10 A Half-Naked Guy
. There was a knock on my door hours later. Before I could say, "Come in," Ami entered, dressed in her nightgown. She still wore all her makeup. However, her hair looked like she had been running her fingers through it madly.
"I'm sorry about tonight," she said, pacing in front of me. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave Basil waiting and drinking so long. We'll remember next time. He can be terribly obnoxious." She paused to look at me. "Were you very upset with him? Did he hurt your feelings?"
"No, it's all right," I said, but on the subject of hurting my feelings, I wondered if I should mention anything about my confrontation with Mrs. Cukor. I quickly decided enough was enough for one night, and I was getting tired. I had done a great deal of reading and note taking and had written a short essay for my writing class.
"Look at you," Ami said, perusing my desk and seeing the opened books and papers. "You really are quite the student, aren't you?"
I shrugged.
"I guess so. When I was little, my brother and my mother read to me often. They say that works the best when it comes to getting someone to become a good student."
"Your brother? You mean your sister, don't you?"
"Yes," I said.
"How weird all of that must have been. One day I would like to talk to you about it all, but not if it will be unpleasant for either of us," she added quickly.
"I don't remember enough to talk about it," I replied, turning away quickly. Except for Flora and Dr. Sackett, I had never really talked about my past with anyone. Everyone else usually had what I felt to be an almost pornographic interest in the details.
"That's good. Forgetting is sometimes a blessing. Like I'm going to forget all about the nasty things Basil said tonight." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that. See, the ugliness and unpleasantness is gone.
"This is a magical place. We can drive away sadness with the click of fingers or just by going out and buying something new, which is what I plan to do tomorrow while you're in school. I'll get you something special, too."
"You've gotten me so much already, Ami."
"So what? It pleases me to get things for you, things I know will make you look good."
She touched my cheek softly.
"It's like I'm doing it all for myself, anyway. I'm re-living my youth through you, Celeste. So don't worry. You're giving me something very precious in return, very precious," she said, and then leaned over to kiss my forehead before turning to leave. "Sweet dreams," she ca
lled from the door. "I insist that all dreams in this house be sweet, and nightmares stay outside the doors and windows where they belong."
I watched her leave and then I rose and prepared for bed myself. Before I went to sleep, however, I decided to go downstairs to get something cold to drink. The water from my bathroom sink was not very cold, and I had a craving for something sweet, like juice or even some soda. I knew there was some in the refrigerator behind the bar, if not in the kitchen.
The halls were dimly lit, and all the rooms downstairs were dark. I hesitated at the kitchen doorway, thinking about Mrs. McAlister and how she guarded it with such determination. I was positive she would know if I disturbed one little thing in that refrigerator, so I went to the bar and found a can of ginger ale. I opened it and took a sip before hearing something in the hallway. Slowly peering around the corner of the door, I looked into the dimly lit corridor. Was it Mrs. Cukor? Did she hover about this house like some sort of ghost?
I didn't see her, but I sensed her. Perhaps she was standing in a shadow near the far door or just inside the den-office. She wasn't haunting this house, I thought. She was haunting me. I waited a few more moments, then started back up the stairs to my room. When I reached the top and turned toward my bedroom door, I heard whimpering coming from Ami and Wade's bedroom.
Wade's voice was muffled, but I could tell he was pleading, cajoling, practically begging her about something. Her response was merely to cry and whimper and then finally to burst out with a scream that made my very bones vibrate with its shrill, terrifying sound.
All was quiet after that, and I felt very guilty about eavesdropping. I hurried into my own bedroom and closed the door as softly as I could, so no one would know I had been out there listening.
What was that all about? I wondered. Was Ami sick? Was Wade doing something that hurt her? Thinking about it and about Mrs. Cukor sliding like a shadow over the walls below kept me awake for a while, but finally I drifted asleep.
I was woken again by my phone.
"Your wake-up call," Wade sang.
Once again I was surprised I hadn't woken up myself.
"I should just use an alarm clock."
"It's all right. I don't mind."
"I never sleep this late usually. I don't know what's gotten into me."