Wrong Number 2 (3 page)

“Teddy's such a great guy,” Jade said, scooting back in beside Deena. “He says we're going to win. What are you staring at?”

“Over there,” Deena replied, pointing across the court. “See that man sort of leaning next to the door? Doesn't he look kind of weird?”

“Huh? What man?” Jade demanded.

Deena glanced down. The man had vanished.

A whistle brought their attention back to the game. For the next hour Deena forgot everything but the game.

The Mattewan Blue Sharks were one of Shadyside's main rivals. And the first contest between the two schools was one of the biggest games of the year.

“Go, Tigers!” Jade screamed. Every time Shadyside got the ball, she jumped up in her seat. “Slam it, Teddy!”

Along the sidelines, the cheerleaders did their routines, urging the fans to yell even louder.

At the end of the first half the score was tied at thirty-five. In the second half the lead kept changing. Neither team could get ahead by more than a basket.

“What a game! What a game!” Deena cried. She was on her feet along with everyone else. The cheers were so loud, the bleachers shook, and Deena thought the roof might blow off!

Only a few seconds on the clock. “De-fense! Defense!” the Shadyside Tigers cheerleaders cried.

“
De
-fense!” echoed the fans.

Mattewan called time-out. Deena watched Corky Corcoran, the head cheerleader, do a double flip. Then she led the maroon- and white-uniformed cheerleaders in a loud cheer.

Deena was cheering along when she saw a flash of orange off to one side.

“Hey—!” She leaned forward and peered down the sideline toward the end of the bleachers.

There he was again. The strange man in the orange hunting cap.

He stood on the Shadyside side of the court now. He appeared to be watching the floor, not the game.

Why does he seem so familiar? Deena asked herself.

“Deena!” Jade grabbed her arm. “Deena, what's your problem? The time-out's over!”

Deena focused on the game. The Blue Sharks had a two-point lead. Shadyside had the ball out of bounds with fifteen seconds left.

“Slam it, Teddy!” Jade screamed. “In their face!”

Gary Brandt, the Tigers' captain, dribbled to the basket. He shot. Missed.

It bounced into the hands of a Mattewan guard. The players all began scrambling back toward the Mattewan end of the court.

“Get the ball!” Jade screamed.

Four seconds left.

Deena realized she had been holding her breath, her heart in her throat. “Go, Tigers! Get the ball!” she screamed.

She saw Teddy reach in and steal the ball from the Mattewan guard. He spun back to the basket.

Two seconds. One.

“Shoot!” Jade and Deena screamed in unison. “Shoot!”

Teddy raised the ball and heaved it from center court.

The buzzer rang out.

The ball dropped cleanly through the hoop.

Three points!

Shadyside won!

The bleachers shook as the crowd erupted.

“We won! We won!” Jade hugged Deena.

Deena hugged her back. Over Jade's shoulder, she spotted the man in the orange hunting cap. He was slipping out the door.

Deena still hadn't seen his face. But she had the uncomfortable feeling that she knew him. That she had seen him before.

Why couldn't she remember?

Was he someone she didn't
want
to remember?

• • •

They didn't get to Jade's house till late. After the game, Deena and Jade and a bunch of other Shadyside kids piled into Teddy's van and drove to Pete's Pizza to celebrate.

The celebration got more than a little wild. Deena was afraid they'd all be thrown out or arrested for disturbing the peace!

Now she, Jade, and Teddy stood under the pale yellow light over Jade's porch. “Good night, Teddy,” Jade said. “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem, Jade,” Teddy murmured. He gazed at her as if she were a precious ruby.

Deena turned away and rolled her eyes. Give me a break! she thought.

“See you soon,” Jade said. Somehow she managed to make each word about three syllables long.

“I'll call you,” Teddy said. He slid his arms around her and they started kissing.

“Will you guys hurry it up?” Deena said uncomfortably. “I'm freezing to death!”

One of the guys inside the van honked the horn. Then everyone in the van began yelling and whistling.

“Okay, okay!” Teddy cried. He let Jade go and jogged across the walk to the van.

“Teddy's so cool!” Jade gushed, unlocking the front door. “Don't you think he's totally cool?”

“He's okay,” Deena said, eager to get inside.

“Just okay? I thought you liked him.”

Deena shrugged, then followed Jade upstairs. “Where is everyone?” Deena asked.

“Cathy's staying at a friend's tonight, and Mom went to some hairdressers' party. She'll be home late.”

Jade pulled off her jacket and draped it over the doorknob. “Well?” she said, turning to Deena.

“Well, what?” Deena shot back. She dropped her overnight bag on the edge of Jade's bed and sat down to unlace her boots.

“What's your problem?” Jade frowned. “Why are you in such a bad mood? This was an
awesome
night!”

“Yeah. I guess,” Deena said reluctantly. “It's just that, well, it seems like you're using Teddy.”

Jade laughed, but her smile faded quickly. “What are you talking about, Deena? Sometimes I think you're from Mars!”

“I mean—you don't think Teddy is anyone special,” Deena insisted, speaking slowly, thoughtfully.

“He was special tonight!” Jade broke in. “He won the game in the last second!”

“But you don't think he's special the way you think Chuck is,” Deena said.

“They're different,” Jade replied impatiently. “Teddy's here and Chuck is a hundred miles away at college.”

“That's what I'm saying,” Deena told her. “You're
just using Teddy. You just want to amuse yourself till Chuck comes back.”

“You know what?” Jade flared. “I think you're jealous.”

“No!” Deena protested. “It's just that—” She broke off at the sound of tapping.

“Huh? What's that?” she asked.

Jade tilted her head. Both girls stared straight ahead, listening intently.

Silence now. A heavy silence.

Jade shrugged. “Anyway, Deena,” she said, frowning, “I don't think that it's your problem if I go out with—”

Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound again. Louder.

“It's coming from the window,” Deena whispered, her heart suddenly beating faster. She turned her eyes to the dark curtains over the window.

“It must be the wind,” Jade assured her. But her face revealed her fear.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

“It sounds like someone trying to break in!” Deena said.

“Don't be dumb!” Jade exclaimed. “We're on the second floor.”

Tap! Tap! Tap!

“I'm going to call the police!” Deena cried.

“Wait!” Jade insisted. “Maybe it's just a branch.”

She clicked off the bedroom light, casting them in darkness.

Deena squinted hard. Watched Jade crawl across
her bed to the window. Jade yanked the curtains apart.

Both girls screamed when they saw the face.

Framed in the window. Pale against the dark sky. The face of a man.

A man in an orange hunting cap, staring in at them.

D
eena froze in horror. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.

She stared at the cap, struggling to see the man's face. But his features were a dark blur, hidden in shadows.

And then he moved.

Raised his head to the moonlight. Grinned at the frightened girls.

A familiar grin.

“Chuck!”
Deena shrieked.

“I'll
kill
him!” Jade cried in a tight, trembling voice. “I'll
kill
him! I really will!” Then she burst out laughing.

“Chuck!” Deena exclaimed. “How did you get up there? What are you
doing?”

In answer, Chuck tapped on the windowpane again.

Deena and Jade worked together to slide the window up.

“Let me in!” Chuck cried. “I'm freezing to death out here!”

The girls reached out and helped pull Chuck in from the large oak branch he was sitting on. He dropped heavily into the room. Then, as he brushed off his jeans, he gave Jade a long, slow, appreciative look.

“You look great,” he told her.

“Thanks,” she said. “So do you. Nice hat.”

Grinning, he pulled off the hat and tossed it onto Jade's bed.

“Chuck—I really don't
believe
you!” Jade exclaimed, hands pressed against her waist. “What are you
doing
here?”

“Later,” he replied. He pulled Jade close, giving her a big hug and a kiss.

Then he gave Deena a quick hug. “What's up, Deena?” he asked.

“You're
up!” Deena joked. “Up a tree.”

“How'd you get up here?” Jade demanded.

“I climbed,” Chuck said, shrugging. “Big deal. It was worth it to see the looks on your faces. Man, that was funny!”

“You're about as funny as the stomach flu,” Jade told him, shaking her head. But a smile spread across her face.

“When you pulled open the curtains and saw me, I
thought you'd jump out of your skin!” Chuck exclaimed.

“You're a real scary guy, Chuck,” Jade replied dryly. “Why didn't you just ring the doorbell like a normal person?”

“Borrr-ring!” Chuck singsonged. “You know I don't like to do things the boring way.”

“Tell me about it!” Deena muttered under her breath.

Chuck put on a mock pout. “Aren't you happy to see me?”

“Of course I am,” Jade replied. “I'm
very
happy to see you.” She took his hand and gave him a smile warm enough to melt an iceberg. “But I thought winter break didn't start till next week.”

“It doesn't,” Chuck said, and his lopsided grin faded. He turned away. Deena thought she caught a scowl on his face.

“If school's not out, then why are you home?” Deena demanded.

“I had enough of college,” Chuck said. “So I decided to start my vacation early.”

“Huh? What do you mean, you had enough?” Deena asked.

“I mean I dropped out, okay?” he replied sharply. “There were a couple of professors—they really got on my case.”

“Chuck—” Deena started.

“It was all a mistake!” Chuck cried with sudden intense emotion. “The whole thing was a mistake. I
never should have gone away to college. It wasn't right for me.”

“What's Dad going to say?” Deena asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hey—back off!” Chuck snapped angrily. “Who
cares
what Dad thinks? It's my life.” He glared at Deena. “And stop staring at me with that smug, disapproving face. I know what you're thinking, Deena. You're thinking, Poor Chuck. He messed up again. Well, I don't care what you think.”

“Fine. Fine,” Deena replied, retreating. She hated it when Chuck acted like this. She knew she'd better stop the discussion. She didn't want him to explode.

His expression still menacing, Chuck turned to Jade. “Well? You're not saying anything, Jade. Guess you think I messed up too.”

“I—I'm not sure what I think,” Jade confessed. “I was just wondering what you're planning to do now.”

“I have some ideas,” Chuck replied softly.

Deena felt her heart sink. Chuck had obviously gotten into some kind of trouble. Trouble he couldn't bluff his way out of with his easy charm.

She liked Chuck. She loved him. He was her half brother, after all. They shared the same dad. But she had seen this dark side of Chuck before. He was trouble.

He had always been trouble.

Jade dropped onto her bed. “Well?” she asked Chuck. “Are you going to share your ideas with us?”

“Here's what I'm thinking,” Chuck replied, sitting
on the bench at Jade's dressing table. “Why was I going to college? To become a filmmaker, right?”

“And you've changed your mind?” Deena asked.

“No. No way,” Chuck told her. “But you see, college is all wrong for me. They don't let you just take film courses. You also have to take math, and history, and a lot of other garbage that doesn't have anything to do with making movies.”

“Yeah. So?” Jade asked, glancing at Deena, who remained standing in the middle of the bedroom.

“So—why not go where the films are? Why not go to L.A.?” Chuck asked excitedly.

“Really?” squealed Jade.