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  The New Year’s Party

  R.L. STINE

  SIMON PULSE

  1995 Parachute Press, Inc.

  The New Year’s Party

  ON THIN ICE …

  The ice beneath her quivered.

  A crack rang out, shattering the stillness of the winter night.

  Reenie held perfectly still. If I move very slowly and carefully, I can edge my way over to the shore.

  She slid her left foot forward, struggling to keep her balance.

  She exhaled.

  So far, so good. Keep moving.

  Then she heard another crack. Louder this time….

  The ice beneath her gave way with a groan.

  She slid into the freezing black water….

  She felt herself being pulled down, swallowed up by the lake …

  I can’t breathe, she realized.

  She pounded on the ice with her fists, clawed at it.

  Where is the hole? she asked herself. Where is the hole I fell through?

  She couldn’t find it.

  I’m trapped. Trapped under the ice.

  Her last thought before the blackness engulfed her.

  Books by R.L. Stine

  Fear Street

  ALL-NIGHT PARTY

  BAD DREAMS

  THE BEST FRIEND

  THE BEST FRIEND 2: SPECIAL EDITION

  THE BOY NEXT DOOR

  THE CHEATER

  COLLEGE WEEKEND

  THE CONFESSION

  THE DARE

  DEAD END

  DOUBLE DATE

  THE FACE

  FINAL GRADE

  THE FIRE GAME

  FIRST DATE

  HALLOWEEN PARTY

  HAUNTED

  INTO THE DARK

  KILLER’S KISS

  THE KNIFE

  LET’S PARTY

  LIGHTS OUT

  THE MIND READER

  MISSING

  THE NEW BOY

  THE NEW GIRL

  NIGHT GAMES

  ONE EVIL SUMMER

  THE OVERNIGHT

  THE PERFECT DATE

  THE PROM QUEEN

  THE RICH GIRL

  THE RUNAWAY

  SECRET ADMIRER

  THE SECRET BEDROOM

  SKI WEEKEND

  THE SLEEPWALKER

  THE STEPSISTER

  THE STEPSISTER 2

  SUNBURN

  THE SURPRISE PARTY

  SWITCHED

  THE THRILL CLUB

  TRAPPED

  TRUTH OR DARE

  WHAT HOLLY HEARD

  WHO KILLED THE HOME-COMING QUEEN?

  THE WRONG NUMBER

  WRONG NUMBER 2

  Fear Park

  THE FIRST SCREAM

  THE LOUDEST SCREAM

  THE LAST SCREAM

  Fear Street Cheerleaders

  THE FIRST EVIL

  THE SECOND EVIL

  THE THIRD EVIL

  THE NEW EVIL

  CHEERLEADERS: THE EVIL LIVES! (A Fear Street Super-chiller)

  Fear Street Duet

  FEAR HALL: THE BEGINNING

  FEAR HALL: THE CONCLUSION

  Fear Street Trilogies

  The Cataluna Chronicles

  THE EVIL MOON #1

  THE DARK SECRET #2

  THE DEADLY FIRE #3

  99 Fear Street: The House of Evil

  THE FIRST HORROR

  THE SECOND HORROR

  THE THIRD HORROR

  Fear Street Saga

  THE BETRAYAL #1

  THE SECRET #2

  THE BURNING #3

  THE AWAKENING EVIL

  CHILDREN OF FEAR

  DANCE OF DEATH

  DAUGHTERS OF SILENCE

  FORBIDDEN SECRETS

  HEART OF THE HUNTER

  THE HIDDEN EVIL

  HOUSE OF WHISPERS

  THE SIGN OF FEAR

  A NEW FEAR

  Fear Street Super Chillers

  BAD MOONLIGHT

  BROKEN HEARTS

  THE DEAD LIFEGUARD

  GOODNIGHT KISS

  GOODNIGHT KISS 2

  HIGH TIDE

  THE NEW YEAR’S PARTY

  PARTY SUMMER

  SILENT NIGHT

  SILENT NIGHT #2

  SILENT NIGHT #3

  Other novels

  HOW I BROKE UP WITH ERNIE

  PHONE CALLS

  CURTAINS

  BROKEN DATE

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  First Simon Pulse edition August 2002

  Copyright © 1995 by Parachute Press,Inc.

  Originally published as an Archway Paperback in 1995

  SIMON PULSE

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster

  Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas

  New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Printed in USA

  20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

  ISBN 0-671-89425-0

  ISBN 13: 978-0-671-89425-2

  eISBN 978-1-439-13703-1

  FEAR STREET is a registered trademark of Parachute Press, Inc.

  The New Year’s Party

  New Years Party

  * * *

  Part One

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Part Two

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Part Three

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Part Four

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  About the Author

  PART ONE

  1965

  Chapter 1

  A NEW YEAR’S SURPRISE

  “Five more minutes till 1965!” someone yelled.

  The New Year’s party swirled around Beth Fleischer, her friends shouting and laughing, the Beatles’ “She Loves You” throbbing from the hi-fi—so loud, the whole room shook.

  A Coke bottle rolled across the living room carpet and hit Beth’s foot. She nudged it aside with her toe and kept dancing. Her new white boots pinched her toes, but Beth didn’t care. She knew they looked cool with her new miniskirt.

  “Wow!” Todd Stevens shouted in her ear. “Groovy party!”

  Beth tilted back her head and stared at Todd. She thought he looked like a movie star—with eyes even bluer than Paul Newman’s. All the girls at Shadyside High thought he was fab.

  But Beth wasn’t sure how much
she really liked him. How could she not like a boy every girl wanted? She couldn’t answer that question. The whole thing made her feel weird.

  She began to dance again. Then she scanned the room for Jeremy. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking of Jeremy while she was dancing with Todd. But she couldn’t help it.

  There he is, Beth thought. Jeremy stood all alone near the kitchen, sipping a soda. He looks so cool tonight. Why doesn’t he ask someone to dance?

  Someone bumped into a floor lamp. It crashed to the floor, but Beth couldn’t hear the sound over the music. “Karen’s parents are going to kill her!” she shouted to Todd, trying to be heard over the noise.

  She glanced around the room. No sign of Karen.

  Now that Beth thought about it, she hadn’t seen Karen for hours. Did she leave? She wouldn’t leave her own New Year’s party, would she?

  Karen and Beth were close friends. They spent hours talking about boys and movies and rock music—especially the Beatles. They made up stories about how they went to London and met the Beatles in person, and all four of the rock stars asked them for dates.

  The hard part was deciding which two Beatles to go out with, since all four of them were so far out.

  Beth searched the room again. Two boys arm-wrestled over the coffee table, while their friends cheered them on. Some girls checked out Karen’s tall stack of records. A couple Beth didn’t know were making out in the corner.

  But no Karen. Where could she be?

  “Fifteen seconds!” a boy on the other side of the room yelled. “Fourteen … thirteen …”

  Everybody stopped dancing. Someone turned the hi-fi down, and everyone in the room joined in the countdown. “Twelve … eleven … ten …”

  Karen has got to make it back here in time for midnight! Beth thought. I can’t start the year off without my best friend here!

  “Five … four … three …”

  Come on, Karen. Where are you?

  “Happy New Year!”

  Midnight. Cheers. Horns blowing.

  Todd pulled Beth to him and kissed her. “Happy New Year, Beth.”

  But Beth’s mind wasn’t on Todd’s kiss. She was worried about Karen. And she couldn’t stop thinking about Jeremy. He must feel so lonely tonight. No one to kiss on New Year’s Eve.

  “Earth to Beth!” Todd called.

  “Huh?” she replied.

  “Remember me?” Todd sounded annoyed.

  She shifted her attention back to Todd, smiled, tried to act like a girl having a great time on a super date. But her eyes drifted to Jeremy.

  A group of tough-looking guys had gathered around him. What do they want? Beth wondered.

  Another song started. Chubby Checker singing, “Do the Twist.” All around Beth, kids started to twist.

  One girl was really good—smooth and sexy. She flipped her long blond hair as she moved. Beth wished she could dance like that. Every time she tried the twist, she felt clumsy and stupid.

  Beth checked on Jeremy again. One of the hoody-looking boys grabbed Jeremy’s Coke and drank it. The other guys laughed.

  “Have you seen Karen?” Beth asked Todd.

  “Not for a while,” he answered.

  “The party is going to get totally out of control if she doesn’t do something.”

  Todd followed her gaze over to Jeremy. “He’s fine. Why do you worry about him so much?”

  He’s not fine, Beth thought. I know him better than anyone—and he’s definitely not fine. She didn’t bother trying to explain her feelings to Todd.

  Todd nudged Beth and pointed to the stairs. “Want to sit over there?”

  Four couples sat on the carpeted steps, making out. Jenna Cosgrove had smeared pink lipstick all over Joe Hart’s face. Joe didn’t seem to notice.

  Beth felt tempted, but she didn’t want to make out in front of the entire party. “Not there,” she insisted. “Everybody could watch us.”

  “Nobody’s paying attention to them,” Todd replied.

  Before Beth could answer him, a loud burst of laughter distracted her. One of the tough-looking boys had poured a Coke over Jeremy’s head.

  Stand up to him! Beth thought. But Jeremy did nothing.

  She watched him stumble backward, bumping into a girl. “Hey!” the girl snapped. “Watch where you’re going.”

  Jeremy moved sideways, taking wobbly steps, trying to maintain his balance. But his feet got tangled, and he fell, landing next to the food table.

  Everyone but Beth found Jeremy’s awkward fall hilarious. Even Todd.

  Beth saw Jeremy’s face turn bright red.

  I’ve got to go to him, Beth decided. She started across the room.

  But Todd grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the dark den. “No one will see us in there,” he urged.

  She hesitated, gazing back at Jeremy. Todd wouldn’t want her to try to comfort him. Jeremy probably wouldn’t want her to come over. He’d tell her to mind her own business.

  Todd tugged on her hand. They squeezed past two boys discussing cars. Beth had seen them around school but didn’t know them.

  “I want one of those Mustangs,” the taller one said. “A red convertible with a big V-8. Oh, man, I’d die for one of those.”

  “A Corvette would eat you right up,” the other boy responded.

  “Get serious! All you’d see of my Mustang would be the taillights.”

  A group of kids began singing “Auld Lang Syne.” Nobody knew the words, but they knew they were supposed to sing it on New Year’s Eve. The record player nearly drowned them out—Roy Orbison singing “Pretty Woman.”

  The door burst open.

  Beth turned—in time to see two young men wearing ski masks rush into the room.

  She saw the ski masks first.

  Then she saw their pistols.

  Chapter 2

  FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT

  One of the men pointed his pistol at a girl who was by the record player. “Turn that off!” he barked.

  Roy Orbison abruptly stopped in midnote.

  Silence now.

  Beth couldn’t move. She kept her eyes on the pistols, afraid to glance away.

  “Happy New Year!” the other man bellowed. “Everyone against the wall. Now!”

  Todd tugged Beth’s hand, pulling her against the wall. She could feel her knees trembling. What are they going to do to us? she wondered.

  “We want your wallets and your watches,” one of the intruders announced.

  Beth unfastened her watch and slid it off. She held it out in front of her and kept her eyes on the ground. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself.

  Should I give them my earrings, too? Beth wondered. She hated to give up the little diamond drops. They had been passed down from generation to generation in her family, always going to the first-born girl on her sixteenth birthday.

  “Hand ’em over!” one of the men yelled, interrupting her thoughts. “Try anything stupid and this guy gets it.”

  Beth jerked her head up. Jeremy! He’s got Jeremy! No! she thought. Don’t hurt him. Please.

  Beth shuddered as the gunman pressed the gleaming barrel of his gun against Jeremy’s temple.

  All the color drained from Jeremy’s face. “P-please,” he whimpered. “Give them what they want.”

  Beth tried to catch Jeremy’s gaze. She willed him to stay calm. Do what they ordered.

  “Don’t shoot me,” Jeremy begged. “Please don’t shoot me.” He stumbled forward a step.

  Beth cried out.

  “Hey! I told you not to move!” The intruder twisted the gun against Jeremy’s head.

  “I … I didn’t mean to,” Jeremy moaned. “I didn’t.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  Jeremy shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

  “Everybody pay attention,” the robber commanded. “This is an example of what happens when you don’t cooperate.”

  Again, he pressed the gun barrel against Jeremy’s head.

&nb
sp; Then he pulled the trigger.

  Chapter 3

  A BUMP IN THE NIGHT

  Beth screamed.

  The room rang out with screams.

  Jeremy’s eyes bulged. He staggered forward, but didn’t go down.

  The gun didn’t fire! Beth realized. Jeremy is okay! The breath she had been holding escaped in a loud whoosh.

  Everyone stared at the intruders, stunned, afraid to move.

  Beth frantically scanned the room. No one would try to help Jeremy, she realized. No one could do anything.

  Then, to her amazement, the intruders pulled off their masks.

  Huh? Why are they letting us see their faces? Beth asked herself. Are they planning to kill us all?

  Then Beth recognized them. Two seniors from Shadyside High. Party crashers.

  The robbery is all a stupid joke, she realized. A dangerous, dumb joke.

  The two boys laughed gleefully and punched each other’s shoulders. “Do these guns look real to you?” one of them asked. “We bought them at a toy store.”

  “I knew they were fakes!” a girl declared. “They looked like plastic.”

  “P-please give them what they w-want,” a boy imitated Jeremy’s terror-filled voice.

  “P-please don’t shoot me!” someone else imitated Jeremy, shaking his whole body.

  Everyone laughed. Except Beth. She saw Karen at the doorway, congratulating the two boys.

  Karen? How could she do that to Jeremy? Beth wondered. She’s supposed to be my friend.

  Karen was in on the whole thing! Beth realized. That’s why I couldn’t find her at midnight. She was making plans with these two creeps.

  Beth yanked her hand from Todd’s. “Karen!” she screamed. “How could you do this to Jeremy?” Beth’s face felt on fire as her anger raged.

  “Beth, it was just a joke,” Karen replied. “Something to liven up the party.”

  “It’s not funny! It was stupid and mean!” Beth shrieked.

  I’ll never forgive Karen. Never! Beth thought.

  One of the boys tossed Jeremy a toy gun.

  “Don’t shoot yourself!” someone yelled.

  More cruel laughter.

  With a furious scowl Jeremy heaved the gun against the wall. Then he took off, pushing people out of his way as he hurtled to the front door.