The Secret Bedroom Read Online Free PDF Page A

windows. The light was pale and lovely and made the rest of the room shimmer.
    I’ll never sleep again, Lea thought. She thought about Don and Marci and wondered where they were right then, wondered if they were still talking about her, still laughing at her expense.
    I’ve got to stop thinking about them, she told herself. But that was easier said than done.
    The creaking sound brought Lea out of her unhappy thoughts.
    She listened as the sound repeated. It seemed to be right over her head.
    There it was again.
    It wasn’t just the creaking of the house. Lea was beginning to recognize the groans and squeaks the old house made.
    This sound was too regular, too rhythmic.
    She lay back on her pillow, alert now, listening harder.
    There the noise was again.
    Footsteps?
    Yes. It sounded like footsteps up above her.

    But that was impossible.
    Hugging Georgie, she listened intently.
    The sound faded and died.
    Her imagination was playing tricks on her.
    Tricks … tricks … tricks …
    Just a joke … just a trick … trick … trick …
    With the word repeating in her mind, Lea drifted into a troubled, restless sleep.

D eena, where are you? Lea thought impatiently, leaning against the tile in the hall outside the lunchroom. They had agreed to meet for lunch after fourth period on Monday. Kids were streaming past Lea, laughing, talking loudly, eager for lunch, but Deena was nowhere to be seen.
    As she watched everyone go past, Lea had to fight the feeling that they all knew. That they all knew the cruel joke that had been played on her, that they knew how foolish she had been, how gullible.
    They all know. And they’re all laughing at me.
    She avoided everyone’s eyes, staring down at her sneakers.
    Marci has spread the story all over school. I know she has.
    It had taken Lea so much effort just to return to school. She had spent all of Sunday moping aroundthe house, feeling humiliated, betrayed, mortified beyond words. When Deena had called Sunday afternoon wondering why she hadn’t heard from Lea, the whole story had burst out of Lea in a stream of anger.
    Deena had tried to be comforting. But Lea detected a tone of “I told you so” in Deena’s voice, which made Lea feel even more foolish and alone.
    And now, here she was, standing by the door to the lunchroom with the whole school marching by, everyone staring at her, everyone grinning.
    Everyone knows.
    Lea scolded herself for being paranoid, but she still avoided everyone’s glance.
    Suddenly someone bumped into her shoulder, hard. “Hey—” she cried out.
    â€œSorry. He pushed me.” A chubby guy with dark, curly hair grinned at her while pointing at a kid beside him. She recognized him from her homeroom. His name was Ricky Schorr, and he was always goofing around. He shoved his friend back, and they continued on into the lunchroom, carrying on like little kids.
    Everyone here is so immature, Lea thought glumly.
    Except for me. I’m not mature enough to be immature.
    She was about to give up on Deena when a voice interrupted her thoughts. “Hi, Lea.”
    Lea swung around to see Don standing next to her, guilt written across his face. “Hi,” she said coldly, forcing herself not to act surprised to see him there, forcing herself not to reveal any emotion at all.
    â€œI—I don’t know what to say,” Don muttered,staring into her eyes. He had his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets. He rocked uncomfortably back and forth on his sneakers.
    Lea didn’t reply.
    He continued to stare into her eyes. “I just want to—you know, apologize.”
    Lea glanced down the long hall, which had emptied out except for a few stragglers. She didn’t say anything.
    â€œI wanted to call you, to let you know,” Don said, removing one hand from a pocket to rub the back of his neck. “Marci—well, she’s sort of jealous. I mean—”
    He stopped,