Who Killed the Homecoming Queen? (6 page)

Finally, Keith yelled at Mandy to go wait in the van. She trudged off unhappily.

Eva sighed. It was Monday afternoon, and she had a ton of homework. The way things were going with the video, she'd be lucky to get home before dinner.

At least Jeremy had come to the shoot today, to give Keith a hand. Maybe she'd get a chance to ask him to the dance. She watched Jeremy and Keith fiddle with the camcorder. Then she glanced over at Tania.

Tania sat with Sandy, laughing at something he said.

The jerk, Eva thought. She stretched out on her back and stared at the sky. Clouds had blown in. Dark ones, she realized. If we don't hurry, it's going to rain.

Eva shivered. She'd been all ready to tell Tania about Sandy on Saturday, after she left Pete's Pizza. But Tania had been so happy, so excited about trying to find the perfect dress for the Homecoming Dance. Eva didn't have the heart to spoil things.

She'd called Tania's house yesterday, but nobody was home.

So here we are again, she thought glumly. Rehearsing the big fight scene between the Homecoming Queen and her boyfriend.

If Tania only knew how true the scene really is!

Footsteps crunched in the dry grass near Eva's head. She opened her eyes, hoping it was Jeremy.

Sandy stood over her. “What's your problem, Eva?” he asked. “You bored?”

Eva climbed to her feet. “I'm not bored. It's a very interesting scene.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Hey, how do you like the way I play it? I mean, you have to stand there and watch the whole thing. I'm pretty real—right?”

Eva rolled her eyes. “Actually, you're totally
unreal,
Sandy.”

“Huh?” Sandy scowled at her, insulted. “Well, sorry. Since when did you become a movie critic? Keith thinks I'm okay.”

“I'm not talking about the scene, Sandy,” Eva told him. “I'm talking about real life.”

Sandy put his hands on his waist. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Eva glanced quickly at Tania, who was talking to Keith and Jeremy. She turned back to Sandy. “I know what you're doing,” she declared. “I saw you in the gym on Thursday with Cherise. And Saturday, I saw the two of you at Pete's. Did you ever get around to eating that pizza, Sandy?”

Sandy stared at her for a moment. But he didn't even appear embarrassed, she noticed. “Hey, I can explain that,” he told her. “It's no big deal.”

“Really? Try telling that to Tania,” Eva snapped. She started to turn away.

“Hey.” Sandy caught her by the arm. “You're not going to tell her, are you?”

“What do you care?” Eva asked. “I mean, if you
cared, you wouldn't be fooling around with Cherise.”

“I told you—I can explain that,” Sandy insisted.

Eva yanked her arm free and walked away, disgusted. She heard Sandy following her. But before she could tell him to get lost, Keith called out that he was ready to shoot again.

Eva took her place behind the bleachers and pretended to be frozen in horror as Sandy and Tania began their argument again.

Actually, I don't have to pretend, Eva thought. I
am
horrified. How can Sandy act so casual about cheating on Tania? He actually said it's no big deal!

“I'm telling you—it's a lie!” Sandy shouted at Tania. They were almost at the end of the scene now.

“Give it a rest!” Tania shouted back. “Everyone in school knows the truth about you!”

Not everyone, Eva thought. Tania doesn't know. What will she do when I tell her? Will she scream at him like this? Probably not. When Tania gets angry, she goes all cold. She'll probably shut him out.

Eva's mind snapped back to the scene. It was almost time for her line. Keith would kill her if she messed it up.

Sandy grabbed Tania's arm.

“Stop it!” Eva cried.

Sandy and Tania struggled and fought. Then Sandy began strangling her. Eva yelled again, then
hurried toward them. Tania made horrible choking sounds. Sandy's fingers squeezed her neck, tighter and tighter.

Eva filled her lungs so she could do her scream.

“Stop!” Keith suddenly shrieked, startling everyone.
“Stop it!”

chapter 11
 

“S
top!” Keith cried again.

Sandy dropped his hands. Tania staggered backward. Eva turned to Keith, wondering what had gone wrong.

“What is it
this
time?” Sandy demanded.

“The camcorder,” Jeremy told him. “It jammed again.”

As Sandy stomped away in frustration, Jeremy glared at him. “That's right, Sandy,” he called out. “Throw a tantrum. That will really help.”

“Jeremy!” Tania stared at him in surprise. “What's
your
problem?”

“Nothing,” Jeremy muttered. “Just tired, I guess.” He shrugged and turned back to help Keith.

Eva felt surprised, too. Jeremy wouldn't usually
say anything so sarcastic. It's because of Tania, she decided. Jeremy is as angry at Sandy as I am.

Sandy stared angrily at Jeremy for a few seconds. Then he hurried over to Tania and flung an arm around her. Tania smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Eva turned away. Tania likes him so much, she thought. She's going to be so upset when I tell her about Cherise.

“Okay, I think we've got it now,” Keith announced. “Let's …” He stared up at the sky. “No, wait, this is crazy. It's going to rain any second.”

“You mean we're finished for today?” Sandy asked.

“No way. We have to get a good take of this scene.” Keith pointed toward the covered bleachers. “We'll shoot there. Come on. Let's do it.”

Eva gathered up her backpack and walked with the others to the covered bleachers. Keith showed everybody where to stand. Then he and Jeremy spent a few minutes figuring out camera angles. By the time they were ready, the rain had started.

Eva stood in the aisle between the bleacher seats. Sandy and Tania faced each other on the bottom step of the bleachers. Behind them, Eva could see the rain drizzling from the gray sky.

“Okay, everybody!” Keith called. “And … rolling!”

Eva held her breath and watched as Sandy and Tania began to argue. When the time came, she shouted her line.

Tania began making her awful gurgling noises. Her arms dropped to her sides.

Sandy kept squeezing, tighter and tighter.

Tania slumped lifelessly to the ground.

“Keith!” a voice suddenly called out. “Keith, where are you?”

“Cut! Who said that?” Keith demanded angrily.

Eva turned around and saw Keith's little sister trotting up the bleacher steps.

“Mandy!” Keith glared at her. “I told you to wait in the van!”

“I've
been
waiting in the van!” she complained. “It's four-thirty. You have to take me to gymnastics, remember?”

Keith yanked at his hair in frustration. “I don't believe this,” he muttered. “I do not believe this!”

While Keith argued with his sister, Eva took a deep breath. Her hand stung. Glancing down, she saw that she had scraped it on the cement bleacher wall. A thin line of bright red blood oozed from one of the scratches.

As she fished in her pocket for a tissue, she saw Keith's sister stomp away. Then she noticed Jeremy approaching her.

“You hurt yourself?” Jeremy asked. He took her hand. “I think Keith has a first-aid kit in the van. Want me to get you a …” He broke off suddenly, staring down the steps.

Eva followed his gaze.

Tania lay still in front of the first row of bleachers.

“Get up, Tania!” Sandy urged, bending over her. “Tania? Hey! Somebody get a candy bar!”

“I think I have one,” Eva said. “Poor Tania. She really hates this blood sugar problem.”

“No! Tania!” Sandy's voice suddenly filled with horror. “No!”

Eva froze as Sandy turned to them, panic in his eyes. “She's not breathing!”

“Huh?” Eva cried out and grasped the railing.

“What are you
talking
about?” Jeremy demanded. “Check her pulse!”

“I did—I can't find one!” Sandy shrieked. “She's not breathing. She's
dead!”

He swallowed hard. His eyes locked on Eva's. “But I didn't do it! I didn't!” he cried.

chapter 12
 

W
ith a hoarse cry, Jeremy leaped down the steps. He shoved Sandy roughly aside. Then he dropped to his knees next to Tania.

Eva raced down the steps, trying not to panic. Tania fainted again, that's all, she told herself. Sandy is just putting on another big act to show how much he cares.

Nothing is wrong. Tania will be fine.

“Nooo!” Jeremy suddenly screamed. “Tania! Tania!”

Eva's heart dropped. It can't be true, she thought. Tania fainted! She can't be …

“She
is
dead!” Jeremy cried. “Tania! Nooo!” He grabbed his stepsister by the shoulders and raised her partway up. “Tania!”

Eva jumped off the last step, almost colliding with Keith. “This can't be real!” Keith cried. He turned to Sandy. “What happened?” he demanded.

Sandy frantically shook his head. “Nothing! Nothing happened! She was fine!”

He grabbed Eva, panic in his eyes. “I didn't do it!” he shouted at her. “I didn't!”

As Eva struggled to get away from Sandy, she caught a glimpse of Tania's face.

Her skin was pasty white. Her mouth hung open, and her head flopped limply back.

She's
not
breathing, Eva thought in horror. It's true! She's dead.

But how could it happen?

It wasn't the low blood sugar. All that does is make her faint. It couldn't kill her.

How did she die?

A hard, painful lump rose in Eva's throat. Tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her face. She began to sob.

“Come on, Tania!” Jeremy grabbed Tania's shoulders and frantically began to shake her. “Wake up! You can do it. Come on, Tania!”

Tania's head rolled on her shoulders. Her mouth opened wider, as if she were screaming. But no sound escaped.

“Tania, come
on!”
Jeremy wailed. He shook her harder. “Come on, wake up!”

“Jeremy, stop!” Still sobbing, Eva broke away from Sandy and grabbed Jeremy by the shoulders. “Please, stop it!”

With a cry, Jeremy shrugged Eva off. Eva stumbled backward and bumped into Keith again. “Call an ambulance!” she shouted hoarsely. “And the police!”

Keith didn't move. He stared at Tania's lifeless body with a dazed expression on his face.

“Please, Keith!” Eva cried. She gave him a little shove. “We need help!”

Keith dragged his gaze away from Tania and blinked at Eva.

“Go on!” she shouted. “Call the police and an ambulance!”

“Right.” Keith spun around and raced from the bleachers toward the pay phone at the back of the school.

“I don't get it!” Sandy muttered to Eva in a panicked voice. “Everything was okay. Really! I just don't
get
what happened!”

Eva stared at him. He had pretended to strangle Tania for the video, she recalled. Did he get carried away? Did he actually kill her?

“Why don't you go with Keith?” Eva told him coldly.

“But I want to stay with Tania!”

“What for?” she demanded. “What good can you do now?”

Sandy stared at her for a second. Then he turned and ran off.

Eva swiped the tears from her face and took hold of Jeremy's shoulders. She couldn't bear to look at Tania's face again. “Jeremy,” she said softly,
“please stop shaking her. Keith went to call an ambulance. They'll take care of her. Please.”

Jeremy didn't reply. But he finally let go of Tania and set her down gently.

The tears ran across Eva's lips and dripped off her chin. She took a shuddering breath and tried to urge Jeremy to his feet. “Come on. Let's sit down and …”