First Evil (7 page)

“Tough game Friday night,” Bobbi said, watching the two boys dispiritedly walk the disabled bike away.

“Yeah. Winstead is always tough,” Chip said, waving to a couple of girls who had just emerged from the building. “They'll probably cream us.”

Bobbi laughed. “Wow, you've sure got confidence,” she said sarcastically.

“No. Come on,” he replied. “I'm pumped for the game. But you've got to be realistic. They went to the state finals last year.”

“How'd you learn to throw the ball so far?” Bobbi asked, stopping at the edge of the parking lot, shifting her backpack on her shoulders. “Just practice a lot?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “My dad and I used to practice throwing in the backyard. We still do, when he has the time. He's working two jobs these days, so it's kind of tough.”

“My parents both work all the time,” Bobbi told him. “But I'm usually at cheerleading practice or studying, so I wouldn't see them much even if they were home.”

“I guess my dad got me my first football when I was five,” Chip said, leaning against the parking lot fence. The wind ruffled his thick, brown hair, his dark eyes studying Bobbi as he talked. “He loves football, but he never had a chance to play. Always had to work. So I guess he wanted to do his playing through me.”

“That can be a lot of pressure,” Bobbi said thoughtfully.

Chip's expression hardened. “I can handle it,” he said softly.

“I just meant—” Bobbi started, surprised by his abrupt answer.

“Are you going out with anybody or anything?” Chip interrupted.

Caught off guard by the change of subject, Bobbi hesitated. “No,” she finally managed to reply. “Are you?”

He shook his head. “No. Not anymore. Want to meet me after the Winstead game?” He stared at her intently. “We could go get a pizza. You know. Hang out with some other guys?”

“Great,” Bobbi replied. “Sounds good.”

“Well, okay. Excellent.” He glanced up at the clock over the back door of the school. “I've got to practice,”
he said, pushing away from the fence. “After the game, wait for me outside the stadium locker room, okay?”

He didn't wait for her to reply. Instead, he slipped his helmet on and began jogging toward the practice field across from the baseball diamond, taking long, easy strides.

What an amazing day! Bobbi thought, watching him as he ran. So many good things happening at once!

She shook her head, somewhat dazed by it all. Her next thought was: I'll probably be hit by a truck on the way home.

♦ ♦ ♦

The next evening, a warm, almost balmy Thursday night, Bobbi finished her dinner, then hurried to Jennifer's house to study. Since the accident, she and Jennifer had become close.

Unlike some of the other girls, who wanted to shut the accident out of their minds and forget it had ever happened, Bobbi had visited Jennifer in the hospital every day. Bobbi had been touched by her new friend's bravery and serenity. Soon she and Jennifer were talking easily, sharing their thoughts and feelings as if they had been longtime friends.

Bobbi parked her car on the street and made her way up the smooth asphalt drive. Jennifer lived in a sprawling, modern ranch house in North Hills, the wealthiest section of Shadyside.

What a contrast to Fear Street, Bobbi thought wistfully, her eyes taking in the manicured lawns, raked clean, and the well-cared-for houses.

The streetlights flickered on as Mrs. Daly opened the door to her. “Oh, hi, Bobbi,” she said, looking tired and drawn in the pale porchlight. “Jennifer's waiting for you in the den.”

Bobbi eagerly made her way across the carpeted living room with its low, sleek furniture of chrome and white leather and into the small den, closing the door behind her. “Did you talk to Kimmy?” she asked Jennifer, skipping any greeting.

Jennifer was seated in her wheelchair, between two red leather couches that faced each other. She was wearing navy blue sweats, the sweatshirt sleeves rolled up above her elbows. Her red-brown hair was tied behind her head in a single braid. She had a textbook in her lap.

“I talked to her,” she replied, her face expressionless. Slowly a smile spread across her full lips. “She's coming back.”

“Oh, good,” Bobbi said, breathing a long sigh. She dropped her backpack on the checkered tile floor and plopped down in the red couch on Jennifer's right. “I can't believe I didn't even notice that she had run out.”

“You were a little excited,” Jennifer said dryly.

“But I should have known Kimmy would be upset,” Bobbi insisted, rubbing her hand against the smooth leather of the couch arm. “But I didn't see her. I didn't see anything. It was all so . . .” She didn't finish her thought.

“Anyway, I talked to her,” Jennifer said, wheeling herself closer until she was right in front of Bobbi. “She's not a happy camper, but I got her to come
around.” Her mouth fell into an unhappy pout. She avoided Bobbi's eyes. “Kimmy and I used to be so close. But not anymore.”

“I'm really sorry,” Bobbi said quickly. “If it's my fault, I—”

“No, it isn't,” Jennifer interrupted. “You didn't do anything. Really.”

“How did you get her to come back on the squad?” Bobbi asked.

“I told her we needed her. I said, ‘What would happen if Bobbi fell and broke her leg?' ”

“And what did
she
say?” Bobbi wondered.

“She asked if I would put that in writing!” Jennifer replied.

Both girls burst out laughing.

“Kimmy isn't your biggest fan,” Jennifer said.

“Well,
duh
,” Bobbi replied, rolling her eyes, imitating her little brother, Sean. “Well,
duh
” was Sean's favorite expression.

“Well, I'm glad she's not quitting,” Bobbi said.

“Really? Why?” Jennifer demanded, closing the textbook on her lap and tossing it onto the couch opposite Bobbi.

“Because . . . because it would make me feel really bad,” Bobbi said with emotion.

Jennifer snickered. “Having her around might make you feel a lot worse, Bobbi. She won't talk to you. You know that. And she'll probably try to turn the other girls against you. I'm sure she's been on the phone night and day with those two pals of hers, Debra and Ronnie.”

Bobbi sighed and pulled both hands back through
her hair. “You know, it's only a cheerleading squad. It's supposed to be fun.”

“Tell that to Kimmy,” Jennifer said softly. She shifted her weight in the wheelchair. “Ow.”

“Are you okay?” Bobbi asked, leaning forward, preparing to jump up if her friend needed help of some kind.

“Yeah. Fine.” Jennifer forced a smile. “Let's change the subject, okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.” Bobbi settled back on the couch. “Do you know Charles Chasner?”

“Chip? Sure.” Jennifer's smile broadened. “Chip is a real babe. I've had a crush on him since third grade. He's cuter now, though.”

“He asked me out for tomorrow after the game,” Bobbi confided.

Jennifer's eyes widened in surprise. “Huh? Chip?”

Bobbi nodded. “Yeah. He asked me out. Yesterday. After the pep rally.”

“Really?”

Bobbi was startled to see Jennifer's eyes narrow and her features tighten. Jennifer glared at Bobbi. “You didn't say yes—
did
you?”

“J
en—what's wrong?” Bobbi asked.

Jennifer shook her head, then locked her eyes on Bobbi's. “Don't you know that Chip is Kimmy's boyfriend?”

“Huh?” Bobbi's mouth dropped open in shock. She suddenly could feel the blood pulsing at her temples.

“I mean, he
was
Kimmy's boyfriend,” Jennifer said, gripping the sides of the wheelchair, “until a couple of weeks ago.”

“A couple of weeks?”

“Yeah.” Jennifer frowned. “Then he dumped her. Just like that. After more than two years.”

“Oh, my gosh.” Bobbi slumped down in the soft leather couch. She seemed to deflate. The shock of this news made her feel weak. “She'll think—”

“She'll think Chip dumped her for you,” Jennifer finished the thought for her.

Bobbi moaned. “One more reason for Kimmy to hate my guts.”

They stared at each other in silence for a while. Jennifer squeaked her wheelchair back and forth on the floor.

Finally Bobbi asked, “What should I do?”

Jennifer shrugged. “I don't know. He's
really
cute!”

♦ ♦ ♦

“Girls, how about getting up a little energy?” Miss Green said. It was more of a complaint than a question, and she said the words with disgust.

Having blown her whistle and stepped onto the floor to interrupt the practice, she did an imitation of the way they looked to her, moving her arms and legs in weary slow motion, her eyes half-closed, her mouth drooping open.

The cheerleaders watched in sullen silence. Bobbi felt embarrassed. She was leading the practice, after all. It was
her
job to get the girls to show some spirit, not Miss Green's.

But Bobbi was finding it difficult to get some of the girls to listen to her, even though it was the last practice before the game that night.

Kimmy had done a good job of turning the girls against Bobbi. It hadn't been hard, Bobbi realized unhappily. The girls had all known Kimmy for years. Bobbi was a newcomer, an intruder.

Most of the cheerleaders hadn't wanted to allow the Corcorans on the squad in the first place. And now here was Bobbi, giving them instructions, leading them, or
trying
to lead them,
trying
to get them to cooperate.

“When you do ‘Sssssssssteam Heat' like that,” Miss
Green was scolding them, “it makes me think your boiler's broken.”

It was supposed to be a joke, but it fell flat on the dispirited squad. No one even cracked a smile.

Standing beside Miss Green, Bobbi let her eyes wander down the row of girls. She stopped at Kimmy, who was glaring at her, her eyes narrowed. Kimmy's stare was so hard, so cold, it forced Bobbi to look away.

The gym doors opened, and Jennifer wheeled herself in. Smiling at Bobbi, she made her way silently along the far wall, her maroon and white pennant on her lap, her backpack attached to her wheelchair.

Bobbi wished Jennifer hadn't come. She felt embarrassed to have Jennifer show up while the girls were being lectured by Miss Green. Jennifer would see that Bobbi didn't have control, that the girls weren't with her.

She knew Jennifer would be sympathetic. She was Bobbi's best friend, after all. But it was still embarrassing.

Bobbi felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Corky, who gave her an encouraging smile and then quickly resumed her place.

Bobbi took a deep breath. “Okay, guys,” she shouted, clapping her hands enthusiastically and moving in front of Miss Green, “let's try it again! Let's really get sssssteamed up!”

She saw Kimmy roll her eyes and sarcastically mutter something to Debra. Then the girls lined up and began the Steam Heat routine, this time with a little more enthusiasm than before.

It wasn't great. Ronnie was out of step for the entire last part of it, but Bobbi didn't think it was worth making them do it again.

As the routine ended with a cheer and a spread eagle, she turned to see Jennifer and Miss Green talking heatedly near the wall. Miss Green was leaning over the wheelchair, close to Jennifer's ear. Both of them were shaking their heads as they spoke.

Are they talking about me? Bobbi wondered, dread building in the pit of her stomach. Is Miss Green complaining about me, about how I haven't been able to win over the girls?

“Are we finished?”

Kimmy's shrill question made Bobbi turn back to the line of girls.

“Yeah. I guess,” Bobbi said distractedly.

“Well, can we
go?”
Kimmy asked impatiently. “I mean, the game's in a few hours. We have to go home and have dinner and everything,
don't
we?”

Kimmy was making no attempt to hide her dislike of Bobbi. To her dismay, Bobbi saw that some of the other girls seemed to adopt Kimmy's attitude.

They all agree with her, Bobbi thought, her head suddenly pounding, her temples throbbing. They probably
all
think that Kimmy should be captain, not me.

And now even Jennifer and Miss Green are talking about me.

“We'll meet here in the gym at seven,” Bobbi announced dispiritedly, avoiding their eyes by glancing up at the scoreboard clock. “Ronnie will be in charge of equipment.”

Ronnie rolled her eyes and cast a glance at Kimmy.

“No fire batons tonight,” Bobbi announced. “That routine needs a lot more work. We'll try it for homecoming next week.”

The girls picked up their belongings and quickly made their way out of the gym. Bobbi stood in the middle of the floor, her shoulders slumped, feeling discouraged, watching the girls exit.