So Many Boys (21 page)

“It’s enemies.”

She pressed her lips together in a sad smile. “Exactly.”

And then she turned around and walked out of the gymnasium.

I flinched like I’d been slapped across the face. I looked over at Izzie, who was watching me wide-eyed, unsure of who to follow. Luckily she stayed where she was.

“Well, that was fun,” Leona muttered, climbing down from the wood bench and smoothing out her skirt. “Can we talk about how the hell we’re going to catch this copy-Kitten now? I have a strongly worded letter that I need to write.”

The plan was simple, really. The weekend after next was the homecoming dance, the primo event for Washington High—a time when relationships (and affairs) were forged. Since the copy-Kitten was so interested in me, even when I wasn’t a subject, they’d surely be interested in investigating me for real, now that I was officially named.

Leona would send in a cheater request form pretending to be Kira and name Joel and me as the targets. The tough part was going to be trying to pull this off without letting Joel in on our plan. Surely he couldn’t know that the Smitten Kittens were SOS, or rather the real SOS.

I would just have to be seen with him. We’d considered setting something up for Chris’s party on Saturday, but Kira had told us that Joel wouldn’t be there. I admit, I was a little disappointed. After seeing Aiden with Mary, the thought of another date with Chris made me slightly nauseous. It would have been nice to see a friendly face.

So we decided that the best place for Operation Knockoff would be at homecoming, with Joel and me in a compromised position. And even though Kira refused to participate in the sting or talk to me other than in short sentences, she was still up for going to Chris’s party on Saturday with us.

However awkward that might be.

 

CASE
: 005
CLIENT
: Kira Reynolds
SUBJECT
: Joel Fletcher

 

Due to the sensitive nature of this assignment, we will keep this notice brief. SOS will be investigating Tessa Crimson, free of charge, in the suspected cheat of Joel Fletcher.

Although pictures were supplied already, from your sternly worded letter, we gather that you’re not ready to accept this crime.

Because of that, SOS will confirm the cheat and provide revenge tactics.

SOS will inform you of our findings as soon as possible. We would also recommend that you no longer associate with Ms. Crimson or the Smitten Kittens.

“HURRY UP, LEONA,” KIRA CALLED FROM THE
driver’s seat as Leona walked out the front double doors of her huge brick house. Her dad’s vintage cars were in the driveway, making her already-impressive house that much more eclectic.

We’d parked on her street, sitting at the curb for close to fifteen minutes while we waited for her. But the second I saw her, I knew why. She looked delicious. Her brown hair had been set in curlers, leaving it all wavy, with her fringed bangs brushed to the side. She’d gotten new contacts and lined her eyes heavily with liner, giving her that model-just-out-of-rehab look. Her black minidress with strappy heels was a total ensemble!

Izzie whistled from the passenger seat as Leona climbed into the back with me. I smiled.

“You look ravishing,” I said, reaching up to touch one of her curls.

She shrugged. “No big deal.”

“It certainly is,” Kira announced before checking her mirrors and pulling out into the street. “You finally look like a real Kitten.”

Not true. Leona always looked like herself, which was exactly right for a Smitten Kitten. But Kira and I were only speaking to each other when necessary, and contradicting her right now didn’t qualify as necessary.

“Shove it, Kira,” Leona said, reaching over to adjust the strap on her sandals. “I just wanted to put myself back on the market. Worry about your own boyfriend.”

“When were you off the market?” Kira laughed. “And don’t worry about Joel. He’s just fine.”

Leona shot me a glance, then turned to look out the back window at the passing trees. “Let’s drop it. I’m just ready to have fun. That’s all.”

After the week I’d had, I was hoping that Chris’s party would be more on the hook than off, but I was wrong. There were at least twenty people standing on the front lawn of his two-story, red Craftsman’s-style home. A few were playing horseshoes (which I’m sure the neighbors loved), and some were just sitting on the porch watching and drinking, occasionally calling out winners.

Kira bumped the curb as she parked in front, causing the crowd to taunt us.

“Nice,” Leona murmured. I could see the splotches of red appearing on her neck and chest. It wasn’t a common thing for Leona to look petrified.

Izzie sighed longingly from the front seat. “I bet Sam liked horseshoes.”

“He probably did,” I said, trying to be supportive. Then I leaned over and pushed open the door. As the rest of the girls filtered out, grouping around me, I became uncomfortably aware that I was underdressed.

Leona was in a minidress, and Kira and Izzie were both in short skirts and ballet flats. I, however, was wearing a white T-shirt with jeans and sandals. They seemed to notice my clothes too.

“Jeez, Tessa, could you have even tried to impress Chris?” Kira said, fluffing her blonde curls. “I could have let you borrow an outfit.”

I wasn’t sure if Kira was trying to be friendly or if she was putting me down because she was still upset about the Joel misunderstanding. Either way, I decided to just be polite.

“Thanks for the offer.”

“Let’s go,” Leona said, looping her arm in mine and heading across the soft grass and toward the party. A few people said hi to me as we walked. I sensed that just by being here, I was getting part of my reputation back. Although at this point, I wasn’t really sure how much I cared.

The music was loud. Really loud. We wandered in, Izzie and Kira immediately heading to the kitchen in search of cups while Leona and I decided to stake out the scene from the living room.

We stood by the fireplace and scanned the room.

“Do you think the copy-Kitten is here?” I asked, swallowing hard. It made goose bumps rise on my arms, just thinking about being watched. Again.

“Naw,” Leona said. “I doubt it, since Joel’s not here.” She turned to me. “But then again, you seem to be the flavor of the week, so there is a chance she’s tracking you.”

“Reassuring.” I felt my phone vibrate in my jeans pocket and held it up to check the number. I drew in a harsh breath. “It’s Mary,” I murmured.

“Shit.”

“Language.”

“Sorry, Tess.” But then Leona reached for my phone, plucking it from my hands and putting it to her ear. “Tessa’s phone,” she said into it, looking sideways at me.

Her carefully lined eyes narrowed. “Yeah, see, Mary, I don’t think Tessa’s all that keen on talking to you right now. Why?” Leona laughed, reaching up to switch the phone to her other ear. “Maybe because you’re a sneaky bitch? Maybe because we saw you kiss her boyfriend—ex, whatever. Doesn’t matter. You violated Smitten Kitten code.”

There was a mix of sickness and relief in my stomach. I didn’t want it said so bluntly about Mary and Aiden. Saying it made it real. But then again, I was just so glad to have Leona stick up for me. I hadn’t felt protected in a long time.

Leona sighed. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll tell her. Bye.” Leona pulled the phone from her face and looked at it as she clicked it off, averting her eyes.

“Tell me what?” I asked, my heart racing.

Leona pressed her lips together and turned, holding my phone out to me. “She said she’s sorry and that she didn’t mean for it to happen.”

Grief rushed through me. It was the only way to describe the ache that pulled at my ribs, making my lip quiver.

“Listen,” Leona said. “I know this isn’t the time, but I think Mary may be my main suspect.”

“I thought you said it was Chloe,” I mumbled, sniffling once. I hated to cry off my makeup, but I wasn’t sure I could hold it in. My phone vibrated again in my hand, and when I turned it over, I saw Aiden’s mother’s number.

Was his mom calling me or was he in town? I clicked it off, sending it to voice mail before shoving it deep into my pants pocket.

“Aiden?” Leona asked. When I nodded, she slung her arm over my shoulders. “Figures. Mary probably just called him and told him that you—” She stopped as I noticeably tensed. “Never mind,” she said. “I’m sure they totally don’t talk on the phone or anything.”

Just then there were some cheers from across the room. I looked up to see Chris come in, dressed in his jersey. Looking very…athletic. A few of his teammates began chanting his name, and he held up his beer cup in greeting, but it was obvious where his attention was focused. On me. I gulped and looked away toward the front window.

“Straighten up,” Leona said, adjusting her own posture. I blew out a breath, pushing away the painful thoughts of Aiden and Mary. I needed to try to accept my destiny as a Smitten Kitten and what was right for me. I glanced up to see Chris standing there, beaming with his perfectly straight teeth.

“I can’t believe you came,” he said, reaching up to brush self-consciously at his blond hair. “You look great.”

I would have thought he was just trying to be polite, but his blue eyes looked positively honest as he gazed at me.

“Right,” Leona said with a laugh. “I think Tessa’s T-shirt is from this year’s Balenciaga collection.”

Chris looked over at her, seeming confused. I smiled.

“It was a joke,” Leona muttered, shaking her head.

“It was funny,” I assured her, pulling down on the hem of my shirt to iron out some of the wrinkles. I really should have worn something a little dressier.

“Obviously,” she said back, and glanced around the crowded room. “Okay,” she said with a long breath. “I’m going to find Kira and Izzie and get a drink. You two”—she looked between us—“have a blast.”

“Thanks!” Chris and I answered at the same time and then looked at each other somewhat awkwardly.

“Good luck with that.” Leona widened her eyes, then eased her way through the bodies in the room toward the kitchen.

Once she was gone, Chris moved forward to rest his muscular arm on the mantel of the fireplace. His biceps were huge—he didn’t even have to flex. I relaxed a little.

“The party’s great,” I said, having to talk a little louder than was comfortable for being this close. “I think the entire school is here.”

“Only the seniors,” he said. “Trying to play the role, you know.” He smiled at me. “Stuck-up jock.”

I laughed. “And the cheerleader.” I pointed to myself. “How cliché.”

“I did have to turn away a few juniors earlier. It was sort of fun, although I know it’s not nice to say being a dick is fun.”

I flinched. Juniors? “Who’d you turn away?”

Chris exhaled, leaning closer to me as he scratched at his head. “Um…Johnny Rake, Giselle…somebody, Chloe Ferril—”

“Wait,” I said, holding up my hand. “Chloe Ferril was here?” I spun around the room, my Kitten senses tingling, as I looked for the other members of my squad.

“Yeah…” Chris said. “She was here, all gothed out. Why? You two still don’t like each other?”

“I have to go,” I answered, turning back to him suddenly. The disappointment on his face was plain and I felt awful. But…if Leona’s original thoughts were correct, Chloe could be the copy-Kitten. And she might still be here!

With a quick apologetic smile, I turned to move away. A moment later, one of the defensive linemen ran in from the hallway. He swung his thick neck around until he found Chris and then grinned.

“Dude,” he called. “Check your e-mail!”

“Why?” Chris asked, stepping forward and touching my arm casually. My back tensed.

“Cheaters, man! Everyone’s getting a video of cheaters!”

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket, tickling my leg. A second later, I heard Chris’s phone go off next to me—the ring tone of Washington High’s fight song. I would have been impressed, but at the same moment, several other phones began ringing. A mix of buzzing, dinging, and top-forty hits.

I gasped, my fingers trembling.

“What the hell?” Chris asked, taking out his phone and looking at it. I was too scared to look at mine. “Someone’s streaming a video.”

I stepped over and put my hand on Chris’s arm as I leaned in to look at his screen. There was an hourglass turning, loading a video. Glancing around the living room, I saw that everyone who had a phone was looking at it, and those who didn’t were sharing.

I held my breath, grasping Chris’s warm skin, not caring that I wasn’t into him. Not caring that not being into him might mean I couldn’t be a Smitten Kitten. Because whatever I was about to see, it would be bad. I could feel it in my pom-poms.

The hourglass faded, the screen showing a still from outside a window, looking into a classroom. Wait. Was that the music room? The image focused in on someone dashing into the room. It zoomed in.

I reached out to pull Chris’s phone closer to us. Riley Richards? Oh, frack! This couldn’t be good.

“Shit, Riley!” Chris called out teasingly, glancing into the party. “It’s you!” He pointed.

I looked up, seeing Riley standing in the middle of the room with his girlfriend, Jenn, his eyes widening at the mention of his name. Obviously
he
hadn’t gotten the call.

Jenn’s eyes darted around the room. “What?” she asked, laughing nervously.

I bit down hard on my lip and turned back to the phone. Riley was still in the music room, and I hoped that possibly, this was just a joke. But it wasn’t.

Megan Wright walked into the music room, going immediately to Riley, pausing uncomfortably close. I peeked at Jenn as she looked from person to person, wanting to know what we were seeing. Finally she ran over to Fredrick Henry and snatched his iPhone out of his hand.