The New Year's Party (8 page)

Reenie felt a chill down her back. Something else has happened, she knew. Something bad.

“What's wrong?” Sean asked Sandi.

“What happened?” Liz demanded.

“Just get to the weight room,” Sandi replied, her eyes wide with fear.

R
eenie bolted down the corridor to the gym. Sean yanked open one of the big double doors, and they all raced to the weight room.

“Stay back!” Coach Wilkins ordered sharply as they crammed inside. Reenie caught his expression of alarm.

She stood on tiptoes, straining to peer around Coach Wilkins and the group of kids crowding the small room.

She cried out when she saw Artie lying beside the weight-lifting bench. He was sprawled on his back, arms and legs splayed. He didn't move.

Is this another joke? Reenie wondered. No. Coach
Wilkins wouldn't get involved in one of our stupid pranks.

“Artie!” Greta screamed. She shoved her way through the crowd, trying to reach him.

The coach grabbed her by the arm. “I told you to stay back!” he snapped. “He needs air.”

Reenie turned to Sandi. “What happened?”

Sandi's words came in a rush. “We were talking in the hall, Artie and me. He started bragging about how much weight he could lift—you know, in a bench press or whatever you call it—and I didn't believe him. He said he'd show me. And Artie asked P.J. to help with the weights if anything goes wrong. You know. To be his spotter. I think he wanted to make P.J. feel bad. P.J. would never be able to lift as much weight as—”

“But what happened to Artie?” Greta demanded impatiently.

“Artie lifted the barbell off the stand okay,” Sandi explained. “But then he couldn't get it back on. His arms were giving out. He yelled for help, but P.J. didn't know what to do, or he wasn't strong enough—or something. P.J. dropped the barbell on Artie. Artie fell off the bench, and the weight fell on top of him!”

Artie groaned.

He's alive! Reenie told herself. She wrapped an arm around Greta's shoulders.

“Where do you hurt?” Reenie heard Coach Wilkins ask.

“Everywhere,” Artie groaned. He struggled to sit
up. “I'm going to get that little creep, P.J.” he threatened.

“You are going to stay put. I have a doctor on the way,” the coach told him. “You both should have known better than to fool around in here without supervision.”

Reenie glanced around the weight room. She spotted P.J. sitting against the back wall, staring down at the floor. Liz knelt beside him, an angry expression on her face.

“I feel sorry for P.J.,” Greta declared. “He was only trying to help. Artie never should have asked him. He should know P.J. can't do things like that.” She hurried over to P.J. and Liz.

Whoa, Reenie thought. That's no way to calm Artie down. He's going to explode if he catches Greta over there with P.J. He's already so jealous.

“Don't try to stand up until I get back,” Coach Wilkins instructed. “Do you understand me, Artie?”

Artie nodded. But the second the coach left the room, Artie struggled to his feet.

Reenie knew the exact moment he spotted P.J. His face turned the same dull red it had after the car crash.

Nothing is going to stop him from going after P.J. this time, she thought. Nothing.

“You little jerk!” Artie bellowed. “What were you trying to do—kill me?”

“Please, Artie,” Greta begged. “Leave him alone.”

Liz jumped to her feet and stood in front of P.J. as if to protect him.

“Leave poor little P.J. alone,” Artie mimicked sarcastically. “Poor little P.J. who tried to kill me.”

“It was an accident!” Greta cried. “Just an accident. He isn't strong enough to lift those weights and you know it.” Then Greta added in a sweeter, calmer voice, “Come on, Artie. Accidents happen.”

“Yeah, that's right,” Artie said coldly. He stared menacingly at P.J. “Accidents happen.”

With a loud groan Artie dived for P.J.

P.J. scrambled to his feet. He stared frantically around the room.

Greta threw herself between P.J. and Artie. “Don't touch him!”

Bad move, Greta, Reenie thought. Now he'll want to get P.J. even more.

“Defending your new little boyfriend? How sweet!” Artie tried ducking around Greta to get to P.J. But she blocked his path.

Coach Wilkins burst through the door. “Stop right there,” he ordered. He strode up to Artie and held him roughly by the arm.

“P.J., get to your next class,” the coach ordered. “The rest of you, too. The show is over. The doctor wants to examine Artie. Without an audience.”

Liz and Greta hovered beside P.J. as they all filed out of the room.

Reenie glanced back at Artie. His eyes were focused on P.J., the muscles in his jaw clenched tight. This isn't over, she thought. This definitely isn't over.

*   *   *

“Sorry I'm late, guys,” Artie muttered. He plopped down on Reenie's bed next to Greta and took a swig of her Diet Coke. Then he leaned forward and gave her a long kiss.

Interesting, Reenie thought. I guess they made up—for the millionth time since they started going together.

“How come you're late? You found something you would rather do than study trig?” Sean joked.

“I wanted to get in my weight training. I skipped it yesterday,” Artie explained.

“Weight training?” Greta asked. She didn't sound too happy. “After what happened in school this afternoon? I didn't think you were still doing that.”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “But not at school. Merc's got his own set of weights—better than the ones in the gym. I work out over there now.”

“I thought Marc was steaming because of what happened to his new car!” Greta exclaimed.

“He finally cooled off. He realized it was P.J.'s fault. Everything bad that's been happening to me is because of that guy. What a bad-news guy. It's not safe to be around him.”

Reenie noticed that Greta didn't jump in to defend P.J. She must not want to start another fight, Reenie decided. I don't blame her.

“Well, we're all here except for Ty,” Reenie announced. “He called to tell me he's going out with Liz tonight. He tried to sound casual about it. But I could tell he thought it was a big deal.”

“Took him long enough,” Artie commented.

“He finally did it. Cool,” Greta remarked. “I told you they're perfect for each other.”

Sean sighed. “Can we go on to the next problem? We can discuss Ty's love life later.”

“Nope. We have something more important to do first,” Reenie replied.

Artie squinted at her. “Excuse me?”

“We have to decide who to invite to my party!” Reenie explained. She picked up a pad and pencil. “Come on. Let's hear some names.”

Greta laughed. “That's much more important than trig,” she agreed. “How about Deena Martinson?”

“Corky Corcoran,” Sean recommended.

“And Julie Prince,” Greta added.

“Hey,” Reenie said, “aren't you forgetting something? We've got to invite some guys, too. How about Gary Brandt?”

“Bobby Newkick,” Sean called out.

“Noooooo!” Reenie and Greta moaned in unison.

“Guess not,” Sean concluded.

“Wait—I know!” Greta exclaimed. “Reenie, you've absolutely got to invite—”

Artie interrupted her. “My first choice is P.J.”

They all stared at him.

Artie grinned. “You've got to invite P.J.,” he insisted. “The party won't be nearly as fun without him.”

“Oh, come on,” Reenie answered.

“Marc and I have a little surprise for him. Your party is the best place for it.” Artie grinned mischievously.

“No way!” Reenie protested. “No dumb tricks at my party!”

“What are you two planning?” Greta demanded. “I'm not going along with anything that might end up with P.J. getting hurt.”

“Your little P.J. won't get hurt. I promise. We're just going to play one of our tricks on him.”

I don't want this, Reenie thought. “What kind of trick?” she demanded.

“Hey, this is going to be way cool. Trust me,” Artie said. “Sandi Burke is probably the hottest date in school. Do we all agree?”

“Hey—I thought I was,” Greta complained.

“You are. But you're taken” Artie looped his arm around Greta and pulled her closer to him. “It turns out Sandi owes Marc big time. I don't know all the details. But Marc got her out of some mess with her parents. Anyway, Marc asked her for a favor, and she said okay.”

“Get to the point,” Sean urged.

Artie smirked. “Sandi is going to ask P.J. to Reenie's party.”

“She'
s going to ask him?” Sean cried.

“No one would believe that,” Reenie protested.

“P.J. would,” Artie replied. “The guy's so weird he'd probably believe anything.”

“So P.J. comes to the party with Sandi. Then what happens?” Sean asked.

“Sandi will give P.J. a long, hot kiss—a real sizzler! Right in front of everyone. Then she's going to fall on the floor and pretend to die.”

“I don't get it,” Reenie said.

“P.J. will think his kiss was too hot to handle!” Artie exclaimed, laughing.

“Classic!” Sean cried. “Classic! It's awesome! Especially if we all pretend she's really dead!”

“It's dumb and mean,” Greta said. “It's the dumbest thing I ever heard!”

“It's like the tricks we pull on each other all the time,” Sean reasoned. “It might make P.J. feel like he's fitting in.”

“It's too dumb,” Greta insisted. “Why spoil the party with something so stupid?”

“Maybe we should stop our practical jokes,” Reenie added. She shuddered. “I almost drowned the last time, remember?”

Artie flushed. “That was stupid of me and Marc,” he murmured. “But what could happen to P.J. in your living room with all of us right there?”

I guess if Marc and Artie have to get even with P.J., a joke is the best way, Reenie thought. “It would be kind of funny to watch his expression when Sandi drops dead from his kiss,” she admitted.

“I can just picture it.” Artie started wringing his hands and shivering. “I-I g-guess I was too m-much m-man for her.” He cracked up. So did Sean.

Reenie and Greta held out for a second. Then they exploded into giggles.

“I can't wait to see what he does!” Artie exclaimed.

“The kiss of death!” Sean shouted.

Artie laughed so hard, he toppled over onto the floor and lay there, clutching his side.

“Whatever you do, don't let Liz find out,” Sean cautioned when they got control of themselves. “She would tip P.J. off for sure.”

“Okay,” Reenie agreed. “But afterward we have to remind them that we play these jokes on each other all the time. I don't want Liz to think we're picking on P.J.”

“Definitely,” Greta agreed.

“I can't wait for the party!” Artie declared.

“The kiss of death!” Sean said in a deep, sinister voice.

The others repeated it after him. “The kiss of death!”

I
know I didn't invite this many people, Reenie thought, staring around at the crush of kids in her living room.

The doorbell rang again. When Reenie answered it, Ty and Liz stepped in, stamping snow off their shoes. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen them apart.

“Merry Christmas!” Liz exclaimed.

“Merry Christmas! Give me your coats and I'll stick them in my room.” Reenie held out her hands.

Ty helped Liz off with her coat and handed it to Reenie along with his jacket.

“Great dress,” Reenie told Liz. “And it almost matches Ty's shirt. You haven't started shopping at Two Cute, have you?” she teased.