The Conclusion Read Free

about this house?” Jasmine asked.
    I motioned for them to follow me inside.
    â€œI had some meetings with my French instructor in September,” I told her. “You remember. The cute one with the curly red hair. His house is on the next block. I used to pass this house all the time.”
    â€œWhat are we going to do for money?” Angel said.
    â€œI only have about twenty dollars on me,” I admitted.
    â€œI have some money saved up from my waitressing job,” Jasmine told us. “And I’ve got my cash card in my pocket. We should be able to buy some clothes and food and stuff. Enough to last until one of us finds a job.”
    â€œStay here for a moment,” I told my two friends. I wanted to check out the house.
    I glanced around the front entryway. Straight ahead, a wide stairway led to the rooms upstairs. The big front room stretched to my right.
    I waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then I made my way to the front windows to pull open the drapes.
    I was halfway across the room when I heard the floorboards creak behind me.
    And realized I wasn’t alone.
    Before I could cry out, someone grabbed my neck from behind and I stumbled to the floor.

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4
    I spun around to face my attacker.
    No one there.
    I tore open the heavy drape—and as light washed into the room, I saw him.
    A cat. A black cat.
    He hunched tensely on the floor, his back arched, tail straight up. His green eyes glowed up at me.
    I rubbed the back of my neck.
    â€œYou—you jumped on me!” I cried down at it. My heart still thudded in my chest. “You nearly scared away all of my nine lives,” I scolded.
    It narrowed its eyes, studying me. Its tail slowly lowered. It started to relax.
    â€œI guess I scared you as much as you scared me,” I said, starting to feel better. “What are you doing in here? Are there more of you?”
    I pulled open the drape on the other front window. Then I let my eyes sweep over the room. Two couches and several armchairs had been pushed to the center of the room. They were covered with bedsheets. The fireplace screen had fallen over, revealing black, charred logs in the fireplace. Two crushed beer cans adorned the mantel above the fireplace.
    I tugged the sheet off one of the couches. “At least we have something to sit on,” I murmured, watching a cloud of dust rise from the sheet.
    The black cat tilted its head and meowed.
    â€œI’ll bet you’re hungry,” I said softly. I bent down to see if he would allow me to pick him up. He did.
    I raised the cat in both hands and brought him face-to-face with me. “I’m going to call you Lucky,” I announced.
    I gazed into his glowing green eyes. “Are you going to bring me luck, Lucky?” I asked him. “Are you?”
    I sighed. “I really could use some luck,” I told the cat. I set him back on the floor.
    â€œAre we really going to live here?” Angel asked, glancing around the room. “It’s kind of creepy, isn’t it?” She made a disgusted face.
    â€œIt isn’t so bad,” Jasmine said, tugging the sheet off the other couch. “We can fix it up.” She forced a smile. “It’s so huge. I’ve never lived in such a big house.”
    â€œAnd we have it all to ourselves,” I added, trying to sound cheerful. “It’s the perfect place to hide, and—and . . .”
    I tried to look on the bright side. But I couldn’tfight down my anger. My anger at Melanie, Margie, and Mary.
    My throat tightened. My temples started to throb.
    I slammed the back of the couch with my fist, sending up another cloud of dust.
    It’s their fault, I told myself. It’s their fault I had to leave the dorm, run away, hide like a criminal in this abandoned dump.
    I want to pay them back, I decided. I really do. I want to hurt them and make them suffer. The way they hurt me.
    As if reading my