Who Killed the Homecoming Queen?
R. L. Stine
Have you read the latest FEAR STREET® books?
WHAT HOLLY HEARD
THE FACE
SECRET ADMIRER
THE PERFECT DATE
THE CONFESSION
THE BOY NEXT DOOR
NIGHT GAMES
RUNAWAY
KILLER’S KISS
ALL-NIGHT PARTY
THE RICH GIRL
CAT
FEAR HALL: THE BEGINNING
FEAR HALL: THE CONCLUSION
By
R.L. STINE
Available from Archway Paperbacks
Published by Pocket Books
Homecoming Nightmare.
“And now, the name you’ve all been waiting for!” Coach Jackson’s voice boomed through the loudspeakers. “This year’s Shadyside High School Homecoming Queen is …” The coach paused dramatically. “… Tania Darman!”
The gym erupted in cheers and whistles and applause.
Tania sat in her chair, looking stunned. Her mouth fell open. She raised her hands to her face.
The coach held up a sparkling rhinestone crown. “Tania, congratulations!” he boomed. “Now let’s put this crown on your head!”
Tania rose to her feet. The other candidates, who would be princesses in the Homecoming Court, rushed to hug her.
All except Leslie. Leslie stood to the side, frowning.
Waving to the crowd, Tania started across the platform to accept the crown. Halfway to the podium, she stopped. Her arms dropped limply to her sides.
Then, as if a giant boot had come crashing down on top of her, she crumpled in a heap to the floor.
Fear Street Books by R.L. Stine
THE NEW GIRL
THE SURPRISE PARTY
THE OVERNIGHT
MISSING
THE WRONG NUMBER
THE SLEEPWALKER
HAUNTED
HALLOWEEN PARTY
THE STEPSISTER
SKI WEEKEND
THE FIRE GAME
LIGHTS OUT
THE SECRET BEDROOM
THE KNIFE
PROM QUEEN
FIRST DATE
THE BEST FRIEND
THE CHEATER
SUNBURN
THE NEW BOY
THE DARE
BAD DREAMS
DOUBLE DATE
THE THRILL CLUB
ONE EVIL SUMMER
THE MIND READER
WRONG NUMBER 2
TRUTH OR DARE
DEAD END
FINAL GRADE
SWITCHED
COLLEGE WEEKEND
THE STEPSISTER 2
WHAT HOLLY HEARD
THE FACE
SECRET ADMIRER
THE PERFECT DATE
THE CONFESSION
THE BOY NEXT DOOR
NIGHT GAMES
RUNAWAY
KILLER’S KISS
ALL-NIGHT PARTY
THE RICH GIRL
CAT
FEAR HALL: THE BEGINNING
FEAR HALL: THE CONCLUSION
WHO KILLED THE HOMECOMING QUEEN?
INTO THE DARK
THE BEST FRIEND 2
TRAPPED
FEAR STREET COLLECTOR’S EDITION #1: THE BEGINNING
FEAR STREET COLLECTOR’S EDITION #2: NIGHTMARES
FEAR STREET COLLECTOR’S EDITION #3: SECRETS
Available from ARCHWAY Paperbacks
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AN ARCHWAY PAPERBACK Original
An Archway Paperback published by
POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.
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Copyright © 1997 by Parachute Press, Inc.
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ISBN: 0-671-52964-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-6715-2964-2
eISBN: 978-1-439-12125-2
First Archway Paperback printing September 1997
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FEAR STREET is a registered trademark of Parachute Press, Inc.
AN ARCHWAY PAPERBACK and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.
Cover art by Bill Schmidt
Printed in the U.S.A.
IL 7+
Who Killed The Homecoming Queen?
chapter 1
The drums echoed through the halls of Shadyside High. As Eva Whelan hurried toward the stairs, the deep, booming sounds thundered louder and louder.
Eva smiled. All around her, kids rushed toward the sound, eager to get to the gym where the band was tuning up.
Everybody loves a pep rally, Eva thought. Especially this one. Not only do we get out of the last class of the day, we finally get to find out who will be Homecoming Queen.
Eva smiled again, feeling a surge of excitement. She turned a corner and began making her way toward the stairs that led down to the gym. As she hitched her book bag higher on her shoulder, a strand of her long, dark hair snagged under the strap. She paused to pull it loose.
“Eva, wait up! Eva!”
Eva turned and spotted her best friend, Tania Darman, waving to her over the heads of the crowd. “Wait up!” Tania shouted again.
Eva waved back, then scooted to the side of the hall. Leaning against a bank of lockers, she dug into her jeans pocket for a rubber band.
She watched her friend weave her way through the crowd. Tania looked great, as usual. Slender, with straight blond hair down to her shoulders and a pretty face with an open, friendly expression.
“Isn’t this great?” Tania exclaimed as she joined Eva. “Everybody’s so psyched!”
Eva pulled her thick, dark hair into a ponytail. “Don’t tell me you’re not.”
“Oh, I am!” Tania replied, her green eyes sparkling. “I mean, I might actually be named Homecoming Queen. I still can’t believe it!”
“I hope you win, Tania.” Eva held up both hands. “I’ve got all my fingers crossed for you.”
“Your fingers?” Tania tossed her hair back and grinned. “What about one of your famous psychic flashes? Can’t you predict whether I’m going to win or not?”
Eva shook her head. Some of her friends thought she was psychic because she got weird feelings every once in a while. She could sense when something was wrong, even though she couldn’t tell exactly what.
Like last week, when she and Tania went shopping for dresses for the Homecoming Dance. As they checked out one of the most expensive stores in the Division Street Mall, Eva felt a sudden rush of fear. Everything seemed okay, but she felt jumpy the whole time the
y were there.
Just before they left the shop, every alarm in the place went off. And three other customers were arrested for shoplifting—by security guards posing as shoppers.
Eva didn’t get these feelings all the time. But when she did get one, she trusted it.
Still, the feelings were just that—feelings. She couldn’t predict what was going to happen. She couldn’t look into the future.
“It doesn’t work like that,” she reminded Tania. “It’s not like I have a crystal ball or anything.”
“I know, I was just kidding,” Tania replied. They began walking toward the stairs. “But you know what? I don’t really care if I’m voted Homecoming Queen or not.”
Eva stared at her. “Are you serious?”
“Well, I wouldn’t turn it down,” Tania admitted. “But really, I’ve had such an incredible year so far. So much has happened—Mom gets remarried in July, we move into this fabulous new house, I really like my stepfather, and I’ve got a great new stepbrother.”
That’s for sure, Eva thought. She had a major crush on Jeremy, Tania’s stepbrother. Jeremy, with his chestnut-colored hair and shy smile.
She didn’t know him very well yet—but she definitely wanted the chance to get to know him better.
“And there’s Sandy,” Tania went on. “I couldn’t believe it when he asked me out. And now we’re actually going together. I mean, he’s only one of the coolest guys in school.”
Eva nodded. Sandy Bishop, the smooth, good-looking captain of the football team, was definitely cool. Everybody agreed on that.
Including Sandy himself, Eva thought. He knows he’s popular and he loves having girls fall all over him. Still, he seems crazy about Tania. So what if he’s a little conceited?
“Being nominated for Homecoming Queen is great, but it really doesn’t matter if I win,” Tania declared. “Everything is perfect right now. Hey, I even pulled an A on that French quiz yesterday!”
Eva laughed. “I’m really glad for you, Tania. You deserve to be happy. But let’s get down to the gym. You might not care who wins, but I do.”
The crowd grew thicker at the top of the stairs.
As Eva followed Tania toward the top step, someone jostled her from behind. “Hey, watch out!” she called.
But she felt herself being pushed aside, hard. Her books began to tumble out of her arms, and her backpack slid off her shoulder.
As Eva struggled to catch her balance, she saw something out of the corner of her eye.
A blur of movement. A figure emerging from the crowd.
Two hands, reaching out.
Reaching …
Tania let out a scream. Eva turned—and saw her friend go hurtling down the stairs.
chapter 2
Tania pitched forward, her arms flailing in the air. Students cried out in alarm and leaped out of the way.
Eva made a desperate grab for Tania’s sweater.
Missed.
Tania skidded down a couple of steps, her arms still swinging wildly for balance. Finally, she managed to grab on to the metal railing with one hand.
She swung out into the air, then pulled herself back, crashing hard against the wall.
“Wow. Are you okay?” someone asked. Tania nodded and tried to smile.
Eva rushed down the steps. “What happened?”
“It was my fault,” a voice behind them said.
Eva and Tania spun around.
Leslie Gates stood at the top of the stairs, gazing down at them with an anxious expression on her face. “It was my fault,” she repeated. “I slipped. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to push you, Tania.”
Maybe not, Eva thought, staring up at Leslie. But if Tania had fallen and cracked her skull or something, you wouldn’t be totally sorry, would you, Leslie? After all, then you’d have a better chance of being Homecoming Queen.
“I’m so sorry, Tania,” Leslie repeated, pushing up the sleeve of her red sweater. “Really. Are you okay?”
Tania swept her hair out of her eyes. “Yeah. I guess.”
“Oh, good.” Leslie let out a sigh of relief. “Well, see you in the gym.” She turned and trotted down the steps.
Eva watched her as she hurried past them. Tall and athletic, with silky brown hair and a great figure, Leslie was Tania’s biggest rival.
In more ways than one, Eva thought.
According to Leslie, Tania always got everything she wanted. Tania had more friends than Leslie. She was going on the senior trip to London in the spring. Leslie wasn’t. Tania had her own car. Leslie drove her family’s station wagon—when she got the chance.
And Tania had Sandy, the guy Leslie had drooled over for months.
Tania and Leslie used to be good friends, Eva knew. But Leslie became too jealous and broke off the friendship. Now she barely spoke to Tania.
Eva turned to Tania. “Are you sure you’re okay? You crashed into that wall really hard.”
“Did I? I didn’t notice. I guess I’m too excited to notice anything.” Tania straightened her sweater and patted her hair. “How do I look?”
“Great,” Eva assured her.
“Okay. I’d better hurry and get into the gym. See you later.”
Forcing a smile to her face, Tania turned and hurried down the steps.
“Hey! Good luck!” Eva called after her.
She didn’t really hear me, Eva realized. She’s too crazed. Too happy.
How long can so much happiness possibly last?
As another bunch of students clattered past her down the stairway, Eva shivered. The laughter and shouts seemed far away, and the sounds of the band faded.
She felt as if a dark, chilly cloud had suddenly settled over her.
The sensation lasted for only a second. Then everything became bright and noisy again.
It wasn’t one of my “feelings,” Eva told herself. I skipped lunch. I’m hungry, that’s all. And excited for Tania.
Nothing’s wrong.
Nothing bad is going to happen.
Taking a deep breath, Eva walked down the stairs and joined the crowd streaming into the gym.
The band sat in one section of the bleachers, still tuning up. In front of them, Shadyside’s cheerleading squad practiced one of their routines, leaping and whirling and urging everyone to chant along. The wooden bleachers shook as the crowd stomped its feet in rhythm.
There was a low platform in the center of the shiny wooden floor. Jason Thompson, who had been named Homecoming King the day before, stood on the platform next to the coach.
Behind them, Tania and three other girls sat in a semicircle of chairs. All four of them were smiling nervously and waving to their friends in the stands.
But there should have been five girls.
Eva studied the faces on the platform. Tania. Julia Moran. Mei Kamata. Dierdre Bradley.
But not Leslie.
Where is Leslie? Eva wondered. She went down ahead of us, and now she isn’t here.
She quickly scanned the crowd. Don’t be stupid, she thought. Leslie wouldn’t be in the stands. She’s dying to be named Queen. She should be up on the platform, acting as if the crown is already on her head.
So why isn’t she?
The strange, foreboding feeling began to creep over her again. Eva bit her lip tensely, then forced herself to smile as Tania waved to her from the platform.
Waving back, she edged her way through the crowd and began climbing the steps into the bleachers.
As she climbed past the band section, the trumpets blared in her ears. The music grew louder, then ended abruptly.
In the sudden quiet, another sound rang out.
A single, sharp, metallic sound.
A piercing blast that echoed off the walls of the gym.
A shot! Eva thought with a cry.
A gunshot!
chapter 3
Eva’s mouth went dry. The blood pounded in her ears.
A gun! she thought in panic. Someone fired a gun in the gym!
Terrified, Eva opened her mouth to scream again.
And stared as a boy sitting near her pulled something shiny and metallic off the floor of the bleacher.
A crushed soda can.
Eva snapped her mouth shut, feeling embarrassed.
The guy just smashed a can under his foot. I’ve heard that sound a million times. Why did I think it was a gun?
Because I’m jumpy, she realized. Because I’ve got a bad feeling about things.
Well, get over it, Eva ordered herself. So what if those feelings always came true before? They won’t this time. Everything’s fine—just look around.
A flash of red caught her eye. She turned and saw Leslie running across the gym floor, smiling and waving. The crowd clapped, and Leslie’s face flushed with pleasure. She climbed onto the platform and joined the other candidates.
Eva rolled her eyes. So that’s what Leslie was up to. Waiting to make a grand solo entrance.
Shaking her head in disgust, Eva turned and began climbing the steps again. As she did, she caught sight of Keith Hicks. Keith—a thin guy with dark, wavy hair—wore his usual color, black. Black jeans, black shirt, black cap. The only colorful things about him were the shiny gold hoop in his left ear and the piercing blue of his eyes.
Eva grinned, feeling better all of a sudden. Not because of Keith, even though she liked him okay. But because of the guy sitting next to him.
Jeremy, Tania’s new stepbrother.
Tall and lanky, Jeremy leaned his elbows on his knees and stared down at the platform. His curly chestnut hair gleamed under the lights as he listened to whatever Keith was saying to him.
The space on Jeremy’s other side was empty. Go for it, Eva told herself. Get up there before somebody else does.
As the band started playing again, she trotted up the steps, then edged her way across to Keith and Jeremy. “Hey, guys,” she said, interrupting Keith in mid-sentence.
“Hey, Eva.” Keith gave her a distracted smile.
Jeremy smiled, too, and a cute dimple flashed on the right side of his mouth. But then he turned and stared straight ahead again.
Sit down, Eva told herself. Get his attention. Flirt with him a little.
Then ask him to the Homecoming Dance.
Crossing her fingers that Jeremy didn’t already have a date, she slid next to him and propped her feet on her book bag. “Let me guess,” she declared. “Keith has been talking to you about movies. Right?”
