The Prom Queen Read Online Free PDF

then I remembered that Simone lived in North Hills, which is near the school. I decided to stop off there on my way. Maybe Simone was home by now.
    Her parents’ big Lincoln was parked in the driveway. I pulled in behind it. I scooted out and ran up to ring the bell. Mrs. Perry’s face appeared beside the drapes, checking to see who was there. Then the door opened.
    â€œHi, Lizzy,” she said distractedly. “How nice to see you.” She was wearing her coat. “Please come in.”
    Mr. Perry walked in from the hall. He was also wearing his coat and was glancing through a pile of mail. “Lizzy McVay!” he exclaimed warmly, as if he had been waiting to see me for weeks. I always thought Mr. Perry was a nice guy.
    â€œSimone is up in her room,” Mrs. Perry told me. “At least, I think she is. We just got home, but I saw the light on up there as we drove up.”
    I smiled and thanked her as I mounted the dark, thickly carpeted front stairs. Nice going, Simone, Ithought. She must have totally forgotten about rehearsal.
    I slowed down as I neared the top.
    It was dark up there except for a strip of light coming from under Simone’s door.
    â€œSimone?” I called.
    No answer.
    Probably listening to music with her headphones on.
    I crossed to her door and knocked.
    â€œSimone? It’s me, Lizzy. Can I come in?”
    Still no answer. I knocked one more time.
    Then I opened the door.
    And gasped in horror.
    The entire room had been torn apart.
    The room seemed to tilt. For a moment I felt as if I were about to fall.
    The first thing I focused on was Simone’s old teddy bear. It lay on the floor near the bed. Its head had been ripped off and white stuffing poked up through its open body. The bear’s glassy black eyes stared up at me blankly.
    The rest of the room quickly came into focus.
    The floor was cluttered with Simone’s belongings.
    The sheets and bedspread had been pulled off the bed.
    A lamp lay broken on its side at the foot of her desk.
    Papers were scattered everywhere. One of thewhite window curtains had been ripped off its rod.
    It looked as if a terrible struggle had taken place.
    Uttering a low cry of fright, I started to back away.
    But then I saw the most horrifying sight of all.
    On the carpet near my feet was a large, dark puddle of blood.

Chapter

5
    I didn’t scream. I came closer to fainting. I could smell the blood near my feet and rushed through the room to the open window. I needed fresh air, and fast.
    I stuck my head out, gasping for air.
    And that’s when I saw him.
    His figure was illuminated for just an instant by the Perrys’ back porch light.
    A man.
    Running across the backyard into the woods. He was carrying a big gray sack in his arms.
    I stared as hard as I could into the darkness. But he ran out of view.
    And then I finally began to do what I thought I would have done right away.
    I began to scream.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    The next afternoon after school I was back at Simone’s house. So were Justin, Robbie, Elana, Dawn, Rachel, and a couple of others. The police had wanted to question all of Simone’s good friends.
    Even with all the people in the Perrys’ living room, the room felt empty. We all missed Simone. No one had seen her since the day before.
    The police hadn’t arrived yet. No one was saying much. Everyone was pretty scared.
    I got up and went into the kitchen. I wanted to see if I could help Mrs. Perry. But mostly I wanted to get out of the living room.
    â€œOh, Lizzy.” Mrs. Perry gave me a brittle smile as I walked in. She was arranging peanut-butter cookies on a plate to serve to all of us. But I could see that her hands were trembling. And her mascara had run slightly. “The police will be here any minute,” she told me.
    â€œI’ll get that,” I said, taking the cookies from her hand.
    It was as if she needed something to hold on to to keep her calm. Her