Alice in Wonderland High by Rachel Shane Page A

cowboy hat. Whitney poured the foamy substance from the stove into the four glasses. They each grabbed one and left the last, shaped like a perfume bottle, stopper and all, on the counter with no further instructions. I clutched the delicate glass in my hands, unstopped it, and brought it to my lips.
    Definitely the same stuff from the other day. Healthy but dangerous at the same time. Like them.
    â€œHere’s the deal, Alice,” Whitney leaned against the counter. “You kept your mouth shut. Noted.”
    â€œBut you still fucked everything up.” Kingston watched me like he was trying to dissect me with his eyes. I diverted my gaze.
    Whitney shot him a look. “Language.” She turned back to me. “We like to be a little more incognito than that.”
    â€œI know. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I mean—”
    â€œYou think we have instructions?” Whitney scoffed. “That’s not how this works.”
    I snapped my mouth shut.
    â€œI checked with the plants. They’re against her.” Kingston plopped into a chair and put his shoes up on the kitchen table. He talked to plants. Why was I not surprised? “For the record, my vote’s still no.”
    Chess met my eyes. “Well, mine’s still yes.”
    â€œI feel like I always have to do everything around here.” Whitney stomped over to Kingston. There were only three seats around the table—a musical-chairs art installation?—so she scooted in beside her stepbrother and gestured at the empty seats.
    â€œReally, I won’t mess things up anymore.” I plopped into one. “I respect what you’re doing. You’re making a difference.”
    Kingston pointed a finger-gun at me. “You have no idea what we’re doing. You just assume you do.”
    Chess kept telling me the same thing. Maybe I really was only seeing what I wanted to see.
    â€œWe each have a purpose.” Whitney tipped the cup to her mouth and took a long drink, spilling a drop on Kingston’s lap. He pushed her off his seat and more liquid sloshed over the rim. “I create the missions and provide supplies. Kingston is our security guard, and he funds our projects.” Whitney hopped onto the table. “And Chess—”
    â€œIs the muscle?” He twisted his hands around his mug. “The brains?”
    â€œI was going to say motivation .” She shifted her vision to me. “Anyway, Alice, we—”
    â€œHow does Kingston provide the funds?” I asked, only because I saw where Whitney was going: they had all the bases covered, so they didn’t need me. I needed to distract them until I could think of something I could offer that they didn’t already have.
    Kingston coughed several times in succession. “There’s no way I trust you with that information.”
    What did that mean? I pressed my lips together as I thought back to Chess’s earlier comment about catching Whitney pilfering seeds. I could easily see this group justifying stealing from corporations to fund their projects.
    â€œWhit, we discussed giving her another chance,” Chess said.
    â€œDid you tell them about my parents?” I asked him. Kingston rolled his eyes, like I was about to tell them this was my way of rebelling over their restrictions against having a boy in my room or something equally lame.
    Whitney squinted at Chess. “No. Is there something I should know?”
    â€œI didn’t think it was relevant.” Chess shrugged.
    â€œIt is!” I slapped the table in my excitement.
    â€œSo you do know the meaning of it . That proves it.” Kingston pointed at me. “She’s a liar. She lied before.”
    I ignored him. “This isn’t some fluke thing for me. Chess’s dad and my parents used to have a group like yours. I can prove it. I found a photo album with evidence.”
    Whitney leaned forward. “I’m