Expelled(27)

“That’s not what I meant by wrong,” I say. “What I meant was: maybe I’m not the one with the enemy.”

Jude’s eyes open wide. “Wait—you think I’ve got one?”

“No,” I say. “I think Parker Harris does.”

Jude’s eyes go even wider. “No way,” he whispers.

“I think someone wanted to get even with the football star,” I say, “and you and I are just collateral damage.”





25


“But Parker’s basically the king of the school,” Jude says. “Or was.”

“Right,” I say, “but a king always has saboteurs in his ranks.”

“Et tu, Brute?” Jude mimes being stabbed in the back.

“I really don’t know what you two are talking about,” Felix says, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “I mean, it’s dramatic and everything, but I gotta jet.”

“No, wait,” I say, “just come with us to talk to Sasha.”

“Sasha?” Felix repeats hopefully. The mere mention of her name changes things for him, it’s obvious.

I can sympathize.

“Why do you want to talk to her?” Jude asks. “Isn’t Parker your next person of interest?”

“I think we should come at him from an angle,” I say. “Plus I want to run my theory by Sasha.” And I want to see her—to make sure she’s okay.

Felix is still reluctant, but the prospect of talking to Sasha, plus our promise to buy him as many Doritos Locos Taco Supremes as he can eat, gets him into the car. He barely fits in Zelda’s front seat, and I basically have to origami myself into the back.

When we get to Matheson’s, I don’t bother to pretend like I’m there to shop. I go straight to Sasha’s lane, blindly grab a pack of gum, and slap it down on the conveyor belt.

“There’s been a break in the case,” Jude blurts before I can say anything.

I elbow him and he yelps.

“We’ve been asking the wrong questions,” I say. “It isn’t about who’s out to get me. It’s about who’s out to get Parker.”

Sasha’s eyes are cold. “This is information you could have sent me in a text,” she says.

“That’s true,” I say, “but maybe I got sick of sending you texts that you never respond to. Maybe I just wanted to look at you and tell you what I figured out. Someone wanted to get Parker in trouble. He was the one with the most to lose! Did you ever talk to him about that?”

She gives a minute shake of the head. “Parker and I don’t do a lot of talking. We never did.”

What did you do? is something that a deep, dark part of me wants to ask. But I push all thoughts of the two of them together, in any way, out of my mind.

“Have you seen him lately?” I ask.

“No,” she says. “And you’re acting weird.”

“I’m not weird, I’m excited.”

She picks up my gum, scans it. “You realize that this is absolutely, positively the most disgusting flavor of Trident Layers ever made,” she says, dropping it scornfully into a tiny bag.

“I’m not going to chew it. It’s just buying a place in line.” I hand her the quarters I swiped from my mom’s change jar.

“I’ll take it,” Jude says. “Green apple and pineapple? Sounds delicious.”

Sasha says, “You really should go.”

“Are these dudes crazy?” Felix asks her. “Are we wasting our time?”

“I don’t know,” Sasha says. “Maybe you’re on the right track. I’m sure plenty of people resent Parker—he’s a star quarterback, and everyone knows that quarterbacks are basically megalomaniacal, hypercompetitive, fist-pumping ’roid ragers. But Theo seems to have forgotten that this incredibly thrilling ‘break in the case’ doesn’t help me any.” She turns to me, and her eyes are as icy as I’ve ever seen them. “Did you even remember we were supposed to figure out who took all that money?”

I inhale sharply. Sasha’s right. I totally forgot. “I’m so sorry,” I say. “I just—”

“Don’t worry about it,” she snaps. “I never asked you to solve my problems.”

“But I want to,” I say.

“Seriously, you just have to go. You bought your gum. There’s the exit.”

“Jude,” I say, “buy something. Quick.”

Jude grabs another pack of gum and puts it on the belt. “Now we have two different Trident flavors to try,” he says brightly.

Sasha rolls her eyes. She scans the gum and holds out her hand for Jude’s crumpled dollar bill.

“I’m really sorry,” I say again. “I just wanted to know if you could think of someone in particular who might have a beef with Parker.”

Then Jude says, “Dude, he’s here.”

I look up, expecting to see the jock himself, here to flirt with Sasha on her break or something. But instead of spotting Parker Harris looming by the front doors, I see Jere7my Sharp. Our eyes meet over the rows of shopping carts, and Jere7my promptly whirls around and goes back outside.

“What the hell?” I say.