Don't Get Caught(30)

I look down at Ellie, who’s already waiting for me.

“I’m on it,” she says.

It’s Heist Rule #15: Gather as much info as you can.

Mrs. B thanks us, tells us to keep working hard, then hands the mic to Stranko, who swaggers his way to the front of the stage.

“I’m going to keep this short,” Stranko says. “I’ve brought Officer Hale here so you understand just how serious we are about this topic. At the beginning of the year, we made the rules clear to you, but recent actions have necessitated changes. I’m specifically referring to last week’s photo incident.”

Snickering fills the auditorium.

“Quiet!” Stranko barks. “Some of you may find what happened funny, but trust me, we will find the perpetrators. And when we do, they will be severely punished. Severely. Punished.”

Stranko punctuates the air with a finger, and Hale does the same. Monkey see, monkey do.

“So first,” Stranko says, “anyone caught vandalizing the school or disrupting school activities will face expulsion. Also, anyone with knowledge of vandalism, even if they didn’t take part, will be punished as well.”

Groans fill the theater.

“Also, in the past, we’ve been lax about students using the sporting fields whenever they wanted. But as of today, the fields are off-limits once school practices or games are over.”

More groans.

“And finally, any student caught on school grounds after eight o’clock who isn’t a part of a school function or activity will face suspension. This is a zero-tolerance policy. We are not fooling around.”

Behind Stranko, Mrs. B stands quietly. You figure Stranko had to be the one who strong-armed her into this new policy. Because can you say overkill?

“That’s all for now,” Stranko says. “We’ll be emailing this information to your parents this evening, and—”

Before I know what’s happening, Wheeler’s standing on his seat, his hand high.

“Excuse me, Vice Principal Stranko?”

The entire auditorium turns our way. Malone tries to pull Wheeler down, but he shakes her off.

“What?” Stranko snaps.

Wheeler says, “I think I speak for everyone here when I say how appalled I was by this prank. When I heard on the news how much money the school spent for that pornographic photo, I went from being limp on my couch to standing erect. I was stiff with embarrassment for the entire town. Once those delinquents in the Chaos Club are caught, I hope you’re extremely hard-on them.”

Wheeler smiles, looking as sweet and innocent as a child…a child who just threw out three boner euphemisms in ten seconds. Stranko’s chest heaves like he wants to launch himself across forty rows at Wheeler. Instead, in a moment of what must be Herculean restraint, Stranko says a steely, “Oh, they will be punished severely. You can guarantee that.”

We’re all released a few minutes later, and as we head up the aisle, Malone says to Wheeler, “Not smart. Why not just come out and confess that we did it?”

“Oh, come on. What’s he going to do? Expel us?” Wheeler says.

“Uh, yeah, that’s what he just said,” Adleta says.

“He did?” Wheeler says. “I must not have been paying attention.”

Ellie says to me, “Well, we wanted to write our names in the universe’s wet cement.”

“It’ll be fine,” I say.

“Exactly. We knew we’d have to take risks to destroy the Chaos Club. We’re not going to let some silly rules stand in our way.”

As the five of us stand in the lobby, Malone’s nemesis, Libby Heckman, and one of her hangers-on, Sara Yu, emerge from the auditorium. Libby’s carrying a half-finished charcoal drawing that, in all honesty, looks exactly like her, almost as if it’s a photograph. As they pass, Libby says to Sara, “Don’t you wish some people would just do everyone a favor and die?”

“Especially certain people,” Sara says.

Both girls start laughing their bitchy heads off, and something inside me just sort of snaps.

I say to the two of them, “And if some people aren’t careful, someone might falsify evidence proving they’re in the Chaos Club and give it to Stranko.”

Both girls straighten like they’ve just straddled an electric fence. They turn the corner, and Libby does a quick glance over her should at me. Her eyes are full of fear. Then the girls are out of sight, hopefully running for their lives. Wheeler, Adleta, and I start laughing, but Malone wheels around on me.

“Don’t do that again,” she says.

“Huh?” I say.

“I don’t need you or anyone else fighting my battles for me, Max. It makes me look weak, which is what they want. It’s embarrassing.”

“I wasn’t fighting your battles for you. It just sort of came out.”

“Well, try to keep yourself in check. You’re only making it worse. I’ve got it taken care of.”

“Taken care of how?”

Suddenly, Malone’s anger is gone, and she’s rising in front of me, growing somehow larger, her eyes full of fire.

“Well, there’s a contest going on, isn’t there?”

And when I hear the laugh that she and Ellie share as they walk away, I’m the one feeling fear. But for Libby.