So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(11)

“Right.” Izzie giggled. “He totally coldcocked him.”

“Cold what?” Kira asked, spinning around to look at her.

“Oh my God, you two!” Leona snapped. “Stay on topic. Tessa has been violated!”

“Don’t make it sound so graphic,” I murmured. But that was exactly how I felt. My mouth was drying up from the anxiety. “Do you have any gum?” I asked.

Kira gasped. “You…you never chew gum. You said it was disrespectful to the skirt!”

“Well,” I replied, taking a piece that Leona held out. “I don’t wear the uniform anymore.” I popped it in my mouth, the berry blast of it sweetening my breath. “And besides, this is unlike any problem we’ve faced before. We’re not falling off of roofs, K. Someone was in my room! Someone’s been watching me!”

My eyes became blurry with tears, but I didn’t have enough time to blink them away. Before the first tear dripped down, my squad huddled around, promising to high kick anyone that came close to me.

I felt sacked. Someone had figured us out, stolen our files, and sent e-mails from my computer. That meant they knew everything. About Mary Rudick and our beginning. About last year with Chloe and Aiden. Maybe even about Christian and me. They could expose us at any moment.

I’d worked hard to put that part of my life behind me. I’d seen countless therapists. Well, beauticians. But now, it was like the wound was fresh. And without the power of the skirt, I wasn’t sure I could cheer us through this latest drama. Right about now, I wasn’t even sure I could cheer us out of a paper bag.

The first warning bell rang. “Dang it!” Kira said, promptly unhugging me. “We just blew our practice. And I was supposed to meet Joel before class.”

I sniffled, wiping at my cheeks as I looked up at her. “Doesn’t he usually meet you before lunch?” I’d only met Kira’s boyfriend a handful of times since they usually left campus for lunch, but I was completely supportive of their courtship. He didn’t have tattoos or a rap sheet.

Kira ran her red-polished finger across her lips, smoothing out her gloss. “Uh-huh. But we were going to have a talk before class, something about space.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Maybe astronauts or something? I don’t know. Anyway, I’ll catch you up on it later. But call me as soon as the surveillance is set on Chloe, okay?” Kira didn’t wait for an answer before she winked and turned to dash toward the gymnasium’s double doors.

“Sure,” I murmured, although she was gone before I had the chance.

“I have to go too, Tess,” Leona said, climbing up off the bleacher and combing through her bangs with her fingers. She looked down at me as if I were a scared child. I felt like one. “Don’t stress,” she said. “We’ve got your back.”

“Thanks.” As I watched her and the rest of the squad leave, Izzie came to sit next to me. I exhaled and looked sideways at her. She grinned.

“We can ditch?” she said, her green eyes sparkling with a devious plan surely involving the mall and her grandma’s credit card. “I have Sam’s car today.”

Sam, her college-age boyfriend, let her keep his car every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while he had classes on the community-college campus. He was a total keeper. Long sandy hair, light eyes. Yeah, Izzie scored an A-plus with him.

“Can’t go,” I said, after considering it. “I have a test in language arts this period.”

She sighed. “I should probably stay too. We’re having gym out in the field today. At least it’s soccer.” She beamed. Izzie had been one of the best forwards on Washington High’s soccer team for the past three years. It was totally her calling. Well, besides cheerleading. “Do you want me to walk with you to class?” she asked, looking worried. She was such a doll—porcelain, not Barbie.

“It’s okay,” I said, touching her arm. “I don’t want you to be late. I’ll catch up with you at lunch, though?”

Izzie nodded before turning to jog across the wood floor. When she was gone, I flopped back down on the bleacher and brought my knees to my chest, hugging my legs. Right now, language arts was the least of my concerns. I was…confused.

Someone knew about us. But who? Methodically, I ran down the line of every cheat we’d ever caught, every awkward moment I’d ever had, every—

Suddenly I realized that I was completely alone in the gymnasium. The overhead lights buzzed, and I darted an uncomfortable glance around the empty room. I swallowed hard, listening and scanning the court. There was no one here, but I felt like I was being watched.

“Hello?” I called out, painfully aware that this was exactly how every horror movie started out. I let go of my legs and struggled to stand up. The pain in my back was returning with poorly timed vengeance. The room was silent.

Then I heard it. From the locker room there was a loud banging sound. Crab cakes! I spun, walking quickly to the double doors, becoming more and more paranoid with each step. I broke into a run. My heart was pumping, and my blood flowed to my face as the feeling of being chased crawled over my skin. I wanted to yell for Izzie, but she was long gone by now.

When I got to the heavy metal door, I ran against it, pushing it open as hard as I could. And screamed.

“Ah!” Joel Fletcher screamed back. He was just outside the doorway, standing in the hall, clutching his chest. “What the hell, Tessa?” he said, bending over to take a deep breath as he rested his palms on his knees. “You nearly killed me with the door.”