I didn't like being so suspicious - but I was really beginning to feel scared. It seemed that somebody was out to get me - and the stakes were pretty high. Somebody wanted me out of the way so that she could dance the lead role - that seemed obvious. And she didn't care if I got hurt in the process.

    After rehearsal, some of the girls gathered around the chair where I sat.

    "How are you feeling, Jessi?" That was Hilary, sounding syrupy sweet. She'd never cared about my welfare before. . . .

    "I'm okay," I said. "It doesn't hurt too badly. I think I'll be able to dance again by the next rehearsal." "That's great!" said Lisa.

    I looked at her closely. Was she really being sincere? Suddenly, it seemed like any one of the girls in my class could be suspected of trying to get rid of me. What a terrible feeling! I waited until everybody else had cleared out. Then I hopped into the dressing room on my crutches. It was embarrassing to limp around like some cripple - I didn't want anyone laughing at me. I checked my locker, just to make sure there wasn't a moldy old leotard in there that I should take home and put in the wash.

    There wasn't. But there was another note. "What's going on here?" I said out loud, as I unfolded it. Once again I saw that blood-red ink. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE, it said, echoing Dr. Dellenkamp's words. But then it went on. TOO BAD IT WASN'T.

    At the next BSC meeting, I poured out the story to my friends. I hadn't talked about it too much yet - mainly because I was embarrassed. It had seemed silly. Until now.

    "This person, whoever she is, sounds really mean, Jessi," said Mary Anne. "This is serious." "I know," I said. "I'm starting to get scared. What if I really got hurt?" "That's what worries me," said Mallory. "But what are you going to do? Maybe you should talk to Madame Noelle." "I can't do that," I said. "She'd never believe that such things were going on in her school. She'd think I was making it all up." I paused for a moment, while Kristy answered the phone. Should I tell them what I'd been thinking of doing?