by R. L. Stine
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
The Shadyside Cheerleaders Thought the Evil Spirit Was Finally Gone.
They thought the horrible deaths had ended.
They thought the hot water could no longer scald them.
The spirit that had controlled both Jennifer Daly and Kimmy Bass had been battled by cheerleader Corky Corcoran. And Corky had won.
But something’s still not right at spring cheerleading camp. The strange occurrences and terrifying accidents can mean only one thing …
THE EVIL SPIRIT NEVER LEFT!
But where is it now?
Books by R.L. Stine
Fear Street
ALL-NIGHT PARTY
BAD DREAMS
THE BEST FRIEND
THE BEST FRIEND 2: SPECIAL EDITION
THE BOY NEXT DOOR
THE CHEATER
COLLEGE WEEKEND
THE CONFESSION
THE DARE
DEAD END
DOUBLE DATE
THE FACE
FINAL GRADE
THE FIRE GAME
FIRST DATE
HALLOWEEN PARTY
HAUNTED
INTO THE DARK
KILLER’S KISS
THE KNIFE
LET’S PARTY
LIGHTS OUT
THE MIND READER
MISSING
THE NEW BOY
THE NEW GIRL
NIGHT GAMES
ONE EVIL SUMMER
THE OVERNIGHT
THE PERFECT DATE
THE PROM QUEEN
THE RICH GIRL
THE RUNAWAY
SECRET ADMIRER
THE SECRET BEDROOM
SKI WEEKEND
THE SLEEPWALKER
THE STEPSISTER
THE STEPSISTER 2
SUNBURN
THE SURPRISE PARTY
SWITCHED
THE THRILL CLUB
TRAPPED
TRUTH OR DARE
WHAT HOLLY HEARD
WHO KILLED THE HOME-COMING QUEEN?
THE WRONG NUMBER
WRONG NUMBER 2
Fear Park
THE FIRST SCREAM
THE LOUDEST SCREAM
THE LAST SCREAM
Fear Street Cheerleaders
THE FIRST EVIL
THE SECOND EVIL
THE THIRD EVIL
THE NEW EVIL
CHEERLEADERS: THE EVIL LIVES! (A Fear Street Super-chiller)
Fear Street Duet
FEAR HALL: THE BEGINNING
FEAR HALL: THE CONCLUSION
Fear Street Trilogies
The Cataluna Chronicles
THE EVIL MOON #1
THE DARK SECRET #2
THE DEADLY FIRE #3
99 Fear Street: The House of Evil
THE FIRST HORROR
THE SECOND HORROR
THE THIRD HORROR
Fear Street Saga
THE BETRAYAL #1
THE SECRET #2
THE BURNING #3
THE AWAKENING EVIL
CHILDREN OF FEAR
DANCE OF DEATH
DAUGHTERS OF SILENCE
FORBIDDEN SECRETS
HEART OF THE HUNTER
THE HIDDEN EVIL
HOUSE OF WHISPERS
THE SIGN OF FEAR
A NEW FEAR
Fear Street Super Chillers
BAD MOONLIGHT
BROKEN HEARTS
THE DEAD LIFEGUARD
GOODNIGHT KISS
GOODNIGHT KISS 2
HIGH TIDE
THE NEW YEAR’S PARTY
PARTY SUMMER
SILENT NIGHT
SILENT NIGHT #2
SILENT NIGHT #3
Other novels
HOW I BROKE UP WITH ERNIE
PHONE CALLS
CURTAINS
BROKEN DATE
A Parachute Press Book
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CHEERLEADERS
The Third Evil
R. L. STINE
SIMON PULSE
New York London Toronto Sydney Singapore
SIMON PULSE An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Simon Pulse edition October 2002
Copyright © 1992 by Parachute Press, Inc.
Originally published as an Archway Paperback October 1992
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
FEAR STREET is a registered trademark of Parachute Press, Inc.
Manufactured in the United States of America
20 19 18 17 16 15
ISBN-13:978-0-671-75119-7
ISBN-10:0-671-75119-0
eISBN 978-1-439-12081-1
Team Spirit
Chapter 1
In the Soup
Miss Green’s whistle echoed off the high ceiling of the gym. The cheerleaders stopped in midcheer as their advisor raised both hands to her head and pretended to tear out her frizzy brown hair. Her eyes were wide with exasperation.
Corky Corcoran sighed. That routine was going really well, she thought. Why did Miss Green stop us?
She cast a glance down the line of cheerleaders to her friend Kimmy Bass. Kimmy mopped her forehead with the sleeve of her T-shirt. She also appeared to be annoyed by the interruption.
It was warm for early April. The air in the gym felt hot and damp. Corky had her blond hair pulled straight back and tied in a high ponytail. She and the five other Shadyside High cheerleaders were dressed in Lycra shorts and loose-fitting T-shirts, which were drenched in perspiration from the after-school practice.
“Hannah, do me a favor,” Miss Green said. “Step forward and show my veteran cheerleaders the proper way to do a round-off back tuck.”
Hannah Miles bounced forward obediently, a broad smile on her pretty face. “I like to start in this position,” she said, not at all embarrassed at being singled out. “You know—with my knees bent a little so I get more spring.”
A slender, graceful freshman, Hannah was the only new member of the Shadyside High squad after spring tryouts. She replaced Megan Carman, who was graduating in June.
Hannah had long, straight black hair that she wore in a single thick braid to her waist and dark brown eyes that were constantly flashing with excitement.
She performed her back tuck, flipping high off the floor and landing perfectly on both feet. Then, without a pause, she performed a second back tuck just as stylish as the first.
“How was that?” she asked innocently, straightening her T-shirt.
“She thinks she’s really great,” Ronnie Mitchell whispered bitterly to Corky.
“She is great,” Corky whispered back. Hannah’s making us all look like clumsy elephants, Corky thought. She watched Hannah flash Kimmy a smile as she rejoined the line of girls.
Kimmy and Debra Kern were co-captains of t
he squad, and Hannah had started playing up to them, asking for advice and fishing for compliments.
We all know Hannah is good. Why does she have to show off all the time? Corky wondered. Then she had to admit to herself: I guess I’m a little jealous.
At the beginning of the year Corky and her sister Bobbi had been the stars, the flashiest, most enthusiastic, and talented cheerleaders on the squad. But so much had happened since then.
So much horror…
Bobbi was dead. And so was Corky’s boyfriend, Chip.
Both of them murdered by an ancient evil spirit. An evil spirit that had inhabited two of the cheerleaders. First Jennifer Daly. Poor Jennifer, also dead. Then Kimmy.
Corky had rescued Kimmy from the evil.
Afterward Corky thought she could push away the terrifying memories by throwing herself into her cheerleading. By making herself go on with her life.
But sometimes it was hard. Hard to forget. Hard to go on. And hard to be just one of the squad members.
I’m not even co-captain, Corky thought, glancing unhappily at Debra.
I’m a better cheerleader than Debra, she thought. Everyone knows it.
But before spring tryouts Miss Green had explained her decision to Corky. “Corky, I’m afraid you just don’t need the pressure of being co-captain,” she had said with genuine concern. “I mean, after…all that has happened.”
All that has happened.
Corky shook her head, tossing her ponytail, trying to shake away her bitter thoughts.
Debra’s my friend, she told herself. There’s no point in being jealous of her.
“Corky—did you hear one word I said?” Miss Green’s husky voice broke into Corky’s thoughts.
“Yes. Of course,” Corky lied, feeling her cheeks grow hot.
“Then let’s try the football chant again,” Miss Green said, staring hard at Corky.
Kimmy leapt forward, clapping her hands, and turned to the five other girls. “Okay. Ready? On three.”
She counted to three, and they began their chant, their voices rising with each repetition, stomping and clapping in the rhythm they had practiced:
“Tigers, let’s score! Six points and more! (stomp stomp) Tigers, let’s score! Six points and more!” (stomp stomp)
“Louder!” Kimmy urged, cupping one ear with her hand. “I can’t hear you!”
“Tigers, let’s score Six points and more!”
“Still can’t hear you!” Kimmy shouted.
As they repeated the chant even louder, Corky glanced down the line to Hannah. Shouting enthusiastically, her hands in a high V, Hannah ended her chant and then spontaneously leapt into a tuck jump, rising high off the floor and slapping her knees at the peak of the jump.
What a show-off! Corky thought. Hannah knows we don’t do a tuck jump here. Miss Green is going to get on her case now.
Corky turned her eyes expectantly to Miss Green. But instead of seeing anger on the coach’s face, Corky was surprised to see approval—even a smile.
“I like that, Hannah,” Miss Green declared. “That’s a very clever finish.” She turned to Kimmy. “What do you say? Let’s try it again, and everybody do a tuck jump at the end.”
“I don’t believe it,” Ronnie muttered to Corky, shaking her head.
“I believe it,” Corky replied dryly.
“Hannah the Wonder Cheerleader!” Ronnie said under her breath.
Corky laughed and looked down the row of girls. Heather Diehl was leaning close to Debra, whispering something in her ear. Kimmy flashed Corky a meaningful glance, then stepped forward, changing her expression of disapproval to a smile. She began the chant again.
“Tigers, let’s score! Six points and more!”
The girls repeated the chant, getting louder each time. Then they all ended with tuck jumps.
Corky watched Hannah out of the corner of her eye. Her tuck jump was the highest of all. Her dark eyes sparkled and her face radiated enthusiasm as she landed gracefully, clapping her hands. “That was great!” she exclaimed. “Can we do it again?”
“What’s her problem anyway?” Kimmy asked, twirling her water glass between her hands.
“Her problem is she’s terrific,” Corky replied, squeezing against the wall as Debra slid beside her in the red vinyl booth. “And we’re jealous.”
“I’m not jealous of her,” Ronnie said quickly. A thoughtful look creased her face. “Well, maybe just her hair.” Ronnie had tight copper-colored curls, a tiny stub of a nose, and a face full of freckles. She was in ninth grade, but looked about twelve. “Hannah has awesome hair.”
“She’s stuck up,” Kimmy offered. “She’s so stuck up, she probably knows we’re talking about her right now.”
The four girls laughed. Practice had ended at fourthirty and they had driven to The Corner, a new coffeeshop a few blocks from school that had quickly become a hangout for Shadyside students.
“Hannah isn’t so bad,” Debra remarked, her eyes lowered to the menu. “She’s just enthusiastic.”
The other three stared at Debra in surprise.
“Since when are you her best friend?” Kimmy asked sarcastically.
Debra raised her icy blue eyes from the menu. “I’m not. I just said she isn’t so bad. She isn’t mean or anything.” Debra had straight blond hair cut very short. She was thin, almost too thin, and seldom smiled, an unlikely combination for a cheerleader.
“So we have one vote for Hannah,” Kimmy said, making a one in the air with her index finger. “Anyone else?”
Before Corky or Ronnie could cast a vote, the waitress interrupted to take their orders. Kimmy and Ronnie ordered hamburgers and Cokes. Debra ordered a plate of french fries and a chocolate shake. No matter what she ate, she never put on weight.
When Corky ordered a bowl of split pea soup, the others erupted in disapproval. “Yuck!” Ronnie exclaimed, sticking a finger down her throat. “I may hurl!”
“I happen to like pea soup,” Corky insisted.
“You’re weird,” Kimmy told her. “You’re definitely weird.”
“Is Hannah going out with anyone?” Corky asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“You ever see the guys hanging around her locker after school everyday?” Ronnie asked. “It’s disgusting. Their tongues hanging out of their mouths. They practically drool on her!”
“Tsk-tsk.” Debra clicked her tongue. “Sounds to me like you’re jealous, Ronnie.”
Ronnie stuck her tongue out at Debra. “So?”
“I think she’s going out with Gary Brandt,” Kimmy offered. “At least, I saw them together at the mall Saturday night.”
“Gary’s kinda cool,” Ronnie said, fiddling with her silverware.
“Kinda!” Debra agreed with unusual enthusiasm.
“Hey, can you picture Hannah making out with Gary?” Ronnie asked, grinning. She performed a cheer: “Go, Gary, go! Go, Gary, go! Yaaaay!”
Everyone laughed.
“Know what?” Kimmy added. “Every time he kisses her, she probably does a tuck jump!”
More laughter.
“Hey, are you guys ready for next week?” Corky asked, changing the subject again.
“I’m already packed,” Ronnie said. “I can’t wait. This’ll be the best spring break ever!”
“A whole week away from home,” Corky said, sighing. “A whole week away from my pesty little brother.”
“Maybe we’ll meet some guys,” Ronnie said, grinning. “You know, college dudes.”
“You guys are in for a shock,” Debra said dryly. “There’ll be no time to hang out and meet guys. Cheerleader camp is torture. You work your buns off exercising in the morning, practicing new cheers all afternoon, going to workshop after workshop. Then at night you kill yourself competing against the other squads.”
“Bobbi and I went to a cheerleader camp one summer in Missouri before we moved here,” Corky recalled. “We worked hard. But we also did some partying.”
“The Madison Co
llege campus is supposed to be pretty,” Ronnie said. “My cousin told me the dorm we’re staying in is brand new.”
“Maybe we’ll all room together!” Ronnie exclaimed. “It’s going to be awesome!”
Everyone agreed except for Debra. “It’s hard work and a lot of pressure,” she warned. “You have to be enthusiastic and have a smile plastered on your face all day long.”
When Ronnie and Debra got up to go to the rest room, Kimmy slid in beside Corky, a troubled expression on her face. “How are you doing?” she asked quietly.
“Okay, I guess.” Corky shrugged.
“No. I mean really,” Kimmy insisted, her dark eyes staring into Corky’s, as if searching for something.
“I’m doing a little better,” Corky replied, fiddling with her silverware. “I don’t think about things as much. I force myself not to think about Bobbi or Chip or—”
“I can’t stop thinking about it,” Kimmy said emotionally, clasping her hands tightly together on the Formica tabletop. “I keep thinking, what if the evil spirit is still around? What if it’s still inside me?” Her voice cracked as she said this. She swallowed hard.
“Kimmy—” Corky started, resting a hand on Kimmy’s arm. “I saw the evil spirit pour out of you. I saw it go down my bathtub drain. It’s gone. You’re okay now. You don’t have to worry—”
“But how do we know it’s gone for good? Corky, you got that note. The one that said it can’t be drowned. And, Corky, sometimes—sometimes I feel so strange,” Kimmy whispered, her eyes watering. She gripped Corky’s arm and held it tightly. “Sometimes I—I just don’t feel right.”
The door to the coffeeshop opened and some guys from the basketball team walked in. One of them, John Mirren, a lanky boy with short brown hair and a goofy grin, waved to Kimmy before sliding into a booth with his pals.
“Kimmy, we just have to pray that the evil spirit is gone for good,” Corky said.
“But what if it isn’t?” Kimmy demanded again.
Corky shrugged and felt a sudden chill. “It’s got to be gone,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I can’t take any more death. I can’t…” Her voice trailed off.
Debra and Ronnie returned, giggling and pushing each other playfully. They stopped when they saw the grim expressions on Corky’s and Kimmy’s faces.
“Hey—what’s wrong?” Debra demanded. “You two still talking about Hannah Miles? Give the poor kid a break.” She slid in across from Corky and Kimmy. Ronnie lowered herself into the booth beside Debra.