The Cheater by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

hall light outside her bedroom. But she decided to leave it on. It made her feel a little safer.
    Who was in that car? It had to be Adam, she thought. The bus had taken such an indirect route to North Hills. Adam could easily have beaten her home.
    Then she remembered what had happened the first time she came home from a date with Adam: Sheila had been waiting for her.
    Could it have been Sheila in the car?
    Carter undressed and got into bed, still trembling. If only she could have seen what kind of car it was. It could have been a Mustang, she thought. It could have been Adam’s Mustang.
    I just don’t know….

    The next day she went to the club at eleven to meet Dan. She went into the locker room and changed. When she came out, she found Dan waiting for her at the snack bar.
    He was sitting at one of the white wicker tables, which was covered with magazines and catalogs of sports equipment. To her surprise, he hadn’t changed into his tennis clothes—he was still wearing jeans and a blue oxford shirt.
    She walked over to kiss him, expecting him to smile at her as usual. He didn’t smile, and he didn’t kiss her back.
    She sat across the table from him. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
    He ignored her question. “What’s going on, Carter?” he asked quietly. “Are you dumping me?”
    Carter was shocked. Where had this come from?
    â€œDumping you?” she said. “Of course not! Why are you asking me that?”
    He didn’t answer her directly. Instead he asked her, “What did you do last night?”
    Her stomach knotted up. What did he know? “I went out with my parents,” she lied. “Just like I told you.”
    â€œI heard you went to the movies with Adam Messner.”
    She tried her best to act outraged. “That’s ridiculous. Who told you that?”
    â€œRyan Dalton said he saw you there. At some horror movie. He was sitting three rows behind you.”
    â€œHe made a mistake. I didn’t go to the movies last night. I went out to dinner with my parents. I swear I did!”
    Dan just looked at her.
    â€œHe must have seen another girl who looked like me,” said Carter. “Ryan doesn’t even know me. And besides, Dan, why would I go out with Adam Messner?”
    She went to him and put her arms around him, to reassure him. He stiffened when she touched him and made no move to hug her back.
    I can’t believe this is happening, she thought. Why did Ryan Dalton have to be at the movies last night?
    She held him tighter, willing him to believe her. At last Dan’s expression did relax a little.
    He wants to believe me, she thought. All I have to do is distract him. I’ve got to change the subject.
    She reached across the table and picked up a thick boating catalog. She started flipping through the glossy pages.
    â€œHey, Dan,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “If you could have any one of these sailboats, which would you pick?”
    She passed the catalog to him and smiled.
    He smiled back at her, a weak smile.
    It’s working, she thought. I’ve convinced him that everything’s okay. This game makes him feel as if everything is back to normal.
    He picked a graceful wooden sloop.
    â€œMaybe we’ll go on a cruise together someday,” Carter said. “We’ll get a boat like this and sail from island to island, just the two of us.”
    Dan said, “Someday. Maybe.”
    â€œCome on, let’s play tennis,” said Carter. “Go get dressed. I’ll meet you on the courts.”
    Dan went into the men’s locker room to change. Carter picked up her tennis racquet and walked down to the courts to practice her serve while she waited for him.
    When Dan arrived, they played an easy match. By the end Carter felt fairly sure that things were okay between them. When they parted at the locker rooms, he gave her a kiss and a smile.
    â€œHave fun with your