"Brush my hair?" Rachel asked as if she had never made the request before.

"Okay," Erica told her. "Let's just put down this mail and then we'll go back up to your room."

"I don't believe Josie," Luke muttered angrily.

His voice startled Erica. She had nearly forgotten he was still there.

He stepped toward her from the shadows of the dim hallway, and she was startled by the bitter expression that twisted his normally placid features.

"I don't believe her," he repeated, his eyes wide with anger behind his silver-rimmed glasses. "She should help out."

"I know," Erica said, dropping the mail onto a table in the den, then taking Rachel by the hand.

"She should do her share," Luke continued. "She was responsible, after all, for Rachel's accident."

Erica stopped short. She was shocked by Luke's words. She had never heard him talk like this. So angry. So frighteningly angry.

Just then a burst of laughter escaped from Rachel. She pointed at Luke. "You look funny," she told him.

Luke forced a weak smile, but Erica could see that he was still seething.

"Funny," Rachel said, laughing.

Luke forced himself to laugh too, but when he started to laugh, Rachel stopped.

Taking Rachel by the hand, Erica began to lead her to the stairway. Luke followed close behind. In a glance, Erica saw that his bitter expression had returned.

"Why do you say it was Josie's fault?" Erica asked.

"You know," he snapped. "The saddle. Josie fastened Rachel's saddle. She could've killed Rachel. She nearly did. And now Josie doesn't care at all."

They climbed the stairs in silence, Erica too shocked by Luke's words to respond to them.

I had no idea he resented Josie so much, she thought, as she led Rachel to her bedroom. No idea.

No idea that he carries around so much anger.

Of course, he did lose his girlfriend because of the accident. He did lose Rachel.

And he blames Josie for it.

So why does he still come around all the time? Why hasn't he found a new girlfriend? Why does he spend so much time visiting Rachel? Erica wondered.

Sometimes Rachel seems glad to see him, Erica observed. But most of the time she doesn't even remember who he is.

Erica led the way into Rachel's dark bedroom and clicked on the bedside lamp. Rachel took her usual place, sitting on the edge of her double bed, her pale hands pressed against the dark green bedspread. She closed her eyes and waited patiently for Erica to begin brushing out her long, straight hair.

Luke sat down at the chair by Rachel's desk, folding his slender arms over his chest.

Why does he come? Erica asked herself, picking up the hairbrush. If he's so bitter and angry, why does he come?

Then, glancing across the room at Luke, Erica had a chilling thought. He's here for revenge against Josie. Luke is the one who sent the valentine.

Chapter 4.

SURPRISE IN THE SNOW.

"Is it ever going to stop snowing?" Josie asked herself.

It was Wednesday afternoon. The snow had come down all day, a blizzard of large white flakes adding to the white piles already on the ground.

Josie hitched her backpack up on the shoulder of her blue down jacket and stepped out of the school building. The sky was charcoal gray even though it was only three o'clock. Heavy gray clouds hovered menacingly low.

The front walk hadn't been shoveled, and Josie's boots sank deep into the fresh snow as she made her way toward Park Drive. Swirling wind sent powdery snow flying around her as she walked.

She swung her maroon wool scarf around her neck and pulled it up over her chin. The big trees near the street shook in the breeze, sending down a silent shower of fresh snow.

"Hey, Josie! Wait!"

Recognizing her sister's voice, Josie turned back toward the school.

She watched Erica trying to run, stumbling over the slippery walk, her coat unfastened and flapping out behind her.

She looks like a big clumsy bird trying to take off, Josie thought cruelly. Erica isn't as pretty as Rachel and me, Josie realized, with a bit of sympathy. Her face is too round. Her hair is that mousy light brown. She could lose some weight too.

"Josie, where are you going?" Erica cried breathlessly as she caught up to her sister. Breathing hard, she wrapped her coat more tightly around her without zipping it.

"Erica, what's your problem?" Josie asked. "Why are you screaming like a lunatic? I'm going to meet Steve."

"You can't!" Erica cried. She tried to stamp the snow off her boots, but it was useless.

"Sure, I can," Josie said softly, glancing at the street where several Shadyside High kids were blocking traffic with a spontaneous snowball fight. "I'm meeting him at The Corner." She motioned with her head toward her favorite hangout, a few blocks away.

"But you can't!" Erica insisted shrilly. She started to say more, but someone behind Josie caught her attention. "Look. There's Jenkman," Erica said, lowering her voice. "Over by the side of the school. Trying to get your attention."

"Who cares?" Josie snapped.

"He's coming this way," Erica reported. "He's waving at us."

"Thrills and chills," Josie said sarcastically.

"Hi, Josie!" Jenkman called from a few yards behind her on the walk.

Josie pretended not to hear.

Jenkman came closer. "Josie, how's it going?"

She continued to ignore him.

Erica saw the hurt on Jenkman's face.

"Josie, I just want to talk!" Jenkman said, stepping up beside her.

Josie turned her back on him.

Erica saw Jenkman's face turn bright red. He uttered a loud curse and hurried past them to the street.

"Wow," Erica said, following him with her eyes. "Wow. Was he mad!"

"He's a creep. What do you want?" Josie demanded impatiently. "I'm late."

"You have to take care of Rachel this afternoon," Erica said, grabbing the sleeve of Josie's coat. "I told you this morning I have Brigadoon tryouts. You know. For the drama club."

"You'll have to try out some other time," Josie said brusquely. She started to pull away from Erica, but Erica held on.

"No way," Erica said angrily.

A gust of wind made the powdery snow swirl all around them. Josie closed her eyes and tried to slip her face down into her wool scarf.

Go away, she thought. Please. Just go away, Erica.

"You're supposed to help take care of Rachel when she gets home from her school," Erica scolded. "You know that, Josie. It's not supposed to be my full-time job."

"I know. Give me a break," Josie said, starting to walk toward the street. "I'll take care of her tomorrow. Promise."

"No. Today!" Erica insisted, following her. "I don't want to miss the tryouts. It's just not fair. This is my first year in high school. It's supposed to be such a big, exciting year for me. And instead-"

"Tomorrow," Josie told her, picking up her pace. "I can't leave Steve waiting there."

"Yes, you can," Erica told her. "You can call and leave a message for him."

"I don't want to," Josie said nastily. She began to jog across the snow.

Erica caught up to her. "I don't believe you, Josie," she cried breathlessly. "I can't believe you don't take more responsibility for Rachel. After all, it was your fault-"

Erica stopped herself.

Uttering a silent gasp, she raised her hands to her face, as if trying to hide behind them.

She realized she had gone too far.

She had no right to say that.

She could feel her face grow hot. She knew she was blushing.

She should never have said that. It had just slipped out. Slowly she lowered her hands. Josie was glaring at her.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Erica stammered. "I-I didn't mean . . ."

She waited for Josie to say something.

A loud thud startled her.

To Erica's horror, Josie let out a painful squeal. She watched Josie's eyes go wide, her mouth drop open. Then she crumbled to the snow.

Chapter 5.

ANGER.

Erica stood frozen for a long moment. The world went white, as white as the snow that surrounded her. When the colors returned, she bent to help Josie.

"I'm okay," Josie declared, raising a gloved hand. "Help me up."

Erica heard laughter from behind them. She turned to see Dave Kinley with a snowball in his hand. Melissa Davis was beside him, embarrassment clear on her face. Several other kids, spread out over the school's front lawn and into the street, were tossing snowballs at one another as fast as they could make them.

"A snowball hit me on the back of the neck," Josie told Erica, climbing to her feet. "I was so stunned, I fell." She brushed the clinging snow off her jacket and jeans with both hands.

Then Josie turned angrily to Dave. "You're not funny, Kinley!" she called angrily.

Dave gave her an exaggerated shrug, a wide grin on his face. "Sorry, Josie. My hand slipped!" He laughed at his own feeble excuse. Several other kids laughed too. Melissa turned away, avoiding Josie's stare.

Dave continued to stare back at Josie, the snowball in his hand, as if challenging her.

Josie wanted to say something, but stopped herself. She turned away angrily from Dave and tossed the end of her wool scarf around her neck.