The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(27)

I blinked, then nodded. No need to argue with that.

“Anyways,” she said, staring down at her shoes. Her toes had only clear polish on them, and somehow, that set me a little at ease. She continued, “I just wanted to say that I was sorry and that I’m looking forward to hanging out with you this weekend.”

My stomach dropped. She obviously noticed my surprise because her full lips spread into a real smile. Not the fake one I’d gotten to see earlier.

“This weekend?” I tried to sound casual, but there was definitely an absence of perk in my voice. I looked around the hall, feeling my uneasiness beginning to make me shaky. What was going on?

“Oh,” she said, a little too surprised. “Aiden didn’t tell you? He invited me and Christian to his party this weekend.”

Aiden was having a party? I shook my head, trying to remember if he’d told me about it. Maybe he did, but I wasn’t sure. SOS had been so busy and … Wait. Aiden invited them?

“When did you talk to Aiden?” I asked. Was it normal to see little black spots in the corner of my vision? That had never happened before.

“I’m in his chemistry class,” she said. “We’re lab partners. You didn’t know?”

Oh, sweet vanilla sky! I was going to be sick. I put my palm against the cool metal of my locker to steady myself. Was I still ill from last week?

“Well,” Chloe said, licking her teeth as she slowly looked me up and down. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

I was frozen as I stood, watching as she turned and walked away. Her long blond locks swayed from side to side, brushing against her back and her short pleated skirt. My face was numb. There was a violent turn in my stomach, and I clutched at it. I dashed down the hall, barely making it into the girls’ bathroom. After two dry heaves and an unceremonious flush, I straightened, unsure as to why I’d been so sick lately. I was losing my grip. Somehow, Chloe had gotten under my skin. But what was it that made me so unnerved around her?

Stepping out of the stall, I studied my reflection, disappointed to see dark circles under my eyes and my furrowed brow. I twitched my nose and put back my shoulders. I needed to know more about her and her brother. I was the head of the Society of Smitten Kittens. I should know more by now.

The bell rang, and I sighed. I was late for history. This day had certainly not started well. Not well at all.

I debated using the menstruation excuse to get myself out of lunch detention, but in the end, I decided to take the high road. What sort of example would I be if I lied to get out of punishment? Not a very good one. And I had a liar quota. One I had already filled with SOS.

I could see Kira’s admiration as I stood listening to Mr. Powell scold me in front of our class. Her steely blue eyes told me that she wished she were as brave. It made me feel a little better.

After I’d gotten to my seat and recovered from the in-class humiliation, Kira slid a note over to me. I gave her a disapproving look but opened the folded notebook paper anyway.

You just missed it, it said. Christian got lunch detention like five minutes ago!

My pulse sped up. Fantastic. The person I wanted to avoid would now be alone at my side for the entire forty-three-minute captivity. I couldn’t take any more bad news. I needed Aiden.

Only, when I got out of class, Aiden wasn’t waiting at my locker. I stopped, mid-stride, and spun around the crowded hallway. Where was he? After another second, I continued my disconcerted walk to my locker. I twirled my combo with little grace, dropping my notebooks on the linoleum floor as I fumbled with them. Before I could be late again, I scooped them up and slammed my locker shut, trotting off to economics. Alone.

My cell phone was dead from my forgetting to charge it the night before, and I felt cut off from the outside world as I sat miserably in class. I was beginning to perspire. My day had been so awful that I was sweating without actual physical exertion! I was on the verge of tears. It was Leona’s turn with the SOS phone, and she had already informed me in between classes that we’d gotten a new assignment last period.

I felt overwhelmed. And since Aiden sat with us at lunch, the Kittens and I wouldn’t be able to discuss the assignment there. We’d have to wait until after practice. Not to mention, I was wondering where in the stratosphere Aiden was. I hoped Kira would pass along my tale of lunch imprisonment to him. He had to be looking for me. Right?

I signed the journal on Mr. Powell’s desk as I entered detention. I frowned as he smiled at me. I didn’t mind letting him see me pout. I’d been in his class last year too.

“Sorry, Ms. Crimson,” he said, wagging his finger at me. “Rules are rules. Even for the head cheerleader.”

That was sort of nice of him to apologize. I nodded. Feeling dull and wilted, I crossed to my table and flopped in my chair. It figured I’d only finished half of my apples and cinnamon oatmeal this morning. I was starving. There was a shuffle from the hallway.

I looked toward the door as Christian entered, grinning madly as he swiped his hair behind his ear. He avoided my eyes, but I could tell he wasn’t too broken up about sitting in detention with me. Not with that pleased expression on his face.

Christian signed in and then turned to me, pretending to be surprised. “Tessa,” he said, clutching his chest. “I had no idea you were a troublemaker.”

I couldn’t help but smile. His theatrics were sort of cute. “Sorry, Christian. But there is no talking in detention.” I looked down at my purple notebook. Hm. Maybe I’d write a note to Aiden. I was pretty sure that was how things were done before text messaging. I opened to a fresh page.