“No way!”
Sarah didn’t turn around. She stomped the rest of the way up the stairs.
“Fine,” Delia snapped. “Have it your way. Just don’t spy on us anymore.”
Sarah stopped on the landing and spun around. She glared down at Delia.
“Oh, I won’t.” She sneered. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze slid from Delia to Vincent. “I’ll do something much better than spy,” Sarah continued. “That’s a promise.”
A chill stiffened the back of Delia’s neck.
“Sarah—what did you say?” she cried. “What do you mean? What are you going to do?”
Chapter
7
At school the next afternoon Delia found herself thinking about Sarah as she searched her locker for her geology notebook.
I should never have embarrassed her in front of Vincent like that, Delia realized. I’ve never seen Sarah so angry.
So angry she hadn’t spoken to Delia since. And she hadn’t returned the drawing.
Delia had other drawings she could use to replace the self-portrait—but she didn’t like them as much.
She sighed. The contest would be so close. She needed every advantage she could get.
But she felt so distracted all the time. She kept thinking about Karina. And now she had to worry about her sister too.
On her hands and knees, Delia searched the cluttered floor of the locker. What did I do with that notebook? she thought. I’m spacing out way too much. I can’t let my grades slip now. I’ve worked so hard.
“So I was wondering if you want to hang out or something on Saturday,” a low voice said.
“Excuse me?” Delia straightened up so fast, she banged her head against the top shelf of her locker. She turned and saw Stewart Andrews staring at her.
Stewart Andrews—her stiffest competition for the Conklin Award. Besides Karina.
Delia leaned back against the locker and studied Stewart’s face. “What did you say?” she asked.
Stewart pushed a lock of black hair out of his eyes. “I asked if you wanted to do something Saturday night.” He grinned at her shyly.
He’s cute, Delia thought. Really cute.
“You mean … go out?” Delia heard her voice squeak. “Well …”
What am I doing? she thought. I already have a boyfriend!
“I thought it would be good to chill out. You know. Before Monday’s talent competition,” Stewart said. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend the whole weekend biting my fingernails. I figure Sunday will give me enough time for that,” he joked.
Over Stewart’s shoulder, Delia spotted Vincent striding down the hall. She felt her pulse speed up. The way it always did when she saw him.
She quickly checked her lipstick in the mirror on her locker door. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blotted her lips, then swung the locker door shut.
“I’m sorry, Stewart,” she said, gazing over his shoulder. Vincent waved and kept walking. “But I can’t go out with you. Vincent and I are …”
“Oh.” Stewart’s smile faded. “Okay. No problem.” He blushed. “See you Monday then,” he said. He started down the hall. “At the talent competition.”
“Yeah. Okay. Bye.” Delia watched him go. Weird, she thought. Stewart must know I’m going with Vincent. Everyone knows I’m going with Vincent.
Don’t they?
Frowning, Delia hurried over to the library to return a book. Then she climbed the steps to the second floor classrooms. She had this period free, but she had promised to meet Britty in the geology lab. They needed to go over their notes before the test tomorrow.
She turned down the hallway—and heard someone say her name softly. Delia checked the hall in both directions. Empty.
But she noticed that the door of the storage room stood open. Delia crept closer. She thought she heard someone say her name again.
Delia pressed her back against the wall and shot a quick glance into the storage room.
Stewart stood inside—deep in conversation with someone. Delia couldn’t see who. Stewart wore a serious expression, and he gestured with his hands as he talked.
A girl’s voice murmured a reply to him.
Who is he talking to? Is he asking someone else out already? Delia wondered.
Stewart shifted his position.
Delia leaned forward.
Peered into the dark little room.
And gasped as the other person came into view.
Chapter
8
Karina?
He’s talking to Karina? In secret?
Peeking into the doorway, Delia studied Karina’s face. Saw her angry expression.
They’re talking about me, Delia realized. I know I heard my name. They are planning something.
Delia felt sure she knew what it was.
“You’re late.” The voice made Delia jump. She saw Britty step up beside her. “What’s up?” Britty asked. “You were supposed to meet me ten minutes ago.”
Delia grabbed Britty by the arm and pulled her into the geology lab. She shut the door behind them.
“I’ll tell you what’s up,” Delia whispered. “Karina and Stewart Andrews are talking to each other in that storage room. I think she sent him to ask me out. She’s trying to use him to break up me and Vincent.”
Britty nibbled on the end of her French braid. “I don’t get it.”
Delia swept a pile of rocks to one end of the first table and slammed down her books. “Stewart just asked me out.”
Britty lifted her eyebrows. “And you’re upset about that?” She shook her head and laughed. “Being asked out by Stewart doesn’t sound so bad to me. At least half the girls in school would like to go out with him.”
“You don’t get it.”
The more she thought about it, the more furious Delia felt. “I said no to him. And the first thing he did is run upstairs to report to Karina,” she told Britty. “Don’t you see? Karina talked him into it! She thought I’d say yes. Karina actually thought I would go out with Stewart! She did it to get me out of the way—so she could have Vincent all to herself.”
Delia began pacing up and down the lab room. Britty followed her. “Delia—”
“I should go over there and tell her I know what she did,” Delia interrupted. “But I won’t. The last thing I need is another scene with Karina. She is so out of control. She would probably try to kill me again!”
“Delia?” Britty tried again.
“What?” Delia asked impatiently. She stopped pacing and turned to her friend.
“Um, Delia, don’t get angry if I ask you this—okay?”
Delia nodded.
Britty nervously tapped her fingers on the table. “Why would Stewart agree to help Karina? It doesn’t make sense.”
Delia stared at Britty for a second. Then she slumped back against a lab station. “Maybe you’re right,” she admitted.
“It’s hard to believe, but Stewart might have asked you out because he likes you,” Britty said. “You probably heard him talking to Karina about the Conklin Award or something. Your name would have come up.”
“But why were they talking in the storage closet?” Delia demanded.
“It’s not the strangest thing Karina has done this week, right?” Britty made her way to the door and stuck her head out into the hallway. “Stewart is leaving,” she reported. “But I don’t see Karina. Maybe she’s still in there.”
Delia groaned. “Karina is nuts,” she said. “And she’s making me as crazy as she is! You can tell me. I’ve been acting insane lately myself.”
Britty turned to face her. “Well, you have been a little stressed,” she admitted. Delia and Britty both laughed.
“I’m stopping right now,” Delia promised. “All the Conklin judging will be over soon. Maybe then things will get back to normal.”
Britty took another peek out the door. “She’s still in there. What is she doing? There is nothing in that storage room but bro
ken furniture and cleaning stuff.”
“I’m so sick of trying to figure out what Karina is doing,” Delia sighed. “And in a weird way, I’m starting to feel sorry for her. She is ruining her whole senior year—just because she feels she has to compete with me every minute. You know, competing with Karina used to be kind of fun. It pushed us both to try harder.”
“Ssshh!” Britty whispered. “She’s coming out!”
Delia hurried over to Britty. They peeked out the door and watched as Karina stopped at a water fountain.
“Britty!” Delia whispered. “Maybe we can help Karina. Maybe you could talk to her. You know. Explain how much Vincent and I care about each other.”
Britty chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t know—”
“You could tell her that I’m not angry at her,” Delia continued. “That everything is cool with us—as long as she doesn’t do anything else to try and split Vincent and me up.”
Britty shook her head. “I tried,” she said. “I stopped by her house on my way home. She didn’t want to listen. She told me to go away.”
Delia groaned. “She is so messed up. Well … there’s nothing more I can do. If she won’t talk to you, she definitely won’t talk to me. I’ll just have to stay as far away from her as I can.”
Delia watched Karina make her way down the hall with her head held high. Her blond hair gleamed in the overhead lights.
Her dark pleated pants and two-piece pink sweater set were way too conservative. Delia wouldn’t be caught dead in the outfit. But she had to admit, on Karina it looked good. Better than good.
“Try talking to her again,” Delia pleaded with Britty. “She might listen to you, and she’ll never listen to me. Talk to her one more time.”
“I don’t want to get in the middle of this,” Britty insisted.
“Please?” Delia begged. She knew that Britty would give in.
“Oh, all right.” Britty sighed. “Stop looking like a sick puppy. I’ll go talk to her.”
Delia grinned. “Thanks, Brit. I just want Karina to be okay—and leave me alone.”
Britty forced a smile to her face and stepped out into the hall. Delia hid in the doorway and watched her friend.
“Here goes nothing,” Britty murmured. She took a deep breath. Then she called out loudly, “Hey, Karina! Wait up!”
Chapter
9
“Hey, Karina! Wait up. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Britty called. “Want to hang out after school today?”
“I don’t know,” Karina replied. “I have a voice lesson at five, and I’m supposed to study with Stewart before that. What did you want to do?”
Britty bent to tie her shoelace, forcing Karina to stop walking while she waited.
“Good move,” Delia whispered to herself. If they went too far down the hall, I wouldn’t be able to hear them.
“I thought we could go to the mall or something,” Britty said as she fiddled with her sneaker. “Or just talk. You know, the way we used to.”
“Talk?” Karina asked. “About what?”
Britty glanced at the doorway where Delia hid. She cleared her throat. “Oh, come on, Karina. You know I’m Delia’s best friend. We’re all friends, right? I think we need to talk about what happened in the gym the other day.”
Delia watched Karina laugh. “Oh, that! I lost it for a moment. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” Britty’s voice rose. “You almost strangled Delia!”
Delia felt a chill run up her back as she studied Karina’s serene expression. She doesn’t even care if she hurt me, Delia realized. Does she even remember what happened?
“You need to talk to somebody, Karina,” Britty urged her. “It doesn’t have to be me. Maybe then you would realize you’re not acting …” Britty hesitated. “You’d realize …”
“Realize what?” Karina asked impatiently. “That Delia isn’t willing to face reality?”
Delia gasped.
Britty glanced nervously toward the lab room. “Karina—” she began.
“Tell your best friend Delia something for me,” Karina said softly, so softly Delia could barely hear her. “Tell her she’ll never win the Conklin. I guarantee it. And she won’t get Vincent away from me either.”
Delia’s stomach flipped over. It was bad enough hearing Karina say that when she went nuts in the gym.
But now she sounded so much like the regular Karina. Normal and confident.
Except that her words were still crazy. She still thought that she and Vincent were a couple.
Delia closed her eyes, fighting against the icy feeling creeping into her stomach. She swallowed hard.
If Karina thought she and Vincent were a couple, what would she do to keep him?
“Did you hear me, Delia?” Karina called loudly.
Delia’s eyes flew open.
“I know you’re standing there listening,” Karina called. “Listen all you want. Do you really want to hear something?”
Her voice grew shrill, angry. “I’ll give you something to listen to, Delia. I’ll do anything. Do you hear me? I’ll do anything to keep you from winning!”
♦ ♦ ♦
Will I be able to fall asleep? Delia wondered.
Or will I lie awake all night thinking about the talent competition tomorrow?
Maybe I should get out of bed and tune my guitar again.
She sat up.
No. I’ve tuned it twice. It wasn’t out of tune to begin with.
Maybe I should rehearse a little more. Go over my song.
No. I practically know it backward and forward.
Delia let her head slump back onto the pillow. She shut her eyes tightly.
Sleep. Sleep.
I’ll never win the talent competition if I yawn in the middle of my song.
She rolled onto her side. Her legs were tangled in the bedsheet.
I wonder what Karina is doing right now, Delia thought. I wonder if she is staring up at the ceiling, as awake as I am. Worrying about tomorrow.
No way. She’s probably been asleep for an hour.
She probably went right to sleep because she knew I’d be wide awake!
Crazy thoughts …
Don’t go paranoid, Delia scolded herself.
She shut her eyes again and forced herself to think about popcorn. Soft, fluffy popcorn—piles and piles of it—floating down from the sky, covering the ground like snow.
Popcorn. So soft. So silent …
It always worked.
A few minutes later she drifted into a light sleep.
Some time later, she blinked herself awake. And jerked her head up from the warm pillow.
What was that sound?
A scraping sound.
Delia turned to the doorway, instantly alert.
A scraping sound. Followed by a cough.
“Who’s there?” she called out, her voice choked with sleep.
A footstep. But no reply.
In the gray light from the open bedroom door, Delia saw a dark form move toward her.
“Who is it?”
No reply.
Delia started to sit up.
But before she could move, a hand covered her mouth and nose. Squeezed her cheeks. Pressed down, keeping her from crying out.
Delia twisted her head, arched her body. Tried to slide out from under the hand.
But the hand gripped too tightly for her to escape. The palm closed over Delia’s nose, blocking the air.
Struggling, squirming, thrashing her legs, Delia stared up at her attacker.
Saw the light hair. The narrowed, determined eyes.
And recognized her.
Karina!
With an angry burst of power, Delia raised both arms—and batted Karina’s hand away.
“Karina—” Delia choked out hoarsely. “Karina—what are you doing?”
Karina’s eyes flashed in the darkness. And then Delia saw another flash.
A metallic flash at Karina’s waist
.
The shape of a small pistol.
“This won’t hurt, Delia,” Karina whispered.
Delia sank back helplessly as Karina raised the pistol. Raised it over Delia’s head.
“This won’t hurt,” Karina rasped. “You won’t feel a thing.”
Chapter
10
The glint of silver rose higher.
Delia stared up in horror. Waited for the explosion. Waited for the pain.
“Ohh!” She gasped as she realized she wasn’t staring up at a pistol.
Karina held a silvery tube of lipstick in her hand.
“Karina—wait!” Delia pleaded.
She felt Karina’s other hand press down on her chest.
And then Karina lowered the lipstick tube. Lowered it. Pressed the lipstick hard against Delia’s cheek.
Delia felt the lipstick smear down her cheek. Across her chin.
She struggled to sit up. But Karina held her down.
Smearing the sticky lipstick over Delia’s forehead now. Rubbing it in her ears. Pushing it along the sides of Delia’s nose.
“Karina—stop!” Delia begged.
“Stop. Please—stop. Please. Why are you doing this? Stop! Please!”
As she begged, Delia suddenly realized that she was dreaming.
She was in the dream—and outside the dream at the same time.
She willed herself awake. Opened her eyes.
Her face tingled.
She sat up and rubbed her hands over her face.
No lipstick. No Karina and no lipstick. Just a dream.
Just a frightening dream …
“Karina, I’m afraid of you when I’m awake. And now you frighten me in my sleep,” Delia murmured.
What am I going to do?
What am I going to do?
♦ ♦ ♦
Delia was number seven.
Last.
Shifting slightly in the springy auditorium seat, she crossed her legs. She banged into Britty. “Sorry,” Delia murmured. She uncrossed her legs.
“Sit still, will you?” Britty whispered, keeping her eyes on the stage where Stewart was performing his magic act. “You wanted to perform last.”
“I thought I would be able to relax and check out the competition,” Delia whispered back. “But this is making me nuts!”