CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURMy car chugged up the steep driveway toward Ariel’s house, a small brick rambler set against a bright blue sky scattered with puffy, cartoon-like clouds. I parked next to a worn-looking Fiesta, colored in a patchwork of green and white, left my car, and walked to the front door.
Inside, rock music was playing loud enough for the bass notes to shake the windows. I pounded on the door and waited.
It took a while, but Diedre finally opened the door. Scrubbed clean of goth makeup, Diedre’s face had the dewy, unformed look of a typical high school kid. Her long, black hair still had the purple stripes. She wore an oversized long-sleeved black shirt that hung halfway to her knees over a pair of tight jeans that emphasized the stick-like quality of her legs. Her gaze was down
