"I agree, and there's something else you should know about Laura," said Christie. There was an ominous sound in her voice that made Jana shiver. "The four of us went up to her before school today and demanded to know what was going on between her and Randy."

  "That's right," said Katie. "We told her about what you overhead her saying to Tammy yesterday, but we didn't tell her that it was you who overheard it."

  "What did she say to that?" demanded Jana.

  "She just got a funny look on her face at first," said Christie. "The rest of The Fantastic Foursome were with her, and they tried to get her to walk away from us, but Laura looked so shocked that she just stood there and stared at us."

  "I think it really blew her away that someone had overheard her," added Beth.

  "So, what did she say?" insisted Jana.

  "Get this," said Christie. "Laura said it was a secret and for us to mind our own business. Then she flipped her braid over her shoulder the way she always does when she's acting superior and walked off with her friends."

  Jana frowned as she looked from one to the other. "You're kidding," she said slowly. "What kind of secret could she have about Randy?"

  Melanie shook her head. "I don't know, but if you ask me, it had to be Laura who sent the card. It sounds as if she's feeling guilty."

  "What about the driver? Don't forget that he's partly responsible, too," said Katie. "I mean, he had to be going pretty fast."

  "Yeah," agreed Christie. "I'll bet he was speeding."

  The others nodded.

  Jana nodded, too. "He was probably doing a zillion miles an hour above the speed limit. I'll bet that he was going too fast to stop in time to avoid hitting Randy so he just kept on going."

  "Right," said Katie. "Don't you dare blame yourself even one little bit, Jana. If it wasn't at least partly his fault, then why did he run away, and why won't he come forward now? I'd like to get my hands on him in Teen Court."

  Tears blurred Jana's eyes. "He's not going to get away with it, and neither is Laura McCall. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I have to do something," she vowed.

  "And we'll help you," Melanie assured her.

  "The accident made the ten-o'clock news on television last night," said Christie. "And today's newspaper says Randy's a hero."

  "The newspaper?" asked Jana.

  Katie nodded. "We got a copy out of the vending machine in the lobby and read the article before we came up. Here. Do you want to see it?"

  She held the paper out, and Jana grabbed it eagerly, scanning down page one until she found the article.

  Local Teens Victims of Hit-and-Run

  One local teenager remains hospitalized in critical condition today and another is in good condition after being struck in front of Bumpers Restaurant yesterday afternoon by a car that did not stop.

  Police are investigating the accident, in which they believe Randal Kirwan, 13, raced into the street and pushed Jana Morgan, 13, out of the path of a speeding car that struck him before leaving the scene. Friends and relatives praised Kirwan's actions and called him a hero. A hospital spokesman reported that he sustained both head and internal injuries and is in a coma. Morgan suffered a concussion and bumps and bruises.

  Police are urging anyone with information on the driver or the car involved in the accident to come forward.

  "You see," said Beth. "It says right there that he was a hero. Doesn't that make you feel proud?"

  Jana nodded, thinking to herself that the newspaper also said that Randy was in a coma. Somehow the word "coma" sounded so much worse than "unconscious" or "not awake yet." Even Randy's parents hadn't used that word. People stayed in comas for ages sometimes, and sometimes they didn't wake up at all.

  "All everybody talked about at school today is the accident," said Beth, interrupting Jana's thoughts. "So many kids were at Bumpers when it happened and heard the tires screech and the car gun its engine as it sped away."

  Jana caught her breath. "Did anybody see who the driver was or get a license plate number or anything?"

  Her friends shook their heads. "A policeman came to school this afternoon," said Christie. "He wanted to talk to anyone who was at Bumpers when it happened, but I don't think anybody could tell him very much. They were all inside. You don't remember anyone coming out when you two did, do you?"

  Jana shook her head.

  Christie sat down on the side of Jana's bed and took her hand. "You ran out of Bumpers because you were mad at Randy for sitting with Laura. Then Randy ran after you. What actually happened when you got outside? Do you remember anything?"

  "Not really," Jana admitted. "He wanted me to stop and talk to him, but I couldn't. I was too upset. I just wanted to get away and think things over. The last thing I remember is starting to run across the street."

  Just then Mrs. Foss stuck her head into the room. "Girls," she said kindly, "I think you'd better go now. Jana has had enough company for one day. If she gets her rest, she may be able to go home tomorrow. "

  Jana didn't want her friends to leave, but after they were gone, she was surprised at how their visit had tired her. She lay back, replaying their conversation and letting the new realizations sink in. They had been right. She wasn't the only one who was to blame for the accident, after all. Laura was, and so was the driver of the car.

  "It's incredible," she whispered. "Randy is lying in a hospital bed two floors below so badly hurt that he's in a coma, and the two people who are the most responsible have gotten away."

  CHAPTER 8

  Jana was half asleep when she heard a tiny voice saying, "Gorgeous, I love you, too. I miss my mommy and daddy, but I won't be afraid as long as you're here."

  Jana had napped for a little while and had only been vaguely aware of Lisa's being wheeled back into the room from X-ray. Now she perked up her ears at the sound of the little girl talking to Gorgeous.

  "What did you say, Gorgeous?" asked Lisa. "Oh. Yes. I will. I promise."

  Jana tried to peer out of the corner of her eye and see what was going on without Lisa's knowing it. What was she promising, anyway? Jana wondered. Of course she knew it was only an imaginary conversation, but still!

  "What did you say, Gorgeous?" Lisa asked brightly. "A secret? Okay. You can whisper it to me."

  Of all the nerve! thought Jana. She turned her head and looked across at Lisa, who was propped up in bed with Gorgeous sitting on her cast. His white, plush arms were around her neck, and he looked for all the world as if he were whispering in Lisa's ear. Jana tried to fight down feelings of jealousy. After all, she told herself, he's just a stuffed bear. But the longer she looked at Lisa and Gorgeous, the angrier she got.

  "Lisa, I think you'd better give Gorgeous back to me now," said Jana. "I said you could hold him for a little while, but it's been all day. I really want him back."

  "No!" cried Lisa. "He's my bear. You said I could have him!"

  Jana was mortified. "I didn't say you could have him, Lisa. And he's not your bear. He's mine. He's very special. My boyfriend gave him to me."

  "Mine! Mine! Mine!" Lisa shrieked at the top of her lungs. Then she grabbed Gorgeous and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

  "What's going on in here?" A heavyset nurse, who had come on for the evening shift, came puffing into the room. "Are you all right, honey?" she cried, running over to Lisa.

  "She's trying to steal my bear," Lisa sobbed.

  The nurse was frowning when she turned to Jana. "What's this little girl talking about?" she demanded.

  "It's not her bear," Jana insisted. "It's mine. I loaned it to her for a little while this morning, but she won't give it back."

  "No! No! It's mine!" Lisa cried. Tears streamed down her face, and her nose was beginning to run. Jana watched in horror as Lisa buried her face in Gorgeous's soft, white middle and wiped her nose. "She's lying," Lisa said in a pouty voice. "She's trying to take him away from me."

  "Nurse!" Jana begged. She threw off her covers and got stiffly out of bed, intending to grab Gorgeous away from Lisa if she had to. "She's ruining my bear. Look at that. She wiped her nose on him!" Jana shouted, pointing toward Lisa.

  The nurse shot her a suspicious look.

  "Well, he really is mine," Jana went on defensively, "and he's the most special bear in the world. I got him for Valentine's Day from my boyfriend, Randy Kirwan, and now Randy's in the intensive care unit in critical condition. He's even in a coma. You've got to make her give my bear back to me."

  The nurse gave an exasperated sigh and looked first at Lisa and then at Jana and then back at Lisa again as if trying to decide whom to believe. As if on cue, Lisa began to moan as though her heart would break, rocking back and forth with Gorgeous in her arms.

  Just then Jana heard footsteps outside the door and her mother and Pink came into the room. "Hi, sweetie," her mother said, hurrying toward her. Then she stopped and got a quizzical look on her face. "What are you doing out of bed again? I thought the doctor told you to stay put."

  "Hi, Mom. Hi, Pink. Umm . . . I . . ." she began.

  Mrs. Pinkerton glanced at Lisa. "Oh, I see you have a roommate," she said, smiling at the child. "Isn't that Gorgeous she's holding?"

  Jana felt a flood of relief. Now she could prove to the nurse that Gorgeous really was her bear. "Yes, Mom. This is Lisa Pratt. She was in an accident, and her parents are in the hospital, too, only she can't see them yet. They're from out of state so there's no other family around to visit her."

  "And you got out of bed to let her borrow Gorgeous. Oh, Jana. That's so thoughtful of you. Everybody needs somebody to hug and to hold on to, especially when they're all alone and scared."

  Jana couldn't believe what she had just heard. She started to protest again, to shout to her mother, But Mom, that's Gorgeous. You know how special he is! Still, the pitiful look on the little girl's face made her hesitate. Lisa's eyes were red and her blond hair was tangled, with one long strand stuck to her sweaty cheek.

  Jana sank back onto the bed. Lisa is scared to death, she admitted to herself. It must be awful to be lying in a strange hospital with a broken leg and not even be able to see your parents.

  She thought about how Mrs. Foss had asked her to help make Lisa feel better. Jana bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling guilty. I could have talked to her or something, but I was too busy with my own problems to pay any attention to her, she thought. I guess Lisa really does need Gorgeous more than I do right now. Just like Mom said, she thought sheepishly, she needs somebody to hug.

  "It's okay if she keeps him a little longer," Jana offered, climbing back into bed. "At least until in the morning. That way she won't have to sleep all by herself."

  Later, when visiting hours were over and the lights in the room had been turned out for the night, Jana tossed and turned. Now she was the one who felt all alone and frightened. What was going to happen to Randy? Was he going to wake up and be okay? Or would he die without her ever getting to see him again?

  The thought made her sit straight up in bed. What's the matter with everybody! she wanted to shout. Why aren't the doctors doing anything to help Randy? And what about the police? Why haven't they found the hit-and-run driver and put him in jail? And what about Laura McCall? She's the biggest villain of all. If it hadn't been for her, there never would have been an accident in the first place.

  Jana looked helplessly around the darkened room until her gaze fell on Lisa, who was snuggled up against Gorgeous, snoring and whimpering ever so softly in her sleep. Jana was flooded with feelings of sympathy. As badly as she hated to admit it to herself, she knew that Lisa needed the bear.

  "But what about me?" she whispered. "I'm scared, too."

  CHAPTER 9

  Jana was released from the hospital the next morning. But as much as she longed to be at home, away from the noisy halls and awful food and back where she could have some privacy and sleep in her own bed, when she walked out through the lobby, there was a lump in her throat. Randy was still there in a deep sleep and barely clinging to life. She had brushed tears from her eyes when her mother told her that the morning report on Randy's condition was just the same as it had been the day before. No change.

  Also left behind was Gorgeous. Jana had tried to think of another way to ask Lisa to give him back, but the sight of the sad little girl clutching the bear and staring at her with anxious eyes had made it impossible to do. Instead she had taken Mrs. Foss aside and explained the situation. The nurse had promised to get Gorgeous back for Jana before Lisa left the hospital. Then she put her arms around Jana and hugged her, saying, "It's wonderful of you to let her keep him so long. She really needs him, you know." Jana had nodded silently and turned away before Mrs. Foss could see the tears in her eyes.

  When she got home, she found a long list of messages beside the telephone. In addition to The Fabulous Five, tons of her friends had called. Alexis Duvall, Kim Baxter, Sara Sawyer, and Lisa Snow, all old friends from Mark Twain Elementary, had sent get-well wishes. Even Taffy Sinclair had called. So had Whitney Larkin and Shawnie Pendergast. Some boys had called, too. Curtis Trowbridge had called twice. Joel Murphy, Keith Masterson, Scott Daly, and Shane Arrington had left messages, and Shane had told her mother that Igor, his pet iguana, sent a special get-well wish. Jana couldn't help chuckling about that.

  Near the bottom of the list of names was Funny Hawthorne's. Jana drummed her fingers on the telephone and wondered if she should call Funny back right away. Funny was the only one who might be able to clear up the mystery about Laura McCall. What was the secret she was keeping about Randy Kirwan? And why had she sent the card to Randy saying she was sorry if she wasn't feeling guilty about the accident? But Funny was also one of Laura's best friends. She might feel as if she were betraying that friendship if she answered Jana's questions. But Funny's my friend, too, Jana thought stubbornly. There was no use putting it off, she decided. She had to know about Laura.

  Funny was her usual bright and cheerful self when she answered the phone. "Hello," she sang. "Hawthorne residence."

  "Hi, Funny. This is Jana."

  "Wow! Jana! I've been so worried about you. How are you feeling? Are you still in the hospital?"

  "Whoa," said Jana with a chuckle. "Slow down. I'm feeling a lot better, and no, I'm not still in the hospital. The doctor let me come home a little while ago."

  "Terrific. Can you have company? I'd love to come over and see you if it's okay."

  Jana sighed. "Mom says I have to wait until tomorrow to have company, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

  "Sure. Fire away," said Funny.

  Jana bit her lower lip, trying to choose her words carefully. "It's about Laura," she said finally, "and Randy Kirwan." For the next couple of minutes she explained to Funny about what she had overheard Laura saying to Tammy and about seeing Laura and Randy sitting together in Bumpers just before the accident. She wanted to shout that it had all been Laura's fault, but she didn't. Instead she said, "If you know what's going on between them, please tell me. I have to know."

  "I wish I did know, but I don't," said Funny. "Honest. Laura talks to Tammy and Melissa a lot more than to me lately. I guess it's because you and I are friends. I have seen her talking to Randy several times lately, though, and I heard what your friends said to her before school yesterday morning. But still, I can't imagine that anything is going on between them. As far as I know, she still has a crush on Shane Arrington. She's been after him since sixth grade."

  "There's something else," said Jana. "Somebody sent Randy a get-well card and didn't sign it. Instead, they wrote 'I'm sorry. Please forgive me' on it. I think the person who sent it feels responsible for the accident. I also think it was Laura McCall."

  Funny didn't say anything for a moment. When she did, the sparkle was gone from her voice. "Gosh. I'll see what I can find out. I'm not sure she'll tell me anything, but I promise to try. I'll call you back as soon as I can."

  "Thanks, Funny," said Jana. "I know it's not going to be easy. You're a real friend."

  Jana waited for the rest of the day for Funny to call back, but she didn't. Several of her other friends did, though, including all of The Fabulous Five, and they promised to visit her on Sunday afternoon.

  "How about if I order out some pizza for supper?" offered Pink later in the afternoon. "We need to celebrate your homecoming."

  "Pizza?" said Jana, feeling pleasantly surprised. Pink always got her a deep-dish, pepperoni, green pepper, and mushroom pizza on Saturday night before he and her mom went bowling. It was her absolute favorite food in the world. "Great. Are you guys going bowling?"

  "No way," Pink assured her. "We plan to spend the evening with you. The pizza's just a little something extra."

  But when the pizza was delivered and the three of them sat down to eat it, Jana couldn't take a bite. The instant she saw it sitting there on the kitchen table in the box from Mama Mia's Pizzeria she remembered that it was Randy's favorite, too.

  Her mom and Pink were looking at her with quizzical expressions. She knew she should at least take one bite to show them she appreciated their thoughtfulness, but she was sure she would never be able to swallow it around the lump in her throat.

  Jana slowly pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. "I guess I'm just not very hungry right now," she said. "I'm sorry. Save a couple of slices for me, and I'll warm them in the microwave later. Okay?"

  Pink and her mother exchanged worried glances, and then Mrs. Pinkerton said, "Of course, honey. I'm sure you aren't feeling like your old self yet. Why don't you watch some television for a little while and try to rest?"

  Pink nodded sympathetically, and Jana told them thank you with her eyes as she went into the living room and sank onto the sofa. Picking up the remote control, she aimed it at the set and punched the on button, not caring what she watched. Her heart was too heavy with worry over Randy.

 

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