“Stop.”
“Did he do to her what Nameless did to me? I just have to ask her, and –”
“I said stop.” Wren’s voice is so soft and dark I can’t help but shudder. He adjusts his glasses and looks to me with those piercing green eyes. “Don’t hide behind what he did, just because what I said to you hits too close to home. Jack’s a better guy than Nameless, I promise you. It just takes a while for people to see that.”
“Avery said he was dangerous when people start getting to know him.”
Wren sighs. “He’s dangerous, period. There’s a reason he keeps people at arm’s length. He might seem heartless, but he doesn’t want to hurt anyone again.”
“Again? So that means…he hurt someone. He hurt Sophia.”
Wren flinches. “Look, I’m sorry, Isis, but you need to leave. I can’t talk about this right now.”
“You pretended not to know Sophia at first! You lied to me!”
“Leave, please. Now.”
I glare furiously at Wren, then turn on my heel and slam the door behind me. So much for Wren helping me. I’m on my own. I’m on my own and the terrifying thought that I might not absolutely hate Jack Hunter’s guts is looming over my brain like a guillotine. And the mystery of Sophia is getting deeper and extremely annoying-er. I have to find that girl, and pronto, if I want any answers.
But do I? Is digging around in Jack’s past really going to help me in not liking him? Of course it will, what am I saying? He clearly hurt Sophia. If I learn just how badly, I can knock this funky idea out of my brain that I think he’s cute at all. It’s the perfect tactic. And until then, I’ll quash whatever idiotic feelings are brewing for him under seven tons of lead bricks inscribed with the word NOPE. I have a war to win, a date to get ready for, and an arrogant asshole to finally force into apologizing to the only friend I’ve made so far.
Jack Hunter is not sexy.
Jack Hunter is on my shitlist, forever.
And just to let him know it, I sneak into the Agriculture building and scoop a plastic baggie full of goat-and-chicken-and-god-knows-what-other-animal-poop compost, and lob it on his windshield. It splatters on a new Dramaclub Wailer girl love note tucked under the wipers, and I smile to myself and run just as campus security yells after me. There aren’t many people in the halls, but I almost run smack into Knife-kid as I turn a corner.
“Hi,” I say breathlessly. “Can I use your jacket?”
“Uh,” He looks down at the military-inspired green jacket. “Sure. Just be careful. It’s vintage. See the holes with dark stuff around them? Those are stab wounds from Vietnam –”
“Fascinating. Thanks!” I grab it and put it on, running as the sound of footsteps gets loud behind me. I pull a hairband off my wrist, put my hair into a bun, and roll my jeans up. The first person I see around this corner has to cooperate with me, or I’m done for. I have to pretend I’ve been talking to them for ages, and I have to face away from the security, so they only see my back. I turn left and race down the hall, my heart singing when I see someone with their head in their locker. I pull their arm and slam the locker shut.
“Quick,” I hiss. “Pretend we’ve been talking for a long time, and if security comes by, point in another direction.”
“Why should I?” Avery glowers.
“C’mon, please!”
“You’ll owe me.”
“That’s great! Sure! I love owing the devil favors!”
The security comes barreling around the corner, and Avery raises her voice.
“So I was telling him not to call me again, but he just couldn’t get the message, you know? Anyway, do you have Calc or English after this?”
“Which way did the running girl go?” A balding officer pants. I pull my jacket slightly over my chin. Avery looks him up and down and jerks her thumb behind her.
“Thank you,” The other officer wheezes. They take off down the hall, pot bellies swaying. When they’re gone, Avery smirks.
“You’d think they’d be able to remember what a girl with purple streaks in her hair looks like. Idiots.”
“Right, so, what do I owe you? Let’s get this over with Shelob.”
“Are you comparing me to a giant spider?”
When I nod, she looks mildly impressed, and then suddenly points at me, all business.
“You’re going to help me break into Jack’s house after school today.”
“Wow, uh, normally I would be one hundred percent down for criminal robbery, but I’m sort of having a crisis pertaining him, and -”
“Wow, duh, I don’t care. Should I call those fat-asses back? Oh boys!! I’ve got someone here –”
“Fine!” I hiss, clamping a hand around her wrist. “Just tell me what to do.”
“Meet me in the parking lot after school. You’ll be driving. Are you in any AP classes?”
“Yes –”
“What am I saying, of course you are, you’re ugly. Bring some unfinished homework from one of those classes.”
And that’s the story of how I was recruited to become a cat burglar by Satan.
***
Jack’s house is fancy and huge – a gravel roundabout at the front cleaving the verdant front lawn in two. Rose bushes and massive lilies and apple trees crowd around the house. A hummingbird feeder glows red with sugar-juice as tiny jewel-toned birds flit around, sipping nectar. A gardener waters the roses carefully, his curly-haired head bobbing as he nods at each one, satisfied they’re growing well. I park across the street like Avery tells me to. She grabs both sides of my face and forces me to look at her.
“Pay attention, fat girl.”
“Paying a thousand attentions,” I squeak.
“You are Jack’s project partner for AP Bio. You’ve brought stuff to work on with him. He’s not there right now, and I know this for a fact, because he’s visiting Sophia. His mother is disgustingly sweet. She’ll let you in with no problem. Ask for the bathroom. Go upstairs and enter the second door on your right.”
“I’m gonna puke.”
“Save it for when you get out of the house!” Avery snaps, and lets my face go. “It’s just Jack’s mom, and his room. It’s not him. I’ll keep watch. If he comes home early, I’ll text you, so put it on vibrate and get the hell out of there if you feel it go off. If he catches you snooping around…” Avery shudders. “What he did with your butt crack picture will look nice in comparison. Got it?”
“Got it!” I salute.
“What are you looking for?” She quizzes me.
“A cigar box of letters.”
“And which letter will you take?”
“The most recent one.”
“And what will you do when you get it?”
“Get the hell out of the house and definitely never open the letter even a centimeter.”
“Alright. Do this, and we’re even, you hear me? I don’t talk about you stealing, and you don’t talk about me going to the shrink’s.”
“That sounds fantastically equal and all, but you’re forgetting the slight problem of he’ll notice a letter is missing because he isn’t dead-ass blind and he’ll ask his mom and he’ll know it’s me and then I’ll get maimed.”
Avery’s frown deepens. She pulls her red hair back and puts it up in a messy ponytail.
“I don’t care,” she finally says.
“I care extremely a lot!”
“I’m not gonna risk his wrath. But you’re already risking his wrath with this stupid war you two have going on, okay? I need to know what’s in the letter, do you understand? If I don’t find out –”
Avery squeezes her doll-like eyes shut.
“Sophia doesn’t talk to me anymore, or let me see her. It’s my fault. What happened back then was my fault, and Jack cleaned it up, okay? But she blames me. And she’s right – I deserve the blame. I was a stupid, mean kid and I did something I regret. I’ve been working for years on apologizing. Years, fat girl. Five fucking years to work up the guts to say sorry. But if I don’t see what’s in that letter, I might never get the chance to.”