So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(22)

I went right for it. The skirt was tucked under my winter sweaters, where I liked to keep it hidden. Sometimes when I was feeling down, I’d wear the uniform for moral support. But I never told anyone that. It was sort of sad. But—this was different.

I wiggled out of my dark denim jeans and tossed them into the corner. Then I smoothed my hands reverently over the polyester fabric of the skirt. One foot at time, I stepped into it, pulling the waistband slowly over my hips and thighs until it rested at my waist.

Next I shook out the sleeveless top before pulling it down over my flesh-colored bra. Wow. I must have been downing more Frappuccinos than I realized—my cle**age was overflowing—okay for in the house, but not really game appropriate. Sort of like how Chloe used to dress. Provocatively.

I slid my feet into my official regulation-style sneakers, tying the laces tightly. Without missing a beat, I crossed over to my vanity, adrenaline already pumping. This felt right. This felt natural. I knew I’d be able to think and plan more clearly with the power of the skirt.

I picked up a ponytail holder and gathered my hair in one hand, securing the elastic with the other. Once I had it fastened, I selected a maroon ribbon from the bunch I kept draped across the top of my dresser. Holding it delicately, I wrapped it around my ponytail and tied it into a perfect bow. I took a step back, looked myself over, and smiled. My ritual was complete.

In uniform—albeit a tight one—I was in control. My cheer skirt (a little short), my top (a little revealing), and even my ribbon (perky as ever!) were what I was born to wear.

Suddenly I wasn’t scared anymore. I was seriously PO’d. Someone had been tampering with my name, my computer, and—worse yet—my reputation. And I had a pretty good feeling I knew who she was.

With renewed determination, I walked out of my bedroom ready to fight. Ready to claw out the eyes of the imposter. It was only a matter of time before she exposed our identities, and that was totally unacceptable.

I crossed my living room, my sneakers squeaking against the wood floors. I loved that sound. Pacing the room, I began to formulate a plan. I knew the skirt would help!

Okay, first I was going to drive toward Chloe’s neighborhood and see if there was a clear path to her room. Then I’d—

A shuffling sound behind me made my back go rigid. I paused at the edge of the kitchen and spied my car keys lying on the granite counter. Quickly I grabbed them, holding them between my knuckles as a weapon. I swallowed hard. Someone was here. I’d read about stranger danger in last month’s Cosmo—

“Hey, baby.”

“Aaiii!” I spun around, swinging my key weapon, striking out wildly. Aiden screamed back, obviously not expecting me to stab him in the ribs.

“Tess!”

“Frizzlesticks, Aiden! What are you doing here?” My heart was pounding out of my chest. Relief followed by giddiness at seeing Aiden were almost too much for me to handle. I dropped my car keys on the floor with a clank and to put my hands on his shoulders.

Aiden was bent over, holding his left side near his rib cage and looking up at me like I was the crazy one.

“Aw, f**k,” he said quietly. “Am I bleeding?” He lifted up the side of his T-shirt, peering down at his chest.

Luckily he wasn’t bleeding. But I glanced over his torso anyway, just to survey the damage. Okay, he was bleeding a little. I bit my lip guiltily.

“I am so sorry. You scared me and—”

“Tess,” he said, sucking in a harsh breath. “Can you get me a bandage and an ice pack or something? It hurts.”

I widened my eyes. “Oh. Right. Hang on.” I dashed to the bathroom and rummaged through the medicine cabinet until I found my favorite pink Band-Aids with the strawberries. They were really cute. Just the sort of thing to cheer him up.

When I got back, I handed one to him with an apologetic smile. “They’re scented,” I told him. He rolled his eyes and handed it back.

“Can you please put it on for me? It’s hard to see the spot where I was stabbed.”

Sheesh. I’d already apologized. Besides, he had no idea what kind of pressure I’d been facing. Aiden pulled his T-shirt over his head, tossing it on the kitchen table, and stood there, barechested. Kind of sweaty. I breathed in deeply, loving that athletic smell.

I glanced up to meet his green-eyed stare.

“Like you haven’t seen it before,” he mumbled as he looked toward the ceiling with a huge grin.

I laughed, but it didn’t stop me from taking a little longer than necessary (I was really concentrating on applying the adhesive). “There,” I whispered, smoothing it down.

“Thank you, baby,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “And hello. It’s nice to see you. I have to say, I’ve definitely missed this uniform.” He must have noticed the cle**age too.

“Sorry I assaulted you.” I did feel awfully bad about that. “You just—”

“I know. I was trying to surprise you, not give you a heart attack. I stopped by the school to see Darren and bumped into Kira. She said you left early. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m just happy to see you. I called you a little while ago, but you didn’t answer.”

“Must have been on my way here,” he said before walking over to the fridge. “Oh, yeah,” he said, peering inside. “Your back door was unlocked. That’s how I got in. Did you forget to lock it this morning?”