Bad Dreams Read Free Page B

“This must be worth over a thousand dollars,” she said softly. “Why would they leave it behind? I hope there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not rotted or infested or something …”
    â€œIt’s perfect,” Andrea insisted. “And Maggie claims that it’s hers because it’s in her room, which is so childish, I—”
    She didn’t get any further. Mrs. Travers held up a hand like a traffic cop. “Wait a second, Andrea. I don’t want an argument about this. I mean, this is something to celebrate.”
    â€œI’m supposed to
celebrate
because Maggie got a great bed?” Andrea made a disgusted face.
    â€œYou’re supposed to celebrate because we
all
got a great bed,” Mrs. Travers told her. “But since Maggie picked this room, Maggie gets to sleep in it. What’s the big deal?”
    â€œBut that’s soooo unfair!” Andrea wailed.
    Mrs. Travers rarely spoke sharply. Instead, her expression became pained, as if she was going to cry.
    They had all done plenty of that in the seven months since Mr. Travers had died. But Mrs. Travers had cried more than any of them. Maggie and Andrea had both been awakened many nights by their mother’s sobs. They would try to comfort her, but never could.
    So when she got that about-to-cry tightness on her face, as she had now, it shut them both up. Andrea gritted her teeth, but didn’t say another word.
    â€œI can’t believe you two,” Mrs. Travers said, crossing her slender arms over the front of hersweatshirt. “The way you are always at each other’s throats, people would think you hate each other.”
    But we do, Maggie thought bitterly. Even Daddy’s death hasn’t brought us closer together.
    We
do
hate each other.
    That night they planned on making dinner at home, but Mrs. Travers couldn’t find the box with the kitchen stuff. So even though they were on a tight budget, she took her daughters out to a restaurant. Maggie managed to make it through the meal without fighting with Andrea. That was the good news. The bad news was nobody said much of anything. Well, that wasn’t too surprising, Maggie told herself. They were all exhausted.
    â€œI just wish we could go back to our old house,” Andrea grumbled as they were finishing dinner. “Even without any of our stuff there, it would still be better.”
    Mrs. Travers didn’t answer. Neither did Maggie. What was there to say?
    Maggie slung an arm around her sister’s shoulders as they walked out of the restaurant. I’m going to keep this family close, she told herself. If it’s the last thing I do.
    When they returned to the house on Fear Street, Maggie got her first peek at the place in the dark. The house was run-down and ugly in bright sunshine. No surprise that it loomed dark and creepy at night.
    The phone rang as they ran inside. “Our first call!” Andrea cried excitedly, racing for the phone.
    Her face fell when she answered. “Just a sec,” she said, sighing. She dropped the receiver so that it dangled down from the phone. “For you,” she told Maggie as she walked away dejectedly. “Always for you,” Maggie heard her mutter under her breath.
    When Maggie picked up the phone, a familiar voice said brightly, “Hey, how’s the new house?”
    â€œJustin!” Maggie exclaimed. She had been going out with Justin Stiles for only a few weeks and still couldn’t quite believe it. Justin had to be the most popular guy at Shadyside High.
    One of Maggie’s best friends on the swim team, Dawn Rodgers, had dated him the past year. When Justin first asked Maggie out, Dawn had warned Maggie that Justin had a “wandering eye.”
    But right then Maggie didn’t care. She was just glad his eye had wandered in her direction!
    Justin had sexy wavy brown hair and gorgeous ice-blue eyes that made Maggie melt.
    â€œSo