What are you saying?”
“His old man kicked him out. I don’t know where he is.” Sara scratched her head. “After Russ got fired, a half-dozen people ran in and out of that freezer for a couple of hours. They were moving all the frozen goods to another store so they wouldn’t spoil. One of them must have found the bag, and stolen the money.”
“A half-dozen employees shouldn’t be that hard to check out.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Jessica drummed her fingers impatiently on the dashboard. “You’ve screwed up everything. You won’t be able to afford the band. You won’t be able to pay for the food. Homecoming will have to be postponed again. It’ll probably be called off.”
“And your crown might start to rust.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“The hell it isn’t! I’m in trouble, Jessie. And all you care about is winning some horse-faced beauty pageant!”
“That’s not true!”
“It’s all you think about!”
“So! What do you want me to do?”
“Give me some moral support! Quit telling me how dumb I am!”
“You are dumb! You go in to buy a can of Spam and find a date and you end up spending three grand and almost killing a guy!”
Sara gave her a weird look and sat back in the car seat. “You’ve made your point,” she muttered.
Jessica took a deep breath. “I still think Russ must have taken it. I would have taken it.”
Sara sighed. “No. I know him. He’s not that kind of person. The money’s gone, and it’s gone for good.”
“How much is left in the account?”
“About two thousand. But half of that will be eaten up by checks I’ve already written.” She shook her head. “There isn’t going to be enough.”
“How about hitting up Polly?”
“I tried that already. I talked to her this morning. She says she needs her aunt’s signature to get hold of that much cash.” Sara shrugged. “I believe her.”
“Could you find another car to raffle?”
“There isn’t time.” Sara gave a miserable smile. “I’m open to suggestions?”
Jessica thought a moment. “I don’t have any.”
The varsity tree was at both the physical and social center of Tabb High. A huge thick-branched oak, it stood halfway between the administration building and the library, near the snack bar. At lunch, without fail, at least half the jocks would gather under it to enjoy the good looks of half the girls on the pep squads. For the most part, except for the week before the party when she had been vigorously pursuing Bill Skater, Jessica avoided the area. Crowds, even friendly ones, often tired her. But today was different. The results of the balloting to determine who would be on Tabb High’s homecoming court would be announced from a platform set up beneath the tree.
“Where’s Sara?” Maria Gonzales asked. “Isn’t she going to read the names?”
“No, I hear Mr. Bark, my political science teacher, is playing MC,” Jessica said. “Sara’s got a lot on her mind.”
Maria was sympathetic. “It must be hard for her to keep track of everything.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Are you nervous?” Maria asked.
“I feel like I’m waiting to be shot.”
Maria nodded to the crowd. “You’re the prettiest one here. Anyone can see that.”
“Anyone but me.” Dr. Baron had been right about the letters and the numbers on the board making more sense when she had her glasses on, but all morning she couldn’t help feeling people were staring at her and thinking she looked like an encyclopedia. At the moment, however, she had her glasses in her hand, and for that reason, she wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating when she saw the long-legged blonde sitting all alone on one of the benches that loosely surrounded the varsity tree. Jessica pointed to the girl. “Who is that?” she asked.
Maria frowned. “Clair Hilrey.”
“What’s she doing?”
“Nothing.”
Glancing around, Jessica quickly slipped on her glasses. The cheerleader was indeed by herself, and
“His old man kicked him out. I don’t know where he is.” Sara scratched her head. “After Russ got fired, a half-dozen people ran in and out of that freezer for a couple of hours. They were moving all the frozen goods to another store so they wouldn’t spoil. One of them must have found the bag, and stolen the money.”
“A half-dozen employees shouldn’t be that hard to check out.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Jessica drummed her fingers impatiently on the dashboard. “You’ve screwed up everything. You won’t be able to afford the band. You won’t be able to pay for the food. Homecoming will have to be postponed again. It’ll probably be called off.”
“And your crown might start to rust.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“The hell it isn’t! I’m in trouble, Jessie. And all you care about is winning some horse-faced beauty pageant!”
“That’s not true!”
“It’s all you think about!”
“So! What do you want me to do?”
“Give me some moral support! Quit telling me how dumb I am!”
“You are dumb! You go in to buy a can of Spam and find a date and you end up spending three grand and almost killing a guy!”
Sara gave her a weird look and sat back in the car seat. “You’ve made your point,” she muttered.
Jessica took a deep breath. “I still think Russ must have taken it. I would have taken it.”
Sara sighed. “No. I know him. He’s not that kind of person. The money’s gone, and it’s gone for good.”
“How much is left in the account?”
“About two thousand. But half of that will be eaten up by checks I’ve already written.” She shook her head. “There isn’t going to be enough.”
“How about hitting up Polly?”
“I tried that already. I talked to her this morning. She says she needs her aunt’s signature to get hold of that much cash.” Sara shrugged. “I believe her.”
“Could you find another car to raffle?”
“There isn’t time.” Sara gave a miserable smile. “I’m open to suggestions?”
Jessica thought a moment. “I don’t have any.”
The varsity tree was at both the physical and social center of Tabb High. A huge thick-branched oak, it stood halfway between the administration building and the library, near the snack bar. At lunch, without fail, at least half the jocks would gather under it to enjoy the good looks of half the girls on the pep squads. For the most part, except for the week before the party when she had been vigorously pursuing Bill Skater, Jessica avoided the area. Crowds, even friendly ones, often tired her. But today was different. The results of the balloting to determine who would be on Tabb High’s homecoming court would be announced from a platform set up beneath the tree.
“Where’s Sara?” Maria Gonzales asked. “Isn’t she going to read the names?”
“No, I hear Mr. Bark, my political science teacher, is playing MC,” Jessica said. “Sara’s got a lot on her mind.”
Maria was sympathetic. “It must be hard for her to keep track of everything.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Are you nervous?” Maria asked.
“I feel like I’m waiting to be shot.”
Maria nodded to the crowd. “You’re the prettiest one here. Anyone can see that.”
“Anyone but me.” Dr. Baron had been right about the letters and the numbers on the board making more sense when she had her glasses on, but all morning she couldn’t help feeling people were staring at her and thinking she looked like an encyclopedia. At the moment, however, she had her glasses in her hand, and for that reason, she wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating when she saw the long-legged blonde sitting all alone on one of the benches that loosely surrounded the varsity tree. Jessica pointed to the girl. “Who is that?” she asked.
Maria frowned. “Clair Hilrey.”
“What’s she doing?”
“Nothing.”
Glancing around, Jessica quickly slipped on her glasses. The cheerleader was indeed by herself, and
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