The Star Group by Christopher Pike Page B

down the side of the ledge. “No. Ten Percent.”
    I followed, not expecting to find anything. “You should be the business major in college, not Teri.”
    Jimmy led me a mile through the woods, maybe more. By the time we reached the spot, I was tired and thirsty. We had dead-ended against a rocky cliff, and there wasn't anything to mark the area as unique. Then Jimmy seemed to develop a confidence crisis. He passed up and down in front of the cliff while I caught my breath. The air was thinner here in the mountains. For a moment, as I held up my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, I thought I saw it turn slightly blue. But the effect lasted only a moment.
    Jimmy suddenly let out a howl.
    “I know where it is!” he said.
    “Where?”
    He pointed behind a brittle little bush. “There.”
    “If we dig there the roots will get in our way,” I warned.
    He was impatient with me and my attitude. “If we don't dig there we won't find the gold. Do you want your ten percent or not?”
    “I just wish we had a shovel,” I said, judging how hard the ground was.
    Jimmy scoured the area. “We'll find some stout branches. This will be money in our pockets. I don’t know why you're so negative.”
    “Probably because you can see the gold and I can’t.”
    We set to digging ten minutes later with a couple of thick sticks that were of questionable aid. The ground was gritty with tiny pebbles. We could use the points of the sticks to loosen the soil, but we still had to scrape it out of the way with our hands. Within minutes my fingernails felt like they were coming off. Jimmy was digging harder than myself, he actually had blood forming under his nails. I tried to stop him, to take a break, but he was like a man possessed.
    “You are such a wuss,” he said.
    I plopped back on my rear. “Call me anything you want. I just don't like pain.”
    He was feverish. “No pain, no gain, Danny Boy.”
    He had never called me that before.
    The last person to call me that had been Gale.
    “Jimmy?” I said.
    “Yeah? I think another foot and a half ought to do it.”
    “Can I ask you a personal question?”
    “Sure,” he said.
    “How well do you know Gale?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, do you know her better than I do?”
    “I don't know. I don't think so. You're right, I'm starting to hurt, too.”
    “Then stop, we can finish later,” I said.
    “No way, I want this now. Why are you asking about Gale?”
    “Well, I know you talk to her a lot.”
    “I never once told her you were interested in her. I told you I wouldn't.”
    “That s not what I'm asking. I was just wondering, you know, after Shena had her accident if you ever felt attracted to Gale?”
    That stopped Jimmy. He stared at me.
    “What kind of question is that?” he demanded.
    I shrugged diplomatically. “She's a pretty girl. I just wondered if you ever thought of doing something with her.”
    “Doing what with her?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Are you implying that I slept with Gale?”
    “No.”
    “Because if you are, you're pissing me off. I'm your friend. I wouldn't do that to you.”
    “I know that.” I hesitated. “But were you ever interested in her?”
    Jimmy averted his head.
    “No,” he muttered.
    “Jimmy?”
    He looked up. “What did she tell you?”
    “Nothing. I swear, I just got this weird feeling.”
    Jimmy needed to take a deep breath. “I asked her out once. Just once.”
    “When?”
    “I don't know. I think it was last summer.”
    “But you were going with Shena then.”
    “Maybe it was after that. I don't remember.”
    “But you were going with Shena after that.”
    He snapped. “I told you I don't remember! And I just asked her out, I didn't actually go out with her.”
    I spoke carefully. “Was it after Shena's accident?”
    He was far from comfortable. “Yeah, It wasn't long after.” Jimmy shook his head. “Shena was in the hospital and hating me. She wouldn't even take my calls. And Gale…she had been there that