Twisted

by Jo Gibson

  It was only after she rounded the corner that she saw it, a car with its hood raised, stalled at the side of the street. Brett had told her about the unwritten law for motorists in the winter. If you saw someone stalled by the side of the road, you were supposed to stop and offer assistance. People had been known to freeze to death in stalled cars in the winter. But that happened out on the highway, not in town. This driver only had to walk for a couple of blocks to get help.

  There was a frown on Tanya’s face as she approached the stalled car, and recognized it. Should she stop, or not? It would be a major inconvenience, and she’d waste a lot of time. It would make her so late, she wouldn’t have time to do her hair, and she wanted to look her best tonight.

  Tanya averted her eyes and stared straight ahead as she passed the car. She felt slightly guilty, but it just couldn’t be helped. She was on a tight time schedule, and this was a busy street. Someone else would drive by and stop.

  It was almost ten by the time Tanya pulled into the underground condo garage. She parked in her spot and rang for the elevator, tapping her foot impatiently while she waited for it to arrive. It didn’t take long, and moments later, Tanya was inside her family’s fourth-floor condo.

  She headed straight for her room, shedding her clothes and hopping in the shower immediately. Her parents weren’t home, so she didn’t bother to shut the door. They’d gone to a party at the condo recreation room, and they wouldn’t be home until late.

  It didn’t take long for Tanya to shower and dress in her favorite outfit, a white knit dress that hugged her figure and made her look like a queen. She was sitting at her dressing table, styling her hair, when she thought she heard someone walking down the hallway, outside the condo door. But that was impossible. Everyone who lived in the building was supposed to be at the party. She must be imagining things.

  When she was finished with her hair, Tanya added just a touch more blush to her cheeks, and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She looked totally gorgeous, just the way the future Valentine’s Day Queen of Hamilton High was supposed to look.

  Tanya walked out to the foyer and opened the door to the closet. She had two winter coats, but both of them were parkas. Too bad she didn’t have anything dressier. Queens were supposed to wear furs, weren’t they?

  The moment Tanya thought of it, she started to smile. Her mother had an ermine jacket that would look incredible with her white knit dress. Of course, she really shouldn’t wear it without permission, but she couldn’t ask since her mother wasn’t here. Should she? Or shouldn’t she? Tanya wavered for a brief moment, and then she pulled the coat from its padded hanger, and slipped it over her shoulders. The soft fur felt luxurious against her neck, and she smiled as she glanced in the mirror on the back of the closet door. The coat was perfect. Absolutely perfect. She looked every inch a queen.

  A glance at the grandfather clock standing in the entryway, and Tanya grabbed her purse and car keys. If she didn’t hurry, she’d be late. She was in such a rush as she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, she almost tripped over a giftwrapped package that someone had left in front of the door.

  Tanya began to grin as she picked up the package. It was wrapped in glossy pink paper and topped with a bow printed with pink and white hearts. She hadn’t been imagining those footsteps in the hallway. Brett had been here, and he’d left her this present.

  She ripped off the bow, slit the paper with the edge of one long pink fingernail, and lifted the lid of the small white jeweler’s box. And when she saw what was inside, she gasped with pure pleasure.

  It was a pendant, a lovely gold heart on a thin gold chain. Except half of the heart was missing, and there was a jagged edge where it should be. The pendant was like a jigsaw puzzle with only two pieces, and Brett had the other half of the heart. If they put them together, they’d fit perfectly to make a whole heart.

  Tanya smiled happily. Brett was probably down at the Hungry Burger right now, wearing the other half of the heart. She slipped the chain around her neck, stuffed the box and the paper in the potted plant that stood outside her parents’ door, and headed for the elevator to go down to the condo garage. After she pressed the button to summon the elevator, she glanced at the ornately framed mirror on the wall. The pendant looked absolutely gorgeous around her neck.

  After a long moment of waiting, Tanya pressed the button again. The elevator was very slow tonight. She waited another few moments and then she began to frown. Someone must have stopped the elevator on one of the other floors. If she wanted to get down to the Hungry Burger on time, she’d have to use the stairs.

  Tanya’s face was a study in irritation as she headed for the stairwell. Her parents’ condo was on the fourth floor, and she was wearing high-heeled boots.

  When she pulled open the door to the stairwell, Tanya’s frown deepened to an angry scowl. The light was burned out. Usually the maintenance man was very prompt about replacing burned-out light bulbs, but he must have missed this one.

  As she stared into the dark stairwell, Tanya hesitated. She really didn’t want to go into that dark, closed space. But Brett was down at the Hungry Burger, and it wasn’t wise to leave him alone for too long. There were other girls who would love to date him, and they wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of Tanya’s absence.

  Tanya took a deep breath and started down the stairs, gripping the rail tightly. It gave her an uneasy feeling to walk down into the darkness. Her knees were shaking and her steps were unsteady and she moved deeper and deeper into the darkness until she reached the third-floor landing.

  “That wasn’t so bad.” Tanya spoke aloud, just to reassure herself, and then she started down the second set of steps. She’d almost reached the next landing when she heard the sound of heavy breathing. Someone was in the stairwell with her! And that someone was right behind her!

  Every bad horror movie Tanya had ever seen on late-night television flashed through her mind. She whirled around, her face a study in terror; and then her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she recognized who was behind her. “Oh, my God! Why didn’t you say something? You scared me half to death!”

  Tanya’s knees sagged and she felt almost giddy with relief. But that relief didn’t last for more than an instant. He was wearing a half-heart pendant, the same as hers. Was this some kind of joke? But before she had time to ask him about it, strong arms reached out to push her down the stairs, her neck snapping in the fall.

  Six

  It was the Monday after Tanya’s death, a gray winter day with snow clouds so thick, there was no real proof that the sun existed. Of course, everyone had heard about Tanya’s terrible accident. It had been the only topic of conversation in the halls and in the classrooms, before and after class.

  When Tanya hadn’t come home on Friday night, her parents had checked the condo garage and found her car in its parking spot. They’d assumed that Brett had picked her up, and they’d called his house to check. But Brett had told them that he hadn’t seen Tanya all evening. That had led to a full-scale search, and the sheriff’s deputies had found her lifeless body in the condo stairwell.

  “I still can’t believe it!” Colleen leaned over to whisper to Amy.

  “I know. It’s so awful,” Amy whispered back. They were sitting in their fourth-period Biology class, and Mr. Humphrey was giving an incredibly boring lecture about the pituitary or the pancreas; Amy was never quite sure which was which. He had his back to the class, drawing a diagram on the blackboard, and almost everyone in the class was whispering back and forth, discussing Tanya’s accident.

  Before Mr. Humphrey could complete his drawing, the bell rang for lunch. Amy and Colleen sat politely until he’d finished his sentence, given the homework assignment, and dismissed the class. Mr. Humphrey had sent over half of his class to detention when they’d bolted from their seats on the first day of school, and now no one moved a muscle until he had formally dismissed them.

  It was a somber group around the lunch
table when Amy and Colleen joined Jessica, Gail, and Michele. Even though no one had really liked Tanya that much, they certainly hadn’t wanted her to die.

  “Okay.” Michele put down her fork, and frowned. “Who wants to go to the funeral? It’s tomorrow afternoon.”

  Amy looked at Colleen, who nodded. “We’ll go with you.”

  “Good. I don’t think I could take it alone. How about you, Jessica?”

  “I’ll go. I think we should all be there. It might make her parents feel better if her classmates show up.”

  “Gail?” Michele turned to Gail. “Don’t you want to go?”

  Gail looked very uncomfortable as she nodded. “Of course. But I’ve already made other arrangements. I’ll see you there.”

  “Are you going with your father?” Amy asked the obvious question.

  “Uh . . . no. My father’s working. I’m going with . . . uh . . . Brett.”

  “But Brett was going steady with Tanya.” Amy frowned slightly. “Won’t it look a little strange if he shows up at her funeral with you?”

  “Not really. It’s not a date, or anything like that. He said he didn’t want to go alone, and I offered to go with him. Besides, Brett might have thought he was going steady with Tanya, but she wasn’t going steady with him.”

  “What do you mean?” Michele’s eyes widened. “I thought they were a couple. Everyone did. They were going to the Valentine’s Day Dance together, weren’t they?”

  “Brett said Tanya hadn’t asked him yet. Everyone just assumed they were going together.”

  Colleen nudged Amy, and Amy sighed. Colleen was still mad at her because she hadn’t asked Brett to the dance. But the time just hadn’t seemed right on Friday night. Brett had been very upset when Tanya hadn’t shown up at the Hungry Burger, and he’d left early, before Amy’d had a chance to even talk to him.

  “Hold it a second.” Colleen slipped her glasses off the top of her head, a signal that she was going to get to the heart of the matter. “You said that Brett might have thought he was going steady with Tanya, but she wasn’t going steady with him. What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Now Gail looked even more uncomfortable, and Amy could tell she wished she hadn’t opened her mouth. “Look . . . I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but Brett was there when the sheriff’s deputies found Tanya. And he said she was wearing one of those little gold hearts around her neck.”

  “What little gold hearts?”

  All four girls asked the question in unison, and Gail explained, “I’m sure you’ve seen them in jewelry stores. They’re hearts cut in half, like a jigsaw puzzle. The guy wears one half, and the girl wears the other. It’s very romantic, and it’s supposed to mean that you’re not complete unless you’re with the one you love.”

  “And Brett didn’t give Tanya the heart?” Colleen pursued the topic.

  “No. It was from someone else. The deputies found the wrapping and the box stuffed in a potted plant by Tanya’s door.”

  “Does Brett know who gave it to her?” Michele was curious.

  “He hasn’t got a clue. He had no idea that Tanya was dating someone else.”

  “Poor Brett!” Amy sighed. “Does he think that’s why Tanya didn’t ask him to the dance?”

  “What else is he supposed to think? After all, she was wearing another guy’s heart.”

  The cafeteria door opened, and the basketball team trooped in. They were wearing their green blazers, and every team member had a black ribbon pinned to his sleeve.

  “Are they wearing those ribbons for Tanya?” Jessica turned to Gail.

  “Yes. Brett told me it was Kevin’s idea. They’re wearing black ribbons because Tanya was their head cheerleader.”

  Amy nodded. “It’s a nice tribute. My great-grandfather wore a black band around his sleeve for a whole year after my great-grandmother died.”

  “I hope they’re not going to wear them for that long.” Gail shivered slightly. “I think this whole mourning thing is creepy. It’d be different if Tanya had been a nice person, but she wasn’t. And poor Brett is taking this very hard.”

  Amy winced as she stared at Brett. He really did look awful. His face was gray, and it was clear that he hadn’t slept well for several nights. “I wish there was something we could do to help him.”

  “He told me that there’s only one thing that’ll make him feel better.” Gail lowered her voice so she wouldn’t be overheard. “Brett wants to punch out the guy who gave Tanya that heart, but he doesn’t know how to find him.”

  Amy thought for a minute, and then she nodded. “I think our best bet is to watch everyone who comes to the funeral. If Tanya’s other boyfriend loved her enough to give her that heart, I’m sure he’ll show up to pay his last respects.”

  “But how are we going to recognize him?” Jessica frowned slightly. “Do you think he’ll wear his half of the heart?”

  “Maybe. We’ll just have to keep our eyes open.”

  “So what should we do if we spot him?” Michele looked excited. She loved intrigue.

  “I’m not really sure. But we have to be careful that Brett doesn’t realize who he is right then. It’d be awful if there was a fight at Tanya’s funeral.”

  Gail started to giggle. “A fight at Tanya’s funeral? That might turn a dull event into something interesting.”

  “Gail!” Amy looked shocked. “Just think about how Tanya’s parents would feel!”

  Gail shrugged. “Okay, okay. It was just fun to imagine, that’s all. I didn’t really wish it would actually happen.”

  “Okay. Let’s work out a game plan.” Amy turned to Gail. “If any of us spot Tanya’s other boyfriend, we’ll let you know right away. Your job is to hang on to Brett and keep him occupied. Whatever you do, don’t let him go.”

  “I wasn’t planning to let him go.”

  Gail gave a smug little smile, and Amy glanced at Colleen. Colleen was frowning, and so were the rest of the girls. They’d never seen this side of Gail before, and they didn’t like it.

  “Brett?” Gail waved at Brett as he headed for the team table. “Come over here for a second, will you?”

  Brett set down his tray and walked to their table. “Hi, Gail. What’s up?”

  “Not much.” Gail reached out to take his hand. “I just wanted to find out . . . are you okay?”

  Brett nodded, and then he smiled at her. “I’m all right. Thanks, Gail. Catch you later, okay?”

  Brett gave Gail’s hand a squeeze, and then he went on to the team table. Amy followed him with her eyes, and then she noticed that the boxes of Valentine cards were sitting in the middle of the team table.

  “They’re going on with the contest?” Amy was surprised. No one had told her, and she was the class president. But Gail nodded, and leaned forward to tell them the latest.

  “Mr. Dorman talked to Tanya’s parents. He asked them if they wanted to have an empty chair for the Valentine’s Day Queen, in honor of Tanya. She was way ahead in the contest, you know. But Tanya’s father said he thought Tanya would have wanted the contest to go on, because it would give another girl a chance for a wonderful evening.”

  “Tanya’s father sounds nice.” Amy was pleased. It was a good way to handle an unfortunate situation.

  “Of course, the whole thing’s ridiculous.” Gail gave a little laugh. “We all knew Tanya, and she wouldn’t have wanted the contest to go on without her. Tanya never cared about anyone else’s happiness.”

  Amy frowned. “But, Gail . . . you don’t know that for sure. And it’s not fair to say mean things about Tanya when she’s not here to defend herself.”

  “Why not? Tanya was a stuck-up snob. We all know that. She held her nose so high in the air, she would have drowned if it rained. Why deny the truth, now that she’s dead?”

  “I didn’t mean that we should deny the truth. But . . . it just seems wrong to criticize her now, that’s all.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Gail shrugged. �
�Okay, if that’s the way you want it. Are you and Colleen going to count the votes next period?”

  “I guess so.” Amy looked puzzled. “Why wouldn’t we?”

  “No reason. I just wanted you to know that I can’t be there. Besides, I know how it’s going to turn out, anyway.”

  The rest of the lunch period was filled with small talk about Friday night’s basketball game and their hard-won victory. When the bell rang, Brett brought the box with the votes and the money they’d collected to Amy and Colleen. And then he took Gail’s arm and walked her to the lunchroom door.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Colleen stood up and grabbed the vote box.

  “I think so.” Amy picked up their lunch trays and sighed. Now that Tanya was dead, it certainly looked as though Gail was moving in on Brett. Perhaps she should have taken Colleen’s advice and asked Brett to the dance on Friday night, while she’d still had a chance.

  Amy and Colleen had just cleaned off the teachers’ table, when there was a knock at the faculty lounge door. Amy went to open it, and her eyes widened as she saw who was standing outside. “Kevin. What are you doing here?”

  “Mr. Dorman sent me to take Gail’s place . . . if you girls don’t mind, that is.”

  “Why should we mind?” Amy gestured toward the table. “We’ll be through much faster with three people working. Grab a Coke from the teachers’ refrigerator, Kevin. It’s a bonus we get for clearing the dishes off their lunch table.”

  Kevin opened the door to the teachers’ refrigerator, and smiled as he surveyed the contents. “Hey . . . who said teachers aren’t well paid? They’ve got Snapple in here!”

  “Help yourself.” Colleen grinned at him. “Mr. Dorman said we could. And then come over and join us.”