Cheerleaders: The New Evil Page 6

  Corky lined up behind Naomi to receive her lighted baton. Ivy had been assigned the job of lighting them.

  “This is amazing!” Naomi cried.

  “It’s unbelievable!” Heather shouted, right behind Corky. “I’ve never seen the school so totally pumped!”

  “Go, Tigers!” Corky shouted. Eager to begin the new routine, she turned to Ivy.

  Against the wall, Ivy grabbed a fire baton from the pile. She dipped one end in the bucket of kerosene in front of her, turned the baton, and dipped the other end. Then, holding the baton in the middle, she lighted both ends with a plastic lighter.

  First in line, Debra took the flaming baton from Ivy, handling it carefully, holding it straight out in front of her. She twirled it slowly. The twin balls of fire circled each other in the air.

  Naomi took the next baton. Corky waited patiently for Ivy to light the next.

  The crowd quieted in anticipation. The lights went out as Ivy lighted the last baton and, twirling it slowly, took her place in line.

  The gym grew quiet as the cheerleaders raised the batons over their heads and twirled them. Corky glanced down the row as she twirled. The batons made rings of fire, bright, flaming rings that danced and spun in the silent darkness.

  When Corky heard the sharp, high-pitched cries, she thought at first it was the squeal of a puppy.

  “Ai! Ai! Ai! Ai!”

  But turning toward the sound, she saw the bright yellow flames trickle down Naomi’s sleeve. As the flames leapt over Naomi’s sweater and skirt, Corky realized that the sharp, terrified squeals were coming from Naomi.

  The tiny cries were quickly drowned out by the horrified shouts and moans from the bleachers.

  Chapter 12

  IVY ON THIN ICE

  “Kimmy, you were so brave,” Corky declared. “I just stood there. But you—you risked your life.”

  Kimmy frowned. “If you want to know the truth, I didn’t think about it at all. I saw Naomi on fire, and I just jumped on her, knocked her to the floor, and tried to smother the flames.”

  Debra shook her head. “Don’t be modest. You saved Naomi’s life. She’s badly burned. But you stopped the flames before they reached her face.”

  Kimmy sighed. “I don’t even remember it. It all happened so fast.”

  Corky and her two friends walked on in silence. Dressed in coats and mufflers and wool caps, they trudged through the park, under bare trees, over patches of lingering snow.

  The red ball of a sun didn’t beam down any warmth. Corky shivered and stuffed her hands deeper into her coat pockets. Her breath steamed up in white puffs in front of her.

  “Look—a rabbit!” Debra pointed between the trees.

  Corky saw a small brown creature dart into a pile of dead leaves. “Didn’t anyone tell him it’s winter?” she muttered.

  Shadyside Park stretched behind the high school, its woods sloping all the way down to the river. Corky spotted the remains of a kite caught high in a tree branch. Ice clung to the frame, making it sparkle like an enormous diamond.

  Kimmy and Debra had appeared at her house right after breakfast on Saturday morning. They had insisted on a serious talk. Corky wasn’t surprised to see them. But she felt cooped up and uncomfortable in the house.

  So here they were, crunching through the woods, the only people for miles, talking about everything except the real subject on their minds—Ivy. And the accidents.

  “Naomi will be in the hospital for weeks,” Kimmy reported, stepping over a fallen tree trunk. “That means that Lauren is on the squad.”

  “Ivy gets her wish,” Debra murmured.

  “You mean Lauren gets her wish,” Corky corrected her. She pulled off the wool cap and shook out her blond hair. The cap always made her head itch.

  “You think Lauren is inhabited by the evil?” Debra asked. “You think Lauren is the one who’s been knocking off the cheerleaders one by one?”

  “I don’t,” Kimmy replied after a few seconds. She brushed against a prickly shrub. Several burrs stuck to the sleeve of her coat. “Ivy is the one who dipped the fire batons. She’s the one who made sure that kerosene ran all over Naomi’s baton.”

  “She swore it wasn’t her fault,” Corky reported, helping Kimmy pull the burrs off her coat sleeve. “Did you see Ivy crying her eyes out when Ms. Closter questioned her? She swore she was careful.”

  “If Lauren is possessed by the evil, she could be trying to make Ivy look guilty,” Debra said.

  Corky tossed the last burr to the ground. She turned to her two friends. “Does it really matter which one of them it is?” she cried. “We know the evil is back. We all agree on that—right? After what happened to Naomi, we all agree that it’s back!”

  Kimmy and Debra nodded solemnly.

  “So what does that mean?” Corky continued heatedly. “It means that—”

  She stopped when she heard the voice. A girl’s voice. Nearby.

  They all heard it.

  Peering through the maze of tree trunks, Corky saw that they had walked near the bank of the river. The shiny white ground she spied just beyond the trees was actually solid ice.

  She heard a girl’s high-pitched laugh.

  Then she saw a flash of blue against the white.

  Who was out there? Who was on the ice?

  Motioning to the others to be silent, Corky led the way toward the shore. Using the tree trunks as cover, they crept close enough to see the shore clearly, and the river stretching out beyond it, silvery and sparkling in the sunlight.

  Another flash of blue.

  Corky saw a girl in a down vest over a blue sweater, skating in a small area on the ice.

  Another girl, in a bright red sweater and matching muffler, stood a few feet from the shore, hands in her jeans pockets, watching the other girl skate.

  Corky recognized Lauren first. She was the one watching.

  Then she recognized Ivy’s long, streaked hair swirling behind her as she skated. Ivy’s blades made sharp slicing sounds as she twisted and turned, skating strange patterns, her arms swinging out in front of her.

  “It’s Ivy!” Kimmy whispered. “What is she doing? Why is she skating like that?”

  Corky didn’t reply. Peering out from behind a tree trunk, she watched Ivy skate—sharp turns and quick reverses, then repeating the patterns again and again.

  Lauren watched intently from the shore, standing motionless on the ice, motionless and silent.

  “I don’t believe this! This is so weird!” Kimmy whispered.

  “I think she’s skating some kind of symbol,” Debra suggested, hiding behind Corky, her hands on Corky’s shoulders. “See how she keeps repeating the same thing?”

  Corky gasped when she saw the white steam funneling up behind Ivy. Squinting hard at the sparkling ice, she saw the small hole in the surface. The steam poured straight up from the hole.

  And now Ivy was skating around the steam hole, around and around it, skating faster and faster until she became a blue blur in the billowing smoke.

  “This proves it!” Corky whispered to her two friends. She felt a chill run down her body, making her entire body tremble. “This proves it. Ivy is the evil!”

  “What are we going to do?” Kimmy cried, unable to hide her fear. “She sent Hannah and Naomi and Rochelle to the hospital. We could be next.” Her chin trembled. A sob escaped her throat. “What are we going to do?”

  “I think I have a plan,” Debra said softly. She lowered her voice even more. “We have to drown her.”

  Chapter 13

  A SURPRISE FROM SANTA

  Corky reached for the phone, then lowered her hand to her lap. Come on—call him! she urged herself. You’ve been staring at that phone for twenty minutes!

  She spun around as the door to her bedroom swung open. “Are you busy?” Sean demanded. He had some kind of purple fruit roll-up hanging out of his mouth.

  “Yes. I’m on the phone,” Corky replied sharply.

  “No, you’re n
ot,” he insisted.

  “Well, I’m going to be. Beat it,” she told him. She picked up the receiver and waited for him to leave.

  “You stink!” he called, slamming the door behind him.

  Corky felt guilty. She knew she was taking out her anxiety on Sean.

  Go ahead and call Alex, she told herself, staring at the phone. What’s your problem? You’ve called him a thousand times.

  She knew what the problem was. She didn’t want Alex to break up with her. She had avoided him ever since school had let out for winter vacation. She was so afraid that if they started to talk, he’d finish what he’d started to say at her house that Thursday night.

  And she would be without a boyfriend.

  But now she had no choice. She had to call to ask him to the party.

  With a heavy feeling in her stomach, she punched in the familiar number. Alex picked up after the second ring. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Alex. It’s me.”

  A short silence. She had surprised him, she figured. “Corky? What’s up?”

  “I thought maybe you’d be at basketball practice,” she said awkwardly.

  “I’ve got to leave in a minute,” he replied. “It’s supposed to be vacation, right? But Coach Hall has scheduled a practice every night. We’re all going to be totally wrecked before the tournament starts.”

  Corky let out a short laugh. “We’ve been practicing too. We had to come up with a new routine to replace the fire batons. Ms. Closter decided they were too dangerous.”

  “I guess,” Alex replied.

  He seems distant, Corky thought. Maybe he’s just in a hurry to get to practice.

  Can I really do this? Can I ask him to this party? If he says no, I’ll know he’s breaking up with me.

  She cleared her throat. “Uh—Alex—Debra and Kimmy and I—we’re having a party,” she started to say.

  “At your house?” he asked. She heard him turn away from the phone and shout something to his mother. “I’m going, Mom!”

  “It’s a Christmas party,” Corky continued. Her hand suddenly throbbed. She realized she was squeezing the receiver too tightly. “We thought it’d be nice to have it before we all go up to New Foster for the tournament. An ice-skating party. At the river.”

  “Huh? At night?” He sounded confused.

  “Tomorrow afternoon. It’ll be real pretty,” Corky told him. “We’re going to have Christmas music to skate to, and hot cider, and—”

  “Weird idea,” he muttered.

  “We’re inviting all the kids we know, cheerleaders and everyone on the basketball team,” she added. “So do you want to come? With me?”

  “Yeah. Sure,” he replied casually. “Sounds awesome. I’ve got to get moving, Corky. Talk to you later, okay?”

  Corky said good bye and hung up. She realized her hands were cold and clammy. Her heart raced.

  Well, you’re right, Alex, she thought wistfully, staring out at the darkness beyond her bedroom window. It’s going to be an awesome party, for sure.

  Everyone should have a really good time.

  Everyone except Ivy.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  By the time Corky arrived at the river, kids were already skating. “Winter Wonderland” floated out from Kimmy’s tape player. Corky saw several kids lined up at the food table, holding cups of steaming hot cider.

  “Corky—where were you?” Debra came running up to greet her, her plaid wool muffler flying up as she made her way over the fresh snow. Debra wore a blue down vest over a long white sweater and black leggings. “Kimmy and I have been frantic! We thought you changed your mind and chickened out.”

  “No,” Corky replied, her boots sinking into the soft snow as she hurried toward Debra. “It’s Alex’s fault. He was supposed to pick me up. Then he called at the last minute and said there was something he had to do. I was already late, and then my mom’s car wouldn’t start.”

  “Has Alex been acting weird lately, or is it my imagination?” Debra asked, grabbing Corky’s hand and tugging her toward the ice.

  She’s noticed it too, Corky thought unhappily. “Yeah. Alex is definitely weird,” Corky muttered. She gazed up at the sky. “Think it’s going to snow more?”

  Heavy gray clouds blanketed the sky. A gusting wind carried a chill off the frozen river.

  “The radio said we’re going to get another three inches,” Debra reported. She swept her mittened hand out over the river. “Look. Just about everyone is here. Great party, huh?” She waved at Kimmy, who waved back from behind the cider table.

  I can’t believe Debra is in such a good mood, Corky thought. She’s so excited and happy. Has she forgotten why we’re giving this party? Has she forgotten what we’re about to do?

  “Where’s Ivy?” Corky asked, her eyes moving from skater to skater out on the ice.

  “Over there. With Lauren,” Debra replied, her smile fading. “What do you think they’re talking about? Which cheerleader they’re going to hurt next?”

  Corky tugged her skates off her shoulder and followed Debra to the cider table. The song on the tape player changed to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Some of the guys began singing along at the top of their lungs, deliberately off key.

  A gust of wind blew a powdery sheet of snow across the ice. Corky kept her eyes on Ivy and Lauren. On skates, Ivy appeared nearly as tall as the basketball players. Her long hair toppled down from a red and white headband. She wore a snug-fitting bright red ski outfit. Even from a distance Corky could see Ivy’s bright pink lips move rapidly as she talked to Lauren.

  Lauren wore a fleece-lined denim jacket with the fleece collar pulled up, and faded jeans. She tossed back her head and laughed gleefully as Ivy continued talking.

  “Finally!” Kimmy cried as Corky stepped up to the table.

  “Sorry,” Corky replied. “Alex hung me up.” She took a deep sniff. “Mmmmmm. The cider smells great.”

  “I put a lot of mulling spices in,” Kimmy told her, stirring the cider pot with a big ladle. “Excellent party, huh?”

  “Yeah. Excellent,” Corky replied without any enthusiasm. She leaned close to Kimmy to whisper, “You and Debra seem so cheerful. It’s like you forgot what we’re doing here.”

  “We haven’t forgotten,” Kimmy whispered back, gazing out at Ivy and Lauren. “We’re just trying to act normal. We don’t want anyone to get suspicious.”

  Ivy and Lauren were enjoying another good laugh. Three basketball players formed a line and started skating side by side, deliberately trying to knock other kids over. Heather Diehl, wearing an enormous brown and black wool coat, skated gracefully in wide circles. She looked like a pro.

  Kimmy held up the ladle. “Want a cup of cider?”

  “Maybe later,” Corky replied, a chill of fear running down her back.

  Are we really going to do this? she wondered. Are we really going to reveal in front of everyone that Ivy is the evil?

  “Did Debra bring the book?” she whispered to Kimmy.

  Kimmy nodded solemnly. “It’s in her car. She’s going to get it as soon as everyone arrives.”

  “Maybe I’ll skate a little first,” Corky told her. She sat on the ground to pull off her shoes and lace up her skates.

  A little exercise will keep me from getting too scared, she told herself. Maybe if I skate, it’ll keep me from thinking about what we’re going to do.

  A few minutes later she stepped onto the ice and began to skate out onto the frozen river. Her skates slid over the powdery surface, making a pleasant slush slush sound.

  She had skated for only a few steps, when a figure quickly moved up beside her. “Hey—Corky! When did you get here?”

  She braked a little too hard and nearly toppled forward. “Jay! Hi!” she cried, grabbing his arm to steady herself.

  He flashed her his toothy grin. He had his Mighty Ducks cap on, as usual. His maroon and white Shadyside High jacket was unsnapped, revealing a gray sweatshirt underneath. “The skating’s a little ro
ugh because of the snow,” he said. “You’ve got to use a lot of leg power. Watch.”

  He went into a crazy dance, thrashing his arms over his head as his legs kicked back and forth. “Whooooa!” He let out a long cry as he fell heavily and slid several feet, almost knocking Heather over.

  “Nice move, Landers!” Heather called to him, skating around his outstretched body. “Get some training wheels!”

  Corky was laughing too hard to help Jay up. “Are you okay?” she finally managed to ask as he skated back beside her.

  “Falling down is my hobby,” he replied, straightening his cap. “I love it.” He brushed snow off his jeans. “Where’s Alex?”

  Corky slapped at the snow on the back of his jacket. “I don’t know. He said he’d be late.”

  She caught a gleam of excitement in Jay’s eyes. “Then you can skate with me,” he said eagerly.

  Corky laughed. “No way! I don’t have your style!”

  Jay let out his high-pitched giggle. He took her arm. “Come on. I’ll skate normal.”

  “What’s Alex’s problem anyway?” Corky asked.

  Jay reacted with surprise. “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “Why has he been acting so weird lately? I mean, he never seems to be around.”

  She watched Jay’s cheeks redden. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Really.”

  He’s lying, Corky decided. Jay knows what’s going on. But he’s being a good friend to Alex. He doesn’t want to tell me.

  “Hey—Gary!” Jay cupped his hands around his mouth as he shouted across the ice to Gary Brandt. He turned back to Corky. “Listen, I’ve got to talk to Gary. Let’s skate later—okay? I mean, if Alex doesn’t show.”

  He blushed again.

  Does Jay know where Alex is? Corky wondered. Is Alex off somewhere with another girl? Is that why Jay is so uncomfortable?

  “Yeah. See you later,” Corky said. She watched him skate away.

  The clouds lowered and the sky darkened. The wind sliced off the ice. The cold crept into Corky’s body.