R.L Stine - The New Girl

Are You Sure You Want to Turn down FEAR STREET?

The most horrifying things seem to happen to those who live on Fear Street.

The town of Shadyside is nice enough. And the students at Shadyside High seem to be an average group of kids.

So why does everyone tell such stories about Fear Street ?

About unspeakable terrors, troubled cries in the night, twisted nightmares

About people who venture into the Fear Street woods and are never seen again

About strange cries late at night from the old Simon Fear mansiona house thats been deserted for fifty years

About lost teenagers, mysterious fires, brutal crimes, unsolved mysteries

About normal peoplepeople just like youwho turn down Fear Street and are never quite normal again!

Go ahead. Take a walk down Fear Street. Those stories couldnt be true. No way. There couldnt be that much terror awaiting you on one narrow, old streetcould there?

Dont miss these chilling tales from

FEAR STREET

All-Night Party

The Confession

First Date

Halloween Party

Killers Kiss

The New Girl

The Perfect Date

The Rich Girl

Secret Admirer

The Stepsister

Switched

After hours, the horror continues at

F EAR S TREET N IGHTS

#1: Moonlight Secrets

#2: Midnight Games

#3: Darkest Dawn

A Parachute Press book

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 1989 by Parachute Press, L.L.C.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

FEAR STREET is a registered trademark of Parachute Press, Inc.

Designed by Sammy Yuen Jr.

The text of this book was set in Times.

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Simon Pulse edition August 2006

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Library of Congress Control Number 2005933856

ISBN-l3: 978-1-4169-1810-3

ISBN-10: 1-4169-1810-8
eISBN: 978-1-439-11605-0

prologue

Bye, Anna.

Good-bye.

Look at her down there, all crumpled. Her dress all crumpled.

She wouldnt like that. She was always so neat.

She wouldnt like the blood, so dark and messy.

You were always so perfect, Anna. You were always so bright and shiny, as if you were sparkly new every day.

My Diamond, Mom always said.

And who was I, then?

Who was I while you were Little Miss Perfect?

Well, youre perfect now. Youre perfectly dead, ha ha.

I shouldnt laugh. But it was so easy.

I never dreamed it would be so easy. Oh, I dreamed about it a lot. I dreamed it and wished it, and, oh, did I feel guilty.

But I never knew it would be easy.

One push.

One push, and down you go.

Look at you down there, all crumpled. So perfectly crumpled.

And now the front door is opening. They are returning. And I am starting to cry.

It is a horrible tragedy, after all.

A horrible tragic accident.

I must cry for you now. And I must run and tell them.

Annas dead, Mom! Come quickly! Its all too horriblebut Annas dead!

When Cory Brooks saw the new girl for the first time, he was standing on his head in the lunchroom.

Actually, he was standing on his head and one hand while balancing a full lunch tray in his free hand, his black Converse high-tops reaching straight up to where his head would normally be.

A few seconds earlier David Metcalf, Corys best friend and fellow daredevil from the Shadyside High gymnastics team, had suggested that Cory couldnt perform this feat.

Thats too easy, man, Cory had said, shaking his head. Cory never passed up an opportunity to prove David wrong. He hesitated for only a second, running his hand back through his curly black hair and looking across the large, crowded room to make sure no teachers were watching. Then he flipped over in mid-air, landed, and balanced on his head and hand, without even tilting the loaded tray.

And now David was applauding and whistling his approval from a nearby table, along with several other laughing, cheering spectators. Now do it no hands! David called.

Yeah, do it! Arnie Tobin, another gymnastics team pal, urged.

Do it with no head! another joker yelled. Everyone laughed.

Cory, meanwhile, was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. The blood was rushing to his head. He felt a little dizzy, and the top of his head began to ache from pressing against the hard tile floor.

I dare you to eat your lunch like that! David called, always challenging Cory on to greater glories.

Whats for dessert? Upside-down cake? a girl yelled from near the windows. Several kids groaned and hissed their disapproval of this bad joke.

Corylookin good! someone shouted.

What is going on? called an alarmed voice, the voice of a teacher.

The jokes, the loud voices, the cheers and laughter all seemed to fade when the new girl floated into Corys view. She was so pale, so blond, so light, so beautiful, at first he thought he was imagining her. All the blood rushing to his head must be causing him to see things!

She was walking against the far wall, heading quickly to the double doorways. Cory caught only a glimpse of her, upside down. She stopped to stare at him. He saw pale blue eyes. His eyes connected with hers. Did she know he was staring back at her? Was she smiling or frowning? It was impossible to tell from his position. Then she shook her blond head, as if purposefully breaking the connection, and vanished from his view.

Those eyes.

Who is she? Cory thought. Shes incredible!

Thinking about the new girl, he forgot to concentrate on the delicate balance that was keeping him upright. The tray fell first. Then Cory fell, his face sliding messily into his food, his chest hitting the floor hard, his long legs sprawling behind him.

The room erupted in laughter and sarcastic applause.

Do it again! Arnie Tobins voice boomed. Arnie could out shout any crowd.

David hurried over to help Cory up. Any more bright ideas? Cory groaned, pulling spaghetti and tomato sauce out of his hair.

Next time just get a sandwich, David said, laughing. He had carrot-colored hair, and freckles almost as orange, and he had a whooping, high-pitched laugh that could make dogs perk up their ears for miles around.