So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(4)

“I know,” Leona said. “But it just came through on my SOS e-mail.”

“Mine too,” Kira chimed in.

“Check your account.” Leona’s voice was quickening—a sure sign of anxiety, which could trigger post-traumatic SOS disorder. Poor Kira had already gone to therapy to get rid of it once.

I limped toward my bedroom, holding up one finger to let Aiden know I’d be back in a minute. Leona was pretty tech savvy, but things like the Internet sometimes confused Kira. If this was all a misunderstanding, I wouldn’t want to alarm Aiden for no reason.

But I could feel the stress clinging to me. My hairdresser had said that the drama of my junior year had worn all of the shine off my hair. I had to do weekly hot-oil treatments now. And hot oil was totally gross!

When I’d made Kira the new full-time captain of the Smitten Kittens, I’d told her she needed to act more dignified in uniform. She agreed.

And for the most part, the squad had understood my decision. Even Leona had thought a break would be good for me. Of course, she also thought that Kira would eventually mess up and that she could take over as captain. Her ambition was admirable.

So with all of that gone and Aiden usually away at college, it left me a bit on the lonely side. Which was why I spent all my extra money on therapy. Oprah once said that teenage girls needed to work on their self-esteem—put themselves first. I was taking her advice. I swear, that woman was brilliant.

I eased into the leather chair at my desk and flipped on the monitor. My room smelled like vanilla lavender, the perfect relaxation scent that my aromatherapist recommended. Matched with my freshly spruced-up pink walls and new comforter, I was swimming in positive feng shui.

“What’s the subject line?” I asked into the phone. I didn’t want to leave Aiden by himself too long, so I logged in and scanned the page. Goose bumps rose on my arms when I saw it. It couldn’t be.

“It says, ‘Now Taking New Clients,’ ” Leona answered.

“I see it,” I whispered. The fruit salad I’d eaten for breakfast was about to make an encore appearance, but I swallowed hard and leaned toward the screen as I clicked the message.

“The squad is unhinged,” Leona continued. “Kira is being completely unresponsive.”

Kira gasped. “Did you ever think that I was launching an investigation of my own, Leona? Tessa told us she was taking a break.”

“But she can help! Tessa knows SOS better than anyone.”

“I’m not going to argue,” Kira said. “As captain, I’m in charge of the squad and SOS.”

“There is no SOS,” I mumbled, examining the page.

“Yeah,” Leona started. “But maybe we should rethink that.”

I closed my eyes. It was no secret that the Kittens were all itching to get back into the spying biz, but I’d put the brakes on it. I’d learned my lesson and hoped that they had too. “It’s not up for discussion,” I said, trying to sound authoritative, even though I had no real claim to the skirt anymore. “Now, are you sure none of the Smitten Kittens were involved in this SOS message?” I looked over the screen, trying to authenticate the letterhead. It was exactly the same as ours. The entire document was a perfect duplicate.

Kira cleared her throat. “I’ve spoken to the girls, and they’ve all insisted they’re not involved. Although several of them suspect Chloe Ferril.”

I rested my elbow on my desk, rubbing at my temple. “K, we need to have an internal investigation before we seek outside suspects.”

“It’s not us,” Kira said. “And honestly, I can’t believe you would even think that we’d go behind your back. I have enough problems now that you’re gone. You didn’t come to practice last week to teach us that cheer like you promised, and Izzie fell off the human pyramid and almost died!” I gasped.

“It’s true,” Leona added. “I had to call 9-1-1.”

Kira sighed. “Tess, I know you’re on a soul-searching mission or whatever, but we don’t have time for internal investigations when our spirit is at stake! We don’t even have our routine set for homecoming!”

“Are you serious?” I demanded. Homecoming wasn’t far off, and it was a big deal for the school. We played the Ducks (our rivals), and the money raised was usually enough to buy our sports equipment for the year. But without a shiny new routine, we’d be a total disappointment.

“No offense, Kira,” Leona said. “But the squad has fallen apart. Between your lifeless cheers and Izzie’s new boyfriend, we’re not connecting on any level.”

“And what about you?” Kira shot back. “You’ve been taking electives in body shop. You show up at practice with grease on your skirt. Grease!”

I shook my head as feelings of guilt and regret rushed through me. Between therapies I had tried to sit in on as many practices as possible to help keep the transition smooth, but I had never really noticed how disjointed things had gotten. Sure, I knew there were problems the last time I’d seen their practice; their below-regulation-height herkies, for one. I just hadn’t wanted to meddle.

“Girls,” I said. “United front. Smitten Kittens don’t hold animosity toward one another.”

“Forget it,” Kira said, sniffling. “I’m trying so hard, and no one appreciates it.”