So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(60)

None of the other Smitten Kittens had a date to the dance. Marco had been seeing someone else, Sam had dumped Izzie, and Kira’s boyfriend, well—we weren’t allowed to talk about him in that context.

“Hey,” Leona said, tossing the magazine on my bed as she sat up. “I need to talk to you about something.”

Kira snickered and I could hear Izzie gulp. Never a good sign.

“Okay…” I was a little worried. Seemed like every time someone wanted to talk to me, it was terrible news. Why didn’t people ever want to talk to me about good things? Like bunnies or cotton candy?

Leona looked into her lap, seeming uncomfortable, then straightened up to meet my eyes. “I’ll just say it.” She exhaled, shaking her head. “Chris Townsend asked me to homecoming.”

I gasped, completely surprised.

“Seems her little outfit worked,” Kira said, playing with her hair in the mirror. “Guess you should have dressed up more, huh, Tess?”

That stung. I turned back to Leona. “Really? Wait, did you say yes?” I wasn’t exactly offended or jealous that he’d asked her. Just…surprised.

“I did,” Leona said, scrunching her nose. “Is that okay with you?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, I think he’s a nice guy and all. I just…I didn’t know you were into him.”

Leona smiled a little to herself. “I didn’t either. But after the fight and after you left, we started playing pool and…we just clicked. Did you know that he’s planning on majoring in business next year?”

“No,” I said. When I thought about it, there wasn’t much I did know about Chris Townsend other than the fact that he was a good football player.

“He has a total five-year plan,” Leona said, sounding way more interested than I could have thought possible.

“Well, I think it’s spectacular,” I said. “He’s a total catch. I’m really happy for you, Leona.” I smiled at her, completely proud that my Kitten had just found her Tom Cat. Leona grinned back and thanked me.

“Gets you off the hook,” Kira said, applying some lip gloss. “Not that you liked him anyway.” She looked over her shoulder at me, narrowing her eyes.

I felt like the curls in my hair were going to wilt next to the negativity that Kira was sending my way. I understood that she didn’t want Joel involved with this operation, but truly, if she wanted to catch this copy-Kitten and move on with him, she needed to adjust her attitude. I sighed, turning away from her.

“Here’s the plan,” Izzie said as she sat crisscross applesauce in the pink beanbag in the corner of my room. She unfolded the itinerary that Leona had printed up for her. “In”—she checked her watch—“twenty minutes, Tessa will call Joel and tell him she has to speak to him urgently.” She flicked an uncomfortable glance at Kira, but Kira wasn’t listening. She was sitting on my desktop, painting her nails and blowing on them. Izzie cleared her throat and continued.

“Tessa will ask him to meet her under the bleachers in the gymnasium.” Izzie paused to sigh. She looked at me wistfully. “That was the first place Sam kissed me.”

“Stay on task,” Leona said, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry. Okay, so Tessa will meet him under the bleachers. Before she gets there, we’ll set our positions in the rafters and in the hallway, the back door and the school entrance. No way this copy-Kitten is getting in undetected.”

“We’re going to nail her,” I said to Izzie, trying to sound brave.

Kira scoffed. “It’s ‘screw,’ remember, Tess?”

I opened my mouth to correct her but then decided not to. I motioned with my hand for Izzie to continue.

“Well,” she said. “Once the copy-Kitten intersects your call with Joel, they’ll probably figure out a way to bug you or him. I mean, that’s what we’d do, right?” She glanced around and we all nodded.

“So once you two are there…you’re really going to have to play it up.” She winced a little. “You know this might end your friendship with him, right? I mean, you’re sort of going to be throwing yourself at him.”

I thought I heard a sound from behind me, but I didn’t turn to Kira. I just nodded. I’d considered that, and even though I absolutely didn’t like the idea of ending my friendship with Joel (especially by looking improper), I knew it was for the best.

I glanced over to Leona, who pressed her lips in a smile and nodded at me. “You’ll be great, Tess,” she said softly, possibly reading the sadness in my face.

“Thanks,” I whispered.

“Wonderful. Now let’s go over it one more time,” Kira said, hopping down from the desk to grab her backpack from the floor and unzipping it. She’d finally agreed to help with this case, even though she clearly didn’t want to. “I have the zoom lens, the binoculars, and the infrared camera. Leona has the rope packed in her car. My course is in the rafters.”

“It’ll be perfect,” I said. Above the gym there was a walkway that the janitors had erected to get to the lights and ceiling during some recent renovations. It would be the prime spot to spy from. And since it was her boyfriend down there, Kira probably knew that.

“It’s almost time,” Izzie said, checking her watch. She and Leona exchanged a worried glance.