Читать книгу The Casaday Girls, Book 1: Super Kids - Michael Inc. Markey - Страница 7

CHAPTER 4

FAMILY MEETING

Showered and changed, the girls joined their parents promptly at six o’clock for dinner. This was their first get-together with Dad since the incident that previous night. They weren’t looking forward to talking with him, even though they normally enjoyed an evening when he could simply be there to share family time, along with a quiet meal. Those were the rare nights he didn’t work late at his company in Philadelphia.

Alan--Dad--was already seated at the table as Vickie served locally prepared ravioli and veggies, a favorite for the entire family. Rachael and Alexa sat down at the table and started their meals, nibbling as they waited for him to speak.

“Your mother tells me you had an exciting evening last night. Sorry I missed it.” He hadn’t even picked up his fork yet. Not a good sign. That, and his tone of voice.

“It really wasn’t that big of a deal,” Alexa said.

“Dad, we can explain,” Rachael jumped in. She placed her own fork back on the plate to start her version of the story.

“Knowing you, yes, I’m sure you can give me a great explanation. I’d love to hear it later on. First we must talk about a few important points from last night.” He paused a dramatic moment. “Let me summarize.”

Alexa cringed, hearing the dreaded word. When he meant business, Dad loved that word. “Summarize.” He often used it just before he got really, really angry. “Your mother and I heard from our local police department this afternoon, concerning this call for help last night. Let’s get one question out in the open. Did this little event have anything--and I mean anything at all--to do with the fact that Halloween is just around the corner?”

Blinking, the two sisters merely looked at each other.

“We never gave Halloween a thought when we asked for help, Dad,” Alexa answered.

“Good. Because if it did, you girls are in hot water.” He paused to look at each girl separately. “I take it there’s nothing going on between you two and any of the other kids in the neighborhood. I hear things, you know. These kids don’t understand your special ‘gifts’, right? I’m hoping you don’t use them to taunt the neighbors.”

Both girls shook their heads.

“You’re not showing off how fast you are, Rachael?” He turned. “And Alexa. I know those little looks you give people. You’re not forcing your classmates to do things that upset or embarrass them, are you? People don’t like it when you mess with their minds, you know.”

“Of course I’m not,” said Alexa. Well, the kids aren’t aware that I’m the one who makes them do some dorky things, if I feel like it, Alexa thought.

“Nothing like that, Dad. Sometimes we get put down for unusual stuff we do and say, but that has nothing to do with what happened last night,” Rachael added.

Dad leaned forward. “You do realize that these kids in your classes have a right to their opinion, don’t you? You can’t punish them with your powers when they get on your case. Right?”

“Rachael and I got used to that a long time ago. We’re careful not to do things that will make them suspect.”

“Okay.” He sat back again. “Here’s the deal. The police are willing to forget they were in the neighborhood last night. Fortunately, the policeman missed no emergency calls that would endanger the lives of others while he was here. That means the Casaday family won’t be charged for his inconvenience, which is very good, because it would take months to pay for it out of your allowance. You’d need to live with that black mark on your permanent record, too. These folks don’t run around the neighborhood for free, you know.”

Together, the girls sighed in relief.

“Officer Mulligan was upset at first, for making that trip for nothing. I told him that this was, and will be, a one-time experience for the Casaday family. No exceptions.”

“So we’re in the clear, Dad?”

“Not quite, Rachael. Next, we must deal with our neighbors. You two gave these folks quite a scare with all this talk of an assault victim in our neighborhood. If word gets out that Dunbar Lakes is an unsafe place to live, do you realize what that would do to property values?”

“We understand, Dad.” Alexa said.

“What we saw does make you wonder--” Rachael started to say.

Dad fixed his eyes on her. “I don’t care, Rachael. These days people have enough trouble selling their homes in a quiet neighborhood. You’ve seen the For Sale signs in our development the last few years.”

The girls remained silent.

“Fortunately for you two, we have the weekend to let things quiet down. We’ll just do what we normally do around here, and hope that nobody brings it up, right?”

Mom stepped in.

“In the meantime, your father and I decided it’s best if you two stay home and hang out with us for the next few evenings.”

“Mom, it’s Friday night!” Alexa moaned. “We had activities we were going to do over the weekend. Sleepovers and stuff. What about the party tomorrow night at Jen’s house?”

“Sorry. Looks like you’ll be doing all your fun things here with us instead,” said Dad. “It will be great, girls, doing the things we used to do as a family. Games, TV, movies together in our home. You two have grown up so fast, perhaps we should plan more of these family weekends while we still can.”

“Yeah, swell,” replied Rachael, sulking.

Peanut barked. Alexa hopped out of her chair, to address the issues with the dog and to escape from her family at the dinner table. She stared into Peanut’s eyes to start off their mental conversation.

“Danger outside again, Alexa. Open the door so I can deal with it.”

“Don’t worry about it, puppy. Rachael and I are safe in here with the family. It looks like we’ll be safe for most of the weekend, darn it. So, just chill, dog.”

Peanut shrank from her position and grew quiet again. Alexa returned to her seat to continue eating.

“Can Rachael and I watch TV downstairs when we’re finished?”

“Of course, dear,” Mom said.

“Let’s go now, Lex. I’m done,” said Rachael. She grabbed her plate and took it to the kitchen sink.

“See? This home togetherness isn’t so bad at all,” Dad said with a toothy grin.

“What about my soccer game in the morning? Am I grounded for that, too?”

“Well, of course you’ll play tomorrow, Rachael. You can’t let your teammates down, right?” His eyes lit. “Let’s take it one step further. I think it would be a fine idea if we all attended. Are you with me, everyone?”

Alexa winced. Dad could be such a pain sometimes. Going to one of Rachael’s games was probably her least favorite pastime. “Come on, Rache.”

The girls retreated to the basement. Alexa turned on the TV as Rachael flopped down on the sofa and threw a pillow across the room at nothing in particular.

“It’s just not fair.” Rachael looked up the stairs, and then at Alexa. “Turn up the TV so they can’t hear us.”

Alexa turned it up and Rachael continued as she slammed a fist down on the cushion of that couch. It left a deep indentation.

“Why won’t anybody listen to our side of this story? We deserve to be heard, so let’s protest.”

“Looks like I’m going to have to use my invisible act so we can find out more about that house,” Alexa said quietly.

“I mean, even our parents don’t want to believe--” Alexa’s last comment registered with her. “Did you just say you’d get invisible to solve this case?”

“Yes, I did. Do you believe in vampires now, Rachael?”

“I didn’t think so. But I saw the marks on that man’s neck, too. I guess it’s possible that vampires got him.”

“It worries me. I know we have the superpowers to go up against human forces of evil out there, but vampires? I’m not so sure.”

“I’ll go online to do a little research later, Alexa. I want to learn all I can about those nasty bloodsuckers. For instance, how do you know when you see a vampire? Are there good and bad ones? And how do you fight the bad ones?”

“They’re like zombies. We just don’t know if the two of us have the powers to go up against the undead.”

Rachael and Alexa tried to watch TV for the next hour, but they both merely stared at the screen. How could they concentrate on this mindless kid stuff after the day they had? Soon, Rachael dozed off. Alexa tiptoed around the room and peered into the high basement windows. She jumped when Peanut barked again from upstairs. It made her shiver when their family pet yelped at every strange sound or creature outside. Alexa then ventured into the next room, the one with all their mother’s exercise equipment. It had full-length mirrors that covered one entire wall. She stared into the mirrors, to practice her invisibility power once again.

Focusing as hard as she could, Alexa closed her eyes. “C’mon, Lex . . . you can do this,” she coaxed herself. She meditated for a few seconds and felt the cells of her body vanish into thin air, a slipping away to nothingness in space. Alexa giggled. The sensation tickled all over, especially her hands and feet.

She opened her eyes. Almost no reflection.

It’s working! Oh, my gosh, I’m disappearing, she thought.

When she blinked and looked into the mirror again, Alexa saw just a hint of her former self.

Getting closer, but still not totally invisible.

She began the routine again, with twice the meditation time. Opening her eyes, Alexa blinked, but she couldn’t see herself in the mirror. She shook her flowing blonde locks and jiggled her arms and legs. They made no reflection. At all.

“I did it. I really can do this,” she proudly whispered to herself. When I have all the time in the world to concentrate and make it happen, it’s very easy, Alexa thought as she mentally reversed the process to make her body reappear again.

Can I do it under pressure, though?