The Dare (7 page)

Too late, Mom.

I pulled the trigger.

O
f course the pistol wasn't loaded. The cartridge with the bullets was still in the drawer.

Lowering the pistol to my side, I turned to my mom. “I—I thought I heard a burglar,” I lied.

“A burglar!” Mom cried, her eyes widening in alarm. “I'll call the police!”

“No. Wait,” I told her. “There's no one there. I just heard the wind or something. You know how I get freaked at night sometimes.”

“Close the window,” my mom said, eyeing me suspiciously. “It's cold enough in this drafty old house.”

Peering out into the dark front yard, I pushed the window down. To my surprise, Mr. Northwood had disappeared.

I guessed he had finally returned to his house.

I wish I could
really
make you disappear, I thought, still feeling shaky.

“You shouldn't take that gun out,” Mom said, tightening the belt on her pink terrycloth robe. “I really don't want it in the house. It's just one more example of your father's poor judgment.” She sighed.

“It isn't loaded,” I said softly. I dropped it into the drawer and slid the drawer shut.

“How was your date?” Mom asked, her dark eyes boring into me, studying me.

“Great,” I told her. “Really great.”

As I hurried up to my room, I wondered if Dennis would ever ask me out again.

Melody cornered me in the girls' locker room in school Monday morning.

We had just played Volleyball in gym. Melody's normally perfect hair was actually a little messed up. “I want to tell you something,” she said, her pale blue eyes narrowed at me.

“We're going to be late,” I told her. “The bell is going to ring.”

“It won't take long,” she replied, keeping her voice low. “You know, Caitlin found out about you and Dennis.” She stared hard at me, watching my reaction.

I didn't react much. I let my mouth drop open in surprise, but I didn't say anything.

“I didn't tell her,” Melody said, letting the towel she was holding drop to the bench between the lockers. “But she found out. There were so many kids at my house Friday night. I mean, she was bound to find out.”

“So?” I asked, glancing up at the clock.

“So she's very upset,” Melody continued. “I don't know what Dennis told you. But Caitlin can be very jealous. I just thought I should warn you. Caitlin doesn't want anyone else going out with Dennis.”

“I think that's up to Dennis, isn't it?” I asked shrilly. I didn't mean to sound so intense, but I couldn't help it.

“Well, don't have a cow!” Melody exploded nastily. “I was just trying to give you a friendly warning.”

The bell rang, startling us both. Applying lip gloss as she ran, Melody hurried away.

What's going on? I wondered.

I knew that Caitlin and Melody were pals. Did Caitlin send Melody to warn me? Did Dennis lie when he told me that he and Caitlin sometimes go out with other people? Was Melody just being vicious, just trying to stir up trouble?

The questions repeated in my head as I hurried to class. But no answers came to me.

After school I was making my way through the crowded halls to the library on the second floor. I had to get some material on cloning for a science project Margaret and I were working on together.

I passed Caitlin going the other way on the stairs. I was pretty sure she saw me, but she kept on talking to the girl beside her and stepped right by me.

At the top of the stairs, I turned toward the library. I stopped when I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

“Oh, hi, Dennis,” I said, flashing him a warm smile. “What's up?”

He was wearing his maroon and gray Shadyside jacket over baggy faded jeans. He had a half-eaten granola bar in his hand. Smiling back at me, he offered me a bite.

I shook my head. “No, thanks.”

He pulled a piece of thread off the shoulder of my blue sweater. “Want to study together tonight?” he asked. “I could come over after track practice.”

He
does
like me! I thought happily.

Melody suddenly pushed her way into my mind. Again I saw her eyeing me sternly, warning me about Caitlin.

Dennis took a bite of the granola bar, waiting for my answer.

“That would be great!” I told him. I probably shouldn't have let myself sound so excited. I should have acted more casual about it. But I couldn't help it.

Sorry, Caitlin, I thought. I really like Dennis. And if Dennis really likes me, it's just too bad for you.

“Later,” Dennis said, giving me a funny little two-finger salute.

“Later,” I repeated happily.

By the time I got home, I was having second thoughts.

I mean, my house is so shabby and run-down. It's embarrassing.

Melody's house is like a palace compared to mine. It's five times as big, for one thing. And forget about chrome and white leather. Our living room is filled
with a worn-out corduroy couch and two beat-up vinyl armchairs.

Pitiful. Really pitiful.

Gazing unhappily around the living room, I was tempted to call Dennis and make up some excuse why he couldn't come over. I wanted him to like me so much. And I was really afraid when he saw what my house looked like that he would decide I couldn't be part of his crowd.

Crazy thinking, I guess.

But Dennis had me a little unbalanced. I admit it.

I made myself a tuna fish sandwich for dinner and piled the plate high with potato chips. That's one great advantage of being as skinny as I am. You can eat as many potato chips as you like.

When the phone rang after my lonely dinner, I ran to answer it.

It's Dennis calling with an excuse for why he can't come over, I thought.

“Hello?” I swallowed hard, expecting to hear his voice.

“Hi, Johanna, it's me.” Margaret. “What time should I come over?”

“Huh?” Margaret's question caught me by surprise.

“You said we'd work at your house tonight—remember?” Margaret said. “You know. On our science project?”

“Oh. Right.” Dennis had me so crazed, I had totally forgotten about my plan to get together with Margaret.

“Uh … I can't do it tonight, Margaret. I … uh …”

I didn't want to tell her I was dumping her for Dennis. She and I really did have to work on the project. It was due on Friday.

“I think I'm getting the flu,” I blurted out.

I'm such a bad liar. It was the first thing that popped into my head.

“You seemed fine in school today,” Margaret insisted. I could tell she didn't quite believe me.

“I just started to feel sick after school,” I told her, feeling really guilty. “I'm going to bed early. Maybe I'll be okay tomorrow. Want to get together tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Margaret replied. “Feel better, okay?”

She hung up.

I stood there, thinking about Margaret, about what a good friend she was.

Why did I lie to her? I asked myself. Why didn't I just tell her that Dennis was coming over to study tonight?

Margaret would be
happy
for me.

No, she wouldn't, I decided. She'd be angry and hurt that I stood her up for Dennis. I did the right thing by telling a little white lie.

The doorbell rang. I hurried to answer it.

“Dennis—hi!” I called eagerly.

I pulled open the front door—and stared in amazement.

“H
ey, how's it going?” Dennis grinned at me.

Four other faces peered in at me. Dennis had brought a whole group—Melody, Zack, Lanny, and even Caitlin!

They pushed past me into the house, all talking at once. I flashed Dennis a what's-going-on-here? look, but he didn't seem to notice.

After tossing their coats on a chair, they sprawled around the living room, talking and laughing, dropping their backpacks to the floor, pretty much ignoring me.

Melody stretched her legs over the arm of a brown vinyl armchair. She was wearing a long red sweater over black tights. Her blond hair was twisted up in a tight bun behind her head. “What are we doing here?” she asked Dennis. “Are we studying, or what?”

“We're partying,” Zack said, grinning. He had
dropped his large Hulk body onto the floor. He was wearing his blue sunglasses, as usual. He turned to me. “Do you have anything to drink?”

“I think there are some Cokes in the fridge,” I replied.

“I like your house,” Lanny said, tapping a hand on the shabby corduroy couch. “It's real … comfortable.”

“Is anyone else home?” Caitlin asked, glancing around. She stood very close to Dennis, who was sitting on the windowsill. She brushed something off the shoulder of his sweatshirt.

Caitlin had a navy blue baseball cap pulled down over her short brown hair. Her cheeks were red, from the cold outside, I guessed.

I told her my mom was at work. Then I went to see if there were enough Cokes for everyone.

Why didn't Dennis warn me? I wondered as I made my way to the kitchen. Why didn't he tell me he was bringing over all his friends?

I was disappointed that he hadn't come alone. But I was also happy to have them all in my house. I mean, maybe this meant they were accepting me into the group. Maybe this meant we were all going to be friends.

I bent down and started pulling cans of Coke out of the fridge. I could hear Caitlin laughing about something in the other room.

I felt a little uncomfortable having Caitlin there. Especially after what Melody had told me. But Caitlin didn't seem to be angry or anything. In fact, she seemed to be in a really good mood.

Did she really tell Melody to warn me to stay away from him? Did she even care?

It was all too confusing. I decided to just stay cool and try to enjoy my new friends.

“Hope you don't mind the crowd scene.” Dennis suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway. He smiled at me, a little-boy smile.

“No problem.” I returned his smile. I had a sudden impulse to run over to him and throw my arms around him. He was just so great-looking.

Uh-oh, Johanna, I thought. Watch out. You're really falling for him. Watch out!

Dennis helped me carry in the Cokes. When we returned to the living room, the mood had changed.

Zack had climbed to his feet and was lumbering back and forth in front of the window. “Do you believe that jerk?” he was demanding. He scratched his curly red hair as he paced. “Do you believe him?”

“Who are you talking about?” Dennis asked him, sitting down on the floor beside Caitlin.

“Northwood, of course,” Zack replied bitterly. “Didn't you hear about it, Dennis? I'm sure it was all over school.”

“What was?” Dennis asked. He took a long swig from his Coke can, his green eyes locked on Zack.

“Northwood called Zack up after class. He caught him cheating on the quiz,” Lanny said, an amused grin on his face.

“I
wasn't
cheating!” Zack screamed, glaring at Lanny.

“Then why were you leaning over Deena Martinson's shoulder?” Melody demanded.

“I was asking her what time it was,” Zack replied. “I wasn't looking at her answers. I was asking for the time.”

Melody and Lanny laughed scornfully. Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“We don't believe you,” Dennis said softly, snickering.

Zack exploded, letting out a string of curses. I couldn't see his eyes behind the blue sunglasses. But I didn't need to see them to know he was really angry. He is so big and powerful-looking, I was afraid he might shove his fist through the window or smash all the lamps.

I had a momentary fantasy of Zack going on a rampage in my living room. I pictured Mom getting home, walking in, and finding nothing left but sawdust.

Which would be an improvement.

“It's no lie,” Zack declared. “No lie. I wasn't cheating. But Northwood grabbed me and pulled me out of the room. He said he could have me suspended again, this time for good.”

“Did you tell him you were asking for the time?” Dennis asked.

“Of course,” Zack shot back bitterly. “But Northwood wouldn't listen. He wouldn't even let me talk!”

“He won't listen to any of us,” Lanny broke in, his handsome features set in a hard frown beneath his blond hair. “And he won't give us a break. You know why? You know why Northwood is always on our case?”

“Because he's a jerk?” Zack answered.

“No. Because we're rich,” Lanny said heatedly. “We're rich and he's poor. And that's why
we're
the ones he always picks on.”

“Yeah, you're right,” Melody murmured.

“He never gives us a break,” Caitlin agreed.

Zack suddenly bent over and hoisted up his backpack. “That's okay,” he muttered. “That's okay.” He unzipped it and reached one of his beefy hands inside. After a few seconds of fumbling through the stuff in the backpack, he appeared to find what he was looking for.

When Zack turned back to the rest of us, his expression quickly changed. Beneath the round blue sunglasses, an evil smile crossed his face.

“Hey, man, what's in there?” Dennis demanded.

“I'm going to take care of him,” Zack replied, his grin growing wider, his expression menacing. “I'm going to take care of Northwood—tonight.”

D
ennis and Lanny started to laugh. But something about Zack's expression made them cut it short.

I was standing behind the couch, my arms crossed tensely in front of me. Everyone stared at Zack.

He let his backpack drop to the floor at his feet. It took me a while to recognize what he gripped in his big, chunky hand.

A test tube.

Still grinning, Zack held it up so we all could see it.

“Wh-what
is
it?” I stammered.