As Mitchell pulled to a stop in front of our mailbox, I pointed to the house on the opposite side of the street. "Look. His lair."
Mitchell turned to look. "Whose lair?"
"Youknow. The monster. That'shishouse."
With obvious surprise, Mitchell said, "You're kidding."
"Ineverkid about monsters." I felt my eyes narrow to slits. "Do you know, I've been joking about toilet-papering him for weeks?"
"Forgetjoking," Mitchell said. "If anyone deserves it, it's him." He made a sound of disgust. "And how many houses does the guy need, anyway?"
I cocked my head to the side. "So…he's got more than one?"
"Yeah, he's got a place on Center, too."
"It figures." Through my drunken haze, I considered everything he'd put my sister through. "He should livethereinstead."
"No kidding," Mitchell said. "The other house is twice the size with gargoyles out front. He's probably got a butler and everything."
"I'll give him a butler," I muttered. And then, with another mumbled thanks, I turned to open the car door.
I was just stepping out of the vehicle when Mitchell called out, "Hey."
I turned back. "Hey what?"
He gave me a wan smile. "If you decide to do the toilet-paper thing, get in a roll for me, will ya?"
I gave him a solemn nod. "Definitely."
But I had no plans to do it. I mean, sure it was fun to talk about, but I was long past high school. It would be totally immature. And besides, what if I got caught?
How embarrassing wouldthatbe?
Chapter 42
Harper
I woke with a pounding headache and a horrible taste in my mouth, like a herd of reindeer had galloped in and galloped out, leaving their droppings behind.
It was withthisdisgusting thought that I sat up in bed and rubbed at my aching eyes. It was nearly eleven o'clock in the morning, and I was still fully dressed, wearing the same black jeans and red Christmas sweater I'd been wearing yesterday.
Oh, God.
Yesterday.
In a flash, it all came flooding back – the sight of Bryce with Natalia, the arrival of Mitchell with news about my sister, Mitchell giving me a ride back, and…oh, no.
I hugged the covers tighter. Had I seriously toilet-papered Cole Henster's wreath?
I wanted to deny it even to myself, but already more memories were pounding away at my skull, making me wince and groan like therealmonster was me.
After Mitchell had dropped me off, I'd entered my aunt's house with the best of intentions. Those intentions had gone nowhere fast when I found the house completely dark and silent –sodark and silent that I couldn’t bring myself to turn on the lights.
It had matched my mood far too perfectly, so instead, I'd sat on the front sofa and stared out through the open window blinds, watching the monster's house even as I'd wondered what exactly was going on at my own.
Bryce and Natalia had made such a pretty couple.They looked good together – perfect even.Iwasn't pretty, at least not compared toher.
While sitting in the dark, I'd received no phone calls or texts asking me where I was.Had Bryce even noticed that I'd disappeared?
