What Holly Heard Read Free Page A

pick you up at eight.”
    â€œJed—”
    â€œEight,”
Jed repeated gruffly, throwing open the locker room door.
    Then he was gone, leaving Miriam to stare at the empty hall.
    â€œWhat’s his problem?” Holly asked as they drove toward Fear Street.
    Miriam pressed her forehead against the passenger window. “I don’t know. Sometimes he’s so nice, and other times it’s like I don’t even know him.”
    â€œAre you still going to the party?”
    â€œI think so,” Miriam replied. “He said he’d pick me up at eight. But first he totally forgot about it.”
    â€œWhat was he putting in his gym bag?” Holly asked casually.
    â€œI don’t know.” Miriam turned to her friend suspiciously. “Why?”
    Holly shrugged. “He just looked nervous when you called his name.”
    â€œWho knows?” Miriam let out a sigh and slumped into her seat. “The way he’s acting, anything’s possible.” Miriam sat up straight and glared at her best friend. She knew Holly never asked casual questions.
    Holly cocked an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?”
    â€œYou know something.”
    â€œNo, I don’t.”
    â€œYou
think
you do.”
    â€œI swear, Miriam, I don’t know a thing,” Holly replied firmly. “But … I might be able to find out.”
    â€œHow?” Miriam pressed.
    Holly laughed. “You forget who you’re talking to. I can find out anything. About
anybody.”
    Miriam smiled. “I apologize, Your Highness. The Gossip Queen knows all.”
    â€œI try.” Holly grinned. “And for my best friend, I’d try even harder.”
    Miriam felt better, but she didn’t think Jed would like this plan very much. “Please don’t spy on him, Holly.”
    â€œOf course not!” Holly replied. “I’ll just talk to some people. Find out what’s what.”
    â€œI don’t know …”
    â€œThat’s the problem, Miriam!” Holly exclaimed. “You
don’t
know.”
    Miriam didn’t want Holly talking about Jed behind his back. But Jed won’t tell me anything, she thought. What could possibly be bad enough to hide from the girl he loves? This was one of those times Miriam hated gossip, but it was also a time when she simply
had to know.
    â€œDo me a favor, Holly?”
    â€œAnything.”
    â€œDon’t be obvious about it?”
    Holly gave a sly smile. “I promise.”
    She already knows something about Jed, Miriam realized. Something bad.
    But what?
    What did Holly know?

chapter 3

    J ust after eight that night, Miriam sat in the passenger seat of Jed’s Honda Civic. They drove toward Mei’s house in North Hills with Ruth and Patrick sitting quietly in the backseat.
    â€œIf you’re not up to this, Jed, we can always drop Ruth and Patrick off and just go to a coffee shop,” Miriam whispered. “Have a burger by ourselves? You know—and talk?”
    Miriam waited, holding her breath. She was hoping that Jed might say something to help her understand what was bothering him.
    He shrugged. “I’m okay.” He looked at her and smiled, and Miriam felt a rush of relief.
    â€œSorry I was so out of it this afternoon,” Jed continued. “It’s the playoffs and everything. I’m reallystressed. If I don’t get a basketball scholarship, it means no college at all. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to explode.”
    His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. “Some of the college scouts will be at the game tomorrow. I can’t mess up.”
    Miriam reached over and stroked his freshly showered hair. It felt smooth and moist. “You’re going to be great, Jed. The Tigers are going to kill them.”
    â€œThanks, Mir.” He grasped her hand and brought it to his mouth. His lips were soft and warm and