over and moaned. Andrea was startled at first, but then grabbed hold of his arm to try to hold him up, which was almost ridiculous. Josh was twice her size. If he went down, he would certainly bring her down with him.
“Jesus, Josh,” Andrea said, her eyes wide with alarm. “What’s wrong with you?”
“My stomach is killing me,” Josh complained once he had caught his breath.
“The nurse is probably still here,” Andrea said nervously. “Maybe she should take a look at you.”
“Ugh, do you want me to throw up?” Josh asked. “If I have to look at Nurse Wagner’s hairy mole, I’m definitely going to puke. Besides, it was probably just that mystery meat in the hamburgers we had for lunch today.”
He could tell that Andrea wanted to argue with him. After all, she knew very well that he hadn’t even touched his lunch. Josh didn’t give her the opportunity. He looped arms with her and led her to the parking lot where they climbed into his father’s silver Mercedes. Josh was quiet on the ride home, trying to focus on the road instead of his various ailments. When they pulled into the driveway, Andrea checked his forehead one last time. Josh scoffed at her ceaseless fussing.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she asked.
“I live with the two best doctors in town. My dad is the chief of staff at the hospital,” Josh told her. He didn’t remind her that his parents were always at that hospital and never home. “I think I’ll survive.”
“If you don’t feel better, do you promise to tell them?”
“I swear it on my camera.”
“Well, that’s a promise I know you’ll keep,” Andrea said, and looked a little relieved as she climbed out of the car. “Try to get some rest before your big date, okay? You won’t impress Rosa too much if you throw up in her lap.”
“Don’t jinx me!”
Andrea waved goodbye as she jogged up to her doorstep. Josh moved a little slower down his own walkway. On the way, he stopped at the mailbox and pulled out a large stack of bills and circulars. He flipped through it absently and was surprised to find an envelope addressed to him. In an age of emails and text messages, Josh had never received a letter from anyone, except his grandmother and a few of his other older relatives. The handwriting was nowhere near as neat as his grandmother’s calligraphy style script. The writing was scratched in bright red ink and was almost illegible. There was no return address in the left hand corner, but he noticed the postmark was local.
Curious, Josh ripped open the top of the envelope, and pulled out a small piece of lined paper. The edges were frayed, as though it had been carelessly torn from a wire rimmed notebook. He unfolded it slowly, and read over the few scrawled lines. His heart beat faster with every word.
“Joshua Hanover was a playing man.
To break innocent hearts was his plan.
He kissed the girls and made them cry
Now it’s time for Josh to die.”
The first time he read it, he was too shocked to comprehend it. He found he was having a little trouble breathing as he read it again. It was only after the third time that the words started to sink in. Normally, he wouldn’t have thought anything of it. He would have assumed it was a joke. Just one of the girls trying to get back at him. Or Kevin and Jim busting his stones.
It was the scrawled line underneath the silly poem that really sent his heart racing. Those four words made him believe whoever had sent the note was already trying to make good on their promise. The words were simple and innocent, but to Josh they held an ominous meaning. Especially when they were coupled with the agonizing stab of pain that forced him to double over for the second time that day.
“HOW’S YOUR TUMMY, JOSH?”
Chapter 8
“So, how do you think you did on the chemistry test?” Rosa asked.
They had just walked through the automatic doors of the Williamstown mall. It was a large building with two
“Jesus, Josh,” Andrea said, her eyes wide with alarm. “What’s wrong with you?”
“My stomach is killing me,” Josh complained once he had caught his breath.
“The nurse is probably still here,” Andrea said nervously. “Maybe she should take a look at you.”
“Ugh, do you want me to throw up?” Josh asked. “If I have to look at Nurse Wagner’s hairy mole, I’m definitely going to puke. Besides, it was probably just that mystery meat in the hamburgers we had for lunch today.”
He could tell that Andrea wanted to argue with him. After all, she knew very well that he hadn’t even touched his lunch. Josh didn’t give her the opportunity. He looped arms with her and led her to the parking lot where they climbed into his father’s silver Mercedes. Josh was quiet on the ride home, trying to focus on the road instead of his various ailments. When they pulled into the driveway, Andrea checked his forehead one last time. Josh scoffed at her ceaseless fussing.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she asked.
“I live with the two best doctors in town. My dad is the chief of staff at the hospital,” Josh told her. He didn’t remind her that his parents were always at that hospital and never home. “I think I’ll survive.”
“If you don’t feel better, do you promise to tell them?”
“I swear it on my camera.”
“Well, that’s a promise I know you’ll keep,” Andrea said, and looked a little relieved as she climbed out of the car. “Try to get some rest before your big date, okay? You won’t impress Rosa too much if you throw up in her lap.”
“Don’t jinx me!”
Andrea waved goodbye as she jogged up to her doorstep. Josh moved a little slower down his own walkway. On the way, he stopped at the mailbox and pulled out a large stack of bills and circulars. He flipped through it absently and was surprised to find an envelope addressed to him. In an age of emails and text messages, Josh had never received a letter from anyone, except his grandmother and a few of his other older relatives. The handwriting was nowhere near as neat as his grandmother’s calligraphy style script. The writing was scratched in bright red ink and was almost illegible. There was no return address in the left hand corner, but he noticed the postmark was local.
Curious, Josh ripped open the top of the envelope, and pulled out a small piece of lined paper. The edges were frayed, as though it had been carelessly torn from a wire rimmed notebook. He unfolded it slowly, and read over the few scrawled lines. His heart beat faster with every word.
“Joshua Hanover was a playing man.
To break innocent hearts was his plan.
He kissed the girls and made them cry
Now it’s time for Josh to die.”
The first time he read it, he was too shocked to comprehend it. He found he was having a little trouble breathing as he read it again. It was only after the third time that the words started to sink in. Normally, he wouldn’t have thought anything of it. He would have assumed it was a joke. Just one of the girls trying to get back at him. Or Kevin and Jim busting his stones.
It was the scrawled line underneath the silly poem that really sent his heart racing. Those four words made him believe whoever had sent the note was already trying to make good on their promise. The words were simple and innocent, but to Josh they held an ominous meaning. Especially when they were coupled with the agonizing stab of pain that forced him to double over for the second time that day.
“HOW’S YOUR TUMMY, JOSH?”
Chapter 8
“So, how do you think you did on the chemistry test?” Rosa asked.
They had just walked through the automatic doors of the Williamstown mall. It was a large building with two
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