Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? (12 page)

“Traitor!” Corey joked, reaching into Ava's bag of barbecue.

“I love mozzarella sticks.” Charlotte looked at Lindsey. “Can I still come to your party?”

“Definitely,” said Lindsey. “Do you have a costume?”

“Not yet,” said Charlotte.

“Me either,” Ava admitted. “My bluebonnet idea was lame.”

Alex inspected her torn skirt. “I don't have a costume either.”

“Well, you girls better get thinking! My party is in a couple of hours,” Lindsey said. Then she eyed Alex. “Oh, I just thought of the best surprise for the party. It will blow everyone away!”

“What is it?” Alex hated surprises.

“You'll have to wait and see,” Lindsey sang, heading off with Rosa. “I need to go get the decorations up.”

“I bet Alex knows what your surprise is right now,” Emily said, following them. “Alex can see into the future.”

Alex stayed quiet. She still couldn't bring herself to say, “No, I can't.”

Alex let out a high-pitched shriek. A bat swooped low, brushing her ear in the darkness. She flailed her arms and swatted desperately at it.

“Relax. It's fake!” Ava laughed. Then she showed her sister the rubber bat swinging from clear fishing line on the lamppost. “Boo!”

“It's creepy out here,” Alex said, her heart still thumping. Halloween always made her jumpy.

“Creepy fun,” Charlotte said. “Ashland really takes its Halloween decorations seriously.”

The path to Lindsey's house glowed with grinning jack-o'-lanterns. Cobwebs draped the front porch, and a life-size skeleton guarded the door. Spooky music floated from the windows into the moonless night.

“See?” Ava grinned. “Texas scores another point.”

“I guess it does.” Charlotte grinned back.

“Ready?” Alex said. “We need to walk in together.”

Ava and Charlotte nodded.

“Okay, let's do this.” Alex rang the doorbell.

Cinderella, a pirate, and a zombie answered. Alex immediately recognized Lindsey, Owen, and Kylie.

“Yee-ha!” Lindsey cried. “Howdy, pardners! You three look amazing!”

“We wanted to show our Texas spirit,” Charlotte said.

Alex, Ava, and Charlotte modeled their cowgirl costumes—fringed shirts and vests, denim skirts, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. They'd borrowed the boots from Kylie.

“Pure rodeo.” Kylie nodded her approval.

“Alex and I are Texans now, through and through,” Ava said. “Even without the costumes.”

“And proud of it,” Alex added with a whoop.

“I'm working on it,” Charlotte admitted.

Lindsey pulled them into the party. Kids in costume milled about everywhere. A long table displayed her sister's amazing food—pumpkin cupcakes, witch's brew, bat wings, skeleton fingers, eyeball salad, and werewolf dip. Alex bit into a skeleton finger. Warm cheese oozed out. Yum! Sloane's mozzarella sticks.

“High five!” a boy in army fatigues said. He raised his hand for Alex to slap.

“Uh, sure.” She lifted her hand, although she only slightly recognized him from math class. “Why?”

“We're on to the next round of the play-offs. Then Ashland is going to state. We are on our way. I can feel it. Can you?” he cried.

“Totally,” Alex agreed.

“Our team too,” Corey added, coming up behind her. “The middle school team is also advancing.”

“Time to celebrate!” Lindsey called out. Then she turned up the music.

Alex walked through the party, admiring costumes, talking to kids, and eating Sloane's scrumptious pumpkin cupcakes. She was having a great time, especially when she and Ella from her debate club teamed up to win the toilet-paper mummy-wrap contest.

Then Lindsey tapped her shoulder.

“You know, right?”

“Know what?” Alex straightened her white cowboy hat. The mummy wrap had left her costume askew.

“My surprise. Emily said you'd know without me telling you. Do you like it?” Lindsey asked eagerly.

Alex didn't know what Lindsey's surprise was. She had no idea at all. Did that mean that Ava was right? That she truly wasn't psychic? Alex's stomach twisted, and not from the cupcakes.

“Didn't I have the best idea?” Lindsey asked when Alex didn't answer.

“Great idea.” Alex forced out the words. She was sure Lindsey had come up with something fabulous.
This isn't a lie,
she told herself.

So why did she feel so horrible?

“Ava, there you are!” Lindsey waved Ava over. Charlotte followed. “Everyone is waiting for you two. There's even a line. Can you believe it?”

“What's she talking about?” Ava whispered to Alex.

Alex shrugged. She followed Lindsey down a hallway toward the back of the house. All the lights were dimmed. Cobwebs covered the fixtures. A group of kids gathered at the doorway of what Alex assumed was a guest bedroom. Her eyes only momentarily landed on the flowered bedspread before her focus was drawn to a crudely constructed booth. A doorway covered by a sheet featured a handmade sign:
TWIN FORTUNE-TELLERS SEE YOUR FUTURE!

Alex blinked. She blinked again. Lindsey couldn't be serious.

“Is this for
us
?” Ava voiced the question Alex was afraid to ask.

“It's perfect for Halloween,” Lindsey gushed. “Spooky and paranormal.”

“I'm going first!” Emily clawed her way to the front of the group. She wore a black cat suit and pointed cat ears.

“Then me,” cried some kid in a witch's hat.

Alex stared at the fortune-teller's booth and all the kids eagerly waiting. And she knew. She finally knew, as clear as anything.
I can't do this,
she thought.
I can't tell these kids anything about their future. I can't find their missing hamster or misplaced cell phone.

As much as she wanted to have the Power, she didn't. She didn't even know if the Power was a real thing. How had she gotten so caught up? Why had she let this go on for so long?

“No,” she said finally.

“No? You don't want to read Emily's fortune first?” Lindsey asked.

“No, I can't do this.” Alex looked to Ava. Ava nodded her encouragement. “
We
can't do this,” Alex corrected.

“I know I didn't tell you before. I guess I should have asked—” Lindsey began.

“That's not it.” Alex cut her off. She needed to tell the truth before she chickened out. Everyone listened expectantly. Once again she was in the spotlight. Just not the way she'd wanted. “We can't read fortunes. We can't see the future. I thought we could for a while, but I was fooling myself.”

“What about my bracelet?” Rosa stepped forward.

“And Harvey?” Charlotte added.

“It wasn't the Power. It was Ava.” Alex finally told them about Ava's detective work.

Alex readied herself for Emily, Rosa, and Lindsey to hate her. For all the kids to hate her. She'd lied to them. She'd lied to herself, but that didn't matter now.

“The Power thing was a great joke! I love it!” Charlotte cried out. “I mean, come on, you guys can't tell me you believed these Sackett girls are truly psychic?” she challenged the group of kids.

“I was onto them the whole time!” Corey laughed. “If Ava were psychic, she'd know where I was planning to throw the ball and be waiting downfield.”

“Hey! I can catch any football you throw!” Ava retorted.

“But do you know what I'm thinking now?” Corey asked.

“No idea. But that's because you rarely do,” Ava teased, lightening the mood. Several kids cheered. Alex was grateful to her. No one had laughed. Everyone acted as if they'd never thought she was psychic. As if they'd never believed she'd found things with her mind.

“But—but . . . my booth,” Lindsey sputtered.

“No worries.” Charlotte grabbed a black marker from a side table, dragged over a chair and stood on it, and began to write on the sign.

“Ta-da!” Charlotte stepped back and spotted a boy in a black gangster-style fedora. “May I?” she asked, replacing her cowboy hat with his hat. She tilted the brim and slipped the chair behind the sheet. With a flourish she pulled it back, sat on the chair, and announced, “I am open for business!”

Alex giggled when she read the new sign:
NYC GIRL TELLS YOUR FASHION FUTURE.

“I will predict fashion for everyone. Guys and girls,” Charlotte announced. “I'm wicked good at fashion.”

“I do like your style,” Rosa said, stepping forward. “What do you predict for me?” She entered the booth, and others crowded around.

Charlotte regarded Rosa. “Your arms are really toned from cheerleading. I see you rocking sleeveless tops more often. And red would be a good color with your skin tone.”

“I have a red tank somewhere in my closet. It has silver studs around the collar.” Rosa sounded uncertain.

“That's perfect! Embellished tanks are so fashion forward,” Charlotte replied with a smile.

“I'll go find it. Thanks!” Rosa said.

“Me next!” Annelise cried.

“How awesome is she?” Ava whispered. “Charlotte totally came to our rescue.”

“She's great,” Alex agreed. She sensed Charlotte would become a good friend.

Emily moved alongside Alex. “I wanted you to have the Power. It really seemed like you did.”

“I thought I did too. But I was wrong,” Alex admitted.

“Maybe if we look at Sibyl's book again,” Emily offered, not giving up. “Maybe if you practice more. I can help, if you want.”

Alex shook her head. “I'm sorry, Em. I'm done with the Power. It doesn't work.”

“You don't know that!” Emily protested. “If you only—”

“It doesn't work for me and Ava, that's what I'm saying,” Alex said. “And I'm fine with that.”

Ava wasn't sure how to act. Every time she said something, Tommy shot her a warning look. As if he were scared she'd say something to embarrass him, which was a distinct possibility. But sitting next to Alex in the backseat as they drove home from the party and not saying anything was just plain weird.

Finally Cassie swiveled in the passenger seat to talk to them. “I like your matching outfits.”

“We don't normally do the twin matching thing, just so you know.” If Tommy's girlfriend was going to be hanging out with them now, Ava wanted to make that perfectly clear from the get-go.

“Oh, I got that.” Cassie grinned. She was dressed as a jockey with riding pants, a red-and-white-checked silk shirt, and a riding helmet.

“There were three of us tonight. The three cowgirls. The three amigos,” Alex said.

“And we won a contest,” Ava offered, leaning her face between Tommy and Cassie. “Best Texan Costume! We let Charlotte take home the prize—a cupcake with a mini Texas flag on top.”

“Your party sounds like fun,” Cassie said.

“Where did you guys go tonight?” Ava asked.

“None of your business,” Tommy said, turning onto their street.

“Tommy!” Cassie protested. “Be nicer to your sister.”

Ava stuck her tongue out at him. She was going to like having Cassie around. “She's right . . . oh, wow!”

Tommy had pulled into the driveway, and Ava and Alex stared openmouthed at their front lawn.

“Did you know about this?” Alex asked, rolling down the window for a better look.

Tommy gave a mischievous grin. “My lips are sealed.”

“It was the football team, wasn't it?” Ava squealed. “Wow! They covered every inch.”

Every tree and bush was draped with toilet paper. Their mailbox and lamppost were wrapped so tightly, they appeared mummified. Strips hung from the gutters and fluttered like streamers in the slight breeze.

“Coach is going to go ballistic,” Ava said. Coach loved football and cooking, but he also loved his lawn. He was always seeding and trimming.

Alex pointed to the light still on in their parents' bedroom window. “I bet he hasn't seen it yet.”

And that was when Ava thought of it. The most perfect idea. “No one tell him tonight, okay?” she said.

“Why not?” Alex asked.

Ava told them all her brilliant plan.

“Surprise!” Ava cried the next morning. She jumped on her parents' bed to wake them.

“Happy birthday!” Alex called, flicking on the lights.

“Party time! Whoo! Whoo!” Tommy added, clapping his hands loudly.

Coach rubbed his eyes. His hair stuck up on one side. “What's all this?”

“Your Birthday Breakfast Bash,” Ava announced. “Time to get up.”

They pulled Coach from his bed. “Laura, did you put them up to this?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Mrs. Sackett insisted with a bemused smile. She slipped on her robe. “I know nothing.”