Who Killed the Homecoming Queen? by R.L. Stine, Bill Schmidt Read Free Book Online Page A

pasty white. Her mouth hung open, and her head flopped limply back.
    She’s
not
breathing, Eva thought in horror. It’s true! She’s dead.
    But how could it happen?
    It wasn’t the low blood sugar. All that does is make her faint. It couldn’t kill her.
    How did she die?
    A hard, painful lump rose in Eva’s throat. Tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her face. She began to sob.
    â€œCome on, Tania!” Jeremy grabbed Tania’s shoulders and frantically began to shake her. “Wake up! You can do it. Come on, Tania!”
    Tania’s head rolled on her shoulders. Her mouth opened wider, as if she were screaming. But no sound escaped.
    â€œTania, come
on!”
Jeremy wailed. He shook her harder. “Come on, wake up!”
    â€œJeremy, stop!” Still sobbing, Eva broke away from Sandy and grabbed Jeremy by the shoulders. “Please, stop it!”
    With a cry, Jeremy shrugged Eva off. Eva stumbled backward and bumped into Keith again. “Call an ambulance!” she shouted hoarsely. “And the police!”
    Keith didn’t move. He stared at Tania’s lifeless body with a dazed expression on his face.
    â€œPlease, Keith!” Eva cried. She gave him a little shove. “We need help!”
    Keith dragged his gaze away from Tania and blinked at Eva.
    â€œGo on!” she shouted. “Call the police and an ambulance!”
    â€œRight.” Keith spun around and raced from the bleachers toward the pay phone at the back of the school.
    â€œI don’t get it!” Sandy muttered to Eva in a panicked voice. “Everything was okay. Really! I just don’t
get
what happened!”
    Eva stared at him. He had pretended to strangle Tania for the video, she recalled. Did he get carried away? Did he actually kill her?
    â€œWhy don’t you go with Keith?” Eva told him coldly.
    â€œBut I want to stay with Tania!”
    â€œWhat for?” she demanded. “What good can you do now?”
    Sandy stared at her for a second. Then he turned and ran off.
    Eva swiped the tears from her face and took hold of Jeremy’s shoulders. She couldn’t bear to look at Tania’s face again. “Jeremy,” she said softly,“please stop shaking her. Keith went to call an ambulance. They’ll take care of her. Please.”
    Jeremy didn’t reply. But he finally let go of Tania and set her down gently.
    The tears ran across Eva’s lips and dripped off her chin. She took a shuddering breath and tried to urge Jeremy to his feet. “Come on. Let’s sit down and …”
    â€œNo!” Throwing her hands off, Jeremy leaped to his feet. His eyes were wild. “I can’t sit here and wait! I have to do
something!”
    Eva reached for him, but Jeremy brushed past her and sprinted down the steps.
    â€œJeremy!” Eva chased after him, worried. He’s hysterical, she realized. He’s totally out of his mind. Who knows what he might do?
    â€œJeremy!” she called again. She leaped from the steps onto the grass and began running across the football field.
    The rain came harder now, soaking her hair and her sweater and mixing with the tears on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Keith’s little sister heading for the bleachers.
    â€œWhere’s Keith?” Mandy demanded. “What’s going on?”
    â€œGet back in the van and wait!” Eva shouted sharply. “Don’t move an inch until Keith comes to get you!”
    Mandy’s eyes grew wide in surprise at Eva’s tone of voice. She turned and quickly sprinted away.
    Eva kept running, trying to catch up to Jeremy.But his long legs had already carried him across the football field. Eva saw him dart behind the bleachers on the other side and disappear from sight.
    Panting, she splashed across the soggy grass and up a little incline. She suddenly heard the wail of sirens.
    Eva stopped. The ambulance and the police,