Broken Hearts (5 page)

Luke sat down at the chair by Rachel's desk, folding his slender arms over his chest.

Why does he come? Erica asked herself, picking up the hairbrush. If he's so bitter and angry, why does he come?

Then, glancing across the room at Luke, Erica had a chilling thought. He's here for revenge against Josie. Luke is the one who sent the valentine.

“I
s it ever going to stop snowing?” Josie asked herself.

It was Wednesday afternoon. The snow had come down all day, a blizzard of large white flakes adding to the white piles already on the ground.

Josie hitched her backpack up on the shoulder of her blue down jacket and stepped out of the school building. The sky was charcoal gray even though it was only three o'clock. Heavy gray clouds hovered menacingly low.

The front walk hadn't been shoveled, and Josie's boots sank deep into the fresh snow as she made her way toward Park Drive. Swirling wind sent powdery snow flying around her as she walked.

She swung her maroon wool scarf around her neck and pulled it up over her chin. The big trees near the street shook in the breeze, sending down a silent shower of fresh snow.

“Hey, Josie! Wait!”

Recognizing her sister's voice, Josie turned back toward the school.

She watched Erica trying to run, stumbling over the slippery walk, her coat unfastened and flapping out behind her.

She looks like a big clumsy bird trying to take off, Josie thought cruelly. Erica isn't as pretty as Rachel and me, Josie realized, with a bit of sympathy. Her face is too round. Her hair is that mousy light brown. She could lose some weight too.

“Josie, where are you going?” Erica cried breathlessly as she caught up to her sister. Breathing hard, she wrapped her coat more tightly around her without zipping it.

“Erica, what's your problem?” Josie asked. “Why are you screaming like a lunatic? I'm going to meet Steve.”

“You can't!” Erica cried. She tried to stamp the snow off her boots, but it was useless.

“Sure, I can,” Josie said softly, glancing at the street where several Shadyside High kids were blocking traffic with a spontaneous snowball fight. “I'm meeting him at The Corner.” She motioned with her head toward her favorite hangout, a few blocks away.

“But you can't!” Erica insisted shrilly. She started to say more, but someone behind Josie caught her attention. “Look. There's Jenkman,” Erica said, lowering her voice. “Over by the side of the school. Trying to get your attention.”

“Who cares?” Josie snapped.

“He's coming this way,” Erica reported. “He's waving at us.”

“Thrills and chills,” Josie said sarcastically.

“Hi, Josie!” Jenkman called from a few yards behind her on the walk.

Josie pretended not to hear.

Jenkman came closer. “Josie, how's it going?”

She continued to ignore him.

Erica saw the hurt on Jenkman's face.

“Josie, I just want to talk!” Jenkman said, stepping up beside her.

Josie turned her back on him.

Erica saw Jenkman's face turn bright red. He uttered a loud curse and hurried past them to the street.

“Wow,” Erica said, following him with her eyes. “Wow. Was he mad!”

“He's a creep. What do you want?” Josie demanded impatiently. “I'm late.”

“You
have
to take care of Rachel this afternoon,” Erica said, grabbing the sleeve of Josie's coat. “I told you this morning I have
Brigadoon
tryouts. You know. For the drama club.”

“You'll have to try out some other time,” Josie said brusquely. She started to pull away from Erica, but Erica held on.

“No way,” Erica said angrily.

A gust of wind made the powdery snow swirl all around them. Josie closed her eyes and tried to slip her face down into her wool scarf.

Go away, she thought. Please. Just go away, Erica.

“You're supposed to help take care of Rachel when
she gets home from her school,” Erica scolded. “You know that, Josie. It's not supposed to be my full-time job.”

“I know. Give me a break,” Josie said, starting to walk toward the street. “I'll take care of her tomorrow. Promise.”

“No. Today!” Erica insisted, following her. “I don't want to miss the tryouts. It's just not fair. This is my first year in high school. It's supposed to be such a big, exciting year for me. And instead—”

“Tomorrow,” Josie told her, picking up her pace. “I can't leave Steve waiting there.”

“Yes, you can,” Erica told her. “You can call and leave a message for him.”

“I don't want to,” Josie said nastily. She began to jog across the snow.

Erica caught up to her. “I don't believe you, Josie,” she cried breathlessly. “I can't believe you don't take more responsibility for Rachel. After all, it
was
your fault—”

Erica stopped herself.

Uttering a silent gasp, she raised her hands to her face, as if trying to hide behind them.

She realized she had gone too far.

She had no right to say that.

She could feel her face grow hot. She knew she was blushing.

She should never have said that. It had just slipped out. Slowly she lowered her hands. Josie was glaring at her.

“I'm—I'm sorry,” Erica stammered. “I—I didn't mean . . .”

She waited for Josie to say something.

A loud thud startled her.

To Erica's horror, Josie let out a painful squeal. She watched Josie's eyes go wide, her mouth drop open. Then she crumbled to the snow.

E
rica stood frozen for a long moment. The world went white, as white as the snow that surrounded her. When the colors returned, she bent to help Josie.

“I'm okay,” Josie declared, raising a gloved hand. “Help me up.”

Erica heard laughter from behind them. She turned to see Dave Kinley with a snowball in his hand. Melissa Davis was beside him, embarrassment clear on her face. Several other kids, spread out over the school's front lawn and into the street, were tossing snowballs at one another as fast as they could make them.

“A snowball hit me on the back of the neck,” Josie told Erica, climbing to her feet. “I was so stunned, I fell.” She brushed the clinging snow off her jacket and jeans with both hands.

Then Josie turned angrily to Dave. “You're not funny, Kinley!” she called angrily.

Dave gave her an exaggerated shrug, a wide grin on his face. “Sorry, Josie. My hand slipped!” He laughed at his own feeble excuse. Several other kids laughed too. Melissa turned away, avoiding Josie's stare.

Dave continued to stare back at Josie, the snowball in his hand, as if challenging her.

Josie wanted to say something, but stopped herself. She turned away angrily from Dave and tossed the end of her wool scarf around her neck.

“I'm going,” she muttered to Erica and hoisted her backpack to her shoulder. “Why should I waste my breath on that creep?”

“Hey, wait!” Erica cried, slipping on the snow as she tried to chase after her sister.

Erica saw Jenkman then out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning against a tree, half hidden by its snow-patched trunk. She realized he was staring at Josie. Staring at her with the strangest expression on his face.

“Hey, Josie! Stop!” Erica called. When she glanced back, Jenkman had disappeared.

A snowball flew over Erica's head and landed with a soft plop on the snow-covered sidewalk ahead of her.

“I'll stay with Rachel tomorrow!” Josie shouted back without stopping. “I'm late.”

“But my tryout!” Erica wailed. She uttered an exasperated groan. Josie pretended not to hear her and continued down the block, half-walking, half-jogging.

Shaking her head, unhappy that she'd have to miss tryouts, Erica headed back to the school to get her
backpack. She glanced at her watch and realized she'd have to hurry. Rachel would be home soon.

♦ ♦ ♦

“What's your problem, Dave?” Melissa asked as soon as Josie and Erica were out of sight.

“Huh? What do you mean?” He grinned at her, his dark eyes flashing.

With long, scraggly black hair down to his collar, small, round eyes, and a bent nose, Dave wasn't exactly handsome. But he had an easy-going, happy-go-lucky attitude, a warm, winning smile, and a great sense of humor. It was his sense of humor and his playfulness that attracted Melissa to him. They'd been going together for nearly six months now.

“Why'd you throw that snowball at Josie?” Melissa demanded.

Dave's grin widened. “Because she was there.”

“No, really,” Melissa insisted, kicking at the snow with her boot.

“I don't know.” Dave struggled to zip his brown leather bomber jacket all the way to the collar. It was a difficult job since he was wearing gloves. “I just hate her. That's all.”

Melissa let out a bitter laugh. “I don't think so. I think you still like her.” She stared into his eyes as if challenging him.

“Huh? No way!”

“I think you still care about her,” Melissa said. “I think you threw that snowball because you wanted to get her attention.”

“That's stupid,” Dave muttered, glancing away. She
couldn't tell if his cheeks were pink from the cold or from blushing.

“Admit it. You still like her,” Melissa insisted.

“No way,” he replied heatedly. “After all that Josie's done to me? You know, I'm the first guy who ever dumped her. And she's been on my case ever since.”

“You
dumped
her
?” Melissa exclaimed. “That's not the way Josie tells it. She tells everyone that
she
dumped
you.”

“Whatever,” Dave muttered, making a disgusted face. He tossed the snowball he'd been holding down at his feet. “That was months ago,” he said. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Why are you sticking up for Josie? She dumped you too.”

Dave's words stung. Melissa felt a wave of sadness sweep over her.

“She used to be your best friend,” Dave continued, bending to pick up another handful of snow. “Then she dumped you like she dumps everyone else.”

“Okay, okay,” Melissa snapped. “You're right. Let's forget Josie.”

“Fine with me,” Dave said, softening his tone. He rounded off the snowball and heaved it at the nearest tree. It made a satisfying
thunk
as it splattered against the trunk.

“I'll never forgive Josie,” Melissa said, her voice breaking. “I'll never forgive her for blaming me for Rachel's accident.” Melissa couldn't force Josie from her thoughts.

“It's just so unfair,” she continued, watching Dave
pack another snowball between his gloves. “Josie acts as if she had nothing to do with it.
She
was the one who fastened the girth on the saddle. Not me. Just because she asked me to check it—”

“Calm down,” Dave said, throwing his latest snowball at the tree. This time he missed. “Don't get started.”

“You know what Luke Hoskins told me?” Melissa continued, ignoring Dave's suggestion. “Luke told me that Josie is mean to Rachel. She refuses to pay any attention to her, and doesn't spend any time with Rachel at all.”

“Does Luke still go over there?” Dave asked, sounding surprised as he slapped his gloves together to get the snow off.

Melissa nodded. “Yeah. Poor guy. He's really messed up. He can't believe that Rachel will never be Rachel again. I ran into him yesterday after school. He was on his way to her house. That's when he told me how awful Josie is being.”

Dave sighed bitterly. “Luke and I should form a club. An anti-Josie club. We could get together and swap stories. You remember what happened at Christmas when Josie's dad was going to give me a job in one of his hardware stores. All of a sudden, just before vacation he called and said he couldn't use me. Just like that. So I had no job over the holiday. And I really needed the money. I
know
Josie had something to do with it. I'm
sure
she convinced her dad not to hire me.”