First Date (9 page)

Maybe it's because he's starting to feel comfortable with me, Chelsea thought.

She forced herself to calm down. The light in the car went out as she closed the car door behind her. The night grew much darker.

“Will?” For a moment she couldn't find him. Then, as her eyes adjusted, she saw him standing at the cliff edge, his hands in his jacket pockets, staring over at the town.

“Look,” he said, turning back to her and motioning for her to come stand beside him. “It doesn't look real. It's like a miniature town from up here.”

She took a few steps but hesitated several feet behind him.

“Come on over,” he called impatiently.

Chelsea took another step, then stopped. “I can't,” she told him. “I'm afraid of heights.”

For the tiniest fraction of a second, disappointment crossed his face. It quickly disappeared when he hurried back to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know,” he apologized, guiding her away from the cliff toward the woods behind the road. “We'll walk this way,” he said softly. “I like the woods at night too, don't you?”

“It's a little cold,” she said with a shiver, her
breath steaming in front of her, white against the black night. “But I like it,” she added quickly. “It's so peaceful up here. I feel as if I'm a million miles away from home.”

Their sneakers scraped against the hard dirt path that led to the woods. As they made their way under the first trees, it became even darker. There was no light now, not even moonlight.

Will slowed his pace, let Chelsea get a few steps ahead. Then he pulled the length of cord from his jacket pocket, silently untangled it, and pulled it taut between his hands with a quick
snap.

chapter 11
 

A
s Will readied the cord between his hands and hurried to catch up to Chelsea, he thought about his sister.

Chelsea was so much like Jennifer.

Or at least the way he remembered Jennifer.

You were the lucky one, Jennifer, he thought. You went with Mom.

You didn't get the drunken beatings night after night. You didn't live in a horror show you couldn't escape from.

You and Mom had it nice. You ran away and left me. You didn't tell me where you were going.

You didn't write to me. You didn't call.

You and Mom had such a good life.

And you never even thought about me.

Well, I've been thinking about
you,
Jennifer. I've been thinking about you and Mom a lot.

A lot of girls deserve to die because of you.

A lot of girls are going to die.

And then someday I'm going to find you two.

And you're both going to die.

Just as I died every night. Every night.

Just as I wished I were dead.

He opened his mouth and sucked in a cold lungful of air.

Holding his breath, he stepped up behind Chelsea and raised the length of cord, ready to lower it around her neck.

chapter 12
 

T
he twin lights startled them both.

Will had just enough time to jam the cord back into his jacket pocket as Chelsea spun around. “What's that?” she cried, her voice a whisper.

Car headlights.

Another car was pulling in beside theirs.

“The lights—they scared me,” Chelsea said, holding on to his arm. “We were so alone and—”

“It's getting too crowded up here,” he said, laughing a bit too loudly. “Let's go.” He took her hand, leading the way quickly back to the car.

His heart was pounding. When he saw die headlights, his first thought was that it was a patrol car out searching for the old Pontiac he had stolen earlier that afternoon.

But it wasn't the police. It was just two teenagers looking for a place to make out.

They had ruined his plans, ruined his night.

He'd have to take her home and then dump the car.

He'd have to kill her another night.

Be patient, he told himself, holding open the passenger door for her, forcing a warm, reassuring smile on his face.

Be patient. There will be other nights.

This girl's time will come.

Soon.

He started up the car and backed onto the road. Then he switched on the headlights, the thick woods lighting up in front of them.

Chelsea shivered, shoving her hands into her coat pockets. “That was nice,” she said dreamily, sliding down low, resting her head against the back of the seat. “It's so beautiful up here.”

“Yeah,” Will agreed, eyes straight ahead on the road.

She realized she'd never felt this happy. Even at her old school, she had been an outsider, always the lonely girl, the one who stayed home watching TV on Saturday nights while her friends went to parties and out on dates.

“Why don't you do something with your hair?” her friends would insist.

Or: “Why don't you lose a little weight?”

Or: “Why don't you wear something a little sexier, a little more daring?”

Everyone always had plenty of advice for Chelsea.

But now she didn't need their advice. Now she was out on a date with a boy who really liked her. With a boy who kissed her and took her on a romantic walk high above the river, high above the town.

Feeling so happy, feeling so comfortable, she leaned against him and whispered, “Why don't we go to my house?”

He didn't react immediately. He seemed to be lost in thought, far away somewhere.

For a moment Chelsea thought that maybe he hadn't heard her. But finally he said, “Your house?”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling at him. “There's no one there. My mom's at work and my dad's in the hospital.”

He kept his eyes on the windshield, but Chelsea could see a smile cross his face.

The smile made her feel warm all over.

He likes the idea, she thought.

He likes me.

I'm going to be alone in the house with a boy I like.

She felt excited and nervous and happy and worried all at the same time.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, surrounding herself in silent darkness. When she opened them, she felt a little calmer.

She directed Will to her house on Fear Street.

He didn't make any comments or jokes about Fear Street, the way other Shadyside kids did when she told them where she lived. He probably doesn't know about this street, she thought. He's too new in town. He hasn't heard about any of the terrifying things that supposedly happened here.

Chelsea practically leapt out of the car. She
loved
Fear Street! It was the happiest street she had ever lived on. And this was the happiest night of her life!

He followed her up the walk. The front stoop was dark. She had forgotten to turn the porch light on.

She searched in her bag for the keys but dropped them on the top step. They both bent down to retrieve them.

He grabbed them first. She hoped he didn't notice how her hand was shaking as she struggled to unlock the door.

This is crazy, she thought. I have no reason to be this nervous.

She clicked on the hall light. She tossed her coat onto the front stairway. He removed something from his jacket pocket, then tossed his coat down beside hers. Then she led the way into the dark living room.

When she reached to turn on the lamp beside the couch, his hand gently took hers and pulled it away.

Before she had a chance to take a breath, he had wrapped his arms around her and was kissing her hard, kissing her until she could barely breathe.

“Will—” she whispered, pulling her face away, her heart pounding, her head spinning.

But he didn't let go of her.

He held her, tenderly but in a firm embrace, and guided her down beside him on the couch.

He kissed her again, long and hard.

She shivered.

She closed her eyes, then opened them wide. She wanted to see him, wanted to see everything. She wanted to see it all clearly, even in the dim yellow light filtering in from the hallway, wanted to see it so she'd remember it. Remember it for always and always.

She shivered again.

And realized she was cold. Still cold from their walk. Still cold from the drive back.

How can I be thinking about how I'm cold? she scolded herself.

How can I be thinking about anything at all?

He kissed her again, kissed her until they were both breathless.

The light from the hall seemed to shimmer. The whole room seemed to tilt and whirl, as if they were flying, flying on a magic carpet, high over the ground, looking down on the shifting, whirling, spinning darkness below.

Chelsea drew away, trying to catch her breath. As she closed her eyes and rested the back of her head comfortably against his shoulder, Will removed the length of cord from the back pocket of his jeans.

Silently he fingered it and prepared to strangle her.

chapter 13
 

C
helsea jumped to her feet.

Will let the cord drop to the couch.

“I'm so chilled,” Chelsea said, wrapping her arms around herself, rubbing the sleeves of her sweater. “How about some hot chocolate?”

She was surprised by the disappointed expression on Will's face. His cheeks were two bright red circles. “Huh?”

“Hot chocolate,” she repeated. “I'm going in the kitchen to make some. Okay?”

Why did he seem so distracted? Was it just his shyness?

Was he as excited as she was? After all, he had admitted that this was his first date too.

“Yeah. Great,” he said, his expression brightening. “I'll help.”

“No need,” Chelsea said, starting across the dark room toward the lighted hallway. “But you can keep me company.”

“Where's the bathroom?” he asked suddenly, standing up.

Chelsea pointed it out and hurried to the kitchen. She clicked on the light, filled the teakettle, and turned on the burner. She put two coffee mugs down on the counter. Then she walked over to the cabinet, reached up and pulled open the door, and searched for the envelopes of powdered hot chocolate mix.

This date is going so well, she thought happily.

She glanced at the copper kitchen clock above the cabinet. Eleven-forty. She wished it weren't so late. She wanted the night to go on and on.

She was still searching the cabinet, pushing aside slender boxes of spaghetti, when Will crept up behind her. He held the cord between his hands, leaving it slack enough to slip over her head. Once it was in place around her neck, he would pull it tight, as tight as he could, and wait for her to suffocate.

It wouldn't take long.

It was really quite easy.

Of course, it would have been easier if she had let him push her over the cliff.

He had been ready to push her up on River Ridge. One shove. So quick, so clean.

But she had decided not to cooperate.

Some things are worth doing the hard way, he decided, slipping silently behind Chelsea.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right.