her shoulders. Corky grabbed her calves to brace her.
Bobbi moved into position to catch Kimmy. âIâm ready whenever you are,â she called up to her.
âShouldnât she go on a diet first?â Debra cracked.
Kimmy glared down at her. âSince when do you make jokes?â
Debra shrugged. âRonnie made me say it.â
âLetâs get serious, girls,â Miss Green scolded. âThis stunt could really be dangerous.â
âCorky and I have done it a million times,â Bobbi reassured her, looking up at Kimmy. âReady?â
âI guess,â Kimmy replied with a shrug. âWish I had a safety net.â
âYou can do it!â Jennifer yelled encouragement from against the wall.
âOkay. On three,â Corky said. âOne, twoââ
Bobbi braced herself, spreading her feet far apart in preparation for the catch. She arched her back. And started to raise both arms above her head.
ââthree!â
Bobbi sucked in a mouthful of air. My arms, she thought. Whatâs wrong? Whatâs happening to me?
I canât raise my arms, Bobbi thought, frozen in horror.
I canât move. I canât move anything.
She could feel beads of cold sweat run down her forehead.
Stop! Bobbi thought. Youâve got to stop this! Hold everything! Please! Just stop!
But to her horror, she couldnât speak out. She couldnât make a sound.
I canât move. I canât speak.
She strained to raise her arms, to get into position.
No! Pleaseâno! Bobbi cried, only no sound came out.
What is happening to me?
She could see herself standing there, as if she had floated out of her own body.
She could see herself looking up as Kimmy prepared to dive, looking up with her arms still at her sides.
Unable to move them, to raise them.
Unable to catch Kimmy.
Unable to warn her.
No! PleaseâKimmy, donât dive! Donât dive!
Canât you see Iâm paralyzed here?
Canât you see something is holding me here? Holding me in its grip? Holding me so I canât move a single muscle, cannot even blink?
Canât you see?
Corkyâs shoulders bobbed under Kimmyâs weight as Kimmy bent her knees and began her jump.
No! No! Kimmyâdonât!
Kimmyâs eyes narrowed, her features tight in intent concentration. Her knees bent, the muscles tightened.
No! Stop!
Kimmyâstop!
I canât catch you!
I canât even move to break your fall.
Kimmyâplease!
Kimmy took a deep breath. Held it.
And then she leapt off Corkyâs shoulders.
Chapter 15
The Accusations Fly
K immy hit the floor hard.
She landed first on her knees and elbows.
Everyone heard a sickening crack. And then a heavy thud as her forehead smashed against the floor.
Her head snapped back and her mouth let out a whoosh , like air escaping a blown-out tire.
And then her eyes closed, and she didnât move.
At first no one reacted. Everyone seemed as paralyzed as Bobbi.
But then Heatherâs shrill scream pierced the air, echoing off the high gym ceiling.
Several other girls cried out.
Corky dropped to her knees beside Kimmyâs unmoving body and stared up at Bobbi.
Her eyes locked on Kimmy, Bobbi stumbled back. One step. Two.
She raised her hands to her cheeks.
I can move, she realized.
I can move again.
Iâm me again.
Jennifer was wheeling her chair frantically toward Kimmy.
Miss Green leaned over Kimmy, took her hand, slapped at it.
Kimmy groaned.
âShe had the wind knocked out,â Miss Green announced. She raised her eyes to the girls huddling around the fallen cheerleader. âQuickâcall for an ambulance. Call nine-one-one.â
Megan and Heather, pale and shaken, went racing from the gym.
I can move now, Bobbi thought. But what happened to me?
âYou didnât try to catch her!â Debraâs words stung Bobbi. Stepping close, Debra pointed an accusing finger. âYou didnât
June Stevens, DJ Westerfield