Fear Street 5 - The Fire Game Read Online Free PDF

soccer and basketball."
    "I'll bet he was good at them, wasn't he?"
    "I guess he's a natural athlete," said Diane.
    "When he and Nick were in that race," Andrea went on, "I couldn't believe how fast he was. I mean, Nick's a really good swimmer, and for Gabe to have beaten him . . ."
    "Don't forget Nick got a cramp," said Jill.
    "So he says," said Andrea. "It sounded like an excuse to me. Anyway, why are you defending Nick? Aren't you the least bit interested in Gabe too?"
    Jill didn't answer for a moment. The problem was that she was interested in Gabe--very interested--but she was bothered by him too. There was something about him--and her feelings for him--that made her very uncomfortable. "I just thought it was weird when he stuck his hand in the candle flame," she said at last.
    "That was the coolest thing of all," said Andrea. "I never saw anyone do anything like that before. I couldn't believe it!" She laughed. "And did you see the looks on the other guys' faces when he did it? I thought they were both going to die of jealousy."
    "I was afraid Max was going to try it next," said Jill.
    "Me too," said Andrea. "Hey, Diane, have you ever seen Gabe do anything like that before?"
    Diane shrugged. "Not exactly like that," she said. Instead of explaining what she meant, she abruptly started to cross to the other side of the wide walkway. "I want to go into Benniger's for a minute. I need a new shirt."
    Jill and Andrea followed her across the walkway to the large specialty shop. Signs hung in every window: Spring Madness Sale and All Merchandise Slashed Forty Percent.
    "You don't want to go in here, Diane," cracked Andrea. "All the merchandise is slashed."
    "Very funny," said Diane. "I won't take long."
    With a little smile, she headed for the sportswear racks. Jill had the feeling that Diane was tired of talking about Gabe or at least of answering questions about him. While Diane looked at tops, Jill fingered through the silk scarves. Her mother's birthday was coming up and she was looking for an inspiration. But instead of concentrating on the scarves, she kept thinking back to the picnic, to everything that had happened with Gabe, from when he had goaded Max into setting the fire until he had put his hand in the candle flame. It must have hurt, she thought. What had he been trying to prove? And who had he been trying to prove it to?
    As she idly looked through the scarves, she found one in bright shades of purple and pink, her mother's colors. She turned to show it to the other girls, but they were nowhere in sight. Probably trying on clothes, she thought. She held on to the purple scarf and began looking through the rest.

    Suddenly a piercing shriek filled the store. "No!" A voice screamed in panic and terror, "Go away! Leave me alone!"
    Jill froze, her heart pounding.
    The anguished voice was Diane's.

Chapter 7
    Dropping the purple scarf, Jill ran as quickly as she could to the back of the store, then through the curtains that hid the dressing room area.
    Turning the corner, she literally bumped into Andrea. "Whoa!" she said.
    "Sorry! Did you hear--"
    "I couldn't miss it," said Andrea. "I was the one she was yelling at."
    "What?" Jill looked at her friend in confusion. "Is Diane all right?
    What's going on?"
    "Ask her yourself," said Andrea, shrugging. "All I know is I was going to try this on"--she held up a lime-green T-shirt--"so I went into what I thought was an empty dressing room. Only it turned out Diane was in it."
    "Well, did she think you were trying to break in on her, or what?"
    "I don't know," said Andrea. "She just went berserk. And she wasn't even undressed; she was just unbuttoning one of the shirts."
    Jill frowned. "Well, you know how modest she is," she said after a moment. "I mean, she always dresses in the stalls in phys. ed."
    "Sure, I know that," said Andrea. "But this is crazy!"
    "Maybe I'd better look in and see if she's all right," said Jill.
    "If I were you I'd leave her alone till she's through