NEW YEARS SURPRISE 6 page

"We've been tricked," she finally managed to choke out.

"Yeah. Tricked," Greta murmured. She put an arm around Reenie's trembling shoulders.

"P.J. pulled a good one on us," Artie agreed, shaking his head.

"I can't believe we fell for it!" Sean added.

Greta rolled her eyes. "How could we think P.J. died? We've pulled too many of these jokes ourselves to be fooled that easily."

"But he was so limp when we carried him," Reenie reminded them. "He was so pale, so… so dead-looking."

"He was faking it," Sean declared. "How else can you explain it? There wasn't time for anyone to find the body and move it."

That's the only explanation, Reenie thought. Nothing else makes any sense.

But she couldn't shake the memory of his cold skin under her fingers. His cold lips under hers as she fought to bring him back to life.

"I'm so glad he's alive." Greta's voice trembled. "I-I was really terrified."

"P.J. must be laughing his head off." Artie bounded up the stairs.

Reenie laughed. She finally began to feel normal—normal and relieved. She raced up the stairs after Artie.

"Do you know how scared I was?" Reenie asked. She threw herself down on the sofa.

"I know exactly how scared you were!" Greta exclaimed, plopping down next to Reenie. "Because that's how scared I was."

"I thought it might be a joke," Artie said. "All along, I thought it might."

"Yeah, right. You were scared to death and you know it," Sean said.

Artie glared over at Sean—then they both cracked up. Reenie began to laugh. Soon all four of them were laughing, slapping each other high fives, rolling on the carpet.

We're all having some kind of delayed shock reaction, Reenie realized.

Then the doorbell rang.

"I bet that's P.J. He probably wants to gloat." Reenie hurried to the front door.

She swung the door open—and found herself staring at a dark-uniformed police officer.

"I'm Officer Jackson from the Shadyside Police Department. We received a report of a death here."

"Uh…" Reenie didn't know how to answer.

"Did you call the emergency number?" the officer asked, fixing his eyes on hers.

"Uh…" Reenie repeated. "Uh, no. Everything is okay here. You must have the wrong address."

"I have to come in and check around," the officer told her.

"Sure," Reenie said quickly. She moved out of his way.

Officer Jackson strode into the room. He gazed from face to face. "All right, what's going on here?" the policeman demanded.

"It… it was a trick," Reenie explained. "Someone played a trick."

"You mean that someone phoned in a prank call?" He narrowed his eyes. "We treat prank calls to 911 very seriously."

"We always play tricks on each other," Sean explained. "It doesn't always work, but this time it did. Someone fooled us into thinking he was dead."

Sean explained what happened, step by step. Thank goodness Sean stayed calm, Reenie thought. She felt too shaky to explain what happened with P.J. in a logical way.

"We really believed he was dead. We wouldn't have called you otherwise," Sean concluded.

"And you're the one who lives here?" The officer shifted his eyes to Reenie.

She nodded.

"I need your permission to check the house," the officer told her.

"Go ahead," she answered. Reenie wanted him to search the house. She knew P.J.'s body wasn't down in the basement. She'd seen for herself that it was gone.

But she kept wanting to go down and check one more time. Just to make sure. Because P.J. looked so dead. Now Officer Jackson would check for her.

"Stay here," the policeman ordered before he left the room. "No one leaves."

Reenie watched the man enter the kitchen. Heard him open the basement door. Heard the thump thump of his shoes on the concrete step.

Reenie counted each step. Okay, he's at the bottom, she decided. Now he's crossing over to the furnace. He's bending down.

Silence.

Did he find anything?

The silence stretched out. Reenie dug her fingernails into her palms.

You know there's nothing down there, she told herself. You know it.

Reenie held her breath until she heard the thump thump of Officer Jackson's shoes climbing back up the stairs. He wasn't hurrying. He'd be hurrying if he found a body, Reenie decided.

"No problem down there," he reported. "But I have to fill out a full report."

The policeman recorded their names, addresses, and phone numbers before he left. Reenie didn't care what he did with them. She didn't care if he called her parents when they got home. P.J. was okay. Nothing else mattered.

No one spoke until they heard the police officer's car door slam.

"Whew!" Artie breathed.

"When he glared at me I almost confessed that I did kill P.J.!" Greta exclaimed. "I felt as if he could peek into my head and know every bad thing I've ever done."

."I know I sounded like a total jerk describing our dumb practical jokes," Sean added.

Reenie knew she would never want to play their game again. "Let's promise no more tricks," she said. "It's never going to be fun after tonight anyway."

"No more tricks," Greta agreed.

"No more tricks," Sean and Artie repeated.

Reenie stood up and grabbed a half-empty bowl of M&M's. "I'm going to clean up," she announced. "I don't want anything around to remind me of this horrible party."

"I'll help," Greta volunteered. She grabbed a few M&M's and left for the kitchen.

"Maybe you should only have Halloween parties from now on!" Artie joked. He picked up some empty soda cans and wandered after Greta. "Tonight didn't help me get the Christmas spirit," he confessed sadly.

They worked in silence until they had eliminated every trace of the party.

Greta sighed when they gathered back in the living room. "I'm beat. I can't believe we have to go to school tomorrow. I could sleep for a year."

"Me, too," Artie answered. "I'll get the coats."

Greta gave Reenie a hug. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Artie called.

"I guess I'll go, too," Sean said. "You going to be okay here by yourself?"

Reenie nodded.

Sean pulled her close and kissed her. Reenie wished the kiss would never end. She didn't want to think about anything but the way Sean's lips felt against hers.

"Night," he whispered.

Reenie locked the door the second Sean stepped outside. She fastened the chain, too—even though her parents never did. Then she checked every door and window.

Reenie knew she should turn the lights off, but she didn't. She felt safer being able to see every corner. She didn't need any more surprises.

She dragged herself into her room, sat on the bed, and buried her face in her hands. She felt like crying.

What a terrible night. What a terrible party.

She wished her parents were home. Or that she had asked Greta to stay with her. She didn't want to be alone.

The phone rang, startling her.

She picked it up from the nightstand. "Hello?"

"Hi, it's Liz. Is my brother still there?"

"Stop it, Liz. Please," Reenie pleaded. "We figured out the joke. We know your brother is okay."

"Excuse me? What joke? Did P.J. fall for that joke with Sandi? What happened, Reenie?"

"I'm sure P.J. will tell you all about it later—if you don't already know," Reenie replied.

"He isn't still there?" Liz demanded. "Where is he, Reenie?"

"He… he isn't here," Reenie told her.

Liz hung up.

Reenie forced herself to get up, and changed into her favorite flannel nightgown with the little sheep on it. Then she crawled into bed, telling herself she would brush her teeth twice as long in the morning.

But she couldn't fall asleep. She kept hearing Liz's voice in her head.

Is my brother still there? Is my brother still there?

Chapter 22
NO ANSWERS

"I didn't fall asleep for hours," Reenie told Sean on the way to school the next morning. "I kept hearing Liz's voice in my head. It gave me the creeps."

"They can't give up the joke," Sean replied. "They're determined to convince us that something bad happened to P.J." He yawned. "Oh, man, I'm wrecked this morning. I kept dreaming you guys were carrying me down the basement stairs instead of P.J. I tried to tell you I wasn't dead—but you wouldn't listen."

Reenie patted his shoulder. "What a horrible dream."

"I bet P.J. will be waiting for us at school—ready to laugh in our faces," Sean said.

As soon as they pulled into the student parking lot, Reenie climbed out of the car and scanned the crowd for P.J. She studied every face as she and Sean entered the school.

No P.J.

They ran into Greta and Artie in the hall. Greta didn't bother to say hi. "I haven't seen P.J. yet. But he has to be here somewhere," Greta informed them.

"I don't have any classes with him. Do you?" Artie asked Reenie.

"Fifth period. History," she answered.

"P.J. will be there," Artie declared. "He's not going to cut school for a joke that isn't fooling anybody."

Artie is right, Reenie thought. P.J. isn't the type to skip class. I'll congratulate him on tricking us, and that will be the end of it.

The first bell rang. "Talk to you at lunch," Reenie called. She continued to search the crowded halls for P.J. or Liz as she hurried to her locker and on to her homeroom.

Each class before lunch felt endless. When the bell rang at twelve-thirty, Reenie rushed to the cafeteria, hoping someone had spotted P.J. She just had to know that he'd shown up at school.

But when she met up with Sean and Greta and Artie, they told her they still hadn't found him. Or Liz. Or even Ty.

Sean and Artie started talking about a concert they all wanted to go to. Reenie tried to follow the conversation, but she grew more and more anxious.

You're being silly, she told herself. P.J. climbed out from behind the furnace. Which means he wasn't dead. Which means it was all a joke. But she kept picturing his pale, pale skin. His cold, limp body.

When the bell for fifth period rang, Reenie jumped up. "I'll let you know what happened with P.J. as soon as school is over," she promised her friends. She wished at least one of them had history with her so she wouldn't have to face P.J. all alone.

Reenie reached class before anyone else—including the teacher. Every time the door opened, she checked to see if P.J. had arrived.

Lisa Blume ambled in and smiled at Reenie. "I hear you had a pretty wild party last night."

Reenie had answered questions about the party and the joke that backfired all day. She didn't want to talk about it any more. "Pretty wild," she mumbled, then stared down at her history book.

She kept sneaking glances at P.J.'s desk. But always found it empty.

The second bell rang—and no P.J.

Reenie felt her stomach knot. Where is he? Why won't P.J. let his joke end? Is he that angry at us for playing a trick on him?

I wish I could apologize to him—and Liz. I wish he'd show up so I could tell him I'm never playing another joke. Never.

Reenie tried to focus on Mr. Northwood's lecture. Then she gave up—and stared blankly at the chalkboard. She'd make it through the class, as long as Mr. Northwood didn't call on her.

The bell finally rang. Reenie couldn't wait to tell Sean that P.J. didn't show up. She grabbed her books and rushed out the door.

Liz stood down the hall with Ty. Perfect, Reenie thought. I can apologize and check up on P.J. She hurried through the crowded noisy hallway toward them.

Wait, Reenie thought, slowing her steps. Something's wrong. Liz's face appeared red and puffy.

She's crying, Reenie realized. Crying so hard her shoulders are shaking. And Ty is trying to comfort her.

Before Reenie could get to them, she saw Liz break away from Ty and dash wildly down the hall. Ty hesitated, then followed after her.

Reenie stared down the hall after her friends. What's going on today? Why was Liz crying?

Uh-oh. The English assignment! I didn't read it. And the way today is going, we'll get one of Ms. Roper's hideous pop quizzes.

Reenie checked her watch. Still a few minutes before class. Where to go to do some rush reading?

The gym. No sixth-period classes there. Perfect. She hurried down the hall, rounded the corner, and pushed through the gym's double doors.

She climbed to the fourth row of the bleachers, opened her English textbook, and heard something go clink directly beneath her. Dropped her pen.

"Figures," Reenie muttered. Her mom had given her the pen, a really good one with Reenie's name engraved on it. So Reenie had to find it.

She scrambled down to the gym floor, hurried behind the bleachers, and crawled underneath them.

The wooden bleachers rose above her in a massive framework of supports and slats. One appeared identical to another. Where had she been sitting?

Reenie heard footsteps, low voices. People entering the gym.

"He's vanished… vanished," a girl murmured, her voice quavering. A familiar voice. Liz's voice.

Peering between the seats, Reenie discovered Liz and Ty. They stood beneath the basketball net.

Ty gently stroked Liz's hair. "Let's drive around town and try to find out if anyone has seen him," he suggested.

"Thank you," Liz replied. She hugged him.

What is this? Reenie wondered. Could P. J. really be missing?

It feels creepy spying on them, Reenie thought. But I need to find out the truth. If P. J. really is missing, I don't know what I'm going to do.

As Reenie watched, Liz gently pulled Ty's head to hers and kissed him. A long, serious kiss.

Whoa, Reenie thought. Liz was crying so hard a few minutes ago. And now she's kissing Ty as if everything is wonderful. Why?

The bell rang. Liz and Ty strolled out of the gym, holding hands. Reenie spotted her pen and grabbed it. She trotted to English class.

She made it into her seat about ten seconds before the late bell sounded. "That's cutting it close," Ms. Roper warned, giving Reenie a stern look.

"You all read the assignment in Julius Caesar," she stated. "Now, who wants to tell us what happened?"

No one volunteered. The teacher's eyes scanned the room, searching for a victim. Not me, Reenie pleaded, sinking lower in her seat. Please, not me.

Ms. Roper's eyes fixed on someone else. "John, you tell us what's happening in the play."

"Uh…" John Clayton had been at Reenie's party. He probably hadn't read the assignment, either.

"You have read it, haven't you?" Ms. Roper asked.

"Uh… well…" John stammered.

The door opened. Mr. Hernandez, the principal, stuck his head in.

"Excuse me, class," Ms. Roper said. She joined Mr. Hernandez in the hall, closing the door behind her.

A moment later she reappeared. "Reenie, Mr. Hernandez would like to talk to you."

Everyone stared at Reenie.

She rose slowly, gathering her books. She'd never been called out of class by the principal.

It had to be serious. The principal didn't call people out of class if it wasn't serious.

Reenie stepped into the hall. The police officer from her party stood beside the principal. "Sergeant Jackson has some questions for you. Please go with him," Mr. Hernandez said. He ran his hand nervously over his thinning hair.

Wild thoughts spun through Reenie's brain. Is this about the prank call? Or something else? Has something really horrible happened?

Chapter 23
TOO FAR

The officer led Reenie to the empty cafeteria. Greta, Artie, Sean, and Sandi sat at a long table at the back. A tall, skinny man wearing a gray suit stood behind them.

"Sit down," Officer Jackson ordered.

Reenie joined her friends at the table. They exchanged worried glances.

"This is Detective Frazier," the police officer stated, nodding toward the other man. "He's got some questions for you."

The detective sat down at one end of the long table. Reenie felt her face burn when his eyes met hers. "I understand you kids like to play tricks on each other," Frazier declared. "That right?"

"They're only… only jokes," Artie stammered. "It's all for fun."

"Which one of you is Maureen Baker?" Frazier asked.

"I am," Reenie answered. "But everyone calls me Reenie."

"You held a Christmas party at your house last night?"

"Yes."

"And you played some of these tricks on each other?"

Reenie nodded. Why are the police questioning us? she wondered frantically. What do they think we did? Are they this upset because they think we made a prank call?

"I want to hear from each of you." Detective Frazier turned to Artie. "Tell me your name and what happened last night."

Artie told him everything. The plan to play a joke on P.J. And how they thought they had pulled it off—only to have P.J. pull an even better trick on them.

"That is what happened?" the detective asked, gazing at Sean.

"Yes," Sean replied. "Exactly."

"We always try to scare each other," Greta explained. "It's a game."

"So P.J. appeared to be dead?" The detective glanced around the table.

"Yes, and he scared me to death," Sandi confessed.

What about the rest of us? Reenie thought bitterly. Sandi didn't have to haul P.J. down the stairs.

"I… I didn't think he was breathing," Artie said.

"Sean and I tried to do CPR," Reenie volunteered.

"So you carried him down to the basement? But when you checked about five minutes later, he had disappeared," the detective said. "Is that your story?"

Story? Why did he call it a story? Reenie wondered. Doesn't he believe us?

"That's right," Sean replied. "And we were upstairs for only about five minutes. And P.J. was gone."

Detective Frazier listened as each of them told the same story. He repeated the same questions to each of them.

"Why are you asking us all this?" Sandi demanded. "We didn't break any laws. It was a stupid joke."

"Afraid it isn't a joke," the detective replied somberly. "We found P.J.'s jacket in the Fear Street Woods, near the lake. His sister claims he didn't come home last night."

Reenie felt her heart skip a beat. "He's… he's really missing?" she asked shrilly.

"Yes. He's missing," Frazier replied. "Maybe somebody's joke went a little too far."

Chapter 24
A PROBLEM WITH MARCS CAR

"We're worried about what happened to your friend," Detective Frazier told them. "I'm giving you each my card. If you remember anything you haven't told me—important or not—call."

By the time the detective finished with them, school had let out for the day. "What could have happened to P.J.?" Greta asked as they drifted over to the parking lot.

Reenie didn't know what to think. "Why would he have been in the Fear Street Woods after the party?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with us," Sandi insisted. "We played a joke, that's all. P.J. got into trouble after he left the house."

"Sandi is right," Sean agreed. "As soon as we left the basement, he probably sneaked up the stairs and out the back door. Then—"

"Do you think maybe someone murdered him?" Artie asked. He swallowed hard.

Reenie caught the fear in his eyes. She shuddered.

"Hold on," Sean urged. "Why are we assuming the worst? All we know is that someone found P.J.'s jacket in the woods. P.J. could be fine."

"Yeah!" Artie agreed quickly. "P.J. could be fine."

"The police don't think he's fine," Greta pointed out.

"And neither does Liz," Reenie told them. "I heard her tell Ty that P.J. had vanished. Even the police said he never returned home last night. What if they never find him?"

"P.J. has been missing for almost a week. I heard the police are planning to drag Fear Lake for the body," Reenie said. She slammed her trig book shut and flopped back on her bed. "It's making me crazy. All I can think about is P.J. I'm going to flunk all my classes."

"I know," Greta replied from Reenie's desk. "I keep wishing we hadn't played that stupid trick on him. I wish I'd taken the time to hang out with him at the party. We had some good talks, you know?"

Reenie sighed again and stared down at the cover of her trig book. "What problem are you on?"

"The fourth one," Greta answered. "But I'm not working on it. I'm just trying to understand it."

"Yuck. That problem. I couldn't do it, either. We need Sean."

Reenie tossed her book on the floor. "I wonder if we'll ever find out what happened to P.J."

"Maybe not," Greta replied. "Sometimes people disappear. That's it. Nobody ever sees them again."

Reenie shivered. She hated the idea that people could vanish. Poof! As if they had been snatched away to another planet or something.

Reenie decided she didn't want to talk about that. "You know what you're getting for Christmas?" she asked, determined to change the subject.

Greta stood up and stretched. "Huh? Oh, Christmas. I haven't thought about it. I guess I'm not in a holiday mood."

"Why not? Besides the obvious, I mean."

"I've decided to break up with Artie."

"No way!" Reenie gasped. "You've been a couple forever."

"I'm fed up with him. He's spending all his time with Marc, and he's going to drop out of school."

"I thought he had it with Marc," Reenie protested. "I mean, after Marc ran off and left us at the party—when everybody thought P.J. was dead."

"That lasted about two days." Greta rolled her eyes. "It's as if he's addicted to Marc or something. He can't stay away from him."

"Maybe Artie's going through a weird phase." Reenie sat up and began French-braiding her hair. "Have you checked his horoscope?" she teased.

Greta didn't smile. "He wants to work at the auto plant with Marc. He wants a car like Marc's. He claims school is a waste of time and college is for spoiled rich kids," Greta told Reenie. "Does that sound like just a weird phase?"

Reenie shook her head. "Sorry, Greta. When are you planning to tell Artie you're breaking up with him?"

"Every day I promise myself I'll do it. Then I wimp out."

"What do you think he'll say?" Reenie asked.

"I don't know." Greta lowered her eyes to the floor. "It's going to be so hard to tell him."

She sat down on the bed next to Reenie. "I should do it now. I'll feel better once I get it over with. Come with me—please? We're not getting any work done, and I need moral support."

"How can I help? I can't tell him for you," Reenie said.

"I don't want you to tell him for me," Greta insisted. "But if you're with me, I know I won't back out of it."

"I don't know. Is it fair to Artie? How is he going to feel if you break up with him in front of me?"

"Please, Reenie. I need your help. It's driving me crazy pretending everything is great between us. I have to tell Artie the truth."

"Okay," Reenie agreed.

"Thank you." Greta squeezed her hand. "I really appreciate it."

They grabbed their coats. "Hurry," Greta urged Reenie. "I don't want to chicken out again."

They jumped into Greta's little Civic. Greta appeared more and more nervous the closer they got to Artie's house. She sped down Old Mill Road.

"Stop sign!" Reenie called. "Stop sign!" Greta screeched to a halt.

"Sorry. Didn't see it."

Reenie felt relieved when they finally arrived. I think I'll volunteer to drive on the way back, she decided. She followed Greta to Artie's house, walking carefully on the icy walkway.

Greta hesitated outside Artie's door. Then she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

Artie opened the door almost immediately. Grease streaked one side of his face.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 671