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

either.
    Finally she spotted him halfway down the hall. “Hey, Josh.” But when she saw the girl he was talking to, Emily stopped short. Her words caught in her throat.
    He was leaning against a locker, talking enthusiastically to Jessie, gesturing with his hands, smiling. The two of them were standing very close to each other. As Emily watched in surprise from down the hall, Josh said something, and he and Jessie burst out laughing.
    â€œThey’re laughing at me,” Emily told herself. “Hey—stop. Don’t start getting paranoid.”
    But what was going on?
    Emily had introduced Josh to Jessie a few days after their big fight. They had had a pleasant, short conversation, a little awkward but not too bad.
    So what did they have to talk about now? And why had Josh completely forgotten about the fact that he was supposed to meet Emily?
    â€œHi, Emily.”
    Emily spun around, startled by the girl’s voice. It was Krysta Meyers, a tiny, loud-voiced girl she nevercould stand. Krysta had become friends with Jessie. In fact, she was the only friend Jessie had made so far at Shadyside.
    â€œOh, hi, Krysta.”
    â€œHave you seen Jessie?” Krysta asked, squinting. She needed glasses but was too vain to wear them.
    â€œShe’s right over there, talking to Josh,” Emily said, pointing. She suddenly felt foolish, standing in the middle of the hall like a traffic director.
    Krysta hurried off to collect Jessie. Emily watched the two girls walk off, then she hurried up to Josh. “Oh. Hi,” he said, looking a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I didn’t get over to you. I—”
    â€œWhat were you and Jessie chatting about?” Emily asked. She didn’t mean it to come out as accusing as it did.
    â€œNothing,” Josh said, walking across the hall to his locker and starting to turn the combination lock.
    â€œNothing?”
    â€œI was just talking to her,” he said, pulling off the lock and opening the door. “I think she’s lonely. She hasn’t made any friends yet. Just Krysta.”
    â€œShe would pick a girl I hate for a friend!” Emily exclaimed, and then immediately regretted it. “Wow. I sound really nasty today, don’t I?”
    Josh didn’t reply. He had his head in his locker, searching for something. He probably hadn’t even heard her.
    â€œI thought you and Jessie were getting along better,” he said, pulling his head out.
    â€œWell, there hasn’t been any bloodshed, if that’swhat you mean,” Emily said, frowning. “Actually, we’ve been pretty much giving each other a lot of space. It hasn’t been too bad. She even helped me retype my report.”
    â€œReally? Maybe she’s not a bad kid after all,” Josh said, waving to some guys down the hall.
    â€œMaybe . . .” Emily said doubtfully. Jessie was still making late-night phone calls every night. When Mr. Wallner had asked her if she had been on the phone late at night, Jessie had lied and said no.
    â€œHey, do we have to talk about Jessie all afternoon?” Emily asked, giving Josh a playful shove into his locker.
    â€œNo. Who should we talk about?” he asked, laughing.
    â€œI thought we were going to talk about the Homecoming dance.”
    â€œOkay. What’s to talk about?” He slammed his locker shut and locked it.
    â€œWell, it is Friday night, you know.”
    â€œRight. I know, Em. I’ll be there. How about you?” He laughed.
    She didn’t crack a smile. “Sometimes I think you take me for granted.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” he said, leading the way out the door. “You can take me for granted too.”
    Can I? Emily wondered. She pictured him leaning so close to Jessie, talking and laughing with her in the hallway a few minutes before.
    What were they talking about, anyway?
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    Two nights later, Jessie and Emily found