Marilyn Kaye - Gifted - Now You See Me

‘Who is it?’ And she heard Amanda respond, ‘Nobody.’ Tracey talked fast before Amanda could hit the hang-up button.

‘I just wanted to remind you to save a seat for me at lunch. I’m planning to sit with you.’

‘Stay away from me!’ Amanda shrieked. And Tracey was disconnected.

Relieved that her morning obligation was finished, Tracey tossed the phone back in her bag. But she still had the lunchtime duty to do — and she wasn’t looking forward to that .

It was one of Ken’s ideas. Yesterday, Tracey had picked up her tray in the cafeteria and carried it over to the table where Amanda and her friends always ate lunch. Britney, Nina and Katie were already there, but Amanda hadn’t arrived yet. The three Evilettes stared at her, as if an alien had just landed at their exclusive gathering place.

‘Amanda invited me to join you guys,’ Tracey had explained.

‘She did ?’ Katie asked in disbelief.

‘When?’ Nina wanted to know.

‘Oh, we were on the phone last night, for ages,’ Tracey lied. ‘We talk all the time, you know. Anyway, she said she wanted me to sit with you all from now on.’

Amanda arrived with another of her friends, Sophie. She was clearly taken aback to find Tracey at her table.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked bluntly.

Nina answered for her. ‘Tracey said you invited her.’

‘I did no such thing!’ Amanda exclaimed.

‘Don’t you remember?’ Tracey asked. ‘Last night, when we were talking on the phone, you said—’

Amanda didn’t let her finish. ‘I didn’t talk to you on the phone last night! I’ve never called you in my life!’

Tracey had tried to look concerned. ‘Are you OK, Amanda? Are you having memory problems?’

At that point, all the girls were looking at Amanda. Amanda was speechless.

Tracey spoke sadly. ‘Are you ashamed of us being friends, Amanda?’ Then she rose, picked up her tray, and walked away.

She had no idea what happened at the table after she left, but she suspected that it hadn’t been too comfortable for Amanda. Today, Tracey planned to arrive at the table after Amanda, and she would thank Amanda for having called last night to apologize for her rude behaviour.

Ken had also given Emily jobs to do. Yesterday, she’d passed a note to Nina in a class they had together.

Nina, if you see Amanda next period, could you tell her she can borrow my yellow sweater this weekend. She’s been begging me to lend it to her.

Despite the fact that Tracey wasn’t crazy about these efforts to destroy Amanda’s reputation, she had to laugh at the notion of the well-dressed queen bee wanting to wear anything of Emily’s.

The bus arrived. Tracey hurried to climb on so she could get a seat at the back, where the driver wouldn’t see her on the phone. They weren’t supposed to use their mobile phones on the bus, but if he couldn’t see her she’d be OK. The passengers never told on each other.

She got her seat, and took her phone out again.

‘Good morning. Harmony House.’

‘Hello, can I speak to Jenna Kelley, please?’

‘I’m sorry, Jenna can’t come to the phone.’

Tracey frowned. This was the same response she’d been getting each time she tried to call her. ‘Well, can you tell me when visiting hours are?’

‘I’m sorry,’ the voice on the other end said again, ‘but Jenna isn’t permitted visitors.’

‘Why not?’ Tracey demanded to know.

‘Have a nice day,’ the voice replied, and the line went dead.

This was too frustrating. Even prisoners in real jails were allowed to have visitors.

When she met Emily on the steps at Meadowbrook’s entrance, she learned that Emily had been getting the same information from Harmony House.

‘I can’t believe that no one is allowed to have visitors in that place,’ Tracey fumed.

‘Maybe Jenna doesn’t want visitors,’ Emily suggested. ‘You know how she doesn’t like people to feel sorry for her.’

Ken was waiting for them just inside the building. He didn’t bother with greetings.

‘What did Amanda say when you called her this morning?’ he asked Tracey.

‘What she said when I called yesterday,’ Tracey said. ‘“Leave me alone.”’ She sighed. ‘Ken, how much longer do we have to do this? I hate going to that table at lunchtime. They don’t want me there and I don’t want to be there.’

‘I’m going to try to get her alone this afternoon,’ Ken said. ‘I’m going to tell her we’ll stop if she’ll confess to what she did to Jenna.’

Emily was looking at Ken quizzically. ‘Ken,’ she began, and then she bit her lip.

‘What?’ he asked.

Emily hesitated. ‘I don’t know how to say this, and — and I know it’s none of my business, but. .’ She looked at Tracey. Tracey had a feeling she knew what Emily was about to say and it was something Tracey had been wondering about herself.

‘Go ahead,’ she said.

Emily spoke carefully. ‘I used to think. . well, we all used to think that there was something going on between you and Amanda. Like, you were sort of interested in each other, you know what I mean?’

Ken didn’t say anything.

Emily went on. ‘But now. . it’s like you totally hate her.’

Ken shrugged. ‘Sure, I hate what she did to Jenna. And the way she put us all in danger when she was involved in the seance.’

Tracey took over. ‘Are you sure it’s not something else too? Like, maybe you’re going overboard because you still have feelings for her.’

Ken glared at her. ‘And maybe you’re defending her because she took over your body and got you a nice haircut.’ And he took off before she had a chance to deny it.

‘I’m going to the bathroom before class,’ Emily told Tracey. ‘Want to come with me?’

Tracey shook her head. ‘I want to find Madame. Maybe she can talk to those Harmony House people so we can visit Jenna. See ya in class.’

‘I won’t be there — I’ve got a dentist appointment,’ Emily told her. ‘I’ll call you tonight.’

Tracey hurried upstairs to Room 209. Madame wasn’t there, but someone else was.

The Queen of Mean, who could usually be found wherever she could see and be seen, and who was always surrounded by friends, was hidden away in an empty classroom and all alone. And she didn’t look mean today. People who were truly mean didn’t bury their faces in their hands.

‘Amanda?’ Tracey murmured.

Amanda looked up. Instantly, her expression changed — but now she seemed more frightened than mean.

‘Leave me alone!’ she hissed. ‘Stop bothering me!’

Tracey took the seat next to her. Ken had said he’d talk to Amanda later, but Tracey figured this was as good a time as any to hit her with the ultimatum.

‘Look, Amanda, you can make us stop bugging you right now. All you have to do is come clean about Jenna.’

‘What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to Jenna!’

She seemed honestly and sincerely bewildered. Ken would say that Amanda was putting on a good act, but Tracey wasn’t so sure.

‘We think you set up Jenna to get her into trouble. You work in the office, which means you can get your hands on the master key to the lockers.’

Amanda still looked confused. Tracey was going to have to spell it out to her.

‘You put the knife in Jenna’s locker.’

Amanda’s eyes widened. ‘Why would I do that?’

‘Because. . because she was on to you. And you wanted to get rid of her.’

Amanda didn’t blink. ‘On to me about what ?’

Tracey took a deep breath. ‘We think you’re the spy, Amanda. We think you’re the one who’s communicating with our enemies: Serena, Clare — all those people who want to use us.