

  "Uh . . . we know," Alexa replied. She flicked a strand of curled hair over her shoulder and adjusted her Silver Hills High gym shirt - an unflattering gray with a gold pickaxe on the front. "Our team went to Finals last year." She chomped on her gum as she eyed the streaks of cherry red in Amber's hair.

  "What exactly is a Final in a town like this?" Amber laughed. "Like your school came in second out of three?"

  "At least my hair doesn't look like it was attacked by a can of spray paint," Alexa retorted. I quietly giggled. Speaking out was sort of Alexa's thing, but it landed her in detention too often.

  "Dumb blonds," Amber muttered.

  "Excuse me?" Alexa's voice grew louder, catching the attention of the rest of the team. "You're blond too. Hippie freak."

  "Alexa!" Our gym teacher stomped across the gym from her comfortable seat on the bleachers. "I know I didn't just hear you badmouthing the new girl." She put her hands on her hips and her rosy cheeks brightened to a more vibrant shade of pink.

  "Okay," Alexa smiled. "You didn't."

  "My office," she scolded, pointing towards the door. "Wait for me there." I could hear soft sniggers from the other students. Amber raised her eyebrows before walking away. Alexa slumped as she marched off the volleyball court.

  "Your locker should be in the detention hall," I whispered.

  "See ya after school," Alexa said with a faint smile on her face. The double doors burst open as the football team stampeded across the gym. The seniors raced each other towards the boy's locker room, dodging a huddle of giggling girls. I tugged at my sweaty gym shirt as a familiar face jogged past me, slowing down just long enough to glance at my light blond tangles.

  My heart froze as Brett nodded in my direction. As my skin prickled, I think my lungs temporarily stopped working. I took a step to keep my balance, forcing myself to finally take a breath. When I looked up again, the back of Brett's head disappeared into the hallway.

  "Who is that," I heard Amber say near the bleachers. I glanced over my shoulder.

  "Oh you mean Brett?" a girl called Millie responded.

  "Did you see that," Amber continued. "He looked right at me." I clenched my teeth as I watched her brag. She was wrong. Brett looked right at me. I think. Good thing Alexa was already in detention. She would've given Amber another mouthful.

  * * *

  My boots sank into a pile of snow as I jogged ahead of Alexa on our walk home from school. She stamped through slush, getting her pant legs dirty on purpose. Her red, puffy coat hid most of her hair. I put my shivering hands in the pockets of my blue ski coat.

  "Detention again?" I asked.

  "I couldn't care less about detention," she sighed. "My mom cares though."

  "Parents." I kicked a snow pile and tucked my snarled hair behind my ears.

  "Yours seem mellower than mine," she responded.

  "That's cuz you live houses away." I shook my head. If Mom didn't get her morning coffee, she wasn't pleasant to be around. One time she actually made up ludicrous chores just to keep us entertained. After that my little sister Jade and I learned to stay away when she was one of her moods.

  "I hope Troy was a little monster today." Alexa stared up at the gray sky and distant snow-capped peaks. She crossed her fingers. "Please. Oh please do something bad before I get home."

  "Maybe he filled the dishwasher with army soldiers again," I chuckled.

  "Something like that would definitely save me a lecture," she muttered. "Please. Please. Please." She took one last look at the sky. "I really don't want to be grounded again this weekend."

  "You should've saved the name calling for the locker room," I suggested.

  "She started it," Alexa protested. "Who does she think she is anyway? Acting all stuck up because she's a New Yorker. Don't people up there have manners?"

  "It was her first day," I replied. "She's not used to the small-town thing."

  "You don't need to defend her." Alexa shot me a disappointed look.

  "I'm not," I immediately replied. "Especially not after what she said when you left." Alexa stopped, rooting her legs in place as she looked at my pale green eyes.

  "I knew it," she huffed. "Alright spill. What did she say about me? More name-calling I bet. So original."

  "It wasn't about you." I sighed as Brett's dark eyes and perfectly gelled hair came into my mind. My cheeks went red as I replayed his friendly nod in my head. I hope it was meant for me.

  "No?" Alexa's mouth dropped open as she tilted her head, glancing down the snowy street. "Oh . . . the football team." Her wide eyes went even wider as she smirked. "Does this have anything to do with Brett by chance?" My heart thudded as she said his name out loud.

  "What?"

  "Oh nothing," she smiled. "It's just every time you get that look on your face, the subject of Brett seems to come up."

  "You say that like it's a bad thing," I said quietly. I scratched at the skin on my thumbs, keeping my hands deeply rooted in my pockets.

  "Crystal," she rolled her eyes. "You gotta get over this whole Brett thing. He hasn't talked to you since we started at Silver Hills High."

  "He's had a busy year," I interrupted. "Or two."

  "Yeah, kickin' it with every sophomore girl but you."

  "When he ran through the gym," I continued. "He . . ."

  "Let me guess," Alexa shook her head. "He gave you the 'nod' again? C, if he doesn't have the guts to come talk to you after years of being best buds, he's not worth your time."

  My heart thudded some more. Brett couldn't have simply thrown away all those summers spent playing in the old school house. We'd spent hours gathering stray logs and branches to make it our special place. There had to be a reason why he'd stopped coming over or meeting me at our usual spot.

  "He might've this time," I argued, raising my voice a little. My
arms felt hot underneath my coat. "But the new girl ruined it."

  "No surprise," Alexa sniggered.

  "Amber thought the nod was for her. Can you believe that?"

  "Uh yeah," she responded. "If you haven't noticed, Amber's kinda full of herself."

  "As long as she leaves it at that," I murmured. Alexa bit her lip, giving me the same look she had when Mitchell Haskins tried to sell me an elevator pass freshman year. "What? You don't think she . . ."

  "Don't be upset," Alexa began. "But it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the two of them were an item by the end of the week." My stomach churned.

  "You really think so?" I questioned, but I knew she was right. Amber didn't seem like the type to wait around for something she wanted. So much for hoping a new neon-colored backpack might catch his attention. Stupid idea.

  "You know the answer to that," Alexa sighed. "Trust me, C. Just forget about him." That was probably the millionth time she'd made that suggestion. I couldn't just forget about him. I'd tried that. But every time I snuck a glance at his tight arms or broad shoulders, all the feelings I'd pushed away came flooding back.

  "You know I can't," I shrugged. My heart sank at the thought of seeing Brett with his sturdy arm around the new girl.

  "Then you know what needs to happen." Alexa raised her eyebrows, expecting me to know before she spoke any further.

  "I should leave a note in his locker?" I suggested.

  "Sure," she laughed. "If you wanna wimp out. You need a plan. Something gutsy. Something that'll catch his attention and keep it."

  "If anything like that exists," I responded.

  "THINK," she shouted. The sudden blast of her voice startled me, making my brain jump as I hurriedly tried to come up with an acceptable answer. "There must be something." I clenched my fists together, pushing my hands against the smooth fabric of my pockets. I guess my note suggestion was out.

  "I could make him a-"

  "No food," Alexa interrupted. "That makes you look desperate."

  "What do you suggest then?" I asked, a little impatient. "Waltzing up to him after class and telling him he's a prick for not talking to me all this time?" Alexa grinned as she rubbed her hands together. "No way! I suck at confronting people. Remember Rachel H. in the fourth grade?"

  "It doesn't have to be at school, and Rachel H. had it coming - that 'lil' pick-pocket."

  "Where then?" I replied. "Cause I'm pretty sure I'll have a panic attack regardless of where we meet."

  "Somewhere quiet and out of the way," Alexa suggested. "And somewhere you'd have an excuse to meet up."

  "This is pointless, Alexa." I lifted my boot from a pile of snow and continued walking as my teeth started to chatter. I had no excuse to meet Brett anywhere. I was acing all my classes and I wasn't on the cheerleading squad. Asking him to meet me made my chest pound like I'd just seen a ghost. I stopped, rubbing my forehead as I remembered those warm summer nights tiptoeing around the old school house. "Unless . . ."

  "You've got it?" Alexa said, shaking my shoulder. "I knew there was something. What is it? Tell me."

  "I don't know if it will work," I answered. "But it's an excuse to meet up . . . at night . . . sort of alone."

  You're killing me, C." Alexa was practically jumping up and down. "What is it? And DON'T chicken out his time. You need to tell that jerk what's up once and for all." I shot her a scolding look.

  "I'm sure he has his reasons," I muttered. "But he won't be able to ignore this." I continued walking towards our street - my excitement boiling over as Alexa followed. Why hadn't I thought of this before?

  "Tell me," Alexa whined. "Tell me."

  "The Game." I smiled as our street came into view. "When's the next full moon?"

  "How should I know," she shrugged. "Game? What game?"

  "A few summers ago Brett and I made up a game," I responded. "We used to meet up after midnight at the old school house."

  "And do what?" She pursed he lips and tried to hold back giggles.

  "Nothing like that, perv." My mind was racing. I had to come up with something good - like REALLY good. I'd been on a major winning streak before we'd quit playing.

  "Are dice involved?" she chuckled. "Boring."

  "You know those stupid horror flicks you're into?"

  "Hey," she protested. "The Shinning isn't stupid."

  "Well, break out your collection. We need ideas."

  Chapter Two

  A Bloody Ham

  "I think I might puke," I whispered.

  "Aim for your locker then," Alexa replied. "These are new shoes." Alexa didn't seem nervous at all as she leaned against the locker next to mine in her jeans and volleyball sweatshirt.

  "I can't do it today," I gulped. "I'll do it tomorrow. I promise." I clutched the middle of my pink top. I'd spent all morning getting ready - curled hair, best jeans, a spritz of very berry vanilla.

  "No," she replied with bulging eyes. "That'll give you more time to think about it. Ask him today before you have a heart attack." I inched my head into my locker and rested it next to my Algebra book. I hadn't even spotted Brett yet but my heart was racing. I could hear it beating loud in my ears.

  "What if he says no," I muttered.

  "He won't," Alexa sighed. "You smell like a bucket of Halloween candy."

  "I'm being serious, Alexa. What if he laughs at me or something?"

  "Then ask him if he's afraid of losing," she chuckled. "He's a competitive guy. This will work. Just remember, this is it. NO MORE Brett talk after this weekend. Agreed?"

  "Fine," I agreed. Though I doubted moving on would be easy. I saw him every day in the hallway.

  "I want a definite 'yes Alexa' this time." She glimpsed over her shoulder as a crowd of football players rounded the corner. That was my cue.

  "Yes Alexa," I recited.

  "That means actually smiling when a cute guy checks you out."

  "If it ever happens. Sure." My throat swelled up as Brett's face came into view. He smiled at his teammate, stopping to check his backpack.

  "It happens all the time," Alexa rolled her eyes. She watched my face turn red before she turned around. "Perfect. He's alone."

  "Argh my head is buzzing," I murmured.

  "Oh geez," Alexa said through her teeth. "Remember how the two of you used to talk ALL the time? Were you nervous back then?"

  "We weren't in high school back then," I argued.

  "He's still the same guy, C." She eyed his bulky arms as he searched through his bag. "Mostly. Pretend like nothing has changed." I nodded, remembering the time Brett had spilled Mom's barbeque brisket all over his shorts. The piping hot meat soaked through to his skin, forcing him to hop up and down from the pain. I smiled, shutting my locker and walking towards him with a straight look on my face.

  My blood pumped at a hundred miles per hour and my feet felt like two giant stones the closer I got. Brett looked up, slightly grinning when he saw me. My lungs froze, forgetting how to properly contract and expand. My eyes met his. I couldn't back out now without making a fool of myself.

  "Crystal," Brett said quietly with a startled look on his face. He fumbled through his backpack before accidentally dropping it. "Hey . . . it's been a while."

  "Yeah," I responded, feeling Alexa's glare at the back of my neck. I cleared my throat, praying my voice wouldn't quiver when I started speaking again. "Too long."

  "How have you been?" Brett eyed my curls. I shrugged. I could've been better if he hadn't ignored me since freshman year.

  "Okay," I admitted, noticing the familiar flecks of gold in his eyes. My heart pumped so loud in my ears I was sure Brett could hear it. I smiled, remembering Alexa's advice. He's still the same guy. Just older . . . and buffer . . . and more popular. No pressure. "Um, do you remember when we used to meet at the old school house?" Brett smirked.
/>   "Do I ever." He looked down, scratching his brown hair as his smile grew.

  "This weekend," I continued, trying to sound confident. "You still up for some competition?"

  "Seriously?" he chuckled. "We haven't played that game in years."

  "Oh come on." I reached out and playfully squeezed his rocklike forearm - something I used to do all the time. It felt like steam was rising from my fiery cheeks. Please don't sweat. Please don't sweat.

  "Uhhh . . ." He glanced down at my baby blue fingernails. I pulled the competitor card before he had time to say something else.

  "Afraid of losing again?"

  "Not at all," Brett immediately replied. He paused for a minute before suddenly nodding. "Yeah, okay. I've got just the thing. You ain't winning this time, Crystal."

  "Keep telling yourself that," I muttered. "We both know why I'm the reigning champ."

  "Because we stopped playing?" he suggested. I let out a laugh, relieved that my heart rate was gradually starting to slow down.

  "No."

  "Because there are freaky things goin' on in that head of yours," he kept going.

  "You're just jealous," I responded, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

  "Not this time," he winked. "I've got the mother of all pranks up my sleeve."

  "I love a good prank," came a voice that made me cringe. The red streaks in Amber's hair made it look like her scalp was bleeding. My heart rate sped up again as she giggled, planting her feet close to Brett. Too close. "Hi I'm Amber . . . from New York." Her long eyelashes bounced up and down as she eyed Brett's muscular shoulders. Make it more obvious why don't you.

  "Brett," he nodded.

  "You two planning a prank or something?" Amber's smile slightly died when she finally looked at me. "You hardly seem like a daredevil." She looked me up and down like I was an unwanted guest who had shown up late for tea.

  "You'd be surprised," I murmured. I glanced at Brett.

  "Should we bring a friend?" Brett suggested. "Make this more interesting?" It was a genius suggestion, but it would leave us no time to talk alone. Though scaring Amber so much that she wet herself did sound tempting.