The New Year's Party (2 page)

“Have you seen Karen?” Beth asked Todd.

“Not for a while,” he answered.

“The party is going to get totally out of control if she doesn't do
something.
”

Todd followed her gaze over to Jeremy. “He's fine. Why do you worry about him so much?”

He's not fine, Beth thought. I know him better than anyone—and he's definitely not fine. She didn't bother trying to explain her feelings to Todd.

Todd nudged Beth and pointed to the stairs. “Want to sit over there?”

Four couples sat on the carpeted steps, making out. Jenna Cosgrove had smeared pink lipstick all over Joe Hart's face. Joe didn't seem to notice.

Beth felt tempted, but she didn't want to make out in front of the entire party. “Not there,” she insisted. “Everybody could watch us.”

“Nobody's paying attention to them,” Todd replied.

Before Beth could answer him, a loud burst of laughter distracted her. One of the tough-looking boys had poured a Coke over Jeremy's head.

Stand up to him! Beth thought. But Jeremy did nothing.

She watched him stumble backward, bumping into a girl. “Hey!” the girl snapped. “Watch where you're going.”

Jeremy moved sideways, taking wobbly steps, trying to maintain his balance. But his feet got tangled, and he fell, landing next to the food table.

Everyone but Beth found Jeremy's awkward fall hilarious. Even Todd.

Beth saw Jeremy's face turn bright red.

I've got to go to him, Beth decided. She started across the room.

But Todd grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the dark den. “No one will see us in there,” he urged.

She hesitated, gazing back at Jeremy. Todd wouldn't want her to try to comfort him. Jeremy probably wouldn't want her to come over. He'd tell her to mind her own business.

Todd tugged on her hand. They squeezed past two boys discussing cars. Beth had seen them around school but didn't know them.

“I want one of those Mustangs,” the taller one said. “A red convertible with a big V-8. Oh, man, I'd die for one of those.”

“A Corvette would eat you right up,” the other boy responded.

“Get serious! All you'd see of my Mustang would be the taillights.”

A group of kids began singing “Auld Lang Syne.” Nobody knew the words, but they knew they were
supposed to sing it on New Year's Eve. The record player nearly drowned them out—Roy Orbison singing “Pretty Woman.”

The door burst open.

Beth turned—in time to see two young men wearing ski masks rush into the room.

She saw the ski masks first.

Then she saw their pistols.

O
ne of the men pointed his pistol at a girl who was by the record player. “Turn that off!” he barked.

Roy Orbison abruptly stopped in midnote.

Silence now.

Beth couldn't move. She kept her eyes on the pistols, afraid to glance away.

“Happy New Year!” the other man bellowed. “Everyone against the wall. Now!”

Todd tugged Beth's hand, pulling her against the wall. She could feel her knees trembling. What are they going to do to us? she wondered.

“We want your wallets and your watches,” one of the intruders announced.

Beth unfastened her watch and slid it off. She held it out in front of her and kept her eyes on the ground. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself.

Should I give them my earrings, too? Beth wondered. She hated to give up the little diamond drops. They had been passed down from generation to generation in her family, always going to the first-born girl on her sixteenth birthday.

“Hand 'em over!” one of the men yelled, interrupting her thoughts. “Try anything stupid and this guy gets it.”

Beth jerked her head up. Jeremy! He's got Jeremy! No! she thought. Don't hurt him. Please.

Beth shuddered as the gunman pressed the gleaming barrel of his gun against Jeremy's temple.

All the color drained from Jeremy's face. “P-please,” he whimpered. “Give them what they want.”

Beth tried to catch Jeremy's gaze. She willed him to stay calm. Do what they ordered.

“Don't shoot me,” Jeremy begged. “Please don't shoot me.” He stumbled forward a step.

Beth cried out.

“Hey! I told you not to move!” The intruder twisted the gun against Jeremy's head.

“I … I didn't mean to,” Jeremy moaned. “I didn't.”

“Yes, you did.”

Jeremy shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

“Everybody pay attention,” the robber commanded.
“This is an example of what happens when you don't cooperate.”

Again, he pressed the gun barrel against Jeremy's head.

Then he pulled the trigger.

B
eth screamed.

The room rang out with screams.

Jeremy's eyes bulged. He staggered forward, but didn't go down.

The gun didn't fire! Beth realized. Jeremy is okay! The breath she had been holding escaped in a loud
whoosh.

Everyone stared at the intruders, stunned, afraid to move.

Beth frantically scanned the room. No one would try to help Jeremy, she realized. No one could do anything.

Then, to her amazement, the intruders pulled off their masks.

Huh? Why are they letting us see their faces? Beth asked herself. Are they planning to kill us all?

Then Beth recognized them. Two seniors from Shadyside High. Party crashers.

The robbery is all a stupid joke, she realized. A dangerous, dumb joke.

The two boys laughed gleefully and punched each other's shoulders. “Do these guns look real to you?” one of them asked. “We bought them at a toy store.”

“I knew they were fakes!” a girl declared. “They looked like plastic.”

“P-please give them what they w-want,” a boy imitated Jeremy's terror-filled voice.

“P-please don't shoot me!” someone else imitated Jeremy, shaking his whole body.

Everyone laughed. Except Beth. She saw Karen at the doorway, congratulating the two boys.

Karen? How could she do that to Jeremy? Beth wondered. She's supposed to be my friend.

Karen was in on the whole thing! Beth realized. That's why I couldn't find her at midnight. She was making plans with these two creeps.

Beth yanked her hand from Todd's. “Karen!” she screamed. “How could you do this to Jeremy?” Beth's face felt on fire as her anger raged.

“Beth, it was just a joke,” Karen replied. “Something to liven up the party.”

“It's not funny! It was stupid and mean!” Beth shrieked.

I'll never forgive Karen. Never! Beth thought.

One of the boys tossed Jeremy a toy gun.

“Don't shoot yourself!” someone yelled.

More cruel laughter.

With a furious scowl Jeremy heaved the gun against the wall. Then he took off, pushing people out of his way as he hurtled to the front door.

Beth started after him. But Todd moved in front of her, blocking her path. “Hey—where are you going?”

“Todd, you don't understand. I—”

“I'm tired of being ignored,” he declared. “All you've been doing this whole night is watching Jeremy. Why don't you let him take care of himself?”

“He needs me,” Beth protested.

“Then maybe I'll find someone who pays a little attention to me.” Todd turned and stormed away.

I hate him! Beth thought. I hate them all for what they did to Jeremy.

Beth saw Jeremy bolt out the front door. She thought about getting her coat. But then she'd never catch up to him. So she ran out into the freezing night.

“Jeremy!” she shouted, her boots sinking into the deep snow that blanketed the front yard. “Wait up! Where are you going?”

He spun around to face her. His handsome face was twisted in anger. “Beat it, Beth. Leave me alone! I'm sick of being made fun of!”

He turned away with a scowl and trudged over the snow to his beat-up Ford Fairlane.

Ignoring the freezing, swirling winds, Beth ran after him. “They were just kidding you. Come back. The roads are all icy. You're too upset to drive!”

“Go back to the party with your stupid friends! Leave me alone! You're not my mother!” Jeremy slid behind the wheel and slammed the door. Snow toppled off the car roof.

Slipping and sliding, Beth rushed around the car and jumped in the passenger side. “I'm going with you.”

The tires spun on the icy street as he pulled away from the curb.

“The roads are all covered with ice,” Beth cautioned. She fastened her seat belt and checked to make sure Jeremy had his on. “Be careful, Jeremy. This is stupid. Pull over. Let's talk.”

Jeremy ignored her. Squinting through the snowy windshield, he sped through a stop sign without slowing down.

“Jeremy! Don't drive like this. Please!”

The car slipped dangerously close to the snowbank at the edge of the road. Beth shut her eyes, sure they would hit it. But Jeremy managed to steer the car back toward the center of the road.

“Slow down,” Beth pleaded. She gripped the dashboard with both hands.

Jeremy paid no attention. Trees and telephone poles flashed by in the car's headlights.

Beth studied his face in the dim glow from the instrument panel. His jaw was set, and he stared straight ahead, his eyes filled with anger.

Why do they have to hurt him like this? Beth wondered. Why do I have to be Jeremy's only friend?

The car skidded out of control. Jeremy spun the wheel, struggling to keep from sliding off the street.

“Slow down, Jeremy. Please!”

They sped down the two-lane highway. Beth usually loved to speed through the darkness. It was a great feeling of freedom.

But not tonight. Not on these icy roads. Not with Jeremy driving so recklessly.

Jeremy plowed through a snowdrift, sending waves of white snow flying in all directions.

The highway glistened like silver under the headlights—a solid sheet of ice.

We're not driving. We're flying, Beth thought, feeling the panic tighten her throat. We're flying out of control.

“Jeremy, the road is too slippery!” she wailed. “I'm begging you—slow down!”

“Hey,” Jeremy snapped. “It's New Year's. Why can't I have a little fun?”

The windshield fogged over. Beth could barely see out. “Turn on your defroster,” she urged.

He shrugged.

“Jeremy! Turn it on! You can't see!”

“It's broken.”

“Why didn't you get it fixed?”

“Because I didn't. That's why. Leave me alone, Beth. I didn't ask you to follow me.”

Beth wiped the windshield with her sleeve. But it only smeared it.

“Oh, please,” Beth begged. “We can barely see the road.”

Jeremy tromped down harder on the gas pedal. The old Ford roared over the ice.

I hate it when he's like this, Beth thought. She squinted through the fogged windshield.

And saw the dim figure.

A boy?

A boy in the middle of the road?

She screamed.

Too late.

Jeremy swerved.

Something bounced on the hood with a heavy
thud.

A face appeared through the foggy windshield. A boy's face, his mouth open in a scream of surprise.

The boy dropped to the ground.

The car rolled over him with a hard bump.