The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(3)

By the end of the game, I had nearly lost my voice, and Mary wasn’t speaking. She left before Kyle could find her, but I saw that he knew. He offered me his signature crooked smile, but I just turned and stormed out.

The next day, Mary pulled all the squad into a meeting and discussed starting a club—one that caught cheaters. After careful observation, we noticed that our school had an abnormally high cheater-to-girlfriend ratio. I theorized that maybe it had something to do with the rainy weather.

So with the help of the internet, some spy books, and a few James Bond flicks, we set out on our first mission. It took us a while to get the right balance between investigating and cheering, but after a few false starts, we got it to stick. Mary drafted the official handbook, and ever since then, all Smitten Kittens doubled as official cheater catchers.

After she graduated, Mary deemed that I had more spirit than anyone she’d ever encountered, so she turned SOS over to me. I took my role as leader very seriously. I’d never let another girl suffer because of her boyfriend’s extracurricular activities. There’d never be another Mary Rudick.

I smiled to myself. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about Aiden cheating. He was my perfect guy, practically a life-size boyfriend trophy. Oh, so cute and—

“Hey,” Kira said, pointing out the windshield. “You just passed my place.”

“Oops.” I shook my ponytailed head as I slowed my car and pulled to the curb a few buildings down. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

“Or someone.” Kira made kissing noises and rubbed at her shoulders in a fake make out.

I laughed but then caught sight of the dashboard clock and groaned. Even though it was twenty minutes fast (so I’d never be late), it read three in the morning. “K?” I asked. “Do you mind if I reschedule practice until after school? I’m not sure I can jump as high as I need to this morning.”

“No prob. I’ll e-mail the girls when I get in.” She took out her cell and adjusted her calendar. Then she grinned, looking sideways at me. “I’m sure Aiden will appreciate a little more quality time with you anyway.”

I swatted her shoulder. “Be quiet. Aiden gets plenty from me.” And he did. Except for the truth about where I’d been spending my nights. I swallowed hard and took the sim card from my cup holder and handed it to Kira. “Track down all the numbers on this,” I said. “I want the names of everyone Michael has been calling other than Caitlyn. Full report tomorrow.”

“On it, Tess.”

“And let me know what you see on the webcam.” She saluted me, and I slipped the car into reverse until I was in front of her building entryway. After all, it was three in the morning.

“See you at school,” she said happily as she climbed out. She loved when I trusted her with evidence.

I watched her blond curls flop around on her shoulders as she jogged to the front gate of her complex. She waved one last time and I waved back, mostly to encourage her. But the minute she was gone, my smile faded.

Just once, I wanted not to confirm a cheat, to find at least one innocent guy. But so far, SOS subjects had been found guilty hundred percent of the time. It was tragic. And it was seriously impeding my perk.

I sighed and shifted my car into gear before pulling onto the street, headed for my home in Murray Hills. With a quick check at my reflection, I straightened my frown and tried to look positive.

It was possible. It was possible to find at least one innocent suspect. I was sure of it.

SOS THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK

UPDATED:

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of SOS (the Society of Smitten Kittens) is to make a positive difference in the dating lives of the girls at Washington High—primarily through investigation, client confidentiality, and inspirational cheer sets—all the while building the self-esteem, individuality, and confidence of the female population by providing a high standard of leadership, competence, and fabulous accessorizing.

SMITTEN KITTEN CODE OF CONDUCT: ° Never be seen at the location of an investigation. Being covert means being invisible.

° Never leave a Smitten Kitten behind. When faced with exposure, use the predetermined escape routes and stay in formation.

° Always be upbeat and positive. School spirit is essential to success.

° Refrain from using any profane language. Smitten Kittens never cuss.

° Be on time for all practices, games, and SOS meetings and missions.

° Do not engage in any dating activities with a suspect. Making out with a suspect is bad form.

° Dress appropriately for all games and missions. Cheer skirts for games, spandex for practice, and black, drab outfits for missions.

° Although a Smitten Kitten is often privy to detailed encounters of the cheating variety, she must always maintain her class in and out of school. Never speak to anyone outside of SOS about the missions. If needed, an SOS-approved counselor can help with post-traumatic-SOS-disorder-related issues.

THE LAWS: ° The Cheat—An official cheat requires the subject to be engaged in romantic or sexual activity with a person other than the client. These offenses include, but are not limited to, hand-holding, kissing, dirty talk, or any of the four bases.

° Double Jeopardy—We will never investigate the same subject twice for the same cheat. Once cleared or convicted, the subject is free to continue his inappropriate lifestyle without our supervision.