The Dance by Christopher Pike Read Free Book Online Page B

with a sympathy she had never seen in him before. “Maybe I can’t remember, either. But I paint what I see. Listen closely and ponder deeply. It wasn’t you who killed her, and it wasn’t me who pulled the trigger.”
    She smiled at the absurdity of the idea. “Well, of course we didn’t.”
    He turned to leave, spat on the grass. “Stay alive, babe, and stay cold. It’s the only way for the likes of us.”
    He disappeared around the west side of the house, in the direction of the gate. He was such an interesting guy, she thought. She hurried to answer the door.
    It was Russ. All he had on was a green T-shirt and blue jeans. Someone had punched him in the eye. The swelling reached to his nose. It was absolutely cool he had come over to see her messed up the way he was. “I need a place to stay,” he said.
    She had always known he liked her. Suddenly she was quite happy, and not the least bit lonely. All these nice boys wanting to talk to her and kiss her. It should rain more often.
    But Clark might not like Russ kissing her. She could see his motorcycle at the end of the long driveway. Her eyes darted toward the side of the house. He probably hadn’t even gotten past the gate yet. She reached out, taking Russ by the arm, pulling him inside. “You poor dear,” she said. “Let me make you dinner and you can tell me all about it.”
    She cooked him a steak and fries. There wasn’t any beer in the house, but he seemed to enjoy the expensive bottle of French wine she fetched from her aunt’s closet. He finished it off before getting to dessert. When she asked who had belted him, he just shrugged, which was OK with her. She wasn’t the nosy type, not like a lot of people she knew.
    They watched TV. He liked the old “Star Trek” reruns—with the sound on. They talked a little, but then he started to yawn. She led him upstairs to her own bedroom. He was such a gentleman, he didn’t expect her to put out right away. He just said good night and closed the door. She crashed on the couch downstairs.
    Her aunt kept her up half the night. She didn’t mind. It was nice having a man in the house.

Chapter Five
    How could you be so careless?” Jessica asked.
    “I took it into the store because I was trying to be careful,” Sara said.
    “Leaving a purse stuffed with three grand sitting in a supermarket freezer isn’t my idea of being careful,” Jessica said.
    “I didn’t just leave it. I set it down and then he chased me out of the place.”
    First period would begin in minutes. Jessica and Sara were in the parking lot, sitting in Jessica’s car. Sara had let Jessica drive all the way to school before admitting she’d lost the majority of the ASB council’s money.
    “Russ chased you out of the freezer?” Jessica snorted. “More likely you locked him in the freezer. What did you find when you went back last night?”
    “Well…”
    “Did you find your bag?”
    “Yes.”
    “With all the money gone?”
    “Yes.”
    Jessica studied her old friend, suspicious. “What else?”
    “The freezer door was gone, too.”
    “What happened to it?”
    “The store manager says Russ chopped it down.”
    “ What ? You did lock him in! What the hell got into—Never mind. I don’t want to know. Was Russ there when you went back?”
    “No. His boss fired him for ruining the door.”
    “Did you explain that it was your fault?”
    “No. I was trying to get my money back. I didn’t want the boss mad at me.”
    “Man, you are dumb. You are the dumbest president I have ever seen.”
    “I was hoping you would cheer me up.”
    “You don’t deserve it.” They sat in silence for a moment. “He must have taken it,” Jessica said finally. Sara only shook her head. “But you tried to turn him into a Popsicle. Why wouldn’t he have taken it in revenge?”
    “Russ wouldn’t do that.”
    “Have you spoken to him?”
    “I called his house.”
    “And?”
    “He isn’t living there anymore.”
    “Great. Fabulous.