Between These Lines (A Young Adult Novel) by Jennifer Murgia Page B

cornered into this morning in the bathroom. The only detail I left out was
that I was sure Shane had caused the terrible bruise Evie tried so hard to hide
today. It was the one thing I would have chosen to spill first, but I knew Evie
never would have wanted that. And I wanted to keep her out of this as much as I
could.
    A
brief flash of disgust and hurt flashed across the Headmaster’s eyes, while the
rest of his face remained composed. I sank into the hard chair beneath me,
suddenly wishing I could take back every single word. But it was too late. I
had agreed to cooperate.
    I
was in.
    Headmaster
Whitley resumed his pacing, the lines in his forehead deepened as he proceeded
to wear his carpet thin. “I happen to know there’s another party scheduled for
this weekend. There seems to be a lot of these lately.”
    My
surprise must have stopped him mid-thought.
    “Oh,
yes, Mr. Mitman, I’m quite aware of what goes on in and out of school.”
    “Do
you think this is wise?” chimed the reluctant voice of Professor Coleman,
speaking up for the first time since setting foot inside the office.
    “It’s
not only wise, but absolutely necessary. Chase?”
    He
stared down at me again. I had unexpectedly switched from the accused to the
accessory in a matter of minutes. I leaned my head down and thought long and
hard. When I finally looked up, Headmaster Whitley’s blue eyes no longer
appeared so cold and intimidating. They looked hopeful. I suppose this was why
I ended up agreeing to go through with the plan.
    Now
I needed to tell Evie I had changed my mind, and was going to Jake’s after all.
Even though she didn’t want me there.
    For
all intents and purposes, we had to make it look like I had been interrogated,
and then reprimanded. Shane and his friends had eyes and ears all over the
school. We had to be careful not to let any of them know this was an agreement
to work together – to set the wrongs to right; that Shane was about to
lose his throne. It would be the biggest plot Whitley Prep had ever seen. Blood
against blood. But it was more than that. Once and for all the lines of hatred
and game playing that pitted one student against the other could be erased.
    Apart
from Professor Coleman, the other faculty members were to be informed at a
meeting that would take place later. I was to be dismissed immediately and
taken downtown for supposed questioning, as well as a drug test, just to be
sure I had nothing to hide. Aunt Claudie was briefed over the phone while I
stayed seated in the office. I was still a minor, but I also knew it was so I
wouldn’t be given the third degree when I was finally released to go home.
    I
left Headmaster Whitley’s office knowing two things: one, I was going to Jake’s
party to set up Shane Whitley. And two: there was no way I would make it to
Evie’s by four o’clock.

 
    ***

 
    Aunt
Claudie shook her head at me. “When on earth did all this happen?”
    I
pulled my eyes from the window and looked over at her. I had been mesmerized by
the horizon painfully whizzing past at twenty-five miles per hour; how the
landscape slowly changed from grass to black top. Aunt Claudie at the wheel was
an unusual sight, and since precipitation wasn’t an issue, it was safe to
assume it was my fault. I’d offered to drive, especially after taking a look at
the time displayed on the dashboard, but she wouldn’t have it.
    I
was never going to make it to Evie’s.
    I
was able to zone out for a few minutes as we drove home from the police
station. Now and then her tongue would click against her teeth, a habit of hers
when she worried and needed to sort things out in her head. I remembered my dad
used to do the same thing, and I used to laugh at him because it sounded funny.
Now, it brought back a hollow memory of him and the pit of my stomach ached as
I realized Aunt Claudie was truly distressed over today.
    “Just
this week,” I muttered softly. When did all this start? When did my