The Clique (26 page)

              “I—I don’t know.” Maddie hangs her head. “I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t practice enough.” She tries to ignore the glares as she walks out of the building. Her teammates head for the changing rooms, but she just collapses against her school’s concrete wall. The night air nips at her skin.

              “You were so wonderful!” her father coos, exiting through the same door as Maddie.

              She snorts. “Yeah, wonderful… I screwed up, dad.”

              “Well, yeah—but you were good up until then!”

              “It doesn’t matter. We just lost, because of me.”

              “Maddie, it was the first competition of the year. And you only had half the time to learn the routine as those other girls. I think you did really well, considering.” He gives Maddie a cautious smile.

              “Mrs. Davis was right. I’m not good enough to be on the team.”

             
“Don’t say that. You were just as good as those other girls.”

              Maddie kicks off of the wall. “No, I wasn’t. I was early on the turnout, and I completely messed up the ending.” She takes a deep breath. “Can I just be alone now?”

              “Not until you admit you were good.” Maddie’s dad steps in front of her and grabs both her shoulders. “You were every bit as good as those other girls. Admit it.”

              “I can’t!” Maddie grimaces. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. You wanna know the truth? Mrs. Davis didn’t pick me for the team. The only reason I’m even here is because Bella stopped showing up to practice.”

              “Well, that’s something. You showed up and she didn’t.”

              “No, you don’t understand!” Maddie looks around. No one else is braving the chill night air. “I made a deal, with this boy who has a crush on Aude. He blackmailed Bella, and that’s why she stopped going to practice.”

              “You—what—?” Maddie’s dad releases her shoulders and takes a step back.

              “Yeah, so there you go. I wasn’t good enough. I cheated, and I don’t deserve to be a Patriot. Okay?”

              “Maddie, what kind of deal did you make?”

              “He said he could—he could make mom love me again. And help me get on the Patriots, and become the class president. I didn’t earn any of it, everything good that’s happened to me this past month has been because of him.”
And everything bad, too.

             
Her father exhales deeply. “So, you cheated.”

              “Yes. And I feel horrible about it now. But there’s nothing I can do.”

              “Why not?”

              “Because—“ Maddie shakes her head “—I’ll lose all my friends, probably get kicked out of Student Council, and Mrs. Davis will never let me be a Patriot.”

              “Well, I think you have to own up to the consequences. Maybe they won’t be as bad as you think. I bet you won’t lose your friends just because you told a lie.”

              “I spied on them, dad! And I—Devon was trying to ruin Aude’s life, and I helped him.” A breeze runs through the air, making Maddie shiver.

              “Do you have to stay for the results?” her dad asks.

              Maddie shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

              “Good.” He takes off his coat and hands it to her. “Give me a minute. I’m going to tell Mrs. Davis that I’m taking you home.”

              “But, my stuff—“

              “I’ll get it.” Her dad crosses through the glass doors. Maddie waits for him, a few minutes. Then a few more.

              He reappears, holding her gym bag. “Let’s go home.”

              “Okay.” Maddie follows her father to his silver Prius. She stares out the window for the entirety of the ten minute drive home. Her dad parks in the garage, unlocks the door, and gestures for her to follow him to the kitchen.

              “So—“ he pops the lid off a beer “—you’re spying on your friends.”

              “Yeah.”

              “For how long?”

              Maddie leans against the granite counter. “A few weeks. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I thought Devon just wanted some information, like so that he could ask Aude out or something.”

              “Okay… It’s okay, Maddie. These things can get out of hand sometimes.”

              “Oh, so you’re an expert on selling out your friends now?”

              Her dad smiles. “Touché.  I may not be an expert, but I’ve made my fair share of dumb choices. And let me give you some fatherly advice: own up to it. Own up to it and apologize, because your friends will find out eventually.”

              Maddie sighs. “I know, that’s what I should do. But I feel like I’d rather—I dunno, it would just be easier to keep the secret, if that makes sense.”

              “Of course it would be, but I didn’t think I’d raised you to take the easy route over the right one.”

              “It’s not that simple!” Maddie protests. “Devon practically threatened me, when I told him I’d tell Aude.”

              “Hold on, he physically threatened you?” Her father’s expression turns serious.

              “”Yes! Well, no. He kinda smashed a ladybug, and then called me
his
ladybug.”

              “Maddie, that’s very serious. He shouldn’t be—he could get in big trouble. You need to go to the principal.”

             
“I’d rather handle this between us. My friends and I, I mean.”

              “Hmm.” Maddie’s dad taps his fingers against the beer bottle. “What did he say he would do to you?”

              “Nothing, exactly. He asked me, if he would try to ruin Aude’s life even though he loves her, what I thought he would do to me.”

              “Then no. I’m sorry, but I won’t let you handle this. The adults need to step in on this one.”

              Maddie crosses her arms. She reminds herself that he’s just trying to help. “Fine. Just let me tell Aude first.”

“Kate—“Aude pauses midway through pulling a green dress on “—before we go to Hannah’s party, I need to ask you about something.”

              “Okay?”

              “Did you, uh, did you tell Devon about my dad calling me a—you know?”

              Kate frowns at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Uh, maybe. Why?”

              “’Cause he found out somehow, and he told my sister, and they had a fight with my dad. Now he’s really mad at me again, ‘cause he thinks I’m the one who told them.”

              “Oh.” Kate sets the mascara bottle down and pokes her head into her room. “I’m sorry, Aude.”

              Aude sighs. “Okay.”

              “What? What’s the matter?”

              “I dunno…” Aude shakes her head. “It’s nothing.”

              “Come on, we talked about this. Don’t be afraid to say what you’re thinking about.”

              “Fine. W-why do you keep trying to ruin my family?”

              “What? I’m not trying to ruin your family.”

              “First you took that video, then you told Devon what my dad said! I thought we were past all this.” She looks down. “I thought we were friends again.”

              “We are.”

              “Yeah, well, then why did you tell him?”

              Kate gulps. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to. I promise.”

              “So you—what, just told him on accident? Like ‘hey Devon, in case you need something to tell Aude’s sister so she’ll get in a huge fight with her dad, here’s what you need to know?’”

              “No! No, of course not.”

              “Then why did you tell him!”

              “I don’t know. Please don’t be mad, Aude.”

              “I’m not mad!” She takes a breath. “I’m not mad. I just—“ she collapses on Kate’s bed “—I just don’t understand what’s going on. It’s like someone is trying to screw up my life.”

              “Yeah, Devon.” Kate frowns. She decides she might as well just tell Aude. “He has a crush on me, so when you and I stopped being friends, I think he decided to hurt you. Like, to make me happy.”

              “Then why would he keep doing it?”

              “I dunno. Maybe because—he seems kinda strange to me, like almost insane. Maybe he has a reason we just don’t know about, or can’t understand.”

              “Yeah, he does seem kinda weird. But, I dunno, I don’t feel like he wouldn’t have
any
reason, you know?”

              Kate sighs. “Well, if he has a reason, I have no idea what it is.”

              Their discussion goes around in circles, as they try to figure out why Devon might want to hurt her. Eventually, they both agree that it’s impossible to figure out. They finish getting ready and head over to Hannah’s house.

              “Hey!” Hannah smiles at Aude and Kate. “We have the house to ourselves. No raiding my mom’s stash though.“ She giggles. “She noticed the Bordeaux was missing, last time. Took her hours to give up looking for it.”

              “You seem happy,” Kate says.

              “I
am
happy. And excited. All four of us, together, just like before all that drama.”

              “But you have stuff to drink, right?” Aude asks.

              Kate sniggers. “It isn’t even seven yet.”

              Hannah steps aside to let her friends in the house. “Don’t worry, I got some beer. I know you don’t consider it a party unless you get drunk, so…“

              “Yeah, she’s definitely an alcoholic,” Kate agrees, only half-jokingly.

              They head downstairs, and Hannah grabs a pool cue. She throws a few balls on the table, takes aim at the cue ball, and sinks the black eight. “That was a good shot!”

              Kate laughs. “Only if you were trying to lose.” Hannah cocks her head. “If you get the eight ball in before the rest, it’s an automatic loss,” Kate explains.

              “Oh, well, it was still a good shot. You guys wanna play?”

              “Of course.” Kate grabs a cue while Aude leans against the wall to watch. Maddie arrives and tromps down the stairs before either Hannah or Kate manage to sink a single ball.

              Hannah looks up at Kate and smiles. “You wanna just agree first one in wins?”

              “Okay.” Kate takes aim at the white ball and hits it. It bounces off an edge of the table, hits a blue-striped ball, and rolls to a stop right in front of a corner pocket.

              Hannah takes aim and nudges the cue ball in. She laughs hysterically at Kate’s bewildered expression. “Hey, I said first one in. I never said it had to be one of the colored balls.”

              Kate sighs and places her stick back on the rack. “Well, what should we do?”

              Hannah walks upstairs, and returns with a six-pack, which she sets on the pool table. “There’s more upstairs, if we want it. I say we drink ‘till someone has a better idea. Aude, what’s the matter? I got Bud, just for you.”

              Aude shrugs. “I’m not in the mood.”

              “Come on.” Hannah giggles. “Since when are you not in the mood?”

              “I’m just not, okay?”

              Kate smiles sympathetically. “You wanna go hang out in the hot tub?”

              “I dunno. Yeah, I guess.”

              Aude presses the button to get it started. A few minutes and a few borrowed bikinis—and a couple of bottles of beer, for Hannah—later, the water’s warm and accommodating. The four of them climb in.

              “You know what? I could actually use some.“ Maddie climbs out and grabs a bottle from the six-pack. She drains it like she’s being timed. “Guys, I—uh, I have to tell you something.” The water splashes as she finds a seat next to Kate.

              “Yeah?” Aude asks.

              “Well, I guess there isn’t like a good way to put this. Aude… No, never mind.” Maddie turns her head to the dark yard.

              “No, come on, you can tell us.”

              She turns back to face the group, takes another heroic swig of beer. “O-okay. Aude, Devon asked me to spy on you.”

              Aude gasps. “What?”

              “He told me he was like interested in you, and he just wanted some help figuring out how to get you. He promised that he would put me back in touch with my mom, if I did.” She relays the whole story, mentioning her mom several times and swearing that was the only reason she agreed to help Devon.

              Kate looks around the hot tub: there’s a wide gape on everyone’s face.

              “So, you, uh—when you told Kate that I slept with Sean…” Aude trails off.

              “Yeah, Devon told me to say that. Aude, Kate, I’m so sorry.”