The Dream Crashers ✓

18 - Car Chases

Luke shrugged, trying to seem like he could care less, but I saw his jaw tighten a little. "She's not as great as I thought after all."

"Mary, just drop it," I said.

"But this is important. We should figure out what we're going to be doing about arrangements to the dance," she said. "Are we going to rent a limo? So Jared and I are going together, and Rory and Seth, and Sheila and AJ—"

"What?" Luke and I exclaimed simultaneously.

"Huh? What?" she repeated.

This caused us all to start blabbering at the same time.

Sheila flushed. "He hasn't asked me yet..."

"Seth and I aren't even going—" I stammered.

"I'm going to be a seventh wheel," Luke moaned.

"You can always ask Mara," Mary said, waggling her eyebrows seductively.

Luke made a face, and shook his head. "And get punched if I tried to dance with her? No thanks." Then to me, he said, "What do you mean you're not going?"

Giving him a knowingly look, I said, "We have more important things to do."

Mary looked at me like I had just lost my mind. "What is more important than Prom, Rory? Like, oh my God, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You are never going to have this chance again because high school only comes around for most people, unless you flunk, once in a lifetime—"

"You already gave me this same speech when you convinced me to go to Homecoming last semester," I said. "I went, and got punch spilled all over my dress by two stupid freshman."

"This is different. This time, you can bring Seth. No offense to Luke, but can you imagine that guy in a tux?"

"What was wrong with my tux?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Nothing. Your tux was fine," I assured him.

But I did get some fluttering in my stomach from picturing it. If circumstances were different, maybe I would be like Sheila and Mary, searching every inch of the city for the perfect dress and looking forward to the perfect night with the perfect date. I tried to imagine answering the door to Seth, who would of course look blindingly handsome in a tux, and he would escort me to the limo, where all my friends were waiting.

It was a nice idea, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself knowing that somewhere out there, my dad was waiting for me to find him.

---

Seth didn't show up to history class that afternoon.

Earlier, I received a text from him telling me to get a ride with Mara because he and AJ were checking up on something. After hearing so many horror stories about Mara's driving, I begged Luke to take me home, but he refused.

"Sorry, but Seth made it clear that you're to be watched at all times," he said.

I scowled. "Since when did you and Seth become so tight?"

"After I saw that thing in your bathroom, I have to agree with him. On everything."

"The chances of not dying from Mara's driving might actually rival your chances of surviving a demon attack," Elijah added, not so helpfully.

Mara was the proud owner of a beautiful and pristine Hyundai Tucson. In the parking lot, she patted the hood tenderly and said, "This precious car is worth more than your life, so you better not leave anything as small as a scratch or I'll—"