Teen Ghost at Dead Lake Page 4

  Bonnie smiled. "Then you should have nothing to worry about."

  Paige agreed, though she didn't know if her feelings for him might change in the future. Right now, she was more interested in Noah as boyfriend material. But she still wanted some answers from Drew, if he would give them to her.

  * * *

  On Monday, Paige's mother drove her to school after Bonnie's mother said she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be in until later, if at all today, preventing them from walking together.

  In the hall, Paige saw Drew chatting with some other students. She deliberately avoided him, still thinking about Noah's warning to stay away from him, though admittedly, she really didn't have enough to go on to know what to believe. For all she knew, Noah was simply acting like a jealous boyfriend, which he wasn't. Not yet anyway.

  Paige walked to her locker, speaking briefly along the way to Amber, Roni, and Lora—all of whom talked about the party and their boyfriends, before veering off in a different direction.

  Can they be any more perfect? Paige asked herself, even if she realized that perfection was a relative term. She wouldn't try to be someone she wasn't, no matter how envious she might have been.

  After going to her American Literature and Algebra classes, Paige went to lunch. She put baked potato wedges, cucumbers, chilled pears, and skim chocolate milk on her tray.

  She was going to join a girl she recognized from her American Lit class, but changed her mind when Paige saw Drew sitting by himself. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to find out what was up between him and Noah. Maybe it was nothing more than Noah's overactive imagination.

  "Hi," she said to Drew, noting that he was eating a Sloppy Joe. Or trying to, without making too much of a mess.

  "Hey," he responded as juice dribbled down his chin.

  She sat down, assuming he wouldn't mind.

  Drew wiped his mouth and chin with a napkin. "I hope your lunch is better than mine."

  Paige looked into his eyes and got right to the point. "Why would Noah tell me to be careful in hanging around with you?"

  Drew raised a brow. "Noah...?"

  "Yes, Noah."

  "I don't know any Noahs," he said, "well, I used to know one." Drew paused. "Noah Snyder."

  Paige realized she had no idea what Noah's last name was. "What do you mean you used to know him?"

  "He's dead—killed himself six months ago."

  She winced at the thought. "Well, this Noah is very much alive. In fact, he used to live in the house my mom and I moved to."

  Drew leaned forward. "Wait... Are you telling me that you've been talking to the Noah that lived in that house?"

  "Yeah, I have," she said.

  "That's not possible," he told her. "That's the same Noah I used to know—the one who committed suicide by jumping off a cliff into Dead Lake."

  Paige swallowed thickly, not sure how to react. "You're sure about that?" she asked, as if he wouldn't be.

  "Yeah, one hundred percent sure," Drew said. "Noah Snyder took his own life—according to the authorities. If you don't believe me ask anyone, including Amber Hurley. She was his girlfriend at the time..."

  Paige tried to picture the guy she knew as Noah dating Amber. Was that why he was at her party pretending to be someone he wasn't? And why the charade?

  "All right, I believe you," she told Drew, slicing her fork into the chilled pears. "That still doesn't explain who this other Noah is."

  "Obviously someone's been pulling a prank on you," Drew said. "And telling you stuff to mess with your head."

  She frowned. "Who would do that?"

  He shrugged. "Probably someone who wanted to have fun at your expense since you're the new girl in school."

  "Not funny!" she complained.

  "I know and I'm sorry," he said. "If you want, I can ask around and try to find out who's behind it."

  "Thanks, but I'll find out myself," Paige said. "Something tells me he'll be showing up again."

  "So you've seen him at your house?" Drew asked curiously.

  "Yeah—and at the pier, school, and even at Amber's party."

  "Was that the person you thought you recognized at the party?"

  Paige nodded. "That was him."

  "I didn't see him, but obviously he knows me enough to bad mouth me," Drew said irritably.

  She regarded Drew thoughtfully. "Then I don't have any reason to be concerned hanging around you?"

  "No," he said flatly. "There are no skeletons in my closet that I know of."

  Paige saw no reason not to take his word for that, especially considering that the fake Noah had clearly deceived her. But she still felt like she should be on guard until she could unravel the mystery.

  "If you say so," she told him, forking a cucumber.

  Drew leaned back in the chair. "This guy must be someone Amber knows."

  "You're saying she put him up to this?" Paige asked in disbelief.

  "I wouldn't put it past her," he said. "She's been known for doing things to entertain herself and her friends—especially at her parties. Maybe this was one of them. If so, that would be pretty cruel, even for Amber."

  "Yes it would," Paige agreed, while hoping that wasn't the case. There was only one way to find out.

  * * *

  Drew Lombard was given quite a start at the mere mention of Noah's name. The thought that someone had chosen to bring him back to life for whatever reason freaked him out. He couldn't imagine what it could be. Some things were better left alone and this was one of them.

  He couldn't help but think about Noah during better times...

  * * *

  Drew and Noah were standing by the school swimming pool in their swim trunks. As captain of the boys swim and diving team, Noah had proven to be the most gifted swimmer and diver at Dead Lake High.

  Or at least that was the general assumption. As far as Drew was concerned, he was every bit as good, if not better. He just needed to show it.

  "Look, let's just get this over with," Noah said. "If you think I shouldn't be captain, let's see what you've got."

  "Yeah, let's," Drew agreed eagerly, not wanting to blow this one-on-one opportunity to show his ability. He went to the diving board, focused, and did what he thought was a perfect dive.

  "Not bad," Noah told him with a confident smile. "Coach Nicholson would be proud. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to relinquish being captain of the team."

  "Are you going to talk or dive?" Drew challenged him.

  Grinning, Noah walked onto the diving board, took a deep breath, and had what to Drew was an even better dive. Or maybe he was only imagining it.

  Noah splashed him with water. "So are you ready to see who's faster to the other end?"

  Finding the dare too much to pass up, Drew took off, surprising him. He didn't consider it cheating, since it was Noah who made the challenge.

  Though Drew was happy with his fluid strokes and stamina, Noah still somehow managed to catch up and pass him at the last moment.

  "It's cool," Noah said humbly. "We're both ahead of everyone else on the team."

  Drew caught his breath and rubbed his eyes. Somehow he found that a small consolation. He still felt he needed to prove himself to the coach and to Noah.

  Maybe next time...

  * * *

  Drew came back to the present. He was in the pool alone this time, practicing his techniques as the new captain of the swim and dive team.

  He imagined that had Noah still been alive, he would still be captain. Now someone seemed to want him back in the game—at least in theory. But why? And why go after Paige?

  He had no answers and wasn't very comfortable speculating.

  He would just have to wait and see what Paige found out about the person pretending to be Noah—and what the guy hoped to accomplish by not letting sleeping dogs lie.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  After her chemistry class, Paige caught up with Amber in the hall.

  "Hey," Amber said, offering a friendly
smile. "What's up?"

  Paige felt slightly intimidated when their eyes met. "Someone's been pretending to be Noah Snyder..."

  Amber's eyes widened. "What—?"

  "He's been like basically stalking me," Paige told her, which was more or less true. "Did you put him up to this?"

  "No way," she said. "Why would I do such a thing?"

  "I don't know," Paige said. "Maybe for amusement while you're pretending to be my friend."

  Amber's brow creased. "That's sick. Noah and I used to date. I would never tarnish his memory by having someone pretend he was still alive. Who told you I did this?"

  Paige wanted to say it was Drew, but didn't want to cause any friction between him and Amber. Besides, her only interest was in finding out why the fake Noah chose her to target.

  "I just want to find out who he is and why he's been hanging around me, pretending to be a dead guy," Paige said, deflecting the question.

  "Maybe you should ask Bonnie Stewart," Amber said, rolling her eyes. "She had a huge crush on Noah. She was practically obsessed with him. Could be she hasn't been able to let go, even in death, and got someone to keep him alive now that you've moved into his house."

  Paige wondered if Bonnie was behind this. If so, what did she hope to accomplish? Perhaps she or someone was hoping they would be freaked out and move from the house.

  Or was there something else going on?

  "I've got to get to my next class," Paige said, wondering if her accusation would cause a strain in their friendship.

  "Same here," Amber said. "Sorry that someone is playing games with you, but it isn't me. I really wish Noah were still alive, but he isn't. And, by the way, being friends with you has nothing to do with you living in that house. I just want you to feel welcome in Dead Lake, that's all."

  "Okay." Paige smiled, inclined to believe her. "I'll see you later."

  She headed off and couldn't help but feel as though Amber were watching her. Or was she getting paranoid now because some jerk was messing with her?

  * * *

  Amber Hurley had never quite been able to get Noah out of her mind since his death. After all, they used to be a couple. That didn't mean she welcomed someone else drudging up the past by making believe he was still alive. Who would be so mean spirited? Was Bonnie really that desperate to create in death what she couldn't have when Noah was still alive?

  It doesn't really make sense, Amber thought as she headed to class. But then, she'd never been able to figure out what went on in Bonnie's head. Perhaps with Paige moving into Noah's old house, this was Bonnie's way of playing mind games. If so, who was the guy she got to play Noah?

  Amber couldn't think of anyone she knew who would want to be involved in such a morbid prank. Or maybe she didn't know all of her friends as well as she thought she did.

  Her attention turned back to Noah and memories of days gone by...

  * * *

  They were making out while standing near the edge of Dead Lake Cliff, a popular hangout for teenagers that was sixty feet above the lake.

  Amber reluctantly pried their lips apart, giggling. "Let's jump in the water," she dared him, feeling adventurous.

  "Are you serious?" Noah asked, gazing at her.

  "Yes," she said. "I feel like a swim. Don't tell me that the captain of the swim team has suddenly turned chicken."

  He smiled. "Of course not. But the water's probably pretty cold right now."

  "Then it will be perfect to cool off after what we just did," Amber said. She removed her clothes, so she only had her underwear on. "See you in the water."

  She looked down, slightly intimidated by the height. But she had seen others do it before and was confident they could do so successfully as well.

  After taking another moment to gather her courage and make sure to lift off properly so as not to hit the rocks below, Amber dove off the cliff. She seemed to go down in slow motion like a bird, before landing with a splash, but otherwise perfectly. The cold water was rejuvenating and she looked up, waiting for Noah to join her.

  He didn't disappoint. Wearing nothing but his undies, he dove off the cliff in perfect form and entered the water with only a little splash. When he didn't resurface right away, she wondered if he'd hurt himself.

  Then he sprang up, laughing, and tossed water at her playfully.

  "Okay, mermaid," he said. "What now?"

  Amber swam over to him gleefully, putting her arms around Noah's neck. "This," she said.

  She gave him a wet kiss and he reciprocated in kind.

  * * *

  Amber's thoughts returned to the present as she sat in her Accelerated Integrated Science class. Sitting next to her was her best friend Lora Estrada. She texted Lora, telling her that according to Paige Preston, some jerk was apparently masquerading as Noah Snyder.

  Lora, reacting with shock, texted back, wondering if Paige could have made the whole thing up.

  "How would she know about Noah?" Amber asked quietly.

  Lora shrugged. "She lives in his house. Wouldn't take much to learn what happened and try to use it to get attention."

  "She's not like that," Amber said, trying to defend someone she didn't really know all that well. Maybe Paige did have some agenda here. Or maybe someone else did. "I think there is a guy pretending to be Noah to someone who doesn't know him. But who is he and what does he want?"

  Lora frowned. "Guess we'll find out soon enough. Or she will..."

  Amber rested on that thought as she concentrated on the teacher writing on the blackboard.

  * * *

  Kyle Manning couldn't believe it when he heard from his girlfriend Lora that someone was pretending to be Noah, or at least telling the new girl Paige that. As far as Kyle was concerned, it was obviously a bunch of crap. Noah was dead and no one was bringing him back to life.

  But that didn't mean someone couldn't try to stir things up a bit in Dead Lake by making believe that Noah wasn't really dead. Or was there something even more macabre going on here?

  Either way, Kyle wasn't very comfortable with the notion of a fake Noah hanging around town, no matter who he was. No one he knew was interested in having to deal with a problem that seemed to be solved to everyone's satisfaction, save a few.

  Kyle tracked down Paige at her locker. "Hey," he said in a friendly tone.

  "Hey," she said, putting her books away.

  "There's a rumor floating around school that someone's claiming to be Noah Snyder."

  "Yeah, I guess," she said. "He told me his name was Noah. No last name, but he did say he used to live in the same house, so..."

  "So it's the same Noah," Kyle said. "Or at least he's pretending to be him. Well, Noah was my best friend and I hate to see someone tarnishing his memory by trying to fill his shoes."

  "I'm not really sure what he's trying to do, honestly," Paige told him. "If I ever see him again, I'll ask."

  "Good idea." Kyle decided it was best not to make a big deal out of something that might have just been for fun by some creep. But what if he was deliberately trying to scare her or everyone else in town?

  "What was the real Noah like?" Paige asked.

  Kyle considered this. He didn't want to paint him too much one way or the other. "He was cool. Sometimes funny, other times just someone who seemed to have his whole life ahead of him, before..."

  "He killed himself," she finished.

  "Yeah." Kyle ran a hand across his mouth. "You never really know what goes on inside a person's head..."

  She widened her eyes. "Not even his best friend?"

  "Especially his best friend," Kyle answered coolly. "That would be the last person you'd want to tell if you planned to kill yourself—unless you were crying out for help. I don't think he was."

  "Probably not, with what happened," she said.

  "I've got to go," he told her. "You need a ride home?" He wasn't particularly eager to go to that house. On the other hand, maybe he would run into the imposter Noah hanging around.

/>   "Thanks, but my mom's picking me up."

  Kyle nodded, relieved in a way. "Well, see you in school tomorrow."

  "Okay," she told him, closing her locker before heading off.

  He walked down the hall toward his own locker, his mind drifting off to the past...

  * * *

  Kyle and Cheryl sat in the cafeteria with Noah and Amber, eating lunch.

  A really hot girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes batted her lashes flirtatiously at Kyle. Though he wanted to ignore her, he couldn't help being attracted to someone who obviously wanted him.

  He suddenly felt pain in his shoulder. Turning, he realized that Cheryl had hit him.

  "What...?" he played dumb.

  "You're such a jerk," she said.

  He stared at her. "Do you ever stop bitching? I hardly even noticed her."

  "Yeah, right," she said. "Keep telling yourself that and you might even start to believe it."

  Cheryl got up and walked out.

  "Go after her, dude," Noah said.

  Kyle thought about it for a moment or two, before saying, "Why should I? She shouldn't be so insecure."

  "No, you shouldn't be such an ass," Amber said, getting up. "I'll talk to her."

  Kyle watched her follow Cheryl out.

  "Why do you make things more difficult than they have to be?" Noah asked him.

  He furrowed his brow. "Look who's talking. How many times has Amber walked out on you?"

  "Zero," Noah said. "We may have disagreements, but I've never taken her for granted."

  "Yeah, well maybe you should," Kyle told him. "She's not that perfect."

  Noah frowned. "I never said she was. Anyway, if I were you, I'd worry about my own love life. That is, if you care enough to keep it from blowing up in your face."

  Grabbing his bottled water, Kyle drank from it thoughtfully.

  * * *

  Kyle tried to put that thought out of his mind, as he went in search of Lora. Though he missed Cheryl, it did no good to look too deeply into the past. It could only spell trouble. The type of trouble he didn't need.

  He found his girlfriend outside chatting with her friend, Monica.

  Offering them a nice smile, he said to both, "What's up?"