“You do not know anything.” But she turned away and rubbed her eyes with her balled-up hands. Her shoulders slumped, and her face relaxed into its usual pout.

Kasey was back. “Lexi…why are you down there?”

I stared up at her, unable to stop my body from shying closer to the floor. “You pushed me.”

“No I didn’t.”

Was it possible that she really didn’t remember? “…Your friend pushed me.”

She looked around the room, like I’d been talking about a real person. Then her eyes got a faraway look. “Oh,” she said.

“Who is she?” I asked. “What is she?”

Kasey hugged herself tightly and turned away.

“Please,” I begged. “Make her leave us alone.”

I saw the muscles in Kasey’s jaw clench up, then relax, then clench up again.

“Just tell her to go away,” I said. “She’s your friend, right? She’ll do what you want?”

She thought about it for a few seconds. Then she lifted a hand and studied her fingernails. “I like it, Lexi,” she said.

She liked it? Liked messing with brake wires and stealing things from school and pushing people so hard they flew across the room?

“But…” My voice wavered. “I’m still your sister, right?”

She shrugged. “Yeah.”

“So we can…we can…” We can what? I didn’t know. If only there had been a poster in the clinic: HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SIBLING IS POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL OR JUST COMPLETELY MENTAL!

I was scared out of my mind and trying to keep her talking, keep her with me.

“Don’t worry, Lexi, I haven’t made up my mind yet. I have until midnight tomorrow.”

“Kasey, I promise I will be your best friend, I will do whatever you want—”

“That’s not friendship,” she said, her mouth pulled into a tight frown. “Friendship isn’t just about doing what the other person says.”

Oh, sure, now she finds a backbone. “But isn’t she telling you what to do?”

She shook her head vigorously. “Not all the time. Sometimes she listens to my ideas.”

I really didn’t want to know, but I had to ask. “The thing with the car…whose idea was that?”

Her blue eyes narrowed and there was a hard glint in them. “I told you, she cut the brakes…but it was my idea to talk to the police.”

That was a good sign, right? That meant Kasey still cared, on some level.

“Lexi, I’m not asking for your permission. I’m not even asking for your opinion.”

Clearly not.

“I just thought you deserved an explanation.” “Kase, what if we talked to Mom about this?” “Don’t.”

“But Mom and Dad probably wouldn’t want you “No.”

Tears splashed onto my cheeks. “What am I supposed to do?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Live your life, Alexis.” Her eyes suddenly flashed from blue to green, a vivid emerald that seemed to burn right into me. “Your pathetic, lonely life.”

Then she grabbed her schoolbag and walked out, leaving me alone on the floor.

The front door slammed shut, and I collapsed, laying my head down on the carpet, crying tears of rage and fear and helplessness.

After a few minutes of intense self-pity, I forced myself to stand. I grabbed my sweatshirt and my house key and stumbled down the stairs, ignoring the sharp ache where my shoulder blade had made contact with the edge of Kasey’s dresser.

The afternoon sun was blinding after the muted light of our dark house. I stepped out onto the front porch and looked around for my sister.

Midnight tomorrow…

As my eyes adjusted and the world faded into view again, my heart sank. She was long gone. There was only one option left. I had to find Megan.

17

The football field was empty when I arrived back at the school, and something inside of me deflated. All my courage had been used up during my confrontation with Kasey, and now I was alone. And scared.

I sat down on the lowest bleacher and stared at my hands. Keep going, said the voice in my head. Go to her house. Find her.

But I just couldn’t. The longer I sat there, the more powerless I felt. Possessed or not, Kasey had almost killed our dad. With every passing minute she fell deeper under the power of whatever it was that was controlling her.

I heard chattering female voices and knew it was my last chance to get out of there before I was in it for real. I would have to face Megan, take whatever she dished out, and then grovel for her help—possibly in front of the entire Surrey High School cheer squad.

Did I have a choice? I could go home, break into the emergency cash jar, put some clothes in a backpack, and hit the road. Run away and leave the whole mess behind me. There would be plenty of room on the open road for new, smaller messes.

But it was too late to run away.

“What’s she doing here?” I recognized Pepper Laird’s voice, and the talking stopped short.

I looked up.

There they stood, toned, tanned, and all set to do high kicks and catchy chants. One thing was wrong with the picture, and I was it. If looks could kill, I would have been a charred pile of ex-Alexis on the bleacher seat.

Like a swan gliding through lily pads, Megan sailed to the front of the pack and stared down at me. Her eyes were cool, emotionless. They had none of the passion that I’d seen in them earlier when she’d offered her help. I’d waited too long.

“Don’t worry, Megan, we’ll get rid of her,” Pepper said.

“I’m calling security!” someone else said. Four cell phones flipped open.

But Megan simply looked at me. And I looked at her.

Five seconds passed. Ten. No one said a word. Finally Megan took a deep breath.

“Pepper,” she said, “please start the warm-up without me.”

Pepper stared in confusion for a moment and then obediently clapped her hands together three times. “All right!” she called. “Two laps, let’s go!”

And the cheerleaders, Pepper included, took off in two neat lines down the track.

Megan stayed. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched me.

It sounds silly to say, but seeing her standing there, I completely understood why she was so popular. There was something about her that was regal, composed. She was one of those people who never let you see them sweat. I had a vision of throwing myself at her feet, begging her forgiveness.

That was probably what it would take.

I stood up.

“I told you it would get bad,” she said. Fair enough. “Megan, I’m sorry—” “No, Alexis. Don’t apologize.” I closed my mouth.

“I get why you hate us. What they did to Beth Goldberg sucked, okay? But if we’re going to do this together, you have to trust me.”

I shook my head in confusion, but Megan mistook it for a rejection.

“I never said anything, because it sounds like I’m making excuses. But I was in Ireland with my grandmother when they put that presentation together. I wouldn’t have let them do it.” She swallowed hard. “I swear, Alexis, on my mom’s grave.”

I did not want to talk about graves and mothers.

“You don’t have to forgive me, but you have to believe me. That I’m not messing with you.” She had her arms folded in front of her, hands gripping her elbows.

It was the first time I’d ever seen her look…not perfect. Not in control.

I believed her.

“Something horrible is going on with my sister,” I said. “And I’m not a hundred percent sure, but there’s a chance…you’re right. Or she might just be completely psycho.”

“Pyscho how?”

“Like hearing voices,” I said. “Multiple personalities. Doing crazy stuff. Only…” She waited for me to finish.

“Only…superstrength isn’t really a symptom of a mental disorder, is it?”

Megan shook her head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no.”

My head started to ache. “And, like…amazing powers of persuasion…”

She reached out and put her hand on my arm. “Trust your instinct, Alexis.”

I swallowed hard, looking at her perfectly polished red fingernails.