Killer's Kiss (4 page)

“How can you talk with your lips pressed together?” Sarah replied nastily. She laughed at her own cleverness.

“You're just jealous,” Delia snapped. “Because you haven't been out with a guy all year!”

Sarah gasped.

Delia instantly regretted her words.

I shouldn't have said that, she scolded herself. Sarah is so sensitive about how the guys at Shadyside aren't interested in her.

“Satisfied?” Sarah snapped at Delia. “Satisfied now that you've totally embarrassed me in front of Vincent? Are you happy now?”

“I'm sorry—” Delia started.

But her sister didn't let her get the words out. “I hate you!” Sarah screamed.

With an angry cry, Sarah kicked the portrait of Gabe. It toppled over onto its face. The drawing of Britty skittered across the floor.

“Leave those alone!” Delia cried. “I need those pictures for the Conklin Award!”

With another cry of anger, Sarah grabbed Delia's self-portrait and ran out of the room.

“Hey—come back!” Delia and Vincent leapt up and chased after Sarah.

When they reached the hall, Sarah was already halfway up the stairs.

Delia stopped at the bottom and slammed the banister with one fist. “Sarah, give me a break!” she cried. “Give it back. You know I didn't mean—”

“No way!”

Sarah didn't turn around. She stomped the rest of the way up the stairs.

“Fine,” Delia snapped. “Have it your way. Just don't spy on us anymore.”

Sarah stopped on the landing and spun around. She glared down at Delia.

“Oh, I won't.” She sneered. Her eyes narrowed
as her gaze slid from Delia to Vincent. “I'll do something much better than spy,” Sarah continued. “That's a promise.”

A chill stiffened the back of Delia's neck.

“Sarah—what did you say?” she cried. “What do you mean? What are you going to do?”

Chapter

7

A
t school the next afternoon Delia found herself thinking about Sarah as she searched her locker for her geology notebook.

I should never have embarrassed her in front of Vincent like that, Delia realized. I've never seen Sarah so angry.

So angry she hadn't spoken to Delia since. And she hadn't returned the drawing.

Delia had other drawings she could use to replace the self-portrait—but she didn't like them as much.

She sighed. The contest would be so close. She needed every advantage she could get.

But she felt so distracted all the time. She kept
thinking about Karina. And now she had to worry about her sister too.

On her hands and knees, Delia searched the cluttered floor of the locker. What did I do with that notebook? she thought. I'm spacing out way too much. I can't let my grades slip now. I've worked so hard.

“So I was wondering if you want to hang out or something on Saturday,” a low voice said.

“Excuse me?” Delia straightened up so fast, she banged her head against the top shelf of her locker. She turned and saw Stewart Andrews staring at her.

Stewart Andrews—her stiffest competition for the Conklin Award. Besides Karina.

Delia leaned back against the locker and studied Stewart's face. “What did you say?” she asked.

Stewart pushed a lock of black hair out of his eyes. “I asked if you wanted to do something Saturday night.” He grinned at her shyly.

He's cute, Delia thought.
Really
cute.

“You mean … go out?” Delia heard her voice squeak. “Well …”

What am I doing? she thought. I already
have
a boyfriend!

“I thought it would be good to chill out. You know. Before Monday's talent competition,” Stewart said. “I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend the whole weekend biting my fingernails. I figure Sunday will give me enough time for that,” he joked.

Over Stewart's shoulder, Delia spotted Vincent striding down the hall. She felt her pulse speed up. The way it always did when she saw him.

She quickly checked her lipstick in the mirror on her locker door. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blotted her lips, then swung the locker door shut.

“I'm sorry, Stewart,” she said, gazing over his shoulder. Vincent waved and kept walking. “But I can't go out with you. Vincent and I are …”

“Oh.” Stewart's smile faded. “Okay. No problem.” He blushed. “See you Monday then,” he said. He started down the hall. “At the talent competition.”

“Yeah. Okay. Bye.” Delia watched him go. Weird, she thought. Stewart must know I'm going with Vincent. Everyone knows I'm going with Vincent.

Don't they?

Frowning, Delia hurried over to the library to return a book. Then she climbed the steps to the second floor classrooms. She had this period free, but she had promised to meet Britty in the geology lab. They needed to go over their notes before the test tomorrow.

She turned down the hallway—and heard someone say her name softly. Delia checked the hall in both directions. Empty.

But she noticed that the door of the storage room
stood open. Delia crept closer. She thought she heard someone say her name again.

Delia pressed her back against the wall and shot a quick glance into the storage room.

Stewart stood inside—deep in conversation with someone. Delia couldn't see who. Stewart wore a serious expression, and he gestured with his hands as he talked.

A girl's voice murmured a reply to him.

Who is he talking to? Is he asking someone else out already? Delia wondered.

Stewart shifted his position.

Delia leaned forward.

Peered into the dark little room.

And gasped as the other person came into view.

Chapter

8

K
arina?

He's talking to Karina? In secret?

Peeking into the doorway, Delia studied Karina's face. Saw her angry expression.

They're talking about me, Delia realized. I know I heard my name. They are planning something.

Delia felt sure she knew what it was.

“You're late.” The voice made Delia jump. She saw Britty step up beside her. “What's up?” Britty asked. “You were supposed to meet me ten minutes ago.”

Delia grabbed Britty by the arm and pulled her into the geology lab. She shut the door behind them.

“I'll tell you what's up,” Delia whispered. “Karina
and Stewart Andrews are talking to each other in that storage room. I think she sent him to ask me out. She's trying to use him to break up me and Vincent.”

Britty nibbled on the end of her French braid. “I don't get it.”

Delia swept a pile of rocks to one end of the first table and slammed down her books. “Stewart just asked me out.”

Britty lifted her eyebrows. “And you're upset about that?” She shook her head and laughed. “Being asked out by Stewart doesn't sound so bad to me. At least half the girls in school would like to go out with him.”

“You don't get it.”

The more she thought about it, the more furious Delia felt. “I said no to him. And the first thing he did is run upstairs to report to Karina,” she told Britty. “Don't you see? Karina talked him into it! She thought I'd say yes. Karina actually thought I would go out with Stewart! She did it to get me out of the way—so she could have Vincent all to herself.”

Delia began pacing up and down the lab room. Britty followed her. “Delia—”

“I should go over there and tell her I know what she did,” Delia interrupted. “But I won't. The last thing I need is another scene with Karina. She is so out of control. She would probably try to kill me again!”

“Delia?” Britty tried again.

“What?” Delia asked impatiently. She stopped pacing and turned to her friend.

“Um, Delia, don't get angry if I ask you this—okay?”

Delia nodded.

Britty nervously tapped her fingers on the table. “Why would Stewart agree to help Karina? It doesn't make sense.”

Delia stared at Britty for a second. Then she slumped back against a lab station. “Maybe you're right,” she admitted.

“It's hard to believe, but Stewart might have asked you out because he likes you,” Britty said. “You probably heard him talking to Karina about the Conklin Award or something. Your name would have come up.”

“But why were they talking in the storage closet?” Delia demanded.

“It's not the strangest thing Karina has done this week, right?” Britty made her way to the door and stuck her head out into the hallway. “Stewart is leaving,” she reported. “But I don't see Karina. Maybe she's still in there.”

Delia groaned. “Karina is nuts,” she said. “And she's making me as crazy as she is! You can tell me. I've been acting insane lately myself.”

Britty turned to face her. “Well, you have been a little stressed,” she admitted. Delia and Britty both laughed.

“I'm stopping right now,” Delia promised. “All the Conklin judging will be over soon. Maybe then things will get back to normal.”

Britty took another peek out the door. “She's still in there. What is she doing? There is nothing in that storage room but broken furniture and cleaning stuff.”

“I'm so sick of trying to figure out what Karina is doing,” Delia sighed. “And in a weird way, I'm starting to feel sorry for her. She is ruining her whole senior year—just because she feels she has to compete with me every minute. You know, competing with Karina used to be kind of fun. It pushed us both to try harder.”

“Ssshh!” Britty whispered. “She's coming out!”

Delia hurried over to Britty. They peeked out the door and watched as Karina stopped at a water fountain.

“Britty!” Delia whispered. “Maybe we can help Karina. Maybe you could talk to her. You know. Explain how much Vincent and I care about each other.”

Britty chewed her bottom lip. “I don't know—”

“You could tell her that I'm not angry at her,” Delia continued. “That everything is cool with us—as long as she doesn't do anything else to try and split Vincent and me up.”

Britty shook her head. “I tried,” she said. “I stopped by her house on my way home. She didn't want to listen. She told me to go away.”

Delia groaned. “She is so messed up. Well … there's nothing more I can do. If she won't talk to you, she definitely won't talk to
me
. I'll just have to stay as far away from her as I can.”

Delia watched Karina make her way down the hall with her head held high. Her blond hair gleamed in the overhead lights.

Her dark pleated pants and two-piece pink sweater set were way too conservative. Delia wouldn't be caught dead in the outfit. But she had to admit, on Karina it looked good. Better than good.

“Try talking to her again,” Delia pleaded with Britty. “She might listen to you, and she'll never listen to me. Talk to her one more time.”

“I don't want to get in the middle of this,” Britty insisted.

“Please?” Delia begged. She knew that Britty would give in.

“Oh, all right.” Britty sighed. “Stop looking like a sick puppy. I'll go talk to her.”

Delia grinned. “Thanks, Brit. I just want Karina to be okay—
and
leave me alone.”

Britty forced a smile to her face and stepped out into the hall. Delia hid in the doorway and watched her friend.

“Here goes nothing,” Britty murmured. She took a deep breath. Then she called out loudly, “Hey, Karina! Wait up!”

Chapter

9