The Wish (Nightmare Hall) by Diane Hoh Page B

guys had to take showers,” Kiki complained as they drove around the parking lot searching for a space. “You didn’t even play!”
    “Thanks for pointing that out, Kiki,” Marty said drily. “You thought maybe we hadn’t noticed that?”
    “Well, it let everybody else get here ahead of us. And I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.”
    Alex had thought that Kiki looked a little thinner when they’d first met in the stands. Then she’d watched Kiki do nothing but eat chips and pickles and hot dogs and cookies and candy throughout the game and decided she was wrong. No dieting being done here, she’d thought, and helped herself to the bag of cookies sitting on Kiki’s lap.
    Kyle refused to go to Vinnie’s. “It’ll be a madhouse. I need peace and quiet, okay? How about Chinese?”
    So, they drove into town and ate at Hunan Manor. It was quiet, just as Kyle wanted, and not crowded. At Jenny’s gentle coaxing, Bennett finally pulled out of his funk, and they had a good time.
    But on the way home, Marty, Bennett, and Kiki insisted on stopping at Vinnie’s. “I have to check with The Wizard,” Bennett said, half-jokingly. “Maybe he can tell me if I’m going to be able to play next week.”
    Alex had no intention of going into Vinnie’s. “I’ll ride back to campus with Kyle,” she said as she got out of the car. “Jenny? You said you were tired.”
    “I am.” Jenny hesitated, then smiled at Bennett. “But I think I’ll stay.”
    They all argued with Alex, especially Jenny. “Why go back to the room and be alone? C’mon, Alex, we won today, and we haven’t really celebrated.”
    But Alex wasn’t in any mood for celebrating. She could have told them about the phone call, but she was afraid they’d think she was being silly. Marty would say it was obviously just a joke. They’d think she was making too much of it.
    Maybe she was.
    “C’mon,” Bennett urged, “you haven’t had your fortune told yet. Now’s your chance.”
    “I don’t want my fortune told,” Alex said sharply. “That stupid Wizard is totally bogus, and you all know it. I wouldn’t waste my money on that thing.”
    Surprised by her reaction, they all began backing away. “Alex, chill,” Kyle chided. “He might hear you.”
    “Who?”
    Kyle laughed. “The Wizard, dummy. He could have far-reaching powers, Alex. You wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings, would you?”
    “He’s right,” Kiki said, grinning. “You should watch what you say about someone who has the power to grant wishes and tell fortunes, Alex. You could be asking for trouble.”
    Alex regarded both of them with suspicion. “Did either of you make any phone calls during halftime?”
    Kyle looked bewildered. “Phone calls?”
    But Kiki’s grin widened. “Why?” she asked with phony innocence. “Did you get one? Did you, for instance,” her words deliberately slow and measured, “get one from someone who warned you about being skeptical?” And then she cleared her throat, and with one hand over her mouth, repeated in a low monotone the words Alex had heard over the phone. “Hear me well, Alexandria, skepticism can be dangerous.” Laughing, Kiki pointed at Alex’s face. “You should see yourself! I wish I had a camera.”
    “You made that stupid call?” Alex’s face burned. “It was you?”
    “Oh, relax, Alex. I was just having fun. You were such a drag about The Wizard. Where’s your sense of humor?”
    “Maybe I left it in Julie’s backseat the night of the accident,” Alex snapped. Lips clamped together, she whirled in disgust and walked stiffly to the edge of the parking lot to await the shuttle.
    There was whispering and muttering behind her, and then Marty was standing beside her. “I sent everyone else on inside,” he said. “What’s up? What was that all about?”
    “I actually thought, for just one tiny little second, that it might be him,” she murmured, so low that Marty couldn’t hear her. And it’s not really Kiki