A Willing Murder (Medlar Mystery 1)

“I made one. It’s silk and strapless. I hand-sewed tiny silver sequins in a kind of sunburst on the skirt and bodice. It took me weeks.” She sniffed. “But my mom made me buy a dress. Pink with tulle over the skirt. She wants me to wear it so I don’t stand out.”

“Screw your mother,” Cheryl said. “Sorry. I envy your fashion sense. The dance is Saturday night, so bring the gown and shoes to my house about three that afternoon and I’ll fix your face and dress you.”

Elaine was still smarting from Cheryl’s earlier comment. “You’re going to perform surgery?”

Cheryl leaned forward so they were nose to nose. “Do you really not know? You have one of those faces that with the right makeup can be anything. And your skin is beautiful! Gena Upton, with her big eyes and thin lips, won’t age well. But you... I can make you look like a model.”

Elaine’s jaw seemed to drop lower with each word she heard.

Cheryl leaned back, frowning. “I just realized that this could be bad. If you show up looking great, Gena will probably pull a Cinderella and tear you apart. You’ll be left in your underwear with bloody claw marks on your face. And your ego will be destroyed.”

“I don’t...” Elaine whispered. “I’m not sure...”

Cheryl stood up. “Leave this to me. I’ll take Gena out of this. At least for one night.” She held out her hand. “I’ve been on the receiving end of that girl’s venom too many times. Come on, get up and wash your face. Tell people your allergies made your eyes red. Don’t talk to Dane today and please, please stop looking at Jim Pendal as though he’s an angel come to earth.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

“Not my taste, but he’s a nice guy.” A bell rang. Classes were over and the restroom would soon be full of girls. When the door opened, Cheryl said, “Act like you don’t know me. I won’t do your reputation any good.”

Elaine started to protest that, but Cheryl quickly left. For the rest of the day, Elaine did exactly as Cheryl had told her. She tried to keep her mind on what the teacher was saying, but really! Who cared about some whale defending itself against men with spears?

She did all she could to keep her eyes off Jim Pendal. In Spanish class, he sat three seats ahead of her and to her left. She’d arranged that so she could pretend to look at the chalkboard, but she really just stared at the back of Jim’s head.

At the end of school, she was beginning to lose hope. Nothing seemed to have changed. No one had said a word to her about the Spring Fling. Was it on or off?

As she got her books out of her locker, deciding what to take home and what to leave, she could feel her anxiety going from hope to depression. It was like she was standing at the top of a forty-foot-long children’s slide and she was about to start the descent that would leave her at the bottom. Forever.

“Hi,” said a male voice behind her.

Elaine turned so quickly she almost hit him with a book. It was him. Jim Pendal.

The most gorgeous, talented, smartest—et cetera—human on the planet. She couldn’t speak.

“I want to apologize for my friend Dane. He said you helped him out with his science because you want to go out with him.” Jim gave a small laugh at the vanity of that statement. “Is it him or the dance you want?”

“Dance.” Her voice was weak. He smelled so good that she had to put her hand on her locker to keep from falling to the floor.

“I thought so. I like to dance, too. You mind if it’s a double date?”

She managed to shake her head.

“Good. We’ll pick you up at six on Saturday night. You live on Pine Grove, right? House with the red door?”

Again, all she could do was nod. He knew where she lived! He knew where she lived!

He stepped away but then turned back. “I think you should know that my girlfriend, Gena, is the one who arranged all this. Dane wanted to take Theresa Lambert but Gena said she liked you better.”

“Thank...” Elaine cleared her throat. “Thank you. And her.”

“You can tell her on Saturday. Oh! What color is your dress? For the flowers?”

“Blue.”

He smiled at her. “Like your eyes.”

Some guy yelled, “Hey, Pendal,” and Jim caught a ball and ran down the corridor. As always, the students parted to let the sports gods pass.

On Friday, Elaine was so nervous she couldn’t think. In each of her classes, she was the student the teachers could count on for an answer to any question. But this day, she just sat there.