The Stepsister by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online

nervous around Nancy and not really himself.
    â€œHey, are we going to study, or what?” Josh asked, picking up the notebooks he had brought.
    â€œI guess we can try,” Emily said without enthusiasm.
    Her mind was still on Jessie, on the fight they’d had, on having to face her again later. And she thought about Nancy’s warning. What kind of bad trouble had Jessie been in? Emily wondered.
    After less than an hour she slammed her textbook shut. “I can’t concentrate,” she said, tossing the book onto the floor.
    Josh tossed his book down too. Then he slid closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close to him. He felt so warm, so safe. His skin smelled sweet to Emily. She kissed him on the cheek, and then he turned her face and kissed her on the lips.
    Suddenly she pulled away from him and uttered awhispered cry. She had a funny feeling that they were being watched.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Josh whispered, moving to resume their kiss.
    Emily looked toward the front stairway. The hall was dark, but in the shadows she could see someone watching them from the staircase.
    Jessie.
    She’s taken over my room, she’s wearing my clothes, and now she’s spying on me, Emily thought angrily. Well, there’s one thing of mine that she can’t have—Josh. I hope the little Peeping Tom enjoys the show.
    Emily reached up with both hands, pulled Josh’s face to hers, closed her eyes, and kissed him with renewed passion.
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    A soft voice woke Emily from a deep sleep. She looked for the clock on her night-table, then remembered that the night-table was next to Jessie’s bed now.
    She closed her eyes, but the voice continued in a loud whisper. Jessie’s voice. Emily was half-awake. It must be very late, she thought. The sky outside the bedroom window was black and starless.
    In the darkness she could see Jessie on the other side of the room, sitting on the floor in the corner beside the desk. She was talking on the phone.
    Who can she be calling this late at night? Emily wondered, her mind still fogged by sleep. She could just barely make out a few words Jessie was saying.She seemed to be having an intense, whispered conversation with someone.
    Who was it? What was she talking about so seriously, so heatedly?
    Emily raised her head from the pillow to hear better.
    â€œI could kill her,” Jessie was saying into the phone. “I really could kill her.”

Chapter

5
    Surprise in the Shower
    E mily was standing right under the bell when it rang, signaling the end of the school day. She clapped her hands over her ears, dropping her books in the process, but it was too late. “I’m deaf for life!” she exclaimed.
    â€œWhat did you say?” her friend Kathy joked, holding a hand up to her ear.
    â€œVery funny.” Emily bent down to pick up her books.
    â€œHow’d you do on the trig test?” Kathy asked, waving to someone across the hall.
    â€œGood. Terrible. I don’t know,” Emily told her. The hall filled with kids. Lockers slammed. Voices echoed down the long tiled corridor. “Do you see Josh? He was supposed to meet me here.”
    â€œI don’t see him. Hey—there’s Della. Hey, Della—wait up!” Kathy shouted, and took off down the hall.
    Standing up, Emily was bumped from behind andnearly dropped her books again. “Sorry,” a voice said. It was Ricky Schorr, loaded down with a tall stack of textbooks he was most likely taking to the book room.
    â€œHey, Ricky—can I borrow a quarter?” someone called. Everyone in earshot laughed.
    Emily looked for Josh. He was always so punctual, she never could believe it when he was actually a minute or two late. She said hello to Lisa Blume and Cory Brooks, who were inseparable these days, then walked down the corridor and turned the corner where Josh’s locker was. But he wasn’t there