The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(43)

“Is he going to tell?” Leona asked, looking around the empty gymnasium. Poor thing. She was so nervous. She’d actually chewed off three of her fingernails. Her French manicure was ruined.

“Well,” I began, pacing in front of the bleachers as they sat watching me. It was hard to look composed when I felt so broken. “He said he wouldn’t. But he’s asked to help.”

“Help?” Kira squeaked with relief. “That’s so sweet!” She was beaming.

I tried to smile, but my belly turned. Christian had said he was worried about me, but I knew the score. All I had to do was indulge him in two assignments. It wasn’t like I had to hook up with him. Thank heavens he knew better than to ask for that. That would have earned him a swift kick to the groin.

“How did he find out?” Leona asked. I stared at her for a minute, unsure if I should tell. Cassie had messed up, it was true, but it was no reason to subject her to Leona’s wrath.

“I don’t know,” I said. “And it doesn’t matter now.” But there was something else I wanted to talk to them about. Something I’d realized as I snuck out of Aiden’s window in the middle of the night.

“After the Christian situation is resolved…” I paused. “I think SOS should take a break.”

They all gasped.

“What about the cheaters?” Izzie squealed. “We’re just going to let them get away with it? Look at what happened to Emily Hodges—her boyfriend was sleeping with her sister!” Izzie looked sick. We’d caught her boyfriend with her cousin just last month.

“Tessa,” Leona spoke up. “Can you imagine the cheater stats if we stopped tracking them? They’d be out of control.”

“They’re already out of control,” Izzie whined.

“Even more reason to keep on it,” Leona shot back.

Kira stood up, waving her hands wildly. “Be quiet and let Tessa have the court.”

I took a deep breath, glancing from face to face. Their expressions told me one thing. I’d be a quitter. If I didn’t stick it out, I’d be a quitter.

“Never mind,” I said quietly. “I’m just tired.”

“You look it,” Leona muttered. I was glad I’d never let her lead a practice. Her attitude was less than sparkly sometimes.

“Tessa,” Kira said, turning to me, looking serious. Her usual wide-eyed expression was gone. This was the real Kira, the one that kicked tush. She marched over and hugged me tightly.

“You’re choking me,” I said.

“Sorry.” She backed up and tilted her head. “If you want to stop SOS, I’ll follow your lead. After all, we’ll still be Smitten Kittens. Even without the spying.”

She was a peach. An absolute Georgia peach. “Thanks, K.” Starry night! I was going to cry.

But the bell rang, signaling that we were all late for first period. I sucked up my sorrow and straightened my posture.

“Shoot,” Izzie said, bounding toward the gymnasium door. “I’m going to get the tardy chair!”

Kira groaned and jogged over to get her pom-poms from the floor before leaving, and Leona mumbled something to me about writing a letter to the school board as she walked out. I exhaled, knowing one positive thing. No matter what, the Smitten Kittens would always stick together.

I was late for history. The class I shared with Chri—Fiddlesticks!

Scooting in three minutes late, Kira and I were assigned lunch detention in front of the entire class. No surprise there. What was alarming was the fact that Christian was absent, leaving his seat in the back row empty. It made me pause in my distrust for him. I’d thought he’d show up to gloat, stalk, or at least gaze, knowing that I was pretty much at his mercy. But he didn’t. I was relieved.

The relief didn’t last long, though. Ten minutes later, he walked into history. His hair was pushed behind his ears, his cheeks rosy with what looked like athletic exertion. It was… attractive. I folded my hands in my lap and glanced away. My neck felt slightly warm.

“Nice of you to show up, Mr. Ferril,” Mr. Powell said. “And I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that you get to share your afternoon in lunch detention with two cheerleaders.”

Christian chuckled, and when my eyes met his, he winked. My stomach turned, and my fingers began to tremble. He walked past my table, and Kira tapped me on the thigh with her purple pom-pom pen.

“Tess,” she whispered, her eyebrows pulled together. “Do you think… do you think Christian is helping because he’s still crushing on you?”

I laughed. I didn’t know how else to react. He’d been obvious, and even though I knew it, I’d still let him hang around me. Was it any wonder my life was about to fall apart? Strawberry shortcake! I felt sick. Really si—

“Mr. Powell?” I raised my hand.

“Yes, Ms. Crimson.”

“I need the nurse. Now.” I stood up, knocking my chair into the table behind me, but before I could make my way to the exit, I leaned over and threw up on the linoleum floor of the classroom. I’d had Froot Loops for breakfast, and it made my puke all rainbowy. It was almost cute, but still, it got on my sneakers. Gross.

Kira was there, moving my braid of hair away from my mouth and rubbing my back. “Oh, Tess!”