Player

by DeLuca, Laura

  “How can you possibly know that for sure?” Bryan demanded.

  “Kevin is bringing Elena. Jim will bring Andrea. I’ll bring Rosa,” Josh explained. “That leaves Nadine, and if I know her, she’ll find a guy on the team to take her. But just in case, I plan on extending a personal invitation. Don’t worry, Bryan. All of your suspects are going to be there. But this way, I know my house will still be in one piece when my parents get home.”

  “Wait a minute.” Bryan looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth. “Did you say Elena is going with Kevin?”

  Josh shrugged. “Sorry, dude.” He remembered too late that Bryan had a thing for Elena. It didn’t really matter. If it weren’t Kevin, it would have been someone else. Either way, there was no chance of Elena going out with a guy of Bryan’s limited finances.

  “But she can’t! Kevin might be the killer!” Bryan said in a heated whisper. “Josh, you’ve got to stop her.”

  Josh shook his head. It was just one problem after another. He had spent the whole morning cajoling people. He was getting sick and tired of it. “Listen, I can’t tell Elena what to do. She would never listen to me. Besides, she’s a suspect too, right? How do we know Kevin isn’t the one who needs protection? After what happened to Jazz, I never did get a chance to tell you, but I found out for a fact that the earring we found is Elena’s.”

  Bryan couldn’t control the volume of his voice this time. “What? How could you forget to tell me something so important?”

  Once again, Josh found himself the center stage of the school hallway.

  “I didn’t forget,” he told Bryan. “I just had other things on my mind.”

  Bryan still looked annoyed. “So how do you know it’s hers?”

  “When I was working on the yearbook photos, I noticed her wearing them in one of the pictures. It’s definitely Elena’s earring. There’s no doubt about it.”

  Bryan turned a sickly shade of white, similar to the day in the garage when they found the earring. He must have really had it bad for Elena to be taking the news so hard. Josh felt sorry for him and tried to do some damage control. “It doesn’t mean anything specific, you know. Like we said before, maybe it was planted.”

  That thought seemed to cheer him up a little. “You’re right. Hey, we better get going. Looks like the assembly is starting.”

  The hallways were thinning out which meant that most of the student body had already taken their seats in the auditorium. Josh and Bryan walked in together, but they were seated according to homeroom, so they separated at the door. Josh took a seat beside Andrea, who was biting her nails as she waited to find out if she would be a member of the court. Three seniors and two juniors would be elected, based on the votes of the student body. Josh was less than enthusiastic about the whole production, but he tried to fake it for Andrea’s sake. She had her heart set on being in the court. She would have liked to be queen, but she was too realistic to aim that high. After all, she had Elena for competition.

  The auditorium was noisy. The voices of several hundred students mingled together, forming an incoherent buzz. It was giving Josh a headache, and he couldn’t wait for the whole thing to be over. Mr. Graves, accompanied by the student body president, a tall, skinny guy with brown hair and abundant freckles, were standing on the stage beside the red velvet curtains. The principal was asking for silence, and slowly the command was being obeyed. Eventually Josh was able to hear himself think.

  “Good afternoon, faculty and students!” Mr. Graves called into the microphone with exaggerated enthusiasm. After twenty-some odd years of homecoming dances, it probably started to get boring. “You all know the reason we’ve gathered here today. In one week, we’ll be having the annual homecoming dance. And, of course, that dance calls for a queen! So without further ado, let me introduce Marvin Applegate, your student body president, who will announce your choices for the homecoming court.”

  Marvin took over the microphone with the air of a would-be standup comedian. “Good afternoon, faculty and students,” he began in a perfect mimic of Mr. Graves. Then he continued in his normal voice, as he paced from one end of the stage to the other. “I know you’re all dying from suspense, so I won’t waste your time making any corny speeches about how these girls are more than just a bunch of pretty faces. Especially when we all know that wouldn’t be true.” There were a few scattered snickers in the audience. “So, when I call your name, please come up to the stage and take a bow for us. The members of the Homecoming court, in random order, are as follows. Tiffini Peterson!”

  Tiffini, a blonde, blue-eyed junior wearing an extremely short skirt, climbed onto the stage. She waved and blew kisses dramatically which made Josh roll his eyes, but she was still greeted by a hearty round of applause, mostly from the section of the auditorium where the juniors sat.

  “Charlotte Lawrence!” Marvin continued.

  Charlotte was another junior who was shy, but tall and slim as any super model. She joined her classmate and everyone clapped. A few guys whistled, but she only stared meekly at the floor, her cheeks painted a bright scarlet.

  “Elena Huber!”

  The response was uproarious. The guys all went crazy, screaming and chanting her name. Elena walked calmly onto the stage, looking unconcerned with the whole affair. She did everything but yawn. What an actress she was! Josh knew how much the crown meant to her. Meanwhile, the student body president charged on.

  “Andrea Carpenter!”

  Andrea let out a little shriek of excitement, even though she had expected it. She ran up onto the stage, but tripped as she moved toward the other girls, falling right into Marvin’s arms. There was a lot of laughter mingled with clapping. Andrea’s face was almost as red as her hair when she took her place in line. Josh was embarrassed for her, but luckily, Marvin was quick to continue.

  “And last, but certainly not least, and I mean that in more ways than one.” He made cup motions with his hands in the chest area, leaving little doubt what he was referring to. In his corner, Mr. Graves shook his head in disapproval. “Nadine Morris!”

  That got Josh’s attention. He was surprised. Nadine had only been in their school for a week. He didn’t think anyone really knew her. Yet her response was almost as thunderous as Elena’s had been. Maybe Elena would have some competition after all. Nadine walked onto the stage, looking surprised and bewildered. Her large breasts bounced as she ran up the steps, and Josh was hardly the only one to notice. The clapping grew louder, outdoing Elena’s applause. Josh glanced in Elena’s direction, and from the disgruntled look on her face, she was far from happy about it.

  It seemed to take forever for the applause to die down. Finally, Mr. Graves took the microphone back from Marvin after a feigned tug of war. The principal announced that the seniors were dismissed. The other classes would follow shortly thereafter, avoiding too much congestion in the hallways. Josh looked for Andrea to offer his congratulations, but he didn’t see her. Instead, he accidentally bumped into Nadine.

  “Hey, Nadine!” Josh said. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, and actually smiled. It was a relief after the last few conversations they had. “It was a big surprise. Listen, Josh,” she added, her expression turning somber. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you. I want to apologize for the way I acted. I had no right to get so angry. You never made any promises to me.”

  Josh shook his head. How could she think she was the one who needed to apologize? “You had every right to be angry. I was a jerk. As a peace offering, how about coming to my party tomorrow night?”

  “I’ll be there,” Nadine promised with honest enthusiasm. “I hope we can be friends from now on.”

  “Me too.”

  Someone else came over to offer Nadine their congratulations, so Josh said goodbye and went to his locker to get his backpack. He figured he would meet up with Andrea and Rosa in the parking lot. He fumbled with the combination before finally getting the door to swing open. Something glittere
d on the top shelf and caught his eye. He reached for it, and a small scrap of paper fluttered to the floor.

  At first he wasn’t sure what he was holding. It was a pink plastic tiara with some big gaudy plastic jewels. It was the type of thing he had seen in dollar stores for little girls’ birthday parties. It was practically broken in half, and the edges were sharp. Josh pricked his finger on the jagged point, and a few drops of blood welled from the small wound. He put his finger in his mouth as he bent to pick up the paper that had fallen. When he read it, the broken crown suddenly made sense and he wondered how he could have been so naïve. He should have realized from the instant he saw it what it meant.

  “Josh decided to play around

  Now one of his girls is under the ground.

  Another has a big bump on her head.

  And by the end of the dance, the queen will be dead.”

  Chapter 25

  That Saturday night, the party proceeded as planned. Music was pumping from the elaborate stereo system. The living room furniture had been pushed into the corners, making a perfect dance floor. Some of the guests were dancing, some making out in hidden corners. All fourteen of the wrestling team members were there with dates. Bryan was the only one who came alone since he was only concerned with his investigation. All of the six remaining suspects were present and accounted for. There were a few crashers, but not enough to cause any problems. The party was a huge success.

  Josh was sitting on the couch, snuggling with Rosa. He strained his eyes in the dimly lit room to find the rest of the suspects. Andrea had gone into the kitchen with Jim in search of a diet soda since she had no interest in the beer keg that was readily available in the living room. The same could not be said for Kevin, Elena, and Nadine.

  Kevin was lounging on a reclining chair with Elena firmly planted on his lap. They seemed to be permanently joined at the mouth. Kevin had one hand laced around her waist, while the other was holding his plastic cup of Coors Light. It had to be at least his tenth, and Elena wasn’t far behind. Josh wasn’t the only one who noticed their intimacy. Bryan was staring at them and it was obvious that he wasn’t happy about the situation.

  Nadine was on the other side of the room. After only four beers, she had slouched down in the corner and seemed to have fallen asleep. It looked like she planned on staying there for some time. Josh was a little concerned, but at least he knew she was safe where she was.

  “Great party!” A highly intoxicated freshman shouted to be heard over the blaring music. He gave Josh a thumbs-up before stumbling along to the bathroom.

  “Yeah, Josh, I can barely contain my excitement.” Bryan muttered sarcastically as he reached for the keg. Josh pulled away from Rosa long enough to stop him from picking up a cup.

  “No drinking tonight, buddy,” Josh reminded him. “Believe me, I wouldn’t mind getting plastered myself. But there’s a reason we’re having this party. The two of us need to stay sober if we expect to accomplish anything.”

  “I know, I know. But one little drink can’t hurt. Just so I can get my mind off Elena and her main squeeze over there.”

  Josh arched his eyebrow. “When have you ever stopped at one drink?”

  Bryan laughed with a little irony. “When have I ever stopped at twenty?” He turned to Rosa, apparently looking for a diversion. “How’s my friend here treating you?”

  Rosa shrugged nonchalantly, but the wide smile on her face said more than words. “He’s all right.”

  “He’s definitely all right,” Bryan agreed. “For a rich boy.” They both chuckled, remembering the fight they had just a few weeks ago. It was amazing how much had changed in such a short time.

  “Did we miss anything?” Andrea asked.

  She had just emerged from the kitchen with her soda in her hand and her lipstick-smeared boyfriend at her side. She and Jim were gone for a while and had obviously taken advantage of the time alone. Bryan looked them over with suspicion, like he was sure they were in the kitchen plotting their next murder. For his part, Josh was much less concerned with investigating than he was with keeping the homecoming court safe.

  The note he found in his locker had threatened the queen, but the queen hadn’t been elected yet. The vote wouldn’t even take place until the night of the dance. That was a whole week away. Of course everyone was certain Elena would win, but Nadine had gotten some heavy applause. There was no way of knowing who would earn the crown. Did that mean they were all safe for the time being? Josh wasn’t sure, but he and Bryan agreed to pay special attention to Andrea, Elena, and Nadine, just in case one of them was about to become the next victim.

  Josh couldn’t understand why the killer had suddenly decided to send him a note before the crimes were committed. It was like they were trying to provoke him into action, just to make him look even guiltier once the deed was done. Maybe the murderer enjoyed watching him spin his wheels, trying desperately to keep the girls safe, only to fail miserably. It’s one big joke, Josh thought angrily. He and Bryan were playing right into their hands by taking on the roles of junior detectives.

  “Earth to Josh,” Jim said, and waved a hand in front of his eyes. “Is he stoned or what?”

  I wish, he thought to himself. Aloud, he said, “No. I was just thinking.”

  Someone had turned the stereo up even louder. The whole house seemed to vibrate along with the heavy beat of the rap music. Josh didn’t even like rap, and wondered who had changed his programmed selections. He was just about to get up and change it to something a little less obnoxious when Elena and Kevin stumbled over to join them. Elena couldn’t stop giggling, and Kevin was practically holding her up, though he didn’t appear any steadier.

  “Josh!” Elena exclaimed. She pulled away from Kevin, and plopped down on Josh’s lap, taking them all by surprise, but none so much as Josh. He tried to gently push her away, but she wrapped her arms around his neck even tighter. “I’m drunk,” she confided in a whisper. Much louder, she added, “I’m completely wasted!”

  “I’d better drive you home.” Kevin chuckled. His words were slightly slurred. “I’m not drunk. Not even a little bit.” He tried to sit on the edge of the couch and missed.

  “Not much.” Jim laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not drinking tonight. I’ll drive you both home.”

  Josh was still trying to disentwine himself from Elena’s snare-like grip. Rosa stayed silent, but she was definitely glaring at Elena. The last thing Josh needed was a catfight, which seemed even more likely when Elena began running her fingers through his hair.

  “Stop that.” Again he tried to wiggle free, but she only pulled him closer.

  “But I like you, Josh.” Elena giggled. “I like you a whoooole lot. You’re just sooo cute!”

  She pulled him to her and pressed her lips against his. Josh fought to keep his lips from parting as she tried to move her tongue into his mouth. She smelled of beer and cigarettes, which Josh found unattractive and a little nauseating. He didn’t want to hurt her, but enough was enough. He pushed her a little harder, and finally succeeded in untangling their arms. Elena fell to the floor with a thump and immediately starting laughing again.

  Kevin no longer saw the humor in the situation. His stood from the ground, his face red and blotchy. He seemed a little more sober and a lot more furious. He balled his hand into fists as he came closer. Josh sensed the threat and stood to meet it. At the same time, Bryan was moving a little closer, guarding his back.

  “Don’t touch my girl!” Kevin spat.

  “She was the one doing the touching.” Josh defended himself. “Believe me, I don’t want her!”

  “Josh doesn’t like me anymore.” Elena sulked as she sat Indian style on the floor.

  “You shut up, you little slut!” Kevin yelled. She hardly seemed to notice, so he turned his rage back onto Josh. “Don’t give me that crap! You want everything. Well, you can’t have Elena. Not anymore. She’s mine now!”

  “Does she have any say in that?” Bryan asked
through gritted teeth.

  “You stay out of this, jerk. The two of you are nothing but a pair of. . . .”

  Kevin added a string of obscene adjectives to the end of his sentence that made Bryan’s eyes bulge. Josh sensed the tension between them, but he wasn’t doing much better at controlling his own temper. Luckily, after Andrea nudged him forward, Jim finally interceded, and put a restraining hand on Kevin’s shoulder.

  “Kevin, just cool down man,” Jim told him. “You’re drunk.”

  “I’m not drunk, damn it!” Kevin swore. “Well, maybe I am, but I still know exactly what I’m saying. And you know I’m right.” Jim blushed almost as red as his hair, and Josh knew that on some level, Jim agreed with Kevin’s assessment. “Maybe you don’t mind putting up with his crap, but I’m tired of always being second best. For once, I’m going to come out on top!”

  Kevin grabbed Elena’s arm, and yanked her off the floor. She offered no arguments as he led her away. Though she followed him obligingly, she looked back at Josh one last time, and waved. “Bye, bye Josh, sweetie.” She burst into a fresh bout of giggling. “I’ll talk to you later, sweetie pie.”

  Josh was sure Kevin was going to leave, but instead he dragged Elena over to another corner where they went back to making out as though nothing had happened. He had left their little group in an awkward silence. Jim fidgeted in his place on the couch, not sure what to say. Bryan still had his hands balled into fists and Andrea seemed openly flabbergasted. It was Rosa who finally broke the silence.

  “What a jerk,” she stated bluntly.

  “He isn’t that bad when he’s sober,” Jim said. At least he was sticking up for one of his friends. He certainly hadn’t shown Josh that kind of loyalty.

  “He has been lately,” Andrea argued. “I don’t know what his problem is, but he needs to get over it.”

  Jim shrugged. Bryan hadn’t said a word since Kevin walked away, but he was giving Josh a meaningful look that was easy to interpret. Kevin had just moved up to the top of the suspect list. They both silently agreed not to let him out of their sight for the rest of the night.