Read Fear Hall: The Beginning for Free Online

Gideon.” Gideon was also on his feet. Also grinning.
    â€œCan we join you?” Dave asked.
    â€œWell …” I hesitated. “I’m sorry, but my friend—”
    Dave’s smile faded. “What friend?” he asked.
    â€œHuh?” I turned back to the table.
    Hope had disappeared.

chapter 12
    W ith a startled gasp, I jumped ta my feet, nearly knocking the table over.
    My eyes swept the restaurant. Squinting through the blue glare, I quickly searched for Hope.
    Had Darryl appeared and dragged her off?
    No. No way.
    I would have heard him. I would have seen him.
    Besides, Darryl would have no reason to be jealous. Unless …
    Unless he saw us and thought we were here with Dave and Gideon.
    Whoa. Slow down, I warned myself.
    Hope saw Darryl across the tavern, and she ran over to say hi to him. That’s all. That’s all there is to it.
    She isn’t in trouble. She isn’t in any danger.
    Then why didn’t she tell me she was leaving?
    My heart pounded. I suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
    I realized that the two guys were staring at me. “Are you okay?” Dave asked.
    â€œYeah. Fine,” I replied. “My friend left, and I didn’t realize …” My voice trailed off.
    â€œHalf plain, half pepperoni,” a voice announced.
    A blue-skirted waitress lowered a steaming-hot pizza to my table.
    â€œI—I’ve got to go,” I stammered.
    The waitress didn’t hear me. She was already on her way back to the kitchen.
    â€œAren’t you going to eat?” Gideon asked. He eyed the pizza hungrily.
    â€œWell …”
    Hope is fine, I told myself.
    I really liked Dave’s smile.
    I needed a guy in my life. A nice guy. Not a guy like Darryl. A guy with a little red beard and a nice smile. And a friend who looks like a dark-haired pirate.
    I motioned for them to sit down. “My treat,” I said, smiling at Dave. “If you’ll buy a pitcher of Diet Coke.”
    â€œOooh, Diet Coke! You sure you can handle it?” Dave teased. He and Gideon clicked glasses.
    The three of us dove into the pizza. I was suddenly a lot hungrier than I thought.
    We talked and laughed and had a good time.
    I shoved Hope to the back of my mind. I kepttelling myself that she was probably back in the room safe and sound by now. Or off somewhere making out with Darryl.
    Hope can take care of herself, I decided.
    I tugged on Dave’s beard. I just couldn’t resist. “I had to see if it’s a fake,” I told him.
    â€œThe beard is real,” he said. “The rest of my head is a fake!”
    We laughed like lunatics at that. It wasn’t that funny. But it was the way he said it.
    I tugged his beard again, and we laughed some more.
    Gideon said that his bandanna was holding his head together. We laughed at that too.
    And finished off a second pizza.
    The restaurant started to empty out. It was actually quiet enough now to talk without shouting. The blue light appeared to deepen. Dark purple shadows stretched over our table.
    â€œDo you live on campus?” Dave asked me, finishing off our second pitcher of Diet Coke.
    â€œYeah. If you can call it living!” I joked. I swallowed a pepperoni, then shoved my plate away. I felt stuffed. And suddenly sleepy.
    â€œI live in Fear Hall,” I told them.
    Both boys uttered exaggerated gasps. “Whoa! That’s awesome!” Gideon cried.
    â€œHave you ever seen any ghosts floating around in there?” Dave asked.
    I squinted hard at him, trying to decide if he was serious or not. “Do you believe in ghosts?” I asked.
    He shrugged. “I believe the stories about that dorm,” he said seriously.
    â€œWere you there the other night when that guy was murdered?” Gideon asked.
    The question sent a chill down the back of my neck.
    Hope. Hope and Darryl.
    I was having such a good time, I’d forgotten all about my roommate.
    I jumped up.