end. But she sounded so strange.
“Jada? What’s wrong?” I asked, pressing the phone to my ear.
“I—I can’t answer any questions,” she replied. “I’m desperate. You’ve just got to listen to me!”
“Okay, okay,” I murmured. My heart started to thud. “Go ahead.”
“I have only a second, Selena,” she whispered. “They—they’re coming back.”
“Who?” I cried. “Jada—are you in trouble?”
“I can’t explain.” She was whispering so low, I could barely hear her. “I’m in terrible trouble. I’m being held prisoner.”
“ What? ” I shrieked.
“You’ve got to hurry,” Jada whispered. “You’re the only one who can help. Listen to me! ”
My throat was suddenly so dry, I couldn’t swallow. “I am,” I choked out. “I’m listening.”
“Upstairs,” Jada said. “There’s a secret room. At the end of the hall. It’s hidden behind the bookshelf.”
I don’t believe it! I thought. She’s telling me about the hidden room.
But why?
“There’s a lever behind the big atlas,” she continued breathlessly. “Pull the book out, and you’ll see it.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then what?”
“The shelf will slide open. Go inside the room. Can you hear me?”
“Yes. Just barely,” I replied.
“I have to whisper,” she said. “I can’t let them hear me. They’re so dangerous. I—I don’t know what they plan to do with me.”
“Who?” I cried. “Who is it?”
“Listen. Go into the room,” Jada continued. “You’ll see a costume on a shelf. Put it on.”
“Huh?” I cried.
“Please—don’t ask questions. They’re coming back any second,” Jada whispered. “Put on the costume. The mask and everything. Put it on and hurry over here as fast as you can.”
She whispered an address.
My mind was spinning. I felt dizzy and sick.
“But how can I help?” I asked. “How can I rescue you?”
“Just walk into the house, Selena. When they see you in the costume, they’ll run. Trust me. You can do this. Just hurry.”
Jada gasped. “I hear them coming back. Hurry! I’m so scared!”
22
I stood for a long while with the phone still pressed against my ear, staring at the wall. Then I dropped the phone to the desk.
I’m not going to fall for this, I decided.
I’ve fallen for every one of Jada’s tricks. But not this time.
I know what this is about. She wants me to put on the costume and come running over to one of her friend’s houses. When I come bursting in, they’ll all have a big laugh at the geek in the stupid costume.
Well…no way. No way, Jada. How dumb do you think I am?
I gazed down at the phone. Once again I heard Jada’s whispered voice in my ear. So terrified. So desperate.
I shuddered. Was Jada that good an actress?
She really did sound scared.
What if this was real? What if it wasn’t a joke?
Jada had been sneaking out in the middle of thenight. What if she had gotten herself into some major trouble?
“Maybe Jada was telling the truth,” I told myself.
Yes. There was a chance that she really was being held prisoner. And that she was counting on me to rescue her. A chance that I was her last hope.
I have to follow her instructions, I decided. I can’t let something awful happen to Jada just because I didn’t believe her.
My legs felt as wobbly as Jell-O. But I forced myself down the hall to the bookcase. I tugged the big atlas off the shelf. It fell from my trembling hands and thudded to the floor.
I didn’t bother to pick it up. I pressed the lever down. Heard the hum start up—and watched the bookshelf slide away.
I didn’t wait for it to move all the way. I pulled open the hidden door and burst into the tiny room.
My hand fumbled for the light switch. I found it and clicked on the light.
“Hurry, Selena. Hurry,” I urged myself on.
I grabbed the costume off the shelf. The black tights fell to the floor. I picked them up and started to pull them on.
No. Oh, no. They’re not going to fit, I
“Jada? What’s wrong?” I asked, pressing the phone to my ear.
“I—I can’t answer any questions,” she replied. “I’m desperate. You’ve just got to listen to me!”
“Okay, okay,” I murmured. My heart started to thud. “Go ahead.”
“I have only a second, Selena,” she whispered. “They—they’re coming back.”
“Who?” I cried. “Jada—are you in trouble?”
“I can’t explain.” She was whispering so low, I could barely hear her. “I’m in terrible trouble. I’m being held prisoner.”
“ What? ” I shrieked.
“You’ve got to hurry,” Jada whispered. “You’re the only one who can help. Listen to me! ”
My throat was suddenly so dry, I couldn’t swallow. “I am,” I choked out. “I’m listening.”
“Upstairs,” Jada said. “There’s a secret room. At the end of the hall. It’s hidden behind the bookshelf.”
I don’t believe it! I thought. She’s telling me about the hidden room.
But why?
“There’s a lever behind the big atlas,” she continued breathlessly. “Pull the book out, and you’ll see it.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then what?”
“The shelf will slide open. Go inside the room. Can you hear me?”
“Yes. Just barely,” I replied.
“I have to whisper,” she said. “I can’t let them hear me. They’re so dangerous. I—I don’t know what they plan to do with me.”
“Who?” I cried. “Who is it?”
“Listen. Go into the room,” Jada continued. “You’ll see a costume on a shelf. Put it on.”
“Huh?” I cried.
“Please—don’t ask questions. They’re coming back any second,” Jada whispered. “Put on the costume. The mask and everything. Put it on and hurry over here as fast as you can.”
She whispered an address.
My mind was spinning. I felt dizzy and sick.
“But how can I help?” I asked. “How can I rescue you?”
“Just walk into the house, Selena. When they see you in the costume, they’ll run. Trust me. You can do this. Just hurry.”
Jada gasped. “I hear them coming back. Hurry! I’m so scared!”
22
I stood for a long while with the phone still pressed against my ear, staring at the wall. Then I dropped the phone to the desk.
I’m not going to fall for this, I decided.
I’ve fallen for every one of Jada’s tricks. But not this time.
I know what this is about. She wants me to put on the costume and come running over to one of her friend’s houses. When I come bursting in, they’ll all have a big laugh at the geek in the stupid costume.
Well…no way. No way, Jada. How dumb do you think I am?
I gazed down at the phone. Once again I heard Jada’s whispered voice in my ear. So terrified. So desperate.
I shuddered. Was Jada that good an actress?
She really did sound scared.
What if this was real? What if it wasn’t a joke?
Jada had been sneaking out in the middle of thenight. What if she had gotten herself into some major trouble?
“Maybe Jada was telling the truth,” I told myself.
Yes. There was a chance that she really was being held prisoner. And that she was counting on me to rescue her. A chance that I was her last hope.
I have to follow her instructions, I decided. I can’t let something awful happen to Jada just because I didn’t believe her.
My legs felt as wobbly as Jell-O. But I forced myself down the hall to the bookcase. I tugged the big atlas off the shelf. It fell from my trembling hands and thudded to the floor.
I didn’t bother to pick it up. I pressed the lever down. Heard the hum start up—and watched the bookshelf slide away.
I didn’t wait for it to move all the way. I pulled open the hidden door and burst into the tiny room.
My hand fumbled for the light switch. I found it and clicked on the light.
“Hurry, Selena. Hurry,” I urged myself on.
I grabbed the costume off the shelf. The black tights fell to the floor. I picked them up and started to pull them on.
No. Oh, no. They’re not going to fit, I
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