First Evil by R.L. Stine Page A

surprise. “Huh? Chip?”
    Bobbi nodded. “Yeah. He asked me out. Yesterday. After the pep rally.”
    â€œReally?”
    Bobbi was startled to see Jennifer’s eyes narrow and her features tighten. Jennifer glared at Bobbi. “You didn’t say yes— did you?”

Chapter 10

Horror in the Hall
    â€œJ en—what’s wrong?” Bobbi asked.
    Jennifer shook her head, then locked her eyes on Bobbi’s. “Don’t you know that Chip is Kimmy’s boyfriend?”
    â€œHuh?” Bobbi’s mouth dropped open in shock. She suddenly could feel the blood pulsing at her temples.
    â€œI mean, he was Kimmy’s boyfriend,” Jennifer said, gripping the sides of the wheelchair, “until a couple of weeks ago.”
    â€œA couple of weeks?”
    â€œYeah.” Jennifer frowned. “Then he dumped her. Just like that. After more than two years.”
    â€œOh, my gosh.” Bobbi slumped down in the soft leather couch. She seemed to deflate. The shock of this news made her feel weak. “She’ll think—”
    â€œShe’ll think Chip dumped her for you,” Jennifer finished the thought for her.
    Bobbi moaned. “One more reason for Kimmy to hate my guts.”
    They stared at each other in silence for a while. Jennifer squeaked her wheelchair back and forth on the floor.
    Finally Bobbi asked, “What should I do?”
    Jennifer shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s really cute!”
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    â€œGirls, how about getting up a little energy?” Miss Green said. It was more of a complaint than a question, and she said the words with disgust.
    Having blown her whistle and stepped onto the floor to interrupt the practice, she did an imitation of the way they looked to her, moving her arms and legs in weary slow motion, her eyes half-closed, her mouth drooping open.
    The cheerleaders watched in sullen silence. Bobbi felt embarrassed. She was leading the practice, after all. It was her job to get the girls to show some spirit, not Miss Green’s.
    But Bobbi was finding it difficult to get some of the girls to listen to her, even though it was the last practice before the game that night.
    Kimmy had done a good job of turning the girls against Bobbi. It hadn’t been hard, Bobbi realized unhappily. The girls had all known Kimmy for years. Bobbi was a newcomer, an intruder.
    Most of the cheerleaders hadn’t wanted to allow the Corcorans on the squad in the first place. And now here was Bobbi, giving them instructions, leading them, or trying to lead them, trying to get them to cooperate.
    â€œWhen you do ‘Sssssssssteam Heat’ like that,” MissGreen was scolding them, “it makes me think your boiler’s broken.”
    It was supposed to be a joke, but it fell flat on the dispirited squad. No one even cracked a smile.
    Standing beside Miss Green, Bobbi let her eyes wander down the row of girls. She stopped at Kimmy, who was glaring at her, her eyes narrowed. Kimmy’s stare was so hard, so cold, it forced Bobbi to look away.
    The gym doors opened, and Jennifer wheeled herself in. Smiling at Bobbi, she made her way silently along the far wall, her maroon and white pennant on her lap, her backpack attached to her wheelchair.
    Bobbi wished Jennifer hadn’t come. She felt embarrassed to have Jennifer show up while the girls were being lectured by Miss Green. Jennifer would see that Bobbi didn’t have control, that the girls weren’t with her.
    She knew Jennifer would be sympathetic. She was Bobbi’s best friend, after all. But it was still embarrassing.
    Bobbi felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Corky, who gave her an encouraging smile and then quickly resumed her place.
    Bobbi took a deep breath. “Okay, guys,” she shouted, clapping her hands enthusiastically and moving in front of Miss Green, “let’s try it again! Let’s really get sssssteamed