by R. L. Stine
“Why don’t you guys grow up?” Cory said wearily. He took a bite of the sandwich, but he felt too tired to chew.
“You’re wrecked, man,” Arnie said, rolling the peach pit around in his fingers. “What’s your problem, anyway?”
“I—I haven’t been getting much sleep,” Cory told him.
“You been thinking about that blond girl?” Arnie said with an exaggerated leer.
“Leave him alone,” David said, turning Arnie around in his chair. “Spit the pit. Five dollars says it doesn’t go halfway across the room.”
“You’re on, man,” Arnie said. “That’s a bet.” He tossed the peach pit into his mouth and took a deep breath.
Suddenly his eyes popped open wide. He grabbed his neck. His mouth fell open. He gasped for breath.
“Oh, no! He swallowed it! He’s choking!” David screamed, leaping up from his chair and frantically pounding Arnie on the back.
Arnie’s face turned bright red. He was struggling to breathe, but it was obvious that he couldn’t.
“Help! Somebody help!” Cory yelled.
“Oh my God! He’s choking to death!” David, horrified, went white as flour, looked as if he might faint.
“Help—somebody—”
Cory stopped screaming. He stared at Arnie. He realized that Arnie was laughing now. Arnie winked at him. He held up his hand. The peach pit was still inside it. He had never even put it into his mouth.
“Gotcha,” Arnie told his two friends, grinning triumphantly. He collapsed on the table in riotous laughter. David quickly revived and joined him, laughing and pounding the table.
Cory stood up and disgustedly threw the rest of his lunch in the trash. “You guys are just sick,” he muttered.
“Hey, come on, Brooks,” Arnie said, “what’s your problem? It’s funny, and you know it.”
Cory shook his head and went out the door. He wandered around the parking lot for a while. It was bitter cold and he didn’t have his jacket, but he didn’t notice.
He was trying to convince himself to stop thinking about Anna, to just erase her from his mind. He knew he’d feel so much better if he could just forget about her and go back to his old life.
Look at me, he thought. I’m totally wrecked. I’ve had no sleep. My schoolwork is suffering. My gymnastics is suffering. I’m suffering! And all because of a girl whose creepy brother keeps telling me she is dead!
He had to drop her, force her out of his life. He knew that’s what he had to do.
But he also knew he couldn’t do it.
At least not until he got some answers. About the newspaper clipping. About her brother. About why she had called him and then not shown up…
He heard the warning bell ring inside the building. It was almost time for fifth period. Shivering, he felt the cold for the first time and, rubbing his arms to warm them, hurried back into the building.
He and Lisa arrived at their lockers at the same time.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
He tilted his hand from side to side to indicate so-so.
“I’m really sorry about Saturday,” she said. “I mean, about the gymnastics match, and everything.”
He searched her face to see if she was making fun of him, but she looked sincerely sorry.
“There’s always another match,” he muttered.
“I guess,” she said. She was acting strange, he noticed. Awkward. She wasn’t teasing him or putting him down the way she had for their entire lives.
“So, how’s it going with you?” he asked.
“Okay.” She was having trouble with her combination lock. Finally she pulled it open and opened her locker. “Can I ask you something?” Her voice was muffled behind the locker door.
“Sure,” he said. It wasn’t like Lisa to be so formal. If she had something to ask, she usually just asked it.
“Uh… well… You know there’s the Turnaround Dance here Saturday night. Want to go with me?” She asked it very fast, as if it were all one word. She was still hiding behind the locker door.
Cory was very surprised. He and Lisa had been friends their whole lives. But they’d never gone out on a date!
It was a really good idea, he decided quickly. He had to try to forget about Anna. Or at least not think about her all the time. Going out with Lisa would help him. What a good friend Lisa was. She really was there for him when he needed her.
“Sure,” he said. “Great!”
Lisa peeked out from behind her locker door. She had a big smile on her face. “I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock,” she said. She sounded genuinely excited.
Cory smiled back at her. Lisa was certainly acting weird, as if she had a crush on him or something. He glanced past her down the fast-emptying corridor. Was that Anna watching them in the shadows two classrooms down?
Or was he just imagining that it was Anna?
“I’ve got to get her out of my mind,” he told himself, feeling genuinely frightened. “Now I’m starting to see her everywhere!”
But, wait. She stepped out of the shadows. She was walking toward them. It was Anna.
She walked quickly between them and gave Cory a warm smile. “Hi,” she said softly, her eyes revealing that she was happy to see him. She was wearing a white blouse and an old-fashioned flower-patterned jumper. Somehow she looked even more fragile than usual.
“Hi,” Cory said. He took a step back. She was standing a little too close to him. He looked at Lisa, who looked very surprised.
“Hi,” Lisa said, sticking out her hand to shake hands. “We haven’t really met. I’m Lisa. Lisa Blume. You’re in my physics class.”
“Yes, I know,” Anna said, shaking Lisa’s hand and giving her a warm smile. “I’ve noticed you. You’re very funny.”
“Unfortunately, funny doesn’t get you too far in physics,” Lisa said, shaking her head. She pulled at her black curls. She seemed nervous. “When did you move to Shadyside?”
“A few weeks ago,” Anna told her. “It’s hard being a new girl here. It’s such a big school. I used to go to Melrose upstate. We had only two hundred students. Cory’s about the only new friend I’ve made here.” She smiled at Cory. He could feel himself blushing.
“Lucky girl,” Lisa said with her usual sarcasm. She gave Cory a funny look.
“How long have you two known each other?” Anna asked Lisa.
“Too long,” Lisa cracked.
Cory didn’t join in their laughter. He couldn’t take his eyes off Anna. She was so beautiful. And it was so great having a normal conversation with her, seeing her get along so well with Lisa.
Anna suddenly looked upset. “Gee, I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” she said to Lisa. “I’m sorry. I heard you ask Cory to the dance. Then I just barged in here between you two and—”
“No. Don’t be silly,” Lisa said. She glanced at her watch. “Oh. The bell’s gonna ring. I promised I’d be early today. I’ve gotta run.” She picked up her bookbag and slammed her locker shut. “Bye, Cory! Nice meeting you, Anna!” she shouted as she ran down the hallway.
As soon as Lisa disappeared around the corner, Anna grabbed Cory’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “Remember Friday night?” she whispered into his ear, standing on tiptoe to reach it.
Yes, he remembered Friday night. But with her standing so close to him holding his hand, he completely forgot everything else he ever knew.
“Yeah,” he said. Brilliant reply, Cory. Very impressive.
She brushed his ear with her lips and whispered something else. He couldn’t quite make out what it was. It sounded like “You’re all mine now.” But that couldn’t be it.
“Hey, Anna—” he started. “We’ve got to talk. I’ve got to ask you about—”
But she covered his mouth with her hand. Then she replaced the hand with her lips and kissed him. The kiss seemed to last forever. Cory had to struggle to breathe. They were finally interrupted by someone whistling at them.
Anna pulled back. Cor
y looked up to see who whistled.
The bell rang.
“Bye, Cory,” she whispered, giving him a conspiratorial smile, and ran off down the hall.
“No, wait—”
But she was gone. And now he was late for class. He shook his head. He knew he wouldn’t hear a word that was said in any of his classes. He’d be thinking about Anna all afternoon.
* * *
“Smooth move, ace.”
“Huh?”
“You heard me,” Lisa said. It was three hours later. School was over for the afternoon. They had met once again at their lockers. “When Mr. Martin stood right in front of you and said, ‘Cory, I don’t think you’ve heard a word I said today,’ and you said ‘What?’ Real smooth move.”
“Get off my case,” Cory snapped. “I just wasn’t listening, that’s all.”
“Guess not.” Lisa laughed. “What are you doing now? You got practice?”
“Yeah. I’m still on the team, believe it or not,” Cory muttered dispiritedly.
“Well… uh… do you want to come over after dinner? Maybe study and…” She opened her locker and reached inside. “Hey—there’s something sticky…”
She pulled her hand out. And then she screamed.
Her hand was covered with blood.
“Lisa—what is it?” Cory asked.
A dead cat flopped out of her locker and dropped onto her white sneakers. The locker was splattered with blood. The cat’s stomach had been slit open.
Lisa pressed her head against the cool tile wall. “I don’t believe this.… I don’t believe this.…” She kept repeating herself, not moving from the wall.
Cory saw something tied around the dead cat’s throat. It was a note written on white notebook paper.
He bent down, pulled it off, and read it to himself: “LISA—YOU’RE DEAD TOO.”
CHAPTER 15
“Anna!”
“Hi, Cory. I waited for you. How was practice?”
He sighed and tossed his bookbag wearily over his shoulder. “Don’t ask. I didn’t make it to practice.”
“Oh.” She hurried to keep up with him as he headed down the walk and toward the street. It was five o’clock, and the sky was already dark. A wet wind blew in their faces, gusting around them, making it hard to walk.
But Cory needed fresh air. He needed to move, to use his muscles, to let off some energy. “I had to help Lisa clean her locker,” he said. He spun around and looked into Anna’s eyes. He wanted to see if she had any idea what he was talking about.
“What is she—an obsessively neat person?” Anna asked, laughing a light musical laugh. “Whoever heard of cleaning out your locker when school has just started?”
She didn’t seem to know about the cat. Or else she was a really good actress.
As they cleaned up the mess, Lisa had insisted that Anna had to be the prime suspect. “She heard that we’re going to the dance together. She’s jealous,” Lisa had said, watching the paper towels in her hand soak up the cat’s dark red blood.
“Get real. I’ve never gone out with her,” Cory had insisted.
“I saw the way she looked at you,” Lisa said. “The way she stood next to you. Very possessive. She did this. I know it.”
“That’s just stupid.” Lisa’s accusations were making Cory really angry.
“Go get more paper towels,” Lisa said. “Ucccch. I think I’m going to be sick. It’s a good thing I hate cats.”
Now, an hour and a half later, Cory was walking in the wind, explaining to Anna what had happened. “It was a dead cat. Someone had slit open its stomach,” he told her. He studied Anna’s reaction.
Her mouth formed a small O of horror. “No!”
“Someone tied a note around the cat’s neck,” Cory continued. “It said, ‘You’re dead too.’ ”
“How horrible!” Anna cried, raising her hand to her mouth. “Poor Lisa. Who would do such a disgusting thing?”
She seemed genuinely distressed. Cory felt guilty for suspecting her. He knew she hadn’t done it.
“Want to go get a Coke or something?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head, her light hair tossing wildly in the strong wind. “Let’s just walk. I can’t believe that about Lisa. That’s so horrible.”
“Let’s change the subject,” he said, trying to brighten up.
“I heard you were the best gymnast at Shadyside last year,” she said, obediently changing the subject.
“That was last year,” he said quietly.
That was before you arrived, he thought.
“All athletes have slumps, don’t they?” she asked softly, taking his arm, using him as a shield against the wind.
“Let’s change the subject again,” he said.
“Maybe we could talk about the Turnaround Dance,” she said softly, putting her mouth right up to his ear. It sent a chill down his back.
“What about it?” he asked.
“Wouldn’t you rather go with me?” Her voice got tiny and sweet, like a little child begging for candy.
“Well… uh… yeah… I guess.”
“Great!”
“But I couldn’t do that to Lisa. We’ve been friends too long and—”
“Oh.” She frowned in disappointment, then almost immediately her face brightened again. “Oh, well. Some other time, I guess.”
They turned down Park Drive, walking slowly, Anna holding on lightly to his arm, so lightly he could barely feel her touch through his down jacket. It felt great to be walking with her. She was so beautiful. Walking down the tree-lined street, the tall streetlights just coming on to brighten the gray evening, she seemed prettier, calmer, and happier than he had ever seen her.
He felt bad about interrupting this peaceful moment. But he realized he had no choice. There were too many questions he had to ask her, too many things he was eager to know.
“I was at your house again,” he started. He could feel her tighten her grip on his arm, as if she expected what was about to come next, as if she expected it—and dreaded it. “Your brother… Brad… he answered the door again.”
“Brad.” She mouthed the word without making a sound.
Cory stopped walking and turned to face her. “He seemed very upset, Anna. He grabbed me and pulled me into the house and started to rough me up. He kept saying you were dead.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. She uttered a cry, a squeal of pain and surprise, like a small dog that’s been stepped on. “No!”
She slipped off his arm and started to run down the sidewalk, her white moccasins not making a sound.
He wasn’t going to let her get away this time. Flinging his bookbag to the ground, he ran after her. He caught her easily, grabbed her arms, and spun her around.
She refused to look at him. “Go away!” she cried, shoving him back. “Go away, Cory. You don’t want to get involved.”
“I’m already involved!” he told her, refusing to let her go. “I can’t stop thinking about you!”
Those words caused her to stop struggling. She stared at him questioningly, as if she didn’t believe it, as if she couldn’t have heard him correctly. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice a whisper.
As darkness settled, the air grew even colder and the wind picked up. He let go of her arms. She turned and started walking back in the direction of the high school. He followed, walking a few steps behind her. “I have to know the truth,” he said. “Why did your brother say that about you?”
“I don’t know,” she answered without looking back. “I told you he was crazy.”
“Someone called me before you did last Friday night and told me not to see you because you were dead, and if I did see you, I’d be dead too. Was that your brother?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I really don’t know. You’ve got to believe me.” She started walking faster. He had to hurry to keep up.
“But why would your brother say a thing like that?” Cory demanded. “Why would he tell people yo
u were dead?”
She spun around, and he almost ran into her. “I don’t know! I don’t know! I don’t know! He’s crazy! I told you! He’s crazy—and he’s very dangerous!” she shouted, tears forming in her eyes. “I really can’t talk about it. Don’t you understand?”
“Who else lives with you?” Cory asked, deliberately lowering his voice. He didn’t want to make her cry, didn’t want her to get hysterical. The poor girl obviously had a troubled brother who was making life difficult for her.
“Just my mother,” Anna answered, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “But she isn’t very well. It’s just the three of us.”
They walked on a little in silence, side by side. “Don’t listen to Brad,” she said finally. “I’m here. I’m here with you. Don’t listen to him. Just stay away from him. He mustn’t know about… about us.”
“Sorry for all the questions,” he said softly, putting his arm around her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that I didn’t know what to think, and you—you called me Saturday night and then—”
“What? No, Cory. You mean Friday night.”
“You called me Saturday night, too, and I came as fast as I could and—”
She turned and stopped him by putting both hands on his chest. She looked very upset. “Someone played a horrible joke on you,” she said, her blue eyes burning into his. “I never called you Saturday night.”
“Then who—”
“Shhhhh. It’s okay,” she said, putting her finger to his lips. “Let’s not talk anymore.” She tilted her head up. He leaned down and started to kiss her.
“No!” she cried suddenly, startling him. She pulled away. She wasn’t looking at him. She was looking past him to the tall hedges that bordered the sidewalk. “I’ve got to go. Don’t follow. He’s watching me!”
She turned and ran up the street toward the high school. Cory stood helplessly watching her flee for a few seconds. Then he moved quickly to investigate the hedges. He ran around to the other side.
About a hundred yards away someone in a dark fur parka was running at full speed in the other direction along the hedge. Was it Brad?