Blue Is for Nightmares Read Online Free PDF Page A

next. I watch as she grimaces over the selection of food. "Shepherd's Pie?" cafeteria-lady asks, an ice-cream scooper full of the chunky mixture aimed over Veronica's plate in plop position.
    "Heinous," Veronica says, waving her red acrylic nails like a stop signal. "Who eats this stuff?"
    "You do, now," cafeteria-lady says.
    "I don't think so. I'm a vegetarian."
    The woman plops some onto Veronica's plate. "Try it."
    "Didn't you hear me? I'm a vegetarian. Veg-i-tar-i-an. I don't eat an-i-mals. Which word don't you understand?"

    Cafeteria-lady smacks the ceramic plate back onto the counter and hands Veronica a cellophane-wrapped sandwich labeled TUNA.
    "Since when is a fish not an animal? Don't you have any salad?"
    lust corn and mashed potatoes."
    "Fine. I'll have that."
    A splash of corn juice hits Veronica's cheek as cafeteria- lady shakes the yellow glob onto the plate with the sCooper. So perfect.
    "Thanks a lot." Veronica clanks the plate onto her tray and moves away.
    I take the rejected tuna sandwich and sit at a table in the corner of the cafeteria, where the kids in the drama club congregate. It isn't my usual spot, but I want some peace and quiet and know they'll be too engrossed in arguments over whether or not Hamlet really had it hard for his mom to care about my episode in French class. Plus, sitting here also gives me the opportunity to piece things together.
    I consider the cards first. They say Chad is going to ask Drea out someplace but then cancel last minute, but that's really nothing new. They've both been active players in the game of date tag for as long as I've known them.
    She also got the Ace of Clubs, which is for a letter she'll receive; the Five of Clubs, for a package. But the card that really freaks me out the most is the Ace of Spades, the death card, which landed smack dab in the middle of both.
    The death card, just like the lilies.
    I tear up my sandwich into tiny pieces, remembering how one Easter Gram went completely ballistic when a neighbor brought a bunch of lilies over for the table's centerpiece. She ended up chopping the flowers from the stems and cramming them all down the garbage disposal.
    Then, the following day, she brought me to a garden shop and spent what seemed like hours teaching me about flowers and what they mean--like how lilies mean death.
    The man in my dream was holding a whole bunch of them.
    What about the smell of dirt? The scent was so potent in my nightmare; I can almost smell it now, just thinking about it.
    "Hey, Stacey" Chad places his tray down opposite mine. It's loaded with his usual amount--three ham sandwiches, two bags of ripple chips, a two-pack of yellow frosted cupcakes, three cartons of milk, an apple, and a banana.

    He doesn't normally sit with us in the cafeteria. Being the star goalie on Hillcrest's hockey team, he normally spends most of his time with teammates. I suspect he wants something.
    "Hey, Stace," Drea says, sitting down next to him.
    Amber and PJ join us, one sitting on each side of me. It's mourning silent, but I can still feel the laughter building up inside them, like a carbonated bottle about to blow.
    "Okay," I say. "Let's hear it."
    "Hear what?" PJ asks. "What's the matter, Stace? You look a little tired. Didn't you catch up on enough sleep in French class? Or were you too busy killing people?"
    Laughter released--a carbonated explosion. PJ and Amber high-five one another over my head.
    "Hysterical," I say. "So I haven't been sleeping great lately and dozed off during French. Can you blame me?"
    "I really think you need to talk to someone, Stace," Drea says. "Maybe a sleep disorder therapist or something."
    "And if that wasn't priceless enough," P.j begins, "seconds before she falls asleep, she goes all exorcist-chick on us and she spews out in Snotty Ronnie's hair."
    'A pencil eraser," I correct. 'And I spit it up; I didn't spew it out." Like it even makes a difference.
    "Speaking of..." Amber motions to the table to our right.