Six Little Secrets(11)

‘He doesn’t—’ Zoe started, but Teddy interrupted her.

‘It’s just my mom and me,’ he said.

Zoe’s heart went out to him. They had been friends through middle school, but once Teddy jumped on the fast-track to honors classes, he never looked back. Now she knew why. While his life in school wasn’t much of a mystery, his personal life was. And not for the first time, Zoe thought she should have tried harder to stay friends with him.

‘I want more out of my life than this place,’ Teddy continued. ‘I took the pittance my grandmother left me and started building it. If someone messed with my account, then I have nothing. No future at all.’

Zoe understood completely. She wanted out of this podunk town the second she held her diploma in her hands. But unlike Teddy, she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t leave, no matter how much she dreamed she could. She’d never be able to abandon her mom the way Noelle did. Her sister was just as selfish as their mother which didn’t leave Zoe with much choice. From the way Teddy talked about losing everything, he didn’t seem as upset as she would have been. He probably held onto the hope that this was a joke.

Zoe glanced at the office, where Mr. Curtis had his back to them as he typed on the computer. She wondered if he would make an exception and allow Teddy to check his phone. Other than coming to detention that morning, Teddy never got into any trouble. Ever.

‘What did the note mean about you taking from others?’ Jackie asked, bringing them all back to the situation they were in.

Teddy’s gaze lifted to hers. ‘I have no idea.’

‘I call bull on that one,’ Q said.

Teddy cut a look his way. ‘That’s your prerogative.’

‘Someone obviously has it in for you,’ Q said. ‘I think we need to get to the phones to figure out what happened. See if your money is still there.’

‘I doubt that’s going to happen,’ Zoe said.

They all looked at her as if she’d just ripped a Band-Aid off their collective bodies. It was the truth, even though she desperately wanted it not to be. Mr. Curtis could be strict when he needed to. He wasn’t a complete pushover.

‘Mr. Curtis locked the drawer,’ she said weakly.

‘So, we break it open,’ Q said.

‘How?’ Teddy asked.

‘He’s sitting right there,’ Jackie said. ‘And I’m not getting another detention because of you, Teddy. No offense.’

Jackie sighed and picked up another slip of paper, stapling the ends around the loop she was working on.

Teddy frowned and stared at the desk in front of him. He looked as if someone had just kicked his dog.

And then, without warning, he stood up. He walked over to the office and stepped through the doors.

Zoe strained to hear what they were saying.

Teddy motioned to the drawer as Mr. Curtis swiveled in his chair to face him.

‘Can you hear them?’ Jackie asked.

Cece and Holly shushed her.

Mr. Curtis crossed his arms. That wasn’t a good sign.

Teddy hung his head while speaking to Mr. Curtis. The conversation wasn’t going in Teddy’s favor.

Zoe’s stomach flip-flopped. She wanted Mr. Curtis to give Teddy the phone. She wanted to know if there had been a withdrawal from his account. If there was, then this person who targeted them wasn’t messing around.

Mr. Curtis looked through the glass windows at the others.

Zoe sank into her chair, not wanting to be roped into this.

‘Go sit down, Teddy,’ Mr. Curtis said, coming into the central area of the library.

Teddy shuffled across the space and flopped into his chair.

Cece reached up and grabbed the red slip with her photo on it, bringing it down into her lap.

‘Are you finished with the chain?’ Mr. Curtis asked. It was a rhetorical question since there were still slips on the table.

‘No,’ Jackie said, unnecessarily.

‘You kids and your phones,’ he said. He stood there for a moment.

Zoe grabbed her stapler and quickly stapled three slips to her chain.

She could feel his eyes on her, but she was used to that. She kept her head down.

He eventually walked away.

‘Why didn’t you tell Mr. Curtis about the book?’ Zoe asked Teddy. She kept her voice low so that Mr. Curtis wouldn’t come back out.

‘That voice said he would know if we inform anyone outside of the room,’ Teddy said. ‘I’m following the rules.’

‘You already lost,’ Q said. ‘Why are you worried about the rules? What are you hiding?’

‘Nothing.’ Teddy held Zoe’s gaze.

She was the first to look away. Without a father, Teddy always assumed the role of her protector. She didn’t deserve that anymore from him after she willingly let go of their friendship. So why was he still protecting her? Or had he changed so much that he was protecting himself? Did he expect her to convince the others that he had nothing to hide?

‘You just want everyone else to suffer,’ Q said.

‘He’s right,’ Holly said, defending Teddy. ‘Maybe things will get worse if we tell anyone.’

‘What if it’s Mr. Curtis?’ Jackie whispered, adjusting the chain in front of her. ‘He left the room before all of this started.’