What Holly Heard by R.L. Stine, Bill Schmidt Read Free Book Online Page A

her mouth, but couldn’t speak.
    Dead.
    She couldn’t believe it.
    They’d just been
joking
about it!
    Wait!
Miriam thought suddenly, her mind racing. This is only gossip! It’s something Holly heard. It didn’t really happen.
    Did it?
    Miriam stared at her friend. Holly hadn’t moved. Her eyes were frozen wide and she absently bit her bottom lip. Her color was bleach-white.
    â€œShe did it, Miriam,” Holly whispered. “Mei killed her mother.”
    â€œNo!” Miriam choked out. She didn’t want to believe it. “Mei could never do that. Never.”
    â€œThen explain what happened,” Holly growled. “How did her mother die?”
    Miriam tried to make herself think. “I don’t
know!
Maybe she had an accident. People fall down the stairs all the time.”
    â€œYou don’t really believe that, do you?” Ruth demanded.
    Miriam had to turn away. She didn’t know what she believed.
    â€œOf course she doesn’t!” Holly cried. “She knows what we all know. That Mei or Noah pushed Mei’s mother.”
    â€œIt’s crazy,” Miriam insisted. “I know Mei! She wouldn’t do it! No way!”
    â€œYeah, but you know Noah,” Ruth said pointedly.
    Miriam didn’t reply. She hadn’t thought about Noah. She had no idea what he would do for Mei.
    He hung out with a bad crowd. Miriam knew he sometimes drank, and he bragged about doing dangerous things.
    But was he capable of murder?
    â€œCome on,” Miriam said. “People don’t kill their parents just because they can’t date each other!”
    â€œKeep your voice down!” Holly snapped. “Do you want the whole school to hear?”
    â€œWhat should we do?” Miriam asked.
    Holly nervously tugged at her blue scarf. “I think we should go to the police.”
    â€œNo!” Miriam protested.
    If they told the police, it would be like admitting that she thought Mei had murdered her mother. Miriam didn’t want to believe that.
    Holly turned to Ruth. “Help me convince her, Ruth. You know Mei did it.”
    Miriam saw Ruth’s eyes grow icy. She had been quiet since hearing Holly’s news, perhaps shocked into silence, Miriam thought. News of a dead parent probably made Ruth think of her father’s death.
    â€œAre you okay?” Miriam asked her friend.
    â€œYeah,” Ruth replied, expressionless. “I don’t know what to believe. Why would anyone want to watch their parent die?”
    No one replied. Miriam couldn’t imagine herself even
considering
killing her parents.
    The bell for homeroom exploded in Miriam’s ears, making her jump nearly out of her skin.
    â€œBefore we go,” Holly insisted, “I have to know what we’re doing!”
    â€œNothing,” Miriam replied. “We don’t have to do a thing.”
    Holly gaped at her. “Are you kidding?”
    â€œHolly,” Ruth began.
    â€œWe have to—”
    â€œHolly.”
Ruth yanked her sleeve.
    â€œWhat?” Holly growled, her teeth clenched.
    â€œIt’s Noah,” Ruth replied, gazing over Holly’s shoulder.
    Miriam spun around. She drew in a quick breath.
    Noah Brennan was walking toward them!
    â€œOh, no,” Holly whispered.
    Noah looked frightening. So tired, his hair uncombed and hanging in his face. His eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot.
    â€œWhat do we do?” Holly whispered.
    â€œDon’t say a word,” Miriam replied. “He doesn’t know you overheard them in the parking lot.”
    â€œSo you
do
believe they did it,” Ruth muttered.
    Miriam ignored her.
    Noah’s eyes leveled on the three of them as he approached. His eyes were hard and cold.
    Miriam shivered.
    Noah stopped in front of them. He rubbed his unshaven chin as if sizing them up.
    â€œNoah?” Holly asked cautiously.
    â€œI guess you heard about Mei’s mom,” he murmured, his