Read Online First Date by R.L. Stine, Sammy Yuen Jr. - Free Book Online

“Not funny. Where have you been looking?”
    â€œWell, I had an interview at the mill,” he said. “I think it went pretty well.”
    â€œThe mill has been closed for years,” Chelsea blurted out. “My friend Nina drove me up to see it.”
    â€œOh. Then I guess the interview
didn’t
go very well,” he cracked and snickered at his own joke.
    She had caught him in a lie.
    Maybe, she thought, everything he says is a lie.
    What is he trying to hide?
    Suddenly he reached across the table again and touched her hand. “Hey—you busy Saturday night?” he asked. “Let’s go do something wild.”
    I can’t go out with him, Chelsea thought, realizing that her heart was pounding in her chest. I don’t know anything about him.
    And I don’t trust him.
    She suddenly remembered Will.
    â€œI already have a date for Saturday night,” she said.
    Sparks stared at her as if trying to decide if she was telling the truth. “Too bad,” he said finally, jumping to his feet.
    Chelsea looked up at him. His features were tight with anger.
    He reached into his jeans pocket, then tossed two rolled-up dollar bills onto the table in front of her.
    His face was red. His eyes were narrowed, his lips drawn tight.
    â€œSee you,” he said coldly.
    â€œYeah. Okay,” Chelsea replied in a tiny voice she barely recognized.
    He grabbed his jacket with an angry jerk, then turned and stomped toward the entrance. He pushed open the door and stepped out into the rain, still carrying his jacket.
    â€œWow,” Chelsea said out loud, not moving from the booth.
    What a scary guy, she thought.
    Like a bomb ready to explode.

chapter 10
 
    â€œW here are we going?” Chelsea asked.
    â€œTo the movies,” Will replied quickly, his eyes straight ahead, both hands on top of the steering wheel.
    â€œBut the mall is that way,” Chelsea told him, pointing, “on Division Street.”
    â€œI know,” he said softly. He pushed down on the gas pedal, and the old Pontiac responded with a roar. “The same film is playing in Waynesbridge. I saw it in the paper.”
    Chelsea stared out the car window, hiding her disappointment. This was her first date, after all. She wanted to go to the sixplex at the mall where all the Shadyside High kids hung out, where everyone would see her with Will.
    Why was he taking her to the movies in the next town?
    She stared out at the houses passing in the darkness. The radio was turned to an oldies station, and a Beach Boys song filled the car.
    The rain had finally stopped that afternoon. It was a clear, cool Saturday night; the grass and trees, even the street, were sparkling from the recent rain.
    Even in the dark everything seems much cleaner, much brighter, Chelsea thought. Was it because of the rain? Or because she was out on her first date?
    Suddenly she realized why Will was taking her to Waynesbridge.
    It was their first
secret
date. He was keeping it their secret.
    Their private, romantic secret.
    She turned and smiled at him, watching his serious expression as he drove, feeling better, feeling nervous and happy at the same time.
    â€œThis is a great car,” she said, running her hand on the vinyl seat. “How old is it?”
    â€œI’m not sure,” he replied. “Late seventies, I guess.”
    â€œDid your family buy it when it was new?” Chelsea asked.
    â€œYeah … uh-huh. It’s the only car I’ve ever driven,” he said.
    â€œYou’d better put on the defroster, don’t youthink?” Chelsea asked. “The windshield is getting all steamy.”
    He slowed to let a car pass, then reached his right hand to the dashboard and fumbled around with the dials, trying to slide on the defroster. Chelsea laughed as he turned on the air conditioner instead.
    She stopped laughing when a disturbing thought flashed into her mind. If his family has had this car most