Cheerleaders: The New Evil by R.L. Stine

home.”
    â€œLine up, everyone!” Kimmy called out.
    â€œWe do the Hoop cheer as we always do?” Debra asked.
    Ms. Closter nodded. “No change. Just at the end.The three girls do their handsprings from right to left in front of the cannons. As they finish, the cannons go off and shoot their confetti.”
    There were more questions. Mostly about timing. Then Ms. Closter helped position Corky, Heather, and Naomi. “Hold the cords firmly so you’ll be ready.”
    Corky glanced down the row of cheerleaders. Everyone seemed to be ready. She was glad to see that Ivy’s smile had returned. In fact, she was beaming.
    Kimmy gave the signal, and they went into the cheer:
    HOOP—there it is!
    HOOP—there it is
    TWO points!
    Then into the handsprings with Kimmy in the lead.
    Corky gave her cord a sharp pull, triggering her cannon.
    She looked over to see if the others were successful.
    She had turned just in time to see Heather’s cannon backfire.
    The cannon exploded with a roar that shook the gym.
    Heather had no time to react.
    The blast snapped her head back.
    Her hands shot out helplessly, and she appeared to fly backward.
    And then she toppled onto her back on the floor and didn’t move.

Chapter 10

POISON IVY?
    C orky reached Heather first. She dropped down beside her on the floor and grabbed her hand. “Heather—are you okay? Can you hear me? Heather?” Corky cried.
    The other cheerleaders formed a tight circle around them. Ms. Closter burst through the circle, her face tight with concern. “Stand back! Give her some air!”
    Heather slowly opened her eyes. She stared up at Corky, blinking, her expression dazed. “What?” she uttered, gazing up blankly at Corky as if she didn’t recognize her.
    Ms. Closter edged Corky out of the way. She leaned over Heather and started asking her questions:“What’s your name? What’s my name? How old are you? What’s the name of this school?”
    Heather answered the questions promptly. Then she groaned and pulled herself up to a sitting position. She touched her red cheek. “Ouch!”
    â€œPowder burns,” Ms. Closter told her softly. “Your cannon backfired.”
    The cheerleader coach helped Heather to her feet. Heather straightened her hair, then rubbed the back of her neck. “I—I’m okay,” she announced uncertainly. “I think I was mostly scared.”
    I think we’re all scared now, Corky thought darkly.
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    The practice session ended a few minutes later. Corky hurried to the student parking lot to her car. She wanted to get away—away from everyone, somewhere where she could think.
    She pulled her car door open and started to slide in. But Kimmy and Debra came running after her. “Hey, Corky—wait! We have to talk!” Kimmy called.
    It was a clear, cold night. A pale moon hung low over the bare trees. The air was still. At the end of the lot Corky saw a black cat squeeze through the wire fence.
    â€œI already know what you’re going to say,” Corky told her two friends. She sat sideways in the driver’s seat with her feet on the ground. Kimmy and Debra huddled in the open car doorway.
    â€œWe have to talk about it,” Kimmy repeated breathlessly. She rewrapped her wool muffler around herneck. Her forehead was still covered with perspiration from the hot gym.
    â€œYou’ve got to face the facts, Corky,” Debra insisted heatedly.
    â€œI don’t want to face anything,” Corky shot back. “I just want to go home and take a shower.”
    â€œCorky—did you notice the smile on Ivy’s face?” Kimmy demanded. “Did you see the smile on her face just before the cannon strings were pulled?”
    â€œReally, Kimmy—” Corky started to say.
    But Debra interrupted. “Let’s begin at the beginning,” she said, her eyes burning into Corky’s.