Page 82 of Kill Your Darlings

“My favorite isThe Exorcist,” Wendy said suddenly, even though she’d been pretty much traumatized by watching that film at her brother’s friend’s house.

Thom looked impressed. “My sister told me all about that movie. She watched it at a slumber party. It sounded crazy.”

“It’s totally crazy,” Wendy said, and then they talked aboutThe Exorcistfor the rest of the ride. It was weird, because even though Thom hadn’t seen it, he seemed to know more about it than she did. He’d apparently grilled his sister on every detail, plus he had a subscription toMADmagazine,so he’d read the parody version of the film, called “The Ecchorcist.” Thom had to spell it for her, and explain to her why it was funny. Then he asked her lots of questions about the green vomit, and even asked her about the crucifix scene, which was something she didn’t really like thinking about. What she didn’t tell him—because she didn’t have the words—was that her favorite parts of the movie were the parts that weren’t scary at all. She’d fallen in love with the girl in the movie, with Regan, who got to live with just her mom in this amazing house in the city. The mom was a movie star who had fancy parties and no husband, and Wendy had found herself fantasizing about being her daughter and what that life must be like. Even at the end of the movie it was clear that Regan didn’t remember anything about what had happened when she’d been possessed by a demon. So in a way, she’d just get to continue her amazing life. She almost told Thom about this fantasy but thought he might think she was weird, so she kept it to herself. Instead, she told him about the scene where Regan’s head twisted all the way around. And she told him about the crazy steps that were outside of Regan’s apartment and how the priest fell down them and died. When they were getting close to the end of their trip Wendy said, “You know that this is where it all takes place?”

“What takes place?”

“The movie. It’s here in D.C.”

Thom looked confused, as though she’d just told him that the film was actually a documentary or something. “It’s set in Georgetown, which is a neighborhood here. We’re going to go to it on this trip. Like, I’m pretty sure the steps are really here.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I thought we were just going to go to museums and learn about the presidents.”

“I think that’s the important part.”

One of the teachers was coming down the aisle while the bus was slowing down. “This is it, kids. You need to bring everything with you from the bus, okay?”

“MissAckles,” Thom said. She stopped and looked at him. “Are we going to Georgetown on this trip?”

“Do you have the schedule, Thom?” she said, leaning forward to talk to him, and Wendy stared at MissAckles’s incredibly long and shiny hair.

“I guess I forgot it,” he said.

“Yes, on the last night here we’re having dinner in Georgetown. It’s all in the schedule.”

“Did you know that’s whereThe Exorcisthappened?” Thom said.

MissAckles frowned. “You haven’t seen that movie, have you, Thom?”

“No,” he said, and Wendy wondered if he was going to give her up.

“It’s pretty scary,” the social studies teacher said. “I’m not usually a scaredy-cat about those kinds of things, but that one got to me. And, yes, you’re right, it all happened right where we’re going.” She widened her eyes and changed her voice a little when saying that last part.

Miss Ackles moved on, and Thom turned back to Wendy. His cheeks were kind of red and she wondered if he had a crush onMiss Ackles, which wouldn’t really surprise her. Her hair was really very shiny, and sometimes her sweaters were so tight you could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. Thom said, “Going to Georgetown, I guess. Should we find the steps?”

ii

The trip to D.C. turned out to be maybe the best trip of Thom’s life. Partly it was the freedom. His school had booked one entire floor of a hotel, and until nine p.m., when all the kids had to be in their rooms, they were free to be anywhere they wanted in the big hotel, including the game room down near the lobby, or the fitness room up on the top floor. Paul Barbieri and he had gotten into an epic game of spy versus spy, Thom’s triumph coming when he ambushed Paul out by the pool area, leaping out at him from one of the bushes that edged the tarped-over pool and making Paul squeal like a little girl.

The trips during the day had been pretty cool as well. They’d been to the Smithsonian Institution (the fossils were the best), and to Arlington Cemetery (just okay, except for the trolley ride). Thom had been impressed with how big the statue of Lincoln was and thought the Library of Congress was more interesting than it had sounded when he first heard it was on their schedule. The first night they’d eaten dinner at some big German restaurant, which seemed like a weird choice to everyone because they were supposed to be celebrating America, but the second night they were taken to a food court at a very fancy mall, and that was where Thom had a chance to talk to Wendy Eastman, the new girl, again. Ever since the bus ride he’d decided that he liked her, even though he was keeping it to himself. But everywhere they went he kept an eye on her, looking for opportunities to maybe say something or even make eye contact, but it hadn’t been easy. The Kennedy twins, who were probably the nicest girlsin the class, had clearly decided to befriend Wendy so she wouldn’t have to do everything alone. Thom was glad about that, but it made it hard for him to make his move. But at the food court, which had about a hundred choices, Thom, having narrowed his options to a Philly cheesesteak or sweet-and-sour chicken, spotted Wendy in line to get a slice of pizza. He went over to say hi and asked her if she was excited about Georgetown. She looked blank for one moment and Thom panicked that she’d forgotten their entire conversation on the bus, but then she was smiling and telling him that theyhadto find the steps.

The next day, that morning spent on a visit to the Supreme Court, Thom could only think about the afternoon and evening trip to Georgetown. It was his big chance to get time alone with Wendy, a prospect that was equal parts exciting and terrifying. He kept playing it out in his mind. MissAckles had already told him that in the afternoon they were going to go on a tour of Georgetown University and then they were all going to walk to an Italian restaurant that she said was really good. She knew because she’d been on this trip twice before.

It wasn’t raining in Georgetown, but it was the first cool day of the trip, the skies dark and threatening. They’d all been told to bring sweaters or jackets, and Thom wasn’t particularly happy with the only sweater he had with him. His mom had packed it; it was yellow and way too tight, and he would have taken it off if it weren’t so cold. Wendy was wearing a fair isle sweater and light-blue jeans, and Thom began to wonder if he was going to embarrass himself tonight. She was so incredibly beautiful, with really pretty hair, feathered on both sides, and she’d probably laugh at him if he tried to hold her hand or kiss her. Still, it was all he could think about, and when they arrived at the Italian restaurant—the woman at the door shouting, “Benvenuti,studenti!”—Thom spotted an opening. Mary and Ann Kennedy had sat down at the far end of one of the two long tablesthat had been reserved, and Wendy sat across from them. Next to her was a free seat, and Thom made his move, sidling up and asking if the seat was taken in a voice that didn’t even sound like his.

“Help yourself,” Wendy said, and Mary smiled at him, even though she probably thought he was being weird. But then the meal turned out to be pretty amazing, Wendy and he were talking just like they’d been talking on the bus, all about horror movies, and Mary and Ann (most people just called the twins Mary Ann Kennedy, like they were one person) listened to their conversation as if it were the most fascinating and terrible thing they’d ever heard. They all ordered spaghetti and meatballs (the house specialty), and the girls got Shirley Temples and Thom had a root beer that was the best root beer he’d ever tasted. Paul Barbieri kept making faces at him from the other table, especially after Thom spilled a meatball down his front, but it was clear that Paul was just jealous. At the end of the meal, Mr.Stone stood up and told the students that after dinner they were going to take a nighttime walk around Georgetown, plus visit some shops, and Wendy said, “It’s our big chance to see the steps.”

“What steps?” Ann said.

“When we were on the bus, Thom and I decided that we had to see the Exorcist Steps. They’re right near here, and that’s where Father Karras dies in the movie.”

Thom had a sudden panic that Mary and Ann would want to sneak away with them as well, but one look at their faces, eyes wide with horror, and he thought that it would probably be okay.

“I don’t think you should do it,” one of them said, the other nodding.