Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil

slapped him across the face. “Yes, of course. So sorry to intrude.” He was out the door and down the stairs before Olivia could protest.
    “What was that all about?” Olivia said, as soon as her mom closed the door.
    Instead of apologizing, her mom whirled on her. “Don’t you ever bring that man to this house again. Do you hear me?”
    “Why?”
    “Do you hear me?” her mom repeated through clenched teeth.
    There was something wild in her mom’s eyes; it wasn’t anger or fear, but a mix of the two that seemed to ignite from nothing.
    “Are you okay?” Olivia asked.
    “Of course I am,” her mom snapped. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
    “It’s just . . .” Olivia glanced at the pill bottles on the table. “Are those new prescriptions from Dr. Kearns?”
    Her mom shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? She phones them in, I pick them up.” She took a step closer to her daughter and gripped Olivia by the arm. “You didn’t answer me. Promise me you’ll never bring Fitzgerald Conroy to his house again.”
    Olivia winced as her mom’s fingers dug into her flesh. “Fine. But why not?”
    Instead of offering an explanation, her mom spun around and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................
SEVENTEEN
    STILL SWEATY FROM VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE, KITTY HURRIED UP the steps to the private gym. She taught volleyball lessons there every summer, and in addition to a small stipend, she received an annual pass to use the gym. Which was unnecessary most of the time, considering that Bishop DuMaine had state-of-the-art weight and cardio facilities on campus, but today it was going to come in particularly handy. Last summer, Kitty had noticed an old classmate working out every evening around five o’clock. It was someone Kitty knew only too well: DGM target number one, Wendy Marshall.
    If truth be told, Kitty had a soft spot for Wendy. Her label-shaming, queen-bee fiefdom at Bishop DuMaine had inspired Kitty to form DGM freshman year, and though the plan against Wendy wasn’t one of their finest, it still gave Kitty a special thrill when she thought about it. The first time is always the sweetest.
    It had been a simple mission, and kind of stupid when she thought about it, but DGM hadn’t fine-tuned their roles yet, and hacking into the camera feed from Wendy’s online LARPinggroup was the best they could do. But the image of Wendy dressed as a steampunk cowgirl for online sessions with her group was amazing. Again, Kitty admired the way Wendy dove into her role with 100 percent commitment, and under different circumstances, she felt as if she and Wendy could have been friends. After all, Kitty had done her fair share of dressing up in Hogwarts robes and running around straddling a broom as she pretended to be the Ravenclaw Seeker. But after terrorizing the female population of Bishop DuMaine for nondesigner clothing labels and questionable fashion choices, Kitty was seriously pissed off by Wendy’s hypocrisy.
    The printouts of Wendy in a homemade costume, posing in character, ended her tenure as queen bee once and for all.
    Kitty flashed her membership card and climbed the stairs to the cardio room. One sweep told her she was in luck: Wendy Marshall was going to town on an elliptical.
    Watching the petite brunette work out like she was training for a marathon, Kitty found it difficult to believe her capable of murder, arson, or the half-dozen other crimes associated with their suspect. Then again, maybe that was the key to her success—underestimation.
    Wendy eyed Kitty as she climbed into an adjacent machine, but didn’t break stride. Kitty stood there for a moment—shoes planted in the footplates, fingers gripping handles—and stared at the console. She’d never actually worked out on a cardio machine other than a treadmill, which seemed so much more straightforward