Empire High Betrayal(53)
“Felix’s parents mostly live abroad and sometimes he disappears for a couple weeks at a time when he visits them,” said Kennedy. “I don’t think he gets international texts.”
“Oh. So he’s visiting his parents?”
“Yeah, probably. What do you need to talk to him about?”
“I just want to clear the air.”
Kennedy lifted up a pair of pants that could only be described as genie pants. I wasn’t even aware that pants like that were made outside of costumes. But the material was definitely not cheap polyester.
“Do you think he still likes you?” Kennedy asked.
“I don’t know.” Not if he’s heard the rumors. I really, really wanted to talk to him in person before he heard about Matt. “Do you still like him?” I’d been dancing around this question with her ever since we’d met. She’d denied it. She’d changed the subject. She’d laughed. But I never quite believed her.
“Nunca. Have you read all those contracts your dad gave you yet?”
Nice try, Kennedy. I wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. “No, I’m still going through them.” I’d been through the whole dating one. There wasn’t really anything weird in it. And for some reason it made reading the other considerably less appealing. “Just a nunca on the Felix thing?”
“Yeah, it’s a nunca from me. These would be perfect, wouldn’t they?” Kennedy asked and held up the genie pants.
“Yes…but let’s circle back to my question real quick. Are you sure you don’t still like Felix?”
“And these would be great for your costume,” Kennedy said and pulled out a pair of leather leggings.
They would indeed be perfect. But she was avoiding the question. “Kennedy, I think if you have feelings for Felix…”
“Oh, are we talking about boys?” Mrs. Caldwell asked. “Tell me everything.”
Kennedy laughed. “There’s not much to tell. Brooklyn keeps trying to set me up with this boy at school. And I keep telling her I’m not interested. Rob on the other hand? I very much like him.”
“Robert Hunter?” Mrs. Caldwell asked. “Well, that’s perfect. He’ll be at the Halloween party too. I’ve always wanted to play matchmaker.”
“He will be?” I asked. Did Matt and Mason know that?
“Of course. The Hunters come every year. Robert and James practically grew up in our house. They’re over all the time. The last few weeks have been so busy for them, I haven’t seen them much. But they all already RSVP’d. It’ll be so good to see them.”
“Mhm,” Kennedy said and glanced at me. Her face screamed what the hell is happening?
I shook my head as discreetly as possible.
“I’m going to figure out a way to give you and Robert a moment alone at the party,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “Oh, the hairdresser is here. Do you two have any idea what you want to do for your new hairstyles?”
I kind of liked my hair the way it was. But Mrs. Caldwell looked so excited. And I was trying to prove that I belonged in this world just as much as Isabella. I thought about all the girls at Empire High. “Maybe add some layers?”
“That’s a great idea,” Kennedy said. “It’ll give your hair more volume. And I’ve always wanted to try highlights.”
“This is going to be so fun,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “Let me go check in with the hairdresser. I hope she brought those books of hairstyles. I always love flipping through those.”
“Does she not know that her sons are at war with the Hunters?” Kennedy asked.
“No. Matt and Mason think that by not mentioning Rob and James that they’ll just disappear. As if erasing a lifetime of friendship just happens. Especially because their parents are friends. I think.” I didn’t really know that for a fact. But they were neighbors. Where I grew up, all neighbors were friends. So, it was probably true.
“So Isabella and the Hunters are coming to this party,” Kennedy said. “This is going to be kind of amazing.”
I laughed. “It’s like a ticking time bomb.”
“As long as I’m not the one that explodes, I’m happy to watch all of it unfold.”
My phone buzzed.
“You talk to your man,” Kennedy said. “And make sure you try these on.” She shoved the black leather leggings into my arms. “They’re going to be perfect for your costume. I’m gonna go ask the hairdresser to make me look like J-Lo.”
I laughed and pulled out my phone. But it wasn’t Matt. The text was from an unknown number: “Hey, Brooklyn. Can we talk? I can meet you out back by the pool. See you in an hour?”
I looked up at Mrs. Caldwell and Kennedy laughing. I didn’t have time for Rob’s shenanigans right now. He’d been texting me from a different number every night this week, trying to trick me into weird meetings with him. Usually the texts were funnier than this. But I still knew it was him.
I typed out a quick text. “I’m not home, Rob.”
My phone buzzed right away. “It’s not Rob. It’s James.”
I was used to the funny texts from Rob. But now that I knew it was James? It didn’t seem so light anymore. What did James want to talk about? He didn’t mention Operation Disappearing Troll. Was it about something else? I bit the inside of my lip. It didn’t matter. I promised Matt. “I’m still not home,” I wrote back.