Pretty Little Devils Part 27

"Got some sugar for Monkey Boy?" Brandon asked. He stood behind Ellen and threw his arms around her.

Hazel noted Ellen's expression. It was pure bliss. I guess she really doesn't care about his past with Sylvia, Hazel thought.

Megan and Carolyn snickered, as if Ellen's happiness were somehow uncool.

Mercifully, Ellen didn't notice. She pushed back her chair. "That pudding looks good," she said, pointing to Megan's bowl. "Come on, Monkey Boy. Let's get some."

"You can have some of mine," Megan offered, lifting the bowl off the table.

"No, it's okay." Ellen giggled. Brandon grabbed her around the waist. He tucked her under his arm and hooted like a baboon. "We'll get our own."

Brandon carried Ellen away to the serving area.

Sylvia regarded them coldly. She gave Josh's hand a pat. "I'm so glad my boyfriend has cla.s.s."

"Hey," Josh joked. "I could be up for a little walk on the wild side."

Sylvia smiled seductively. "Patience, Josh." She planted a long, pa.s.sionate kiss on his lips. "Now go away. We have business to discuss."

"Okay," Josh said, giving Sylvia another kiss. "Au revoir."

He took off.

Sylvia glanced toward the cafeteria line. Hazel followed her gaze.

Ellen and Brandon were fooling around near the fruit bowl-Ellen pretending to offer her Monkey Boy a banana.

Even Hazel couldn't help but smile a bit at the sight.

Sylvia leaned in closer. "So, Haze. Now that everything has calmed down for a while, we've decided to do one last prank."

"The four of us," Carolyn clarified. "Because it's so good-"

"And because it's symbolic," Megan cut in.

Sylvia nodded. "One last prank says we refuse to let everything that's happened this year get the better of us. We are still strong. We are still the PLDs."

"And," Carolyn added, "it is really, really good."

"It's going to be our grand finale, and then we're done," Sylvia concluded.

"You think that's a good idea?" Hazel asked. "I mean, doesn't it still seem wrong?"

"Here comes Ellen," Sylvia said, ignoring Hazel. "Tonight we'll finalize the plan." She smiled as Ellen returned to the table, carrying her pudding and grinning naively.

PERSONALBLOG.

HAPPY2BME.

THEY THINK THEY'RE SAFE! THAT MATTY'S GONE, SO IT'S ALL GOOD. THEY THINK THEY CAN KEEP THEIR SECRETS. THEY ARE SO WRONG. I'M STILL HERE. AND I KNOW EVERYTHING. ALL I NEED IS THE PERFECT MOMENT TO POUNCE.

YOU HAVE ENTERED.

The Superprank x.x.x PLD Chat room THIS IS A PRIVATE CHAT ROOM FOR INVITED MEMBERS ONLY.

Members in chat room: PLDSLY.

PLDMEG.

PLDCARO.

PLDHAZE.

PLDSLY: OK, let's talk about the big prank. Meg?

PLDMEG: KK, here it is. On the 27th, a Sat., Charlie Pollins is going to movies w/friends 4 a bday party. Mr. P. is working late, needs someone to watch Charlie after he's dropped off. While he's at movies, we get Ellen over early, tell her to meet Charlie there to sit after movie.

PLDSLY: We get there ahead of her. We put Monkey Boy doll in study. Hide out. Turn off all the power.

PLDMEG: Then we prank-call. Tell her to go to the study.

PLDSLY: There is Monkey Boy, in the chair! She sees shadow, freaks. Thinks-intruder! We turn on lights, just the dumb monkey.

PLDHAZE: Scare her bad? I don't like.

PLDMEG: No! We don't let it go on too long. If she gets scared, we stop!

PLDCARO: It works only cuz of Monkey Boy.

PLDMEG: Exactement! It'll be cool. Wait & C!

YRSECRETPAL2BRANDOG: Hi, Brandon! Im at Charlies 2nite. Rendezvous @7:15 PM! Park far. Come in thru study. Wait 4 me.

BRANDOG: El? Hey! Sounds good. Ill B there. Hasta!

Hazel's phone vibrated at a little after seven. She was in Charlie's room, messing with his Game Boy, and the jiggling against her hip startled her.

"Okay," Megan murmured in her ear. "The prank is ready to go. Monkey Boy is in the chair."

"Okay," Hazel whispered back. Ellen wasn't there yet, and it was probably all right if they spoke in normal tones of voice. Still, the whispering added to the stealthy vibe of the last and greatest PLD prank.

Ellen was due at seven-thirty, and Carolyn was on duty in the front room. Her job was to watch out the window and call Megan when Ellen was at the door.

"I want to come see," Hazel said.

"No! Stay where you are," Megan insisted. "No unnecessary movement. She might show early. You can see afterward."

"Carolyn will let us know when she's here, right?" Hazel asked.

"Yes," Megan replied. "And remember, we don't want there to be any shadows on the curtains. So when I say go, get in Charlie's closet."

"I don't really get why I have to be inside-"

"In case she doesn't go to the study right away. What if she checks Charlie's room? She's not supposed to know we're here, Haze."

Well, duh. Hazel felt minorly insulted. "But we're not going to draw this out, right? Because it wasn't very funny in the locker room-"

"Haze, chill. It's our last prank. El will be cool with it. She's got a backbone. You've just never seen it."

"Okay." Hazel still wasn't convinced.

"Sylvia's in the hall closet closest to the study," Megan said. "She's got the cordless from the kitchen. When the phone rings, you grab the portable in Charlie's room so you can listen in."

Hazel had the extension on her lap.

"I'm going to be in the bas.e.m.e.nt so I can turn off the power right after she gets here," Megan reminded her. "So actually, you might as well get into the closet now. Don't forget your flashlight."

What if I'm the one being pranked? Hazel thought.

Hazel had been secretly worried about that ever since the plan was set.

She wouldn't put it past the PLDs to concoct some elaborate hoax-to throw her off balance just to scare the heck out of her.

Maybe they wanted her to hide in the closet so they could turn off the lights and ditch her? Or maybe someone was already hiding in the closet, waiting for her?

"Hazel?" Megan said. "Are you in the closet?"

Hazel hesitated. She picked up her flashlight from Charlie's dresser. Then she walked to the closet and peered inside. No one there. She rummaged among Charlie's things to see if she could find a speaker or a voice chip, some other kind of electronic special effect set up to spook her. Still nothing.

"Hazel?" Megan repeated.

"Yes," she said quickly, before Megan could ask again. "I'm in here." She switched the portable to her other hand.

"Okay, I'm getting off my cell now so Carolyn can call me when she sees Ellen. I might be able to warn you with a vibrate-only call, but don't answer it again. And remember, when the portable rings, wait for Ellen to answer the phone and then connect."

"I'm good to go," Hazel a.s.sured her. She pulled the closet door partway shut and braced herself for the power to go out. She considered sitting cross-legged on the floor. Then her cell vibrated.

She took a breath; Ellen had arrived.

The prank was on.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

The front door opened. Hazel could hear the jangle of keys and the rustle of Ellen taking off her coat. She had been told that Charlie would be dropped off a little after she arrived, so the empty house made sense.

Hazel listened hard, trying to keep track of Ellen's movements. Then the landline let out a shrill, startling ring. Hazel jumped, dropping it. It smacked her foot.

She grimaced, bending down to squeeze her toes.

Then the light in the closet went out. Megan had turned the power off.

Hazel felt around on the floor, trying to figure out where she'd dropped the portable. She found the phone and picked it up. The prank call was in progress.

"...have them tied up," a very hoa.r.s.e voice whispered. "Call the cops and they're dead."

"Who...what...?" That was Ellen. She sounded terrified.

"I'm the same guy who killed that s.l.u.t." Hazel knew it was Megan, but all the same, her voice was chilling.

This wasn't what we agreed to, Hazel thought. It wasn't going to be Breona's killer inside the house. Just an intruder.

"Now I'm gonna kill the little boy."

"I'm calling the police," Ellen said. "Right now."

"Call and he's dead. I'll be out of here before they come. I'll leave the way I came. No will see me. And you'll be dead too."

"Oh G.o.d, oh my G.o.d..." Ellen trailed off.

G.o.d, Megan, be more obvious, Hazel thought.

There was a m.u.f.fled sound. It was Sylvia in the hall closet; Hazel figured the noise would draw Ellen toward the study instead of the kitchen.

It worked. Hazel heard Ellen in the hallway and on the phone as well, a strange combination of natural voice and metallic, like a poorly mixed sound track.

"Don't you hurt him!" Ellen's voice was high-pitched, shrill. There was a loud banging, more shouting, only it was a different voice.

"Hey!" It was a guy's voice, familiar. Who was that?

Hazel's first instinct had been right: this was a bad prank. It wasn't funny. She was putting a stop to it-right now.

She shouted into the phone, "Ellen? Ellen, wait!"