Who Killed the Homecoming Queen? (5 page)

“I'm not sure.”

Eva blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust. They stood in one of the side aisles, next to the back row of seats. “I guess we could turn the stage lights on. But why don't we sit down and talk?” she suggested, pointing to the seats.

“Sure, but let's get some light in here.” Tania began walking down the carpeted aisle toward the stage. “What do you want to talk about?”

Eva frowned, trying to decide how to start. Should I just blurt it out?
Guess what? Sandy's fooling around with Cherise.

“Eva?” Tania's voice came from farther down the aisle. “What is it?”

“Well …” Eva slowly started toward the stage. This was harder than she thought.

“Is everything okay?” Tania asked. Her sneakers squeaked as she began climbing the wooden steps leading up to the stage. “You seem awfully worried about something.”

“I am, sort of,” Eva admitted.

Eva climbed up behind Tania onto the darkened stage. Just tell her and get it over with, she thought.

She took a deep breath.

But before she could say anything, a shadow caught her eye.

A moving shadow.

Eva gasped as a figure rushed from the darkness.

“I'm going to kill you, Tania!” a voice cried. “I'm going to kill you!”

chapter 9
 

T
ania screamed and jumped away.

She collided with Eva. The two of them staggered backward, then crashed to the floor of the stage.

In a panic, Eva rolled out from under Tania, then scrambled to her feet. As she reached down to pull Tania up, the stage lights burst on.

Eva gasped and shaded her eyes, blinded by the bright overhead spotlights.

“You get everything you want—don't you, Tania?” a voice demanded angrily.

Eva lowered her hand, blinking in the light.

Leslie stood a couple of feet away, glaring furiously at Tania.

“Leslie?” Tania's voice shook. “What … what's …”

“Yeah, what's going on?” Eva cried. “You scared us to death! What's the matter with you, anyway?”

“Just stay out of it, Eva,” Leslie snapped. “This is between me and Tania.”

“What is?” Tania asked. “Leslie, what did I do?”

“Oh, sure,” Leslie said sarcastically. “Like you don't know.”

“I don't!” Tania cried. “I don't have any idea what you're talking about!”

“Ha.” Leslie bared her teeth in a vicious smile. “First you get to be Homecoming Queen. Now you steal the role in Keith's video. You knew I was counting on that role for my college portfolio! I can't believe you stole that from me, too!”

“But …”

“I could
kill
you, Tania!” Leslie clenched her fists. “I really could!”

Eva shuddered. Leslie is totally out of control, she realized.

“You don't care about acting,” Leslie accused, glaring at Tania. “But I've wanted to act since I was a little girl. And you know it! You know it and you still took the part from me!”

“Stop it, Leslie!” Tania shouted. “Just stop a second and listen to me!”

“Why should I?”

“Because I didn't even know you wanted to be in the video,” Tania explained.

Leslie tossed her head, looking skeptical.

“I
didn't
know,” Tania repeated slowly. “Keith never told me. Leslie, I don't blame you for being upset. If Keith had said something, I would have told him to use you. But he didn't!”

Leslie stared at her a moment. Then her shoulders sagged, and the fury went out of her eyes.

Eva sighed in relief.

“I'm really sorry,” Tania murmured.

Leslie nodded. “Well …” She paused. “I have something to tell
you,
Tania.”

“You do?”

“After all, why shouldn't I ruin your day, too?” Leslie said bitterly.

“Huh?” Tania frowned. “What do you mean?”

Eva's heart sped up. Leslie is going to tell her about Sandy and Cherise, she realized. I can't let
Leslie
do it! She'll enjoy it too much. And Tania will be really embarrassed—in front of her biggest rival!

“What is it?” Tania asked Leslie.

“Not now!” Eva cried. “Leslie, come here.”

She grabbed hold of Leslie's arm and pulled her into the wings.

“What is your problem?” Leslie demanded, annoyed.

“I know what you were about to say!” Eva whispered furiously. She squeezed Leslie's arm. “Don't you
dare
tell her about Sandy! I know you'd just love to hurt her. But don't you dare!”

“Stop it!” Leslie hissed, jerking her arm away.

“You
stop it!” Eva insisted. “Keep your mouth shut about Sandy and Cherise!”

Leslie glared at her for a moment. Eva stood her ground. “Fine. I won't tell her … now,” Leslie finally answered.

She spun around and stalked off.

“What was that all about?” Tania asked. “What did she want to tell me?”

Eva took a deep breath.

But as she started to speak, the stage doors clanged open and the rest of the Homecoming Court trooped in.

I can't tell her now, Eva thought. Not with people around. “Nothing,” she said, forcing a smile. “Forget it. It wasn't important.”

The next afternoon, Eva stood by the big fountain in the Division Street Mall and gazed around. She and Tania had made plans to meet here to shop for Homecoming dresses again. But so far, she hadn't spotted her friend.

Of course, it's Saturday, she reminded herself. The place is packed. Tania's probably stuck in the crowd, trying to find me.

Eva craned her neck, but it was impossible to see over the heads of all the shoppers. Frustrated, she climbed up on the low stone wall surrounding the fountain to get a better look.

As she peered around, she spotted a tall guy with curly, reddish-brown hair and a scattering of freckles across his cheeks.

“Jeremy!” Eva stood on tiptoe and waved her arms. “Jeremy!”

Jeremy turned, startled. When he saw Eva, a shy smile spread across his face, and the dimple appeared next to his mouth.

He's so cute, Eva thought. She hopped down from the wall and threaded her way to his side.

“Hey, Eva. I'm glad you saw me,” Jeremy said. “I was about to give up trying to find you.”

Eva's heart did a little flip. “You were looking for me?”

He nodded. “Tania told me to tell you she'll be late,” he explained. “She dropped me off here, but she had to go back home. She has to return something and she forgot to bring it. She said if you don't want to wait at the fountain, she'd meet you at Pete's Pizza.”

“Oh.” Okay, so he was only looking for me so he could deliver a message, Eva thought to herself. He's here, isn't he? I should take what I can get.

“Well, I don't feel like standing around in the crowd,” she declared. “Want to get a Coke with me at Pete's?”

“Sure, Eva.”

“Great.”

Eva took his hand. She began pulling him through the mass of shoppers. It was a good excuse to hold hands, she thought.

They got lucky at Pete's and slid into a booth just as another couple was leaving. They ordered their Cokes. Then Eva shrugged out of her jacket and
leaned her elbows on the table. She felt almost as if she and Jeremy were really a couple.

“Did you come shopping for something to wear to Homecoming, too?” she asked. Maybe she could find out if he had a date.

Jeremy shook his head. “I want to check out the CD stores,” he told her. “My mom's birthday is in a couple of weeks. I thought I'd see if I could find anything.” He paused and shook his head again. “I can't believe I said that!”

“What? What's so weird about buying your mother a birthday present?”

“Nothing, except I've never said those words before—my
mom,”
he explained. He paused as the waiter set down their Cokes. “It's still new,” he added. “Having a family, I mean. Chores and curfews and stuff like that. It's changed my life.”

Eva stuck a straw in her soda and laughed. “Wait until you get grounded.”

Jeremy's brown eyes turned serious. “I wasn't complaining,” he said. “It's great for me. Before Dad married Tania's mom, I was on my own a lot. And I … well, I got into some trouble at my old school.”

Eva gazed at him curiously. “What kind of trouble?”

“Oh …” Jeremy hesitated again. “Never mind. It's in the past. Done. Finished.” He quickly gulped some Coke. “Let's not talk about it.”

“Sure. Okay.” Eva still felt curious, but she didn't push it.

Don't be nosy, she told herself. He's so quiet. So shy. He probably cut some classes or something. He couldn't possibly have been in any major trouble.

“Anyway,” Jeremy went on. “Having a family is great. Except that Tania's driving everybody nuts about what to wear to the Homecoming Dance. I hope you two find something today—I'm sick of talking about dresses!”

“I hope so,” Eva replied. Then, before she lost her nerve, she blurted out, “Speaking of Homecoming, do you have a date?”

Jeremy didn't answer. He stared past her, his eyes narrowed.

Great, Eva thought. He knows I'm going to ask him to go with me. He's trying to figure out how to say no.

But Jeremy didn't appear to be thinking of an excuse, she realized.

He looked angry. His hand clutched the soda glass tightly. His lips pressed together in a thin line as he kept staring over her shoulder.

Eva turned around.

Sandy and Cherise sat in a booth at the back of the restaurant. They sat on the same side of the table, so close together that Cherise was practically in Sandy's lap.

Disgusted, Eva watched as Sandy pulled Cherise even closer and kissed her on the mouth.

No wonder Jeremy is upset, Eva thought. Tania
is his stepsister. He loves her. And there's her boyfriend, kissing another girl.

Sandy and Cherise were still locked in a kiss when Eva turned away.

As she did, the door of Pete's Pizza swung open and a slender girl with blond hair and bright green eyes entered the restaurant.

Tania.

chapter 10
 

E
va gasped. Would Tania see Sandy and Cherise?

Tania stepped inside the door. A group of kids pushed past her.

Tania shuffled aside to let them pass. She still hadn't looked into the restaurant.

What can I do? Eva wondered frantically. Go shove Sandy and Cherise under their table? Scream “fire”? Toss my jacket over Tania's head?

As Eva sat frozen, she heard Jeremy's voice. “I'll get her out of here, Eva. Meet us out by the fountain.”

Quickly, Jeremy slid out of the booth and hurried over to Tania. Eva watched as he said something
to her, then pulled open the door and guided her outside.

Eva let her breath out. It could have turned into a major scene, she thought. Thank goodness for Jeremy. As she gathered up her jacket, she glanced toward the back booth.

Sandy and Cherise snuggled close together, nuzzling each other. An untouched pizza sat on the table in front of them.

I hope they get food poisoning or something, Eva thought angrily. Tania needs to know the truth about what a creep Sandy is.

Of course, the way Sandy and Cherise are parading around, it's not going to be a secret much longer. Tania is going to find out. And it will be horrible if she finds out by actually seeing them like this.

Making out together as if nobody else existed.

Eva sighed as she put some money on the table and slid out of the booth. I should have told her yesterday. I'm Tania's best friend. I can't let her go on thinking Sandy cares about her.

I have to tell her. As soon as I can.

“Hold it, everybody!” Keith cried. “Take a break.”

Eva plopped down on the grass and watched as Keith argued with his little sister, Mandy. She had come to the taping and she was driving Keith nuts.