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  Delia sighed again. “Don’t you get it, Britty?” she asked. “I don’t want to be left behind. If I never get to New York, I’ll never become a fashion designer. And without Vincent …”

  No, Delia told herself. I haven’t lost Vincent yet. I know he cares about me. I’m not giving up. I have to talk to him.

  She stood up. “I’ve got to talk to him, Britty. About us. And about Karina.” She headed toward the front door.

  “You’re going to see Vincent?” Britty cried, following her. “After what you saw today? After all the lies he told you? Why? Why do you want to talk to him? Let Karina have him. They deserve each other.”

  “I can’t.” Delia stopped at the door. She wished she could make Britty understand. But how could she? Britty had never cared about a guy the way Delia cared about Vincent.

  “You’re great, Delia,” Britty continued. “Lots of guys would love to go out with you. For example, Stewart or Gabe. Don’t waste yourself on a loser.”

  Delia yanked open the door. “I have to talk to Vincent. I have to give him a chance to explain.”

  He’ll have a good explanation, Delia told herself as she hurried to her car and slid into the driver’s seat. I’ll talk to him—and everything will be fine again.

  Everything will be fine. She repeated the words over and over in her mind as she drove to Vincent’s. She knew he would be home. Thursday was basketball night—and Vincent loved basketball. He would be in front of the TV.

  Delia parked in the street in front of Vincent’s house.

  Everything will be fine, she repeated to herself. Fine. Fine …

  But when she walked past the front window, she caught sight of someone sitting next to Vincent on the couch. A girl.

  Karina?

  No.

  This girl had dark hair.

  Delia’s stomach clenched. Who is that?

  She hurried to the front door and tried it. Unlocked. She slipped inside and quietly shut the door behind her.

  The TV blared. Basketball crowd sounds. Delia tiptoed into the family room.

  She squinted into the shadows.

  Vincent and the girl were wrapped up together.

  “Get away from her!” The cry burst from Delia’s throat.

  Vincent and the girl jerked apart. Vincent jumped off the couch and Delia stared down at the girl.

  Her heart gave a hard thump against her ribs.

  “Sarah!” she cried.

  Chapter

  17

  “Delia! Hi!” Vincent cleared his throat. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He licked his lips and darted a glance at Sarah.

  Sarah didn’t appear nervous. She didn’t appear surprised. She looked smug.

  “Sarah!” Delia repeated, blinking in shock. Trying to blink her sister away.

  Is this a dream? A bad dream?

  Is Sarah really here with Vincent?

  Sarah stood up with her head high and her shoulders back. She straightened the black T-shirt she’d borrowed from Delia—without asking.

  “Hey. How’s it going?” Sarah strolled over to her sister.

  What is different about Sarah? Delia wondered.

  It didn’t take her long to see.

  Her lips.

  Sarah’s lips glistened with a coat of Delia’s purple Midnight Wine lipstick.

  Sarah grinned. “What’s up?”

  Delia bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to give Sarah the satisfaction of an angry response. “Nothing much,” she uttered through clenched teeth.

  She turned to Vincent and forced a smile. “Right?”

  Vincent laughed. But it didn’t sound anything like his usual laugh. “Sarah was just leaving,” he said. He grabbed Sarah’s coat off the brown recliner in the corner.

  The same place Delia always left hers.

  Vincent tossed it at Sarah. “Your sister stopped over to—”

  “I know exactly why she stopped over,” Delia said coldly.

  Delia walked into the hall and opened the front door. She stood back, waiting for Sarah leave.

  It didn’t take her long. As Sarah passed by, Delia grabbed her arm. She leaned close to her sister. “You didn’t think he would really choose you over me, did you? Even in my clothes and my makeup, you’re nothing special.”

  Sarah’s pointy little chin quivered. Delia had meant to hurt her sister. And she had.

  Sarah marched out the door without another word. Delia slammed it behind her.

  She swung around and glared at Vincent. “What’s going on?”

  Vincent lowered his head. His “I’m a big, sad puppy dog” expression.

  Delia let out a disgusted groan. “That’s not going to work this time.”

  “I felt sorry for her,” Vincent said. “I figured I’d give her a few pointers. I thought maybe then the sophomore guys wouldn’t think she’s such a geek.”

  Delia rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”

  Vincent moved toward her. He reached for her arm. “No big deal. So I gave the kid a break. You know I’m only serious about you.”

  Delia slapped his hand away. “Is that why you were kissing Karina in the hall after school?”

  “Karina?” Vincent swallowed hard. “I have to talk to you about Karina.”

  “So talk.” Delia crossed her arms and waited.

  “Karina has this idea that I’m her boyfriend. I don’t know why, but she does,” Vincent said. “I’ve been trying to figure out what to do. But you know Karina. You know how out-of-control she can get.”

  “What more can she do?” Delia cried. “She ruined my guitar. She ruined my art portfolio. You’ve got to talk to her, Vincent. You’ve got to tell her to back off. You—”

  “I will,” Vincent replied softly. He reached for her again. But again, Delia pushed him away.

  “Please, Vincent—” she pleaded. “Talk to Karina. Talk to her. Tell her she needs help. Tell her she’s out of control. Tell her something!”

  Vincent nodded. “I’ll try. I promise. And if it doesn’t work, I’ll talk to her parents.”

  “Please, Vincent—” Delia repeated heatedly. “Talk to her—before she does something really terrible. I’m so frightened of Karina. So frightened!”

  “I promise,” Vincent said, raising his right hand solemnly.

  “Do it soon,” Delia warned. “Before it’s too late.”

  Surprise twisted Vincent’s features. “Too late? What do you mean?”

  Delia took a deep breath. “I—I’m so worried about what she might do next,” she choked out.

  Chapter

  18

  “Was this the best idea for a birthday party or what?” Vincent stepped away from the door and ushered Britty and Gabe inside.

  He knew the answer to that question—definitely the best!

  “Wow.” Britty peered into the dark front room. “Creepy place. Why did you choose this old mansion on Fear Street for your party?”

  “Because it’s cool,” Vincent replied, grinning at her.

  “But how did you get it?” Gabe demanded. “Who lives here?”

  “Nobody,” Vincent told him. “That’s how I got it. The house has been empty for nearly a year. So I claimed it for tonight. You know. Squatter’s rights. I cleaned it up a bit. And it’s party time! Everybody in the senior class is here.”

  He led them across the hallway to a set of double doors.

  “If I had the party at home, my mom would be a basket case,” he continued. “She’d be worried about every little crumb that fell on the floor. And my dad would be acting all tense. You know, the way teachers do when they chaperone dances at school.”

  Vincent tapped one finger against his forehead. “Genius,” he said. “How cool is this? No parents around. No neighbors. Minimum cleaning. Maximum fun. And I got lucky—the electricity never got turned off.”

  “Can we join the party now, genius?” Gabe asked.

  Vincent pulled open the double doors. A huge ballroom stood o
n the other side. The sounds of loud music and laughter greeted them.

  This really is an awesome birthday party, Vincent told himself. Lots of food—pizzas, buckets of chicken, chips and pretzels, and nachos with gooey cheese. Excellent music. He hired a DJ from school, and gave him a list of his favorite dance CDs.

  Britty craned her neck, trying to see over the crowd. “Where’s Delia?” she asked.

  “Huh?” Vincent had a slice of pizza halfway to his mouth. He stopped and turned back to Britty. “Delia?”

  He’d been so busy getting ready for the party, he hadn’t thought about Delia. He searched around the huge, crowded room. He didn’t see her.

  When she does show up, I hope she doesn’t ask me if I had my serious talk with Karina, he thought. I’ve been too busy getting this party together. I don’t need another scene with Delia—especially at my birthday party.

  “I thought Delia was coming early,” Britty shouted over the throbbing music. “It’s weird that she isn’t here.”

  “There you are!” Karina called. She must have arrived right after Britty and Gabe, Vincent decided. She hurried over and kissed Vincent on the cheek.

  “Let’s dance—okay, Gabe?” Britty asked as she pushed her way past Vincent.

  Vincent turned his attention to Karina.

  “Awesome party!” Karina kissed him again. “Come on.” She tugged him to the dance floor, her blue eyes sparkling. “I love this song.”

  Vincent pulled Karina close. He rested his cheek on top of her head as they swayed to the music. A totally great party, he told himself again.

  When the song ended and a fast song started up, Karina and Vincent kept dancing. That’s all he felt like doing. Dancing all night.

  After a few more songs, someone tugged on his sleeve. He turned to see Britty staring at him. “What’s up?” he asked.

  “Something is wrong, Vincent,” Britty said. “Something is very wrong. Delia isn’t here.”

  Vincent rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to discuss Delia in front of Karina. Not when things were going so well between them.

  He made up an excuse to Karina about having to get more ice, and dragged Britty off the dance floor.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked her when they reached the other side of the room.

  “Delia. I’m talking about Delia,” she snapped. Britty glanced around. “She’s not here.”

  What am I supposed to do about it? Vincent thought. Across the room, he saw Stewart Andrews asking Karina to dance.

  “I—I’ve got to go,” Vincent murmured, his eyes on Karina.

  “But think about it, Vincent,” Britty pleaded. “It’s your birthday party, and Delia’s not here. Isn’t that a little strange?”

  “I guess. But I don’t think you have to worry about it.” Over Britty’s shoulder, Vincent watched Karina and Stewart. The two of them appeared friendly. Way too friendly.

  Vincent started toward them. “You know Delia,” he called back to Britty. “She’s probably waiting to make some sort of grand entrance. You know. Real dramatic. It’s early. She’ll show up.”

  An hour passed. Then another.

  No sign of Delia, Vincent realized.

  He felt sort of happy about it. He knew that if Karina and Delia ended up at the party together, they would end up in a fight.

  Since Delia decided not to come, he didn’t have to worry about keeping them away from each other.

  Why didn’t Delia come to the party?

  Vincent figured that she wanted to get back at him for messing around with Sarah. And for kissing Karina.

  That didn’t bother him. In a few days Delia would call or drop by. She never stayed angry for too long. And she always came back to him.

  Around eleven o’clock, Vincent stopped by the snack table for another slice of pizza. He noticed Britty pacing near the front door. “Isn’t there a phone here?” she called to him.

  Vincent shook his head. “A phone in a deserted house?”

  He started to feel a little guilty. Maybe he should call Delia. Maybe he should go check on her.

  No, he decided. That’s exactly what she wants. I’m not letting her ruin my party. She got an invitation. She didn’t come. That’s her problem.

  Around midnight, people started to leave. Vincent found his thoughts returning to Delia.

  It is weird that she didn’t show, he admitted to himself. Even if she still felt angry, she wouldn’t want me to be alone with Karina.

  It didn’t make sense.

  Any of it.

  Britty hurried over to him. She had her coat on. Vincent saw Gabe waiting for her by the door.

  “Not that you care, but we’re going to stop by Delia’s on the way home,” Britty told him. “Maybe she’s sick or something. Maybe—”

  Britty gasped as the double doors swung open.

  Vincent sucked in a sharp breath.

  Delia staggered into the doorway. She took two steps—then stumbled.

  The heel of one of her red shoes had snapped off, Vincent saw.

  The right sleeve of her dress was ripped at the shoulder.

  Vincent’s mouth dropped open as he saw the scratches that covered her arms.

  And the blood. The dark blood that trickled down her face.

  “Help me … help …” Delia moaned.

  Chapter

  19

  Delia swayed on her feet.

  Gabe and Britty came running toward her. She saw Vincent close behind them.

  Delia collapsed before they reached her. Her head cracked against the hard wooden floor. Pain shot through her neck and down her back.

  She tried to sit up. She had to find Karina. Now.

  Britty pulled off her coat. She rolled it up and placed it under Delia’s head. “Lie still,” she ordered.

  Stewart rushed over with a glass of water. Vincent took it from him. “Get me a paper towel!” he called. “Or some napkins!”

  Someone handed him one, and Vincent gently washed the blood off Delia’s face.

  Delia stared up at all the people crowding around her. Gabe. Stewart. Britty. Vincent. Dozens of other kids from school.

  They all looked so worried. So confused and upset. They really care about me, she realized.

  Delia’s heart fluttered in her chest. She struggled to sit up.

  “Give her some room,” Gabe called. The crowd moved back a little. Gabe knelt beside her. “Delia—what happened? Were you in an accident?”

  Delia forced herself to take a slow, deep breath. “Help me up,” she whispered.

  Vincent wrapped his arm around her waist and eased her to her feet.

  Delia leaned against him as she searched the crowd. Finally she spotted Karina.

  “Do you want to know what happened?” she cried. “Ask her! Ask Karina!”

  A low murmur ran through the crowd. Eyes turned to Karina.

  Karina stood at the edge of the crowd. “Ask me? Ask me what?” she demanded.

  “She invited me to her house tonight,” Delia started, pointing at Karina with a trembling finger. “Before the party. She said she wanted to talk. She wanted to apologize for all the horrible things she’s done to me. She—she said she wanted us to be friends again.”

  “No!” Karina cried. “Are you crazy? I did not!”

  “Yes, you did!” Delia insisted. “You did! So I drove to your house. You said your parents were out for the evening. You told me to come upstairs so we could talk. I trusted you. I trusted you.”

  “What are you saying?” Karina screamed. “I haven’t seen you in days! I—”

  “I followed her to her room,” Delia continued, ignoring Karina’s protests. “She hit me over the head with something. I—I blacked out. And when I woke up, I was tied to the bed!”

  “Oh, Karina—no!” Britty cried.

  Delia began to shake. Vincent wrapped his arms around her tightly.

  “No!” Karina screamed. She stared around the room, her eyes bright with panic. “No
! She’s lying. It’s all a big lie!”

  Delia took a step toward her. “Did you think you would get away with it?” Her voice trembled with anger. “Did you think no one would believe me?”

  “She’s lying!” Karina cried again.

  Delia shook her head. “You must be so surprised to see me here. You expected to find me safely tied up in your room after the party. But I loosened the ropes.”

  Delia held her hands up so everyone could see the rope burns on her wrists. Two bright red bracelets of raw skin.

  Britty gasped. “How could you do that to her?” she asked Karina.

  “What were you going to do when you got home, Karina?” Delia demanded furiously. “Kill me?”

  Delia turned and wrapped her arms around Vincent’s waist. She buried her face in his chest. “She’s insane!” Delia moaned.

  “You’re insane!” Karina shrieked in fury. “This whole story is crazy!” She launched herself at Delia.

  Gabe and Stewart each grabbed Karina by an arm. Karina struggled against them. “It’s all a lie!” she wailed. “It’s a total lie!”

  She struggled to break free from the boys’ grasp.

  “Stop it, Karina!” Stewart ordered. “You came to the party late. We all saw you.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything!” she cried. “I tried on a couple of different outfits.”

  “Come to her house. You’ll see!” Delia exclaimed. She pulled away from Vincent and started for the door.

  “I’ll prove it to you!” Delia shouted. “Come to her house. The ropes are still tied to the headboard. And—and you’ll see the blood. My blood. All over the carpet.”

  Karina ripped herself away from Gabe and Stewart.

  She shoved through the crowd and blocked the doors.

  “No!” she screamed. “No! You can’t come to my house! You can’t!”

  Chapter

  20

  “Why can’t we go to your house?” Delia demanded. “Because I’m telling the truth?”

  “No!” Karina cried, trembling. “Because it’s crazy! It’s all a crazy pack of lies! Delia is a liar!”

  “Liar?” Delia cried. “I’m a liar?” She raised her hands so that everyone could see them once again. “Look at my wrists.”