Horrorscope by Nicholas Adams

Tagline: This will be your day to die…

Back tagline: Aries: avoid confrontations. A bad day for relationships./Soon she would come. It was written in the stars.

Summary: Finally Jenny Warren left the protective light of the streetlamp behind. She walked fast, her shoes tapping on the sidewalk.
In the shadow of the night, the watcher smiled. His hands tightened their grip on the scarf. “You should have paid attention, Jenny,” he whispered to himself. “Didn’t you read your horoscope today?”

First impressions: We’re taking a break from the Fear Street Seniors because there’s a movie coming out soon that’s supposed to be based on this book, and I like to read books before I watch their screen adaptions. Point Horror can be quite tame compared to today’s horror movies, so I have no idea if the film will share anything other than the basic plot, but I guess we’ll find out when it’s released!
I’ve only read one Nicholas Adams book so far (Horror High #1: Mr. Popularity) which was a struggle to finish, but hopefully this one’s better.
This cover is quite boring, and I’d love to get my hands on an original cover but they’re so expensive online. The excerpt in place of a blurb isn’t that enticing either, I’d much rather read an actual plot description so I know what to look forward to! With this, we don’t really know what’s in store, and to me that makes it less exciting. [Note from future: This “excerpt” isn’t even directly in the book; instead we get the same scene but worded differently] But it’s obviously interesting enough to turn into a movie, so I’m excited to read and hoping for a slasher sort of plot. Am I expecting too much? Let’s find out!

Recap

Roll call:
Robyn –  Our heroine who’s all about horoscopes.
Debi – The best friend who’s suspicious of Robyn’s blooming friendship with Jeff.
Jeff –  A computer geek Robyn’s forced to pair with for the science fair.
Natalie – The obnoxious friend who’s got her own stuff going on.
Dana –  The other friend who’s slightly less obnoxious than Natalie.
Jenny –  The first victim whose death kicks off the plot.
Derek –  Jenny’s boyfriend and number one suspect for the murders.
Alan – Jeff’s best friend.
Joe Butler – The school custodian with a strange interest in the students.
Sheriff Adkins – An incompetent officer investigating the murders.

[Apparently each chapter will have a little horoscope at the start, so I’ll include that each time] ‘ARIES: Loved ones will be argumentative. Avoid confrontations. A bad day for relationships.’ The book begins with an unnamed man, who I guess we’ll be calling the watcher, waiting in the shadow of a large tree, his attention on a battered Ford farther down the road, parked under a streetlight. The lights are out, but Jennifer Warren and her boyfriend, Derek Vine, are inside. The watcher is letting them have their fun for now, but it’ll be his turn soon — ‘”It was written in the stars.”‘  The watcher is holding a cheap scarf, subconsciously twisting it in his hands over and over again as he patiently waits…

Cut to Jenny and Derek in the car, arguing about his bible-bashing mother who doesn’t approve of Jenny, who doesn’t believe in organised religion and is refusing to attend just one church service to keep the peace. She’s very stubborn about it and complains that her horoscope warned it would be a bad day, and it seems like Derek is just as annoyed by her daily horoscope readings as she is about his mother’s religion. Fed up, Jenny climbs out of the car and orders Derek not to talk to her until he’s cut his mother’s apron strings — ‘”run back to Mommy and tell her what a lost soul I am.”‘ [OK, love Jenny for standing up for herself, but also why not compromise just a little bit if it’ll make your boyfriend happy?] It’s only a few blocks to her house, and although Derek wants to give her a ride, she’s determined to walk.

Back to the watcher, who’s excitement is growing as Jenny approaches, oblivious to his presence. Jenny is just the first victim, [I like the sound of that!] which means she’s the most important, so the watcher has to do it exactly right. He patiently waits for just the right moment before jumping out and wrapping the scarf around her throat, pulling tighter and tighter until the girl is dead. Lowering Jenny’s body to the ground, the watcher is surprised by how empty he feels; he’d been expecting a surge of energy or excitement, but maybe that feeling of power will come over time. Wanting her to look dead rather than fallen, he loosens the scarf a little bit to show the bruised skin beneath. Then, satisfied, he pulls a camera from his pocket and takes two photos of Jenny Warren’s corpse before thanking her and walking off into the night.

‘LEO: The morning will bring unpleasant news. A decision will be made for you that you might object to.’ The next morning we meet Robyn Chantry, a 60s-music loving girl with an unconventional style and unruly, flame-coloured hair with a mind of its own. To control it today, she pulls on a yellow and green sweatband that forces her hair to lie a little closer to her head. The sweatband matches the long, green skirt and lemon-coloured blouse she’s got on, and while some of the kids at school make fun of her fashion style, she’d learned from her parents ‘that it mattered more that she knew who she was than whether anyone else appreciated it.’ [She’s not like other girls! The outfit does sound awful though] 

Heading downstairs, Robyn says hi and bye to her father as she passes his studio, and we learn her parents are just as unconventional as she is. Her father makes candles in the shapes of people, mythological creatures, castles, birds and animals, while her mother owns a health food store. Robyn meets her mother, an older version of Robyn, in the car, and they head over to the Smolinskes’ place to pick up Robyn’s best friend, Debi, a rich girl with snobby parents. Climbing into the car, Debi asks how the day is faring, and Robyn informs her that her horoscope predicts the day will be pretty good, especially in the afternoon, while Robyn is likely to have problems all day. Mrs. Chantry thinks Robyn takes horoscopes way too seriously and much prefers tarot cards, but Robyn can’t be convinced. Robyn also has a horoscope column in the school paper under the pen name Jean Stephenson, which she’s deemed more romantic than her own name.

At school, the girls head to their lockers, where the Gang of Four always meets before class. Dana Mullalley and Natalie Byrnes make up the rest of the gang, and the four have been BFFs since the first grade. Dana and Natalie are both adopted Korean girls and look almost like sisters, although they have very different personalities; Dana is serious and attentive, while Natalie is frivolous and a shopaholic. Today, they both have sombre expressions, and Natalie reveals the alarming news —  Jenny Warren was murdered last night and the police think Derek Vine did it!

‘SCORPIO: Unjust accusations will cut you to the quick. Watch your temper, and avoid retaliation.’ Over to Derek Vine, who’s being informally interrogated by Sheriff Adkins at the police station. Sheriff Adkins assures him he’s not under arrest and doesn’t need a lawyer, but the police would just like a reason to cross him off the suspect list. The sheriff is pretty condescending so it’s totally understandable why Derek doesn’t trust him, but he maintains that he didn’t kill his girlfriend. He admits they’d had a disagreement about his mother and insists Jenny had been looking for a fight because her horoscope in yesterday’s school paper had said she’d argue with a loved one. She always took her horoscope way too seriously, and Derek’s positive if not for her horoscope, Jenny wouldn’t have argued with him, walked home and been murdered.

A little while later, Robyn’s having a meeting with her science teacher, Mr. Traynor, about her bad grades. He doesn’t want her to fail, mostly because ‘”I don’t think I could take it if you had to redo a year”‘ [Hahahahahaha] so for the science fair, he’s pairing her up with Jeff Goldstein, the only person in class who might still pass the course even with Robyn’s help. [Lol Drag her] Robyn’s mortified — ‘Talk about fates worse than death!’ — because Jeff is a super-nerd who’s amazing at science but lacking in the social department. He’s always reading and prefers to be alone, although oddly enough he gets along quite well with Alan MacKenzie, one of the biggest jocks in school. Jeff isn’t keen on being paired with Robyn because she sucks at science, and that makes Robyn angry because how dare he not want her as his partner, even though she doesn’t want him either? [Robyn, shut the fuck up. Team Jeff. Why should he be punished like this?]

Mr. Traynor dismisses the two and Robyn finds Debi, Dana and Natalie waiting for her outside the classroom. She reveals the big news, which Natalie points out is good because with Jeff, Robyn can’t lose! That may be true, but Robyn’s not looking forward to spending her spare time with him. Debi cheekily points out that it’s not like she’s seeing anyone else, having told Robyn over and over she was a fool to break up with Bryan Stockwell. But Debi doesn’t know the real reason they broke up, and Robyn doesn’t plan on telling her. ‘Considering what had happened, she doubted that Bryan would tell anyone how he’d really broken his wrist, either.’ [Oooooh, I need to know what happened ASAP] Jeff comes out of the classroom just as Robyn’s about to call him ugly, and he basically tells her to get over it because they’re stuck with each other. He suggests they meet in the computer room after school and he can show her a few ideas he’s come up with for the science fair. [Are they gonna fall in love by the end of the book?]

Jeff heads off and Natalie teases that Robyn has a new boyfriend, making the other girls laugh. Then Derek Vine approaches the Gang of Four, and it’s obvious he’s been crying a lot. Derek knows one of them is behind the horoscope column for the school paper, and searches their faces for a sign of guilt. It turns out only the other girls and the paper’s advisor/teacher, Ms. Tepper, knows that Robyn is behind the pen name. As a joke, the other girls had come up with their own fake names for their columns and articles, and it’s a secret that’s been kept more out of habit than anything else. With no-one owning up to it, Derek explains that if it wasn’t for Jenny’s horoscope yesterday, she wouldn’t have fought with him and walked home, ‘”so it’s the astrologer’s fault she’s dead.”‘ And when Derek finds out who writes the column, he’ll make her wish she was dead. [Oooh, tough guy]

‘AQUARIUS: School and family life could be better. A new relationship will change your point of view. Stay open-minded.’ Over to Jeff Goldstein, who’s furious with himself for being so flustered when he’d talked to Robyn thanks to his own stupidity and the taunts of her shallow friends. It’s typical that Robyn has friends like that, since she’s a bit of a ditz herself and ‘probably had the IQ of a boiled egg’, [Hahahaha] but Robyn’s undeniably beautiful, and she had broken up with Bryan Stockwell. But Robyn would never go for a guy like Jeff. And besides, he’d heard Bryan telling the other jocks how he’d scored with Robyn, and while Jeff hasn’t decided if he believes it, if Robyn really is that kind of girl, does he even want to get to know her better? [How’s the weather up on that pedestal, Jeff? As if you wouldn’t also be trying to have sex with her, lol. I’m assuming Bryan got a little too frisky and somehow ended up with a broken arm when Robyn fought off his advances?]

Jeff’s thoughts are broken by Alan MacKenzie, and we learn that they get along well because Alan’s also into computers. Alan’s casual and easy-going and has a girlfriend, Tashira Kent, who takes up most of his time. Alan is constantly trying to get Jeff to double date with him, but Jeff always comes up with an excuse. He wouldn’t dare ask a girl out himself, and he’s reluctant to let Alan pick one for him; ‘Not because Alan was black’ [It never occurred to me before you said that, Jeff] but because he had vastly different tastes. Jeff isn’t bothered by the colour of a person’s skin, and had even harboured a serious crush on Carolyn Hill for a while. [That means nothing because we don’t know who Carolyn Hill is] Alan just suggests the weirdest girls for Jeff, and Jeff isn’t that desperate. Jeff finds it weird that Alan’s even dating Tashira, a wallflower whose only interests are Alan and playing cello. She’s barely said two words to Jeff, but still he finds her one of the dullest people he’s ever met. Alan seems very happy with her though, so that’s all that matters.

Anyway, Jeff tells Alan about being paired with Robyn, and Alan is ecstatic because she’s a major hotty. He encourages Jeff to get to know her and ask her out, but Jeff is, of course, reluctant, knowing she’d probably just laugh about it with her friends. After a back and forth about this, Jeff changes the subject to the basketball tryouts after school, which Alan is hoping to excel at so he can join the team. Alan’s ready to go and spins around, making a mock throw for the hoop. Unfortunately, at that exact moment Derek is passing them and is caught by one of Alan’s arms. Derek is super pissed and tells the clumsy idiot to watch what he’s doing. Alan apologises and suggests they leave it at that, but neither him or I are prepared for Alan’s next words — ‘”Fine. Just keep out of my way. The less I see of your black face, the better I’ll like it.”‘ [OK, Derek can die next] 

Alan asks if Derek has a problem with his skin colour, and Derek seems to realise he went too far as he peers up at Alan, who’s at least six inches taller and 30 pounds heavier. Derek retorts he doesn’t care what colour his skin is as long as he stays out of his way, then storms off. Jeff advises Alan to let it go, reminding him that Derek’s girlfriend was just murdered, and Alan agrees he probably didn’t mean anything by it, but he’d better not say anything like that again…

After school, Jeff meets Robyn in the computer room where she immediately calls his ideas for the science fair boring because it all just seems so impersonal. She sighs that her horoscope warned her it would be a bad day, which Jeff scoffs at, and Robyn has the audacity to scold him — ‘”Just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t mean you should make fun of it.”‘ [This bitch has basically been ripping him to shreds all day but god forbid he doesn’t believe something that isn’t fact-based] He correctly points out that astrology is subjective to whoever’s writing the horoscope and two astrologers could come up with wildly different answers, but Robyn argues that the stars simply influence us because people are made up of atoms just like stars. She correctly guesses that he’s an Aquarius, and he suggests they combine astrology with computer science and ‘”write a program that will work out the chances of horoscopes coming true by accident or by design.”‘ [This seems very complex for a high school science project lol] Robyn, who’s becoming more and more unlikeable as the book goes on, points out that astrology isn’t mechanical and is as much to do with intuition and feeling as with facts — ‘”That’s a really stupid idea. Find something else.”‘ [She’s seriously awful lol]

‘TAURUS: Some highs, but a very bad day overall. Watch out for arguments and avoid following bad advice.’ It’s about a week later and the watcher is gearing up for his next kill. He’s been watching and waiting for the chance to make his next move, and the stars have spoken…

Over to Alan MacKenzie, who’s high on life after making the basketball team last week. His horoscope today had warned it’d be a bad day, but it had been wrong, except for his run-in with Derek Vine. It turns out Alan has replaced him in the team, pushing Derek back to second string, and Derek had tried to make him look bad several times during today’s practice. The coach picked up on this, and Derek vowed to pay Alan back before storming off. Alan is super understanding of Derek’s temper, though, considering everything that’s happened lately, and he’s not gonna let him ruin the good mood as he walks to Tashira’s house — ‘This was the night for some cool music and hot love!’

Back to the watcher, who smiles to himself as Alan approaches. The knife he’d chosen has twin blades, and at first sight the watcher knew it would be perfect for this situation. As Alan draws nearer, the watcher steps forward in the shadows, stepping on a stick. Alan is alerted by the sound, but relaxes when the watcher steps out of the shadows, knife hidden behind his back, because Alan recognises him. Before Alan can react, the knife is quickly plunged into his chest, and he falls forward to the ground, driving it further into his body. With gloved hands, the watcher turns Alan’s bloody body over and checks for a pulse, pleased that the sacrifice has gone perfectly. Once again, the watcher snaps some photos, thanks his victim, and walks off into the night.

‘LEO: Bad news early on is compounded by attitudes of others. Try to be flexible, and work on relationships.’  On the way to Debi’s house the next morning, Mum asks how the science project’s going, and Robyn complains that one minute Jeff seems normal, and the next he’s ranting about how great science is and knocking her beliefs. Mum points out that it takes all kinds to make a world, although there’s some people she could do without, like Derek’s mother, Mrs. Vine, who’d been in the shop yesterday annoying customers with her religious talk — ‘”I don’t begrudge her her beliefs, but I wish she’d show the same consideration for other people.”‘ Robyn replies that Derek’s just as opinionated as his mother, and when Mum suggests that Robyn’s also opinionated, she argues that ‘”at least I’m open-minded, and don’t thrust my beliefs down people’s throats.”‘ [I think Jeff would disagree with that, Robyn] 

They get talking about Jeff again, with Robyn complaining he’s always looking at her. Mum thinks maybe he wants to ask her out but is shy, suggesting Robyn ask him instead. But he’s not Robyn’s type; he’s nice enough, but there’s something off about him, like he’s hiding something. Mum hopes Robyn’s not still hung up on Bryan Stockwell, insisting that if she’d listened to the cards from the start, she could have avoided that whole mess. It’s true, Mum had been right about Bryan, but did she have to keep bringing it up?! Once Debi’s in the car, she brings up that Natalie reckons Jeff’s got a crush on Robyn, but Robyn thinks Natalie’s just looking for gossip — ‘”There are days when I don’t particularly like her, you know.”‘

Soon, Robyn and Debi arrive at school and find Natalie and Dana at their lockers, with the custodian, Joe Butler, working on Natalie’s locker. Joe’s a muscular man in his early 40s with a limp and scar down the right side of his face due to a terrorist bomb during his stint in the army, and he’s well liked by the students. Debi asks what’s going on, and Joe replies that something’s fallen against the lock, but it’ll be fixed in a minute. He tells Natalie she shouldn’t put so much stuff in her locker, and she rudely tells him to keep his opinions to himself because she’s not interested. [Oop] Joe knows he’s just a janitor, ‘”But I still deserve a little politeness. Especially when I’m helping you out.”‘ Natalie looks like she’s going to snap back, but looks down and apologises instead, and Joe gets back to work.

Derek Vine walks past, and even though he’s still been harassing the girls so he can learn who Jean Stephenson is, Robyn can’t help but feel sorry for him. She asks how he’s going, but he just harps on about how astrology is evil and the author of the column is to blame for Jenny’s death. Surprisingly, Joe tells Derek not to be so closed-minded; Joe reads his horoscope in the paper every day, and Jean Stephenson is really good. Derek insists the column got Jenny killed, and although Robyn once again tells him you can’t blame a horoscope for a murder, Derek simply tells her the bible says astrology is evil and stalks off. Natalie makes a jab about Derek and religion and is quickly scolded by Debi, who thinks Derek’s still just really upset about Jenny and will come to his senses soon enough.

Debi demands to know why Natalie’s so edgy and snappy lately, but just as Natalie’s about to explain herself, Robyn rudely interrupts to point out Sheriff Atkins heading to the principal’s office. Joe gets the locker open at that same moment, a pile of magazines tumbling out. Looking down the hall, Joe reveals Alan MacKenzie was stabbed to death last night. The police haven’t arrested anyone, but it seems like the sheriff might have a suspect in mind. Robyn’s shocked at the news of two murders in one week, and then surprisingly thinks of Jeff — has he heard the news about Alan? How is he taking it? [I’m gobsmacked she’s actually wondering how he’s feeling]

Robyn meets Jeff in the computer room after school and notices he’s clearly been crying. She offers her condolences and suggests they reschedule, but Jeff would prefer the distraction. He still wants to implement her interest in horoscopes into their science project, and mentions seeing her scribbling away, doing calculations. He can’t help but take notice of her, because her hair makes her stand out, then apologises for how it sounded. For the first time, Robyn genuinely wonders if Jeff is interested in her, unsure how she’d feel about it. Anyway, Jeff reckons that they might be able to create a program that can help her work out the calculations needed for her horoscopes, and asks for a bit more insight into her work.

Robyn explains that she uses date of birth and place of birth to find out what the sky looked like when a person was born, using a book called Raphael’s Ephemeris, which lists where planets were in the night sky for the past 100 years, as well as where they will be, so she can predict what the future may hold. [I’m basically dumbing down what she says, it seems way more complicated than this hahaha] But she has to make corrections because the book is based on Greenwich Mean Time, not local time, and she needs to consider that their local town is 90 degrees west of Greenwich, so the sky would be slightly different here than what the charts will say. Jeff laughs that she thinks math is dull and useless, but is happy to spend lots of time on these kinds of calculations, and that if she can do all that, computer programming will be easy for her. Realising he’s complimenting her, she thanks him; ‘It felt good to have is approval, though his opinion didn’t really matter.’

Jeff points out that a computer would be able to work out the sky chart for her, and proposes that instead of using a computer to generate horoscopes, they use it to do all the tedious calculations by creating a program that gives the appropriate information after putting in the place, date and time of birth. Robyn finds herself warming up to Jeff and is very much intrigued because she hates all the calculations she has to do. She agrees to the project, suggesting that maybe Mr. Traynor did them both a favour after all.

‘SCORPIO: News is not good for you. People in authority will be aggressive. Don’t blame others for your own failures.’ Derek Vine finds himself in the sheriff’s office once again, this time being questioned about Alan’s murder. Unfortunately he was home alone last night until his mum returned around 10pm, so there’s no one to confirm he’d been in his room listening to music ever since storming out of practice. Sheriff Adkins knows he and Alan didn’t get along, and notes that he’d fought with both Jenny and Alan before they’d been murdered, and at this stage he’s the only suspect they’ve got. Sheriff Adkins also wonders whether Derek thinks Alan’s horoscope is to blame, since it wasn’t a very pleasant one on the day of his death either, just like Jenny’s. Derek suggests maybe the author of the horoscopes is the killer, and they’re some kind of warning to the victim. Adkins thinks it’s unlikely but agrees to look into it, and Derek gives him the names of the Gang of Four, explaining one of them always hands in the column, but they won’t reveal who writes it.

Back in the computer room, Robyn’s giving Jeff a reading based on his birth chart so he can get a better understanding of the process when Sheriff Adkins interrupts them. [He got here quick!] He’s talked to Ms. Tepper, who confirmed that Robyn writes the column, and he questions why she uses a pseudonym and hints at a link between the horoscopes and murders. Robyn explains the fake name is to sound more astrological and argues that lots of people get bad horoscopes and aren’t killed the same day. Adkins then shows her photos of the scarf that strangled Jenny, which Robyn admits looks vaguely familiar, and she completely pales when she sees the photo of the double-bladed knife that killed Alan — ‘”It’s my father’s knife.”‘ 

‘LEO: A changeable day. Good news and bad news intermix, and it’s hard for you to know when you’re ahead.’ Feeling as though she’s getting her father in trouble, she explains her father is part of the Society for Creative Anachronism, where they recreate the historical period of the Middle Ages and dress up as people from those times. Mr. Chantry had had the knife made to make his costume more interesting. Adkins suggests they take a drive to see her father, and Robyn’s very grateful when Jeff offers to come with her. As they’re heading to the police car, though, she can’t help but wonder if Jeff’s actually the killer and only coming to keep tabs on the sheriff’s progress…

When they arrive at Robyn’s place, Jeff is pleased to learn of her father’s creations, admitting he actually owns a few of his candles. Mr. Chantry is surprised to find that the knife is missing from the cupboard he keeps his S.C.A costume in, and explains that he has 3-4 customers inside each day, so someone could have easily taken it when he wasn’t looking. He agrees to go down to the station to formally identify the weapon and list the people who’ve been here since he last remembers seeing the knife on Saturday. At her father’s request, Jeff agrees to stay with Robyn until he or her mother return home, but asks to call his mother to let her know where he is. He clearly wants privacy, so Robyn heads upstairs to change her clothes, returning with a beginner’s book on astrology she thinks will help Jeff with the computer programming. She asks if he got through to his mother, and he explains she’s a huge worrier, which is kind of embarrassing. He’s sure everything will be fine for her father, who he points out doesn’t seem like the type to be stupid enough to use his own unique knife to murder someone with.

Robyn’s grateful for the support and suddenly struck with a thought — recalling how the sheriff said Alan looked like he’d been gored by a bull, she reveals that Alan was a Taurus. [Clever!] Certain she’s onto something, she points out that Jenny, an Aries, whose symbol is a ram, was strangled by a woollen scarf; ‘”And both murders were done when their horoscopes said something bad would happen to them, exactly a week apart.”‘ [Does she just know everyone’s star sign even if she barely knew the person? Or does she remember that the Aries/Taurus horoscopes were negative on those particular days?] Jeff tries to dismiss it as coincidence, but Robyn’s not done. Aries and Taurus, in that order, are the first two signs of the Zodiac, which can only mean one thing — ‘”There will be at least ten more murders. One each week for each sign of the Zodiac. And the next victim will be a Gemini.”‘

‘GEMINI: A day to be very careful. A cloud hangs over you, and you may be of two minds. The evening is especially bad for you.’ An unspecified amount of time later, Either the next day or maybe the next week, Robyn’s just explained her Zodiac theory to the Gang of Four. Natalie basically calls her an idiot, and when Robyn explains that even Jeff thinks it’s possible, albeit unlikely, Dana teases that they’re becoming a serious couple. Good friend Debi scolds the two cows for being so moody lately, but Natalie insists Robyn will need a padded cell soon. Fed up, Robyn tells Natalie and Dana that nobody needs friends like them and to stay out of her face until they’re ready to act like humans again, then storms off.

Debi hurries after her, and the pair wonder why Natalie’s so much more obnoxious lately. They walk past custodian Joe reading the school paper, and Debi teases him for not doing any work. He explains he always had a hankering to write himself, but never made it because he wasn’t very lucky. Debi reckons he’s pretty lucky because ‘”Where else could you work and see so many gorgeous girls in one day?”‘ and to my horror, the grown man tells her she has a point! [These are underage girls you’re talking about, Joe!]

Joe then hurries off to do some work as Mr. Traynor approaches, wondering how Robyn and Jeff’s science fair project is going. To his surprise, Robyn tells him it’s going better than expected because she’s learning a lot from Jeff, and she thanks him for putting them together. After he leaves, Debi wants to know if Robyn’s actually interested in Jeff, and Robyn denies it, but admits he’s pretty neat once you get to know him. As they walk home, Debi explains why she’s wary of Robyn getting too close to Jeff — Jeff lives a few blocks from Debi, and he’s always at home with his mother, who’s been in and out of mental hospitals for years after she tried to kill Jeff’s father. It’s sort of the local scandal, but everyone forgot about it because it was about 10 years ago:

“Apparently she freaked out one night and went for him with a carving knife. Got one good stab in before Jeff could drag her away. He was only seven, you know. It never went to court, but Jeff’s dad left town and his mother was sent off for treatment. She’s been in and out since then. Jeff’s really embarrassed and sensitive about the whole thing, and he’s never had any friends over to his place.”

Debi warns that Jeff is bad news and is probably just as wacky as his mother, but Robyn comes to his defence, insisting he’s a lot more together than most people she knows. Still, she can’t help but think of the possibility that Jeff has something to with the current murders… [There’s gotta be more to the situation with Jeff’s dad, too. Maybe his mother actually killed him? Maybe she attacked in self defence?]

It’s around 9pm now, and we find Natalie nervously waiting in her room for her parents to start fighting, as is the current routine. Her father lost his job three weeks ago and started drinking heavily, convinced he’s too old to start again. [So you’re gonna waste all your money on alcohol instead of trying to support your family???] Natalie’s mother, worried about the shrunken income, had started to nag him, and the fighting had begun. About 10 minutes later, tonight’s fight begins, and tears well in Natalie’s eyes as she hears her parents arguing downstairs. Shutting her door and throwing herself on the bed, she knows it’s just a matter of time before the fight turns physical. She loves her adoptive parents and knows they adore her right back, but now the cracks have started to show, and Natalie’s terrified of what will happen to her if they break up. [Explains why she’s being such a bitch. Poor girl. Now I feel bad for wanting her to die. Too late though, because she’s definitely about to bite it]

Meanwhile, the watcher’s outside by the garage, waiting for the sound of violence to prompt him into action. He’s been watching Natalie Byrne closely since deciding she’d be the next victim, but she never seems to leave the house at night, which means he has to go in. Masked by the sounds of the fight inside, he breaks into the side garage door and sneaks into the empty kitchen, knowing the parents are toward the front of the house. Quietly, the watcher climbs the stairs, taking a coil of wire from his pocket. This time, the murder will have to be very quiet.

All cried out, Natalie stands in front of her full-length mirror and dabs at her eyes with a tissue. The arguing continues downstairs, and she knows she’ll hear the first blow soon. Instead, she hears a faint sound at the bedroom and turns around, hoping with a smile that tonight will be different and the fighting will stop:

She was right.
Tonight was different. And, for her at least, the fighting stopped.
Permanently.

[Oop. I’m gonna need Robyn to point out the connecting between the Gemini sign and wire. Or is it because she was strangled in front of her mirror?] Meanwhile, downstairs, Ed Byrnes pours another scotch, ignoring his wife’s nagging, waiting for the numbness of alcohol to wash over him. After hearing a crash upstairs  he and his wife hurry o check on Natalie. Bursting into the room, they find her slumped against her mirror, her face a deathly shade of blue, blood dripping from the length of thin wire around her neck. Then they notice someone else in the room, standing by the open window. Ed can only make out a dark, fuzzy shape with something in his hands that quickly emits a bright, blinding flash, and by the time his vision returns, the intruder is gone. [OK, so the photo he took shows her slumped against the mirror, presumably with her reflection in shot, so that makes sense for the Gemini sign]

‘AQUARIUS: A shared secret will bring you closer to a loved one, but your friendship could be endangered if you can’t control your ego.’ As he makes himself breakfast, Jeff learns from the news that Natalie is dead, her head almost severed from her body. The reporter plays a previous recording trying to get information from Sheriff Adkins, who doesn’t confirm or deny whether he has any leads, or that the murders are in any way connected. Then the reporter tells the viewers that the sheriff seems to have no leads or clues to go on for the murders, and only time will tell if who the media is dubbing The Teen Terror will strike again. [Yes, at least nine more times, hopefully!] 

Angered by the reporter’s casual approach, Jeff turns off the TV and decides to call Robyn to see if she’s heard the bad news. Mrs. Chantry answers and offers to get Robyn for him, but Jeff chickens out and asks her to pass on the news for him. Thinking about the murders, he realises that despite the sheriff’s words, the murders have to be connected; three teens in the same year level at the same school murdered weeks apart doesn’t sound like the work of a random killer. The phone rings, and to his surprise it’s Robyn, who asks him to meet her at her locker before school so they can talk. Then Jeff’s mother appears, wondering who was on the phone, wanting to make sure it wasn’t his father. Jeff assures her it was just a friend from school and leads her back into the den to rest:

With a sigh, he left the room. His mother—forty-one years old. Mental age of about fourteen. And with her white hair and stooped body, she looked almost sixty. And she was still terrified that one day his father would come home again.

[See, there’s more to the situation! I NEED to know] At school, Jeff’s first to reach Robyn’s locker, and is eyed suspiciously by Joe, who doesn’t seem to believe he’s waiting for Robyn. Luckily, Robyn and Debi arrive and confirm she’d asked him to meet her, and Joe leaves. The girls have clearly been crying, and Robyn’s grateful he’d called so she didn’t have to hear the news at school. She confirms that Natalie was a Gemini, and Jeff admits her theory looks to be true, although strangulation doesn’t seem to line up with the murder method matching the victim’s Zodiac sign. Robyn whips out the newspaper, which says Natalie was killed in front of her mirror, like there were two bodies, and Jeff realises it does fit the theme.

Jeff reveals his theory that the killer is someone in their year level, someone who knows the star signs of the people killed, but doesn’t think that would be common knowledge. Jeff, Debi and Robyn then discuss whether Derek could be responsible, but given his hatred of astrology and belief that that’s what killed Jenny, he’s scratched off the suspect list. Jeff asks Robyn to come over to his place after school so they can discuss everything properly and see what they can come up with, and even invites Debi along too.

‘LEO: Surprises are in store for you. Some are good, some bad. But changes will occur in your life.’ On the way to class, Debi seems excited to check out Jeff’s place, and Robyn warns her to behave. The day goes slow, with most of the students sullen and subdued after Natalie’s murder, and everyone avoids Derek Vine, who’s bad temper seems to be permanent. At the end of the day, Robyn and Debi are waiting at their lockers for Jeff when Joe comes past and offers his condolences for their friend’s death. Robyn appreciates it and asks if he thinks the killer will ever be caught, but Joe thinks it depends on luck, like most of life. He hasn’t had much luck himself, but the girls will be off to college or into nice jobs after this school year and will do much better than him. [There’s something off about Joe, but he’s the most obvious suspect so I think he’s just a red herring] Spotting Jeff approaching from down the hall, he asks if the girls are waiting for him, then gives them a warning; ‘”I knew his father. A bad sort. Like father, like son, that’s what they say. Just be careful.”‘ 

A short time later, Robyn, Debi and Jeff are walking to his house, and he fills them in on what really happened the night his mother stabbed his father. Dad was an abusive monster and would often hit both Mom and Jeff, but Mom was terrified of leaving him because he would threaten to hunt them down and kill them if she did. That fateful night, he was way worse than ever before and had backhanded Jeff across the room, concussing him. Mom went berserk, thinking Jeff had been killed, and she got a slap too, causing her to fall and hit her head. When Dad approached to see if he’d killed her, she grabbed up a kitchen knife and stabbed him, worried she’d be dead if he got hold of her. Neighbours heard the ruckus and called the police, and everyone was rushed to hospital. Dad was dead by the time the ambulance arrived, but no charges were laid because it was self defence and Mum had suffered some kind of brain damage when she fell, making her unfit to stand trial.

Jeff tells the girls his mother isn’t crazy like the rumours say, but she’s got the mentality of a kid. She was told her husband was dead, but she never really believed it, and is always worrying when there’s a call or a visitor that it’s him, back to finish her off. Nosy Robyn asks if the reason he’s never had a girlfriend is because he’s scared of his mother’s reaction, and Jeff sadly explains it’s because he’s scared of his own reactions, that he’ll turn out to be just like his father. Robyn basically calls him an idiot for believing his father’s uncontrollable temper is in his blood, pointing out that as long as he’s worried about hurting people like his father did, he’ll never do it, because he knows what it’s like to be the recipient. Grateful for her faith in him, it seems like a huge weight is lifted off Jeff’s shoulders.

Arriving at Jeff’s home, he introduces the girls to his mother, who asks if Robyn is his girlfriend. When Jeff corrects her, Robyn finds herself feeling sad inside. [She’s in looooove] On the way to Jeff’s room, he tells Robyn his mother hasn’t been this cheerful in a long time, and Robyn silently thinks she didn’t seem all that crazy. She can’t help but wonder, though, how stable Jeff is, given his past — ‘A father who abused his wife and son, and a mother who’d killed her husband … Where did that leave Jeff?’

‘AQUARIUS: Time to rethink some of your priorities. Your friendship will prove very valuable to others today.’ Up in Jeff’s room, where he has a very impressing computer system, he reveals that last night, he’d used his modem to link up to the school’s computer system after obtaining the password from Mr. Traynor’s files. It’s not legal, but it gave Jeff access to all of the student files, and he’d checked Robyn’s theories about the murders so far against the information, and she was spot on, so he reckons they’ll be able to narrow down a list of potential next victims. Based on the previous murders, Jeff reckons it’s safe to assume the victims will continue to be from their year level, and it’ll be a Cancer this time. It’s occurred to Robyn there might be another pattern going on, with the victims’ genders alternating each murder. That makes sense to Jeff, so they go ahead and assume the next victim will be male. Typing in a command in the computer, Jeff prints out a list of eight names. Jeff plans to hand it in to the sheriff so they can keep an eye on the boys and warn them and their families to take precautions. There’s no point getting for the girls to get involved any further, so he sends them on their way and heads to the police station solo.

As the girls walk home, Debi once again warns Robyn not to get too close to Jeff. She’s even more suspicious of him now that she’s aware he can access student information at any time, reasoning that despite saying he last night was the first time, he could have actually figured it out months ago. Debi also thinks he may have had motive for the murders — Natalie has never been nice to him, and if he had a secret to hide, his best friend Alan was the most likely to find out. She doesn’t know what he’d have against Jenny, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a reason. Debi theorises that maybe he’s not consciously a murderer, but that the concussion affected his mind — ‘”Maybe he’s living out his father’s violence against other kids?”‘ Robyn is positively disgusted by what Debi’s saying and refuses to listen to any more of her cruel ideas, because Jeff’s a nice guy and Robyn likes him! Debi hopes she’s wrong, for Robyn’s sake, and once again Robyn realises she can’t completely rule Jeff out.

‘SCORPIO: A day of questions—you ask and are asked more than you can answer. A time to search your soul for goals and intentions.’ At the police station, Derek Vine is waiting in the sheriff’s office while his mother and Pastor Williams, who she’s brought along, talk to Sheriff Adkins in another room. Derek’s not doing too well mentally and is even starting to second guess his Christianity, because what’s the point if something like this could be happening to him? Pastor Williams eventually comes out and explains that neither the sheriff or Mrs. Vine look like they’ll change their minds; she’s convinced her son is innocent, but Derek is the sheriff’s number one suspect, although he has admitted it’s based on circumstance rather than any real evidence. Derek angrily questions how God could let this happen, and the two go back and forth about how there’s no real answer to that, but God is there to comfort us and feels more pain and sorrow than we do, etc. Pastor Williams encourages Derek to let go of the anger in his heart because it’s preventing him from feeling God at work and knowing peace.

Jeff Goldstein walks in now and, surprised to see Derek, asks if he’s OK. Derek laments that he’s the top murder suspect, and Jeff tells him he believes he’s innocent, and Derek is very grateful. Mrs. Vine and the sheriff appear, and Jeff quickly tells Adkins his astrology theory and hands him the list of names, pointing out that Derek is innocent because he doesn’t believe in astrology. Adkins isn’t impressed, calling Jeff’s suspicions the biggest load of cow dung he’s ever heard on the job, and he’d just been listening to Mrs. Vine tell him he’s heading to hell for accusing her son of murder! He doesn’t want to hear anything from either of them again, demanding they leave him alone to do the police work — ‘”I don’t need hocus-pocus voodoo or Bible-waving fanatics to help me out.”‘ [Well you’re clearly not doing a very good job, dickhead. I can’t believe he’s refusing to look into a perfectly plausible theory, with evidence to support it, when he’s got absolutely no idea where to focus his attention other than Derek. I hope he dies at some point] Jeff asks him to at least warn the kids on the list, but Adkins only agrees to think about it, threatening to have Jeff jailed for malicious mischief if he doesn’t keep away from them, because there’s enough fear and panic in this town without Jeff adding more fuel. [So your priority should be exploring every option to find the murderer as soon as possible…]

Derek feels bad for Jeff and doesn’t get why the sheriff’s dismissing his theory like it was nothing, but then spots the newspaper on the desk and begins to understand; the headline reads ‘FOURTH MURDER—AND NO SUSPECTS’ [Fourth?? There’s only been three. Jenny, Alan, Natalie] and the article beneath is a scathing diatribe against the sheriff. Derek realises Adkins is under immense pressure, getting hit from all sides to solve the murders, and must be very worn down so is just striking back at criticism.

‘LEO: Family members seem intent on causing problems. Try talking things out with friends and relatives.’ On Saturday morning, Robyn’s helping out in her mother’s shop and while it’s quiet, she works up the courage to ask what’s going on with Dad. [Yeah, what is going on, because this is the first we’re hearing of it] Mum admits that Dad’s been suffering bad migraines lately. He used to get them years ago and they thought they were gone, but seem to have returned six weeks ago. [Suspicious!] He’s had tests done but the doctors can’t find anything wrong, but thank God there’s no tumour or anything like that.

It hasn’t been a great time in town lately, so Mum suggests they go away over spring break. Robyn agrees but can’t hide the lack of enthusiasm in her voice, prompting Mum to ask if there’s a new boyfriend she doesn’t want to miss for a little while. Robyn denies it, reiterating that Bryan Stockwell has soured men for her. She doesn’t plan on explaining why they broke up to her mother, because then she’d have to own up to being really stupid, and she can’t bring herself to do that. Mum encourages her not to let it put her off men for good and asks about Jeff, but Robyn says he’s not interesting in her otherwise he would have already asked her out, and he’s not her type. [How many times is she going to have this same conversation] She even lies that he’s always putting her down, just to get mum to drop the subject, but that doesn’t work.

Mum thinks Jeff’s just shy and decides to ask her Tarot cards about him. Robyn rolls her eyes because she doesn’t believe in that stuff, [Oh, but astrology is perfectly believable? OK] and Mum gets her to pick a card since as a non-believer, what they say won’t affect her either way. Robyn goes along with it and picks what turns out to be the Lovers. She’s totally shocked and doesn’t like Mum’s smirk, who admits she had a good feeling about this and thinks Robyn’s just being silly to reject the cards.

Then, to their surprise, Jeff walks into the store, and Robyn questions why he’s here when he doesn’t believe in this New Age stuff. Jeff defensively points out that he’s already told her he’s bought some of her father’s candles, so where else would we have gotten them from, and then the Robyn I can’t stand returns — ‘”I don’t really care,” Robyn said, furious at the smug expression on her mother’s face. “If you’ll excuse me, I really have to get back to work.”‘ [What a fkn bitch] Robyn disappears into the stockroom and waits by the door, eavesdropping as her mother apologises for Robyn’s mood. She asks if Jeff likes fantasy stuff and invites him to the upcoming Society for Creative Anachronism event the Chantry family is going to, which she conveniently has an extra ticket for. [She’s cheeky, I love it] Jeff thanks her and agrees, leaving after buying another candle. Robyn storms out of the stockroom, furious with her mother for trying to run her love life and demanding she disinvite him from the event. Mum reasons that Robyn may not need help, but Jeff clearly does, and refuses to take back the invite. If Robyn doesn’t want him coming, she can tell him herself at school, ‘”But don’t forget what the cards said. If you fight Fate, expect trouble.”‘

‘CANCER: A crisis today is your work. A bad day for decisions and meetings. Avoid conflicts.’ An unspecified amount of time later, the watcher is waiting in the darkness at the rear of the Burger Barn, knowing that Ryan Sonderberg [Who, was indeed on the list of potential next victims Jeff printed] passes this way several times per shift, constantly given the task of taking out the trash. Close to the huge dumpster, the watcher’s in the perfect spot to catch his victim, and his murder weapon is ready to go. This time it’s a small forklift used to carry pallets of supplies to the store’s freezer. It’s used to lift things, but the watcher knows the prongs have a motor that brings them together powerfully, just like a crab snapping its claws. [I wonder if he chose Ryan as the Cancer sacrifice purely because there was a forklift at his workplace] Now all he needs to do is wait for Ryan to come out when no one else is around…

Over to Ryan inside the Burger Barn now, who’s just been ordered by his power-tripping manager to empty the trash. Off he goes outside, realising the floodlight on the back of the building is out. That’s ok, because he’s done this trip enough times to have it memorised, and he’d confidently be able to find it by smell if needed, anyway. Emptying the trash can into the dumpster, he turns to go back in, but hears the forklift starting up. Staring into the dark, he jumps as twin prongs shoot out of the shadows and slide past his ribs. Before he has time to react, the prongs move together, their grip on his chest tightening — ‘There were a few instances of terrible, crushing pain, and then nothing.’

Shortly after, the watcher’s admiring his handiwork; ‘Ryan’s body hung supported from the forklift, the chest a mass of blood and broken bones, impossibly thin. Crushed in the claw of a giant crab. Perfect.’ He takes the first picture, then adjusts himself slightly for the second. As the flash goes off, the back door opens and a harsh voice demands Ryan get back inside. The killer spins around, alarmed, and quickly blinds the manager with the camera’s flash before running off into the dark. Enraged by the trick she thinks Ryan’s playing, the manager staggers forward and touches something warm, wet and sticky. Furious, thinking it’s garbage, Suzie has to wait for her vision to clear before realising the truth; the sticky mess all over her hand is Ryan’s dripping blood.

‘LEO: Suspicions and fears haunt you today. Go with your heart, but don’t neglect your mind. Avoid arguments with friends.’ [I love how specific these horoscopes are and how accurate they are to the person’s circumstances. That never actually happens lol] The next morning, Robyn says hi to her dad in the studio before turning on the portable TV in the kitchen. It’s become her daily ritual before school since Natalie’s death two weeks ago, [OK, so the watcher isn’t killing one victim per week, it’s a bit more sporadic] and there’d been no further killings until now, she realises as a blonde Burger Barn worker finishes her sentence about finding someone dead. The reporter appears and confirms the fourth victim of the Teen Terror as an image of Ryan Sonderberg flashes on screen. The reporter explains he was found crushed in the viselike grip of a forklift, and the manager narrowly missed seeing the killer, but had revealed the murderer was taking photos of the body. It then cuts to a recording of the reporter confronting Sheriff Adkins with this information, who admits he was aware of the killer’s photography because Natalie’s father reported the same thing.

Robyn clicks off the TV as the phone rings, expecting it to be Jeff, which it is, and they agree to talk at school. Robyn had never been close to Ryan but still grieves for him, especially because she and Jeff had suspected something like this but weren’t able to prevent it. Hurrying outside to jump in the car with her mother, she breaks the news of Ryan’s murder, and Mum wraps her in a tight hug, wondering when the nightmare will end. Robyn’s hopeful it’ll be soon and is sure the sheriff will listen to her and Jeff’s theory now, and she fills her mother in as they head over to Debi’s place. Mum asks for another list and promises to get some people together and tell them what Robyn and Jeff have figured out, promising the sheriff will take it seriously this time if he wants to be re-elected. Robyn reveals that the next victim will be a female Leo, which is scary because that means Robyn could be next! [Good]

At school, Dana joins Robyn and Debi as they head for their lockers, passing Derek Vine who comments that Jean Stephenson’s done it again. Robyn’s had enough at this point and admits she’s the author, demanding to know what he’s talking about. Derek explains that Ryan’s horoscope was a bad one yesterday, and then he was killed that night. Robyn insists she just reads the stars and doesn’t make predictions come true before Debi tries to drag her off because there’s no point arguing with an idiot. The girls stop short when they see Sheriff Adkins and two deputies heading towards them before the sheriff points out Derek and orders his men to arrest him, declaring there’s eyewitnesses that place Derek close to the Burger Barn at the time of last night’s murder.

The girls hurry to their locker and just stare at each other in shocked silence before Joe Butler appears, wanting to know what’s wrong. [Joe and Mr. Chantry are my main suspects at this point. Joe’s way too involved with these students] Dana explains that Derek’s the Teen Terror and has been arrested before Sheriff Adkins waltzes up with a warrant and demands Derek’s locker be opened. Using his master key, Joe opens the locker, and Adkins smiles as he pulls out a history textbook that has several photos in it. Robyn can barely see the top one but makes out Jenny lying on the ground, a scarf wrapped around her neck, and realises they’re photos of the murders. Satisfied he can nail Derek for the murders now, Adkins stalks off, leaving the girls and Joe standing there in disbelief.

Robyn’s glad the ordeal is over, but it’s clear to Debi that Derek’s been framed. Those photos could have been put there by anybody, and would Derek really be stupid enough to keep pictures like that in his locker? Dana agrees with Debi, realising that Derek doesn’t even take the history course that textbook is used for. Robyn’s still unsure, since Derek was seen at the murder site, but Debi angrily points out it means nothing because half the school eats at the Burger Barn. Joe questions who would frame Derek, and Debi’s betting all her money on the one guy they know for sure has access to the student records, and happens to have a very nice camera in his bedroom. Robyn refuses to believe Jeff’s responsible, but can’t pin down why she’s so sure of his innocence, especially because she really doesn’t know him that well.

‘AQUARIUS: Friends can cause trouble today, but it’s possible to work things out. Avoid conflicts of interest.’ Word spreads fast around school of Derek’s arrest, and while the rest of the student body is satisfied the Teen Terror’s been caught, Debi, Robyn and Dana are convinced Derek’s innocent. Robyn still refuses to believe Jeff’s the murderer, and Debi reckons she’s gotten too close to him to see logic. Dana, on the other hand, doesn’t believe Jeff’s guilty, but also doesn’t have another suspect to accuse instead. The girls are in the small office devoted to the newspaper, trying to think of more suspects, but can only come up with Mr. Traynor, since he’s smart enough to break into the computer system and access the student files. The implication of a teacher killing students terrifies Debi, who wants to go to the sheriff with their suspicions, but Robyn decides they need a solid clue before they can accuse him. Dana wonders if there’s any written records the killer could be using instead, and Debi remembers they were all transferred to computers a few years ago. She heads off to go ask Joe what happened to the written files, but after telling her it’s his lucky day because he doesn’t often get pretty girls come looking for him, [Again, he’s in his 40s and she’s a teenager. No-one in this book thinks his comments are weird?] he informs her he burned them in the furnace. [Did he really, though?]

 Back to square one, Dana suggests they figure out if there’s any connection between the times of the murders. They all take place at night, but that’s likely because it’s dark and harder for the killer to be seen. Next they investigate the timeline of the murders — there was exactly a week between Jenny and Alan’s deaths, then Natalie’s was 13 days later, and Ryan’s 11 days after that. Robyn deduces that rather than her column predicting the murders, the killer is using her column to decide when to kill. Upon investigation, they confirm the Teen Terror struck on the same day the column predicted a bad day for the relevant star sign. With this new information, Robyn realises they can prevent another murder by making sure there’s no bad days coming up for Leos, the next predicted victim’s star sign.

The next paper’s going to the press tomorrow, so Robyn quickly finds her column in the finished file that covers the full week starting from Monday. Skimming through it, she discovers that Tuesday will be a bad day for Leos. She quickly crosses it out and types up a positive message instead, replacing it in the file. Dana suggests Robyn steer clear of Jeff anyway, just in case, but that’s easier said that done because he’s coming to the S.C.A meeting on Saturday! It should be fine though, because if he is the killer he’s unlikely to strike around all those people, and the killer wouldn’t have been due to strike until Tuesday, and probably not even then, now that Robyn’s made the change to the column. Maybe everyone’s perfectly safe!

‘LEO: Avoid bad advice from well-meaning friends. Follow your instincts, but be careful when making decisions.’ It’s Friday morning now, and Robyn’s having her morning tea, watching the news but thinking about how absurd it is that Jeff could be the killer. She admits he’s not actually bad looking, with pretty eyes and thick, shiny hair that makes her wonder if it’s as soft as it looks. A brief interview on the TV with Mrs. Vine snaps her out of her thoughts, Derek’s mother convinced he’s innocent and planning to sue the sheriff and the town once he’s exonerated.

On the way to pick up Debi, Robyn and her mother discuss Jeff potentially being the killer, which Mum thinks is nonsense because the cards like him and they never lie. This then turns into another lengthy back and forth where Mum encourages Robyn to make the next move because Jeff’s definitely interested, but very shy.

Arriving at school a short time later, Robyn and Debi are greeted by Dana with a copy of the paper — Leo’s Tuesday prediction has been changed! It now reads ‘Your worst nightmares come true. Positive thinking won’t help here,’ which is basically the exact opposite of what Robyn had replaced her original prediction with. That means the killer must have changed it, and has to have been watching them, since none of the girls said a word to anyone else about the change they made. They decide to check if Ms. Tepper still has the originals that went to the printers, to see if the killer’s change was handwritten, and find her in the staff room. We get a description of the teacher here; she’s tall, with dark hair cropped close to her head. She’s pretty shapeless too, with her clothes simply hanging off her, and with a sudden shock, Robyn realises she could pass as a man in the dark. [Oop] Ms. Tepper isn’t very pleasant and denies making any changes, since she doesn’t believe in astrology anyway, informing the girls she threw the originals out once the paper was printed. The girls then seek out Joe, who emptied the trash last night, with most paper going into the furnace. There’s some left, though, so the girls search the trash can but come up short.

Defeated, the girls are heading for their first class when Robyn suggests that Ms. Tepper is the killer — she could pass for a man in bad lighting and had the best access to the paper to be able to change the prediction, and the originals were burned much earlier than normal, apparently. She doesn’t seem to like the students much, and all of the victims had been in her classes, after all. Debi thinks Robyn’s reaching a bit, unsure if Tepper is good with computers or would have access to student records, and Robyn agrees there’s too many unknowns. [I don’t know why they’re so set on the killer having access to student records. Maybe the killer is just into astrology, like Robyn? Robyn seems to inexplicably know everyone’s star sign off the top of her head, why couldn’t the killer, too?] Debi still wants to talk to the sheriff, but Robyn doesn’t think it’ll do any good since his number one suspect is behind bars. Debi asks Robyn not to mention anything to Jeff, just in case and reckons that since he likes her so much, he’s probably chosen a different Leo girl to kill if he is the killer.

After school, Robyn and Debi visit the sheriff and explain their theory, but he’s deadset on Derek being guilty. They point out that Derek was behind bars when her column was changed, but Adkins reckons anyone could have changed it for any reason. [He’s so fkn dumb hahaha. Or maybe he’s the killer and he’s just set on framing Derek?] He’s sure he’s got the right person:

Robyn had suspected that he wouldn’t listen, but he was being so stubborn. “And you were sure when Jeff Goldstein brought you the list of possible victims that there wasn’t anything to that, either. But Ryan Sonderberg was killed. What will it take to convince you that we’re right? Another murder?”
The sheriff stared at her coldly. “If there is another one, I’ll be the first to admit that Vine isn’t guilty. But he is guilty, so there won’t be. Now, off you go. I got work to do.”

[He’s such a wanker, and an incompetent one at that] ‘LEO: Enjoy yourself. Be sociable. Good things may come of the weekend.’ It’s Saturday night now, and Robyn’s family plus Jeff are at the S.C.A event dressed in full garb — Dad’s a blacksmith, Mum’s a fortune-teller, Robyn’s a barmaiden, and Jeff’s borrowed a merchant costume from Mr. Chantry. The event goes well, and Robyn admits to herself that Jeff’s occupying her thoughts more and more because he really is a great guy. She’s almost certain he’s got nothing to do with the murders, and wishes there was a way she could be sure. Finally, as the group are leaving, a woman in a gypsy costume offers out her deck of tarot cards, offering to tell Jeff his fortune. Robyn encourages him to pick a card, even though he doesn’t believe in it, but to their horror the random card he picks is a black-cloaked skeleton carrying a scythe — the Death card!

‘AQUARIUS: Don’t be distracted by others today. Trouble comes calling, but avoid it and mind your own business.’ It’s Monday now, and Robyn and Debi spend most of the day unable to concentrate because tomorrow is the day the Teen Terror will strike. Poor Dana’s probably worried too, but she sprained her ankle while skating so she’ll be home all week. Jeff had determined yesterday there are four Leo girls in their year level, so Robyn had called the other three up to warn them to stay home Tuesday night. She hopes that’ll be enough, but who knows because Natalie was murdered in her own bedroom with her parents right downstairs. The girls are still at odds over Jeff’s innocence, so Debi suggests they watch Jeff’s house tomorrow night to see if he goes out. Then they can follow him and call the police if needed. Robyn reluctantly agrees, hoping to clear Jeff’s name, and they make plans for a sleepover. Their mood lightens now that they know they won’t just be sitting around, waiting for news of the next victim or for the killer to come after Robyn, but Debi hopes they’re making the right decision and not putting Robyn in more danger.

When school’s finally over the next day, the girls find Jeff waiting at their lockers. He tells Robyn he’s got a lot to do tonight, so probably won’t have time to call her and go over their computer program like they’d planned. That’s fine with the girls, who inform him of their sleepover, and after he leaves, Debi calls the interaction suspicious:

“What?” Robyn looked amazed. “What are you talking about?”
“That he asked you not to call him tonight of all nights, for one thing. And for another—how come he didn’t offer to walk us to my house? It’s on his way home, after all. And if he likes you as much as we think he does, wouldn’t he look for any excuse to hang around with you?”

Robyn hopes that he really is just preoccupied, and they bump into Joe on their way out as he’s emptying the trash. He reveals he’s dropping by the Chantry residence to see her father, who’d promised to do a Vlad the Impaler candle sculpture for him. As the girls continue home, Robyn reveals to Debi that her father had decided not to go ahead with the piece; he’s anti-violence and can’t muster any enthusiasm for the piece. [We did learn about his doubts a lot earlier in the book, but by this point that was weeks ago. Why has Mr. Chantry not told Joe he won’t be making the piece anymore?! Bad customer service, that] Robyn then expresses her concerns for her father, who’s been overworking, moody and sleeping a lot because of his migraines. She thinks the whole family needs a vacation, and Debi encourages her to insist on one.

Later that night, the two very nervous girls make their way towards Jeff’s house, telling Debi’s parents they’re going out for tacos. They stay out of view, but ensure they have a direct view of the Goldstein house, and anxiously wait. Sure enough, just after 8pm, Jeff exits the front door and heads down the street. The girls follow him from afar, knowing that if he heads towards Debi’s place they’ll know he’s up to no good, and that’s exactly where he seems to be going!

‘LEO: Your worst nightmare come true. Positive thinking won’t help here.’ Imagine Robyn’s relief when he walks straight past the Smolinske residence, but more questions are raised when Jeff arrives at his destination: school. They girls watch as Jeff picks the lock to the main entrance and sneakily follow him inside, where it becomes clear he’s gone down to the basement, where the storage areas and Joe’s rooms are. Robyn orders Debi to go call the police from the payphone near the lockers while she stays here, planning to trap Jeff until the cops arrive. [Yes, let’s split up when there’s a one in four chance Robyn could be tonight’s victim. Good thinking, Robyn!]

Hearing noises from the basement, Robyn just absolutely has to know for sure right now what Jeff’s doing, and creeps down the stairs to peer into Joe’s room. Jeff’s in there, looking through various boxes stacked along the walls, and Robyn realises he really is the killer. He’s alerted to another presence when her foot snags something that rattles away from her, and he quickly captures her before realising who she is. He’s heartbroken that she thinks he could be the killer, and she explains she didn’t believe it, but had to see for herself if she was right or wrong. Jeff ends up kissing her, and she enjoys it!

She explains to him the most recent theory about the killer’s timeline and link to her column, revealing tonight is when the killer would strike next. Jeff explains he’s looking for the written student files, having also realised they could still be around, arguing that Joe simply could have lied about burning them when Robyn tries to argue they’re gone. Robyn finally realises that Joe might very well be the killer, [Oh he definitely is. Remember how he’d be paying Mr. Chantry a visit tonight? Maybe that was just a way to get access to Robyn] remembering how he’d also burnt the altered prediction and is an avid reader of her column. Jeff also reveals why he suspected Joe — he has a master key to all the lockers, so could have hidden the photos in Derek’s locker. Derek also used to take that particular history class last year, but dropped it this year, which Joe wouldn’t know if he’s working from old records. Jeff hadn’t mentioned any of this because he wanted to keep Robyn out of trouble, especially after that tarot card at the S.C.A; he was terrified he’d get her killed!

Now a dynamic duo, [Robyn doesn’t seem at all alarmed that Debi hasn’t come to find her] the pair sift through more boxes but come up short of evidence. There’s an old, rolled up carpet in the corner, so Jeff takes his chances with that, unrolling it to reveal a large, gold circle:

It was cut into twelve segments, and onto each segment had been painted a sign of the Zodiac. Under these, attached to the material, we are old manila envelopes. The first four signs had no envelopes.
She and Jeff bent to look closer. Under a crude painting of a ram was pinned a photograph of Jenny Warren’s dead body. Then, next to it, Alan’s blood-soaked form. Then Natalie’s garrotted corpse, propped against her mirror. Finally, Ryan’s shattered body.
Robyn felt like throwing up. They were the worst pictures she’d ever seen in her life. She clutched at the wall for support. Grimly, Jeff pulled the envelope from under the stylized lion, and tore it open.
Robyn’s own file lay exposed.
Stunned by the shock of it, Robyn didn’t hear the noise until too late. By the time she turned, the intruder had smashed his fist down on Jeff’s exposed neck, dropping him senseless to the carpet.
Joe Butler smiled down at her, but there was no warmth in the smile at all.

Robyn backs away as Joe moves slightly, bringing up his hand and revealing a huge, furry glove with claw-like blades set into the fingertips. [Is this one of Freddy Krueger’s Tales of Terror?] Robyn, not daring to look at Jeff but dying to know whether he’s alive, begs Joe not to kill her, insisting they’re friends. Joe agrees on their friendship and claims there’s nothing personal about it, but he has to kill her. Hoping to stall him until the police arrive, Robyn cleverly convinces him that as her friend, she wants to help him, but she can help him a lot better if she understands why he’s doing all this.

Joe explains that he comes from a poor family and would never have been able to afford college, so he joined the Army to get a scholarship. But Fate wasn’t going to let Joe succeed, and instead of fighting in the Vietnam War, he was sent to Germany as part of the peacekeeping force, where he was stuck in a useless job. A terrorist attack on the barracks killed some people, but Joe wasn’t lucky enough to die; instead he was permanently injured, and still has shrapnel in his leg. He was then invalidated out of the army but refused a scholarship because he hadn’t served long enough, and the only job he could get was as a janitor at his old high school. He got to watch spoiled, privileged kids graduate and go on to bigger and better things while he worked himself to death. It’s not fair, damn it! [True, poor Joe. I do feel sorry for him]

Then he suddenly realised he had a mission in life — the gods of the Zodiac had cursed him with bad luck because they needed an agent, someone to do their bidding; ‘”It was then that I heard the voice of the prophetess, and I realized that I had been called to serve the gods of the Zodiac.”‘ And who is the prophetess, you ask? Jean Stephenson, author of the astrology column in the school newspaper, of course! On the very first day the column began, Joe’s horoscope read ‘Seize the day! Make those necessary changes in your life!’ which he interpreted as something very different than the generalised prediction it really was. Joe doesn’t know why he’d originally kept all the written student files, because he’d just read through them and his anger at the world would fester, but then the answer came to him:

“All I had to do was to transfer their good luck to me! If I killed one person from each sign of the Zodiac, using the weapons that the gods would reveal to me, when the wheel of fortune was completed, I would have all of the luck that they had forfeited through death! And the gods would have the sacrifices they wanted.
It was so simple. I was amazed I had never seen it before. So I prepared and planned, and when the first one, Aries, was ready, I waited for the sign from the prophetess. It came, and I took Jenny Warren as the first victim.”

He was careful not to hurt make his victims suffer too much, [Tell that to Ryan’s crushed torso] since they’re doing him a favour by dying, after all, and the gods only ask for sacrifice, not pain. He smiles gently as he promises to make Robyn’s death quick and as painless as possible too, then asks her to lie down on the carpet — ‘”This will probably be the best of all of the sacrifices. Your blood can mingle with the Zodiac, instead of it having to be just a picture.”‘

Robyn points out that if Jeff, an Aquarius, dies, everything will go wrong for Joe, and Joe agrees he’d have to start all over again. Joe also says he can’t leave Debi alive either, and notices Robyn’s shock. He laughs as realises Robyn was trying to keep him talking until the police arrived, but unfortunately Debi never got to make the call. Turns out he’d been following the girls the whole time, just as easily as they’d followed Jeff, and he locked her away when they split up before coming to deal with Robyn. He decides to get Robyn over with first, then deal with the other two.

With nothing else to lose, Robyn reveals she’s Jean Stephenson, the prophetess. If Joe kills her, then he’ll have no-one to tell him when to kill the next victims, and the Zodiac gods will be very unhappy. Joe struggles with whether to believe her or not, and it seems to Robyn he’s hearing voices she can’t — ‘Robyn vaguely remembered reading once that many schizophrenics heard voices telling them what to do,. Was this what was happening to Joe?’ To further hammer in her point, she acknowledges his change to today’s Leo prophecy, and he admits to changing it back to a negative prediction when he saw her change.

Robyn accuses him of cheating the Zodiac, insisting the gods had told her she made a mistake and had to change the prediction, and then he betrayed them by changing it back. Surely Joe can see that they didn’t want him to kill Robyn, the prophetess? Joe hadn’t known the gods speak to her too, but Robyn points out that she couldn’t write the prophecies if she didn’t hear their voices. She then asks who Joe’s own god is, and he reveals he’s a Leo, and Robyn proposes the gods want him as the Leo sacrifice to pay for his mistake.

This seems to change his mind about believing her, and he decides it was her who tried to cheat the gods, so she’s been rejected by them now and must die. They’ll pick a new prophet or prophetess because they can do anything they want, and because of her betrayal her death will now involve a lot of suffering. He lunges for her, but Robyn ducks out of the way, his clawed hand raking her back. She throws a bottle of cleaning stuff at him and the claws slash through it, filling the air with the stench of ammonia. Coughing, she makes her way up the stairs but find the door locked, and soon she’s cornered by Joe, who proclaims her only way out is through death.

Jeff suddenly appears behind Joe with a hammer, ordering him to leave Robyn alone, and after assessing this new threat, Joe lunges up at Robyn, the claw ripping the flesh of her left arm as she defends herself. Joe then pushes her down the stairs towards Jeff and screams that they haven’t won — Debi will make a perfect sacrifice for the gods instead, and if it’s done right, maybe they’ll accept it. He then exits the door and locks them in once again. Robyn explains that Joe hears voices who tell him to kill people, and Jeff manages to break the lock with the hammer. They decide Debi was probably locked in the boys’ bathroom, since that’s near the phone, and  because she’s an Aquarius, maybe he’s planning on drowning her in the toilet. [Oof] Unfortunately the bathroom is empty, although Debi’s bag is on the ground, so they were here. Hearing a door slam faintly, Robyn realises Joe’s probably taken Debi to the small lake nearby, where they caught frogs for biology.

‘AQUARIUS: A time to stick with friends. Avoid exercise, and feeling sorry for yourself.’  Back in time a little bit and over to Debi, who had indeed been thrown into the boys’ bathroom with no escape, catching a glimpse of Joe before he locked her in. The only window is too tiny to fit through, and it faces the oval, so no-one would hear her scream for help. With nothing to lose, she smashes the window with the flashlight she’d brought in her bag, but not to use a shard of glass as a weapon, but to signal SOS in Morse code, hoping someone will see and understand it. Before long, though, Joe bursts into the room. ‘He wore some funny kind of glove with knives—like he’d been playing Nightmare On Elm Street or something—and blood was dripping from it.’ [Ayyyy, there’s the Freddy reference!] Realising Robyn’s dead and she’s next, she tries to use the flashlight as a club, but he easily overpowers her and chops his hand on her neck, knocking her unconscious with his military technique.

A short time later, Robyn and Jeff arrive at the lake where Joe’s just started holding Debi’s head underwater. Jeff tackles him from behind and the two slug it out in the water while Robyn pulls Debi’s limp body out of the lake. Debi splutters to life, and once satisfied she’s OK, Robyn runs into the lake to help Jeff, whose lack of fighting experience was easily overpowered by the trained military man. With Jeff winded, Joe turns to make a run for it but comes face to face with Robyn who, overcome with an immense rage, delivers a right hook to the right side of his head. Joe topples backward and disappears under the water, most likely into a deep spot. Jeff suspects Joe drowned, unable to swim because of the leg he can’t move, and soon the sound of sirens can be heard as a police car arrives.

‘LEO & AQUARIUS: Enough hard work—it’s time for a rest, and a reevaluation of your life.’ A deputy steps out of the car and wraps Debi in a blanket as Robyn and Jeff make their way back to dry land. He explains he was investigating complaints about vandals at the school, then a street gang at large, and now he finds three wet kids. [How did he know to come to the lake, though?] The teens explain everything, and the deputy returns to the car to call it in. With the ordeal over, Jeff and Robyn share a lengthy, passionate kiss and when they finally come up for air, Debi apologises to Jeff for making Robyn doubt him. They agree to be friends, and Debi cracks that it’s astonishing how long it took them to realise Joe Butler was the killer — ‘”After all, in all the mystery clichés, it’s always the Butler that did it.”‘ [Classic] Feeling lucky to be alive with her friends, the book ends as Robyn gazes up at the sky for the first time tonight:

There were hundreds of stars. Whether or not they influenced human lives, they were always a wonderful sight to see. Especially since she had thought she’d never live to see them again.
People lived, died, and loved—and the stars watched over them.

Final thoughts

This was a pretty good read and much better than expected considering how little I enjoyed Horror High #1: Mr. Popularity by Nicholas Adams. Apparently Nicholas Adams is a pen name for several authors, which could explain why I enjoyed this one so much more. Horrorscope’s Nicholas Adams is actually John Peel, who probably had nothing to do with Mr. Popularity! Anyway, it kept my attention and made me want to keep reading, although I do think it could have been a bit shorter. There were so many repetitive conversations about whether Robyn and Jeff liked each other that weren’t really needed, and slowed the pace down more than anything. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect, which was a bit complicated but overall pretty smart, and quite different to the standard ones we get in Point Horror. The killer’s M.O. was pretty unique and would work great for a slasher movie, although the upcoming film based on the book seems to have taken nothing from the plot — it’s a supernatural horror that focuses on tarot cards rather than horoscopes, according to the trailer.

We got four deaths, which was great, but I was really hoping for more since there were 12 planned victims. The death scenes were great though, giving us an insight into the killer’s mind, and I liked how we got to know the victims, even if their appearance was super brief. I had a love-hate relationship with Robyn and wanted her to die half the time, but she was a lot more likeable by the end. I would have loved to see even more of Debi, because she was great, and Jeff was an interesting character too.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Nicholas Adams now [As long as it’s actually John Peel lol], but still a bit reluctant to touch the Horror High series again.

140 creepy custodians who compliment teenage girls but doesn’t raise alarm bells out of 194!