"Replica02 - Pursuing Amy - Kaye, Marilyn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kaye Marilyn)

4



Rainy Saturdays were the pits. Amy was looking through her bedroom window at the nasty gray world outside. It was so unfair. After she'd been cooped up in school for five days, couldn't the weekend be filled with sunshine? And with her luck lately, tomorrow was sure to be crummy too.

Amy knew she was being negative, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to be outside doing something. If she stayed inside, she'd end up going on the Internet, surfing the Web, and getting frustrated. She and Tasha had planned to go in-line skating in the park, but that had been canceled.

The house was quiet. Nancy was at the beauty salon. She was getting the full treatment Ч a haircut, manicure, pedicure, and facial. Amy hoped this guy Brad was going to be worth all the effort her mother was putting into her appearance. Amy planned to check him out very carefully when he arrived to pick Nancy up for their date tonight.

It dawned on Amy that she often thought of her mother as Nancy instead of Mom. Was this something new, something she'd started doing since she discovered that Nancy wasn't her natural mother? Did she feel different about her now?

No, that wasn't it. Amy felt different about herself, but Nancy was still her mother, and Amy still loved her. At least she thought she loved her. But could someone like Amy really love anyone? Did a clone have feelings?

Then she saw a car pull into the Morgans' driveway. Eric got out. Amy experienced a pleasant little shiver. She smiled. Yes, clones had feelings.

Checking to make sure her hair wasn't standing straight up or hanging in clumps, Amy ran downstairs, grabbed a hooded raincoat from the closet, and went out.

"Hi, Amy," Mrs. Morgan said when she opened the door. "Come on in. Tasha's on a long-distance phone call with her aunt." At that moment, Eric walked through the living room with a plate of brownies in his hand. "Eric, why don't you offer Amy a brownie?"

Eric obliged, thrusting the plate toward Amy. "I got a new computer game," he told her. "Want to see?"

"Sure." She followed him upstairs.

It was strange. For as long as she'd known Eric, she'd never been in his bedroom. It gave her a funny feeling Ч not bad-funny or ha-ha-funny, just sort of tickly. She glanced around curiously, trying not to look too eager. The walls were covered with posters Ч Michael Jordan, a Brazilian soccer team, a man in a karate pose. She was pleased to note that Spice Girls posters were nowhere in sight.

The computer was on Eric's desk, and he motioned for Amy to sit on the chair facing it. "Okay, this is the deal," he said. "It's pretty brutal. You're supposed to search for the key to this treasure chest, only it can be on any one of seven islands; and if you don't find it in time, the volcano explodes and it's all over. Then there are these creatures who come out of the water, and you have to vaporize them before they bite you. If one of them bites, you have to find a special medicine within one minute or you'll die."

Amy examined the screen. "That doesn't sound so hard."

"Are you kidding? I haven't gotten off the first island yet."

"Let me try."

He gave her the mouse and set the game in motion. Standing behind the chair, he watched over Amy's shoulder and yelled out directions. "Look under the rock, I think there's a clue. . . . No, not that rock, the big one. Watch out! Something's behind the tree, look!"

The game was harder than Amy had thought it would be. Of course, she had incredible hand-eye coordination, but she had to get used to the game plan before she could use her special talents. And some of it was pure guesswork.

"Click on the window," Eric ordered her. "The next clue's going to be there."

"No, I'll bet it's behind the door," Amy argued. She moved the mouse. Eric tried to get it away from her. Giggling, she struggled for control, knowing full well she could easily grab it away from him if she tried, but enjoying the struggle.

"Watch out!" Eric yelled. While they'd been fighting over the mouse, a massive volcano in the background had exploded. Slimy green stuff covered the image on the screen. They both started laughing.

"What are you doing in here?" Tasha was at the door.