talking about. Stop while you’re ahead.
Ethan let the phone fall to his side. “Did she Photoshop it? Because you guys look like you’re having a romantic tête-à-tête.”
“I was asking him about the night Sutton died,” Emma said. “You won’t believe what I found out.”
Suddenly, a metal hurdle clattered on the ground as thetrack coach tried to assemble them in an upright position. Emma swallowed hard. They were way too public right here. Anyone could hear them.
“Walk with me?” Emma asked in a small voice. For a moment, Ethan just sat there, like he wasn’t going to budge. When he finally slid off the bleacher, Emma let out a sigh of relief.
They began to circle the track, a pack of students sprinting past them. Only when they rounded the corner to a spot behind the field house did Emma yank him off the red asphalt and into the little room that housed the practice mats, javelin poles, and shot puts. When Emma shut the door, only a sliver of light poked through. It would have been romantic if Ethan weren’t standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Thayer told me that Laurel didn’t stay with him all night at the hospital,” Emma whispered, her voice sounding tinny and hollow against the low ceiling. “She just dropped him off. And he told me that she was furious at Sutton. He literally said she wanted to kill her.”
“Whoa.” Ethan let out a low whistle, seemingly forgetting his anger. “That’s messed up.”
“So how can I prove it before she does something to me ?” Emma asked. She glanced through the crack in the door, watching as a couple of Hollier kids bounced on the pole vault mat. “I want this over with. This isgetting so out of hand. And beyond getting justice for Sutton, do you realize how sick I am of pretending? How I just want to be me again? My entire life is on hold. I just realized the other day that I may not be able to go to college.”
Ethan’s features softened. “I know,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
Emma nuzzled into his shoulder, feeling better. “So you’re not mad at me?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’s hard to think about you and Thayer together.”
“You know I’m into you—and only you.”
“I know. Really, I do. But I am annoyed you didn’t invite me to the hot springs. I’d love to know where they are.”
“Well, now I know where they are.” Emma playfully poked his chest. “You and I will go soon—alone.”
“Sounds like a date,” Ethan murmured.
“You’re still planning on coming to my dad’s birthday party Saturday night, right?” Emma asked. “ Please tell me you are. I don’t think I can deal with it without you. Especially with Laurel there. It’s freaky enough sleeping one room away from her. I’ve locked the door and the windows every night this week.”
Ethan pretended to think about it. “I suppose,” he said after a moment. “But only if you’re very, verygood. And only if you introduce me to this Grandma Mercer.”
“You’ll love her.” Emma rolled her eyes. “But she smells like she bathed in Chanel No. 5. And she’ll probably offer you a cigarette.”
“Well, then I’ll be sure to bring my lighter,” Ethan joked. “Oh, and speaking of old ladies, I almost cracked the code on the traffic cameras. The proof that it wasn’t you pulling that tree prank will be yours in no time to hand over to Ms. Ambrose.”
“ Thank you! ” Emma clutched her hands dramatically. “The Lying Game will really love you then. They’re already working on another prank for the dance to keep the Devious Four in their place.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to do anything too horrible to those girls, are you? I mean, they’re bitches, but I know what you Lying Game girls are capable of.”
“ I’m not a Lying Game girl,” Emma reminded him. “And we’re only doing what they have coming to them.” Then she had an idea. “Maybe the prank-inside-the-prank at the secret dance could
Ethan let the phone fall to his side. “Did she Photoshop it? Because you guys look like you’re having a romantic tête-à-tête.”
“I was asking him about the night Sutton died,” Emma said. “You won’t believe what I found out.”
Suddenly, a metal hurdle clattered on the ground as thetrack coach tried to assemble them in an upright position. Emma swallowed hard. They were way too public right here. Anyone could hear them.
“Walk with me?” Emma asked in a small voice. For a moment, Ethan just sat there, like he wasn’t going to budge. When he finally slid off the bleacher, Emma let out a sigh of relief.
They began to circle the track, a pack of students sprinting past them. Only when they rounded the corner to a spot behind the field house did Emma yank him off the red asphalt and into the little room that housed the practice mats, javelin poles, and shot puts. When Emma shut the door, only a sliver of light poked through. It would have been romantic if Ethan weren’t standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Thayer told me that Laurel didn’t stay with him all night at the hospital,” Emma whispered, her voice sounding tinny and hollow against the low ceiling. “She just dropped him off. And he told me that she was furious at Sutton. He literally said she wanted to kill her.”
“Whoa.” Ethan let out a low whistle, seemingly forgetting his anger. “That’s messed up.”
“So how can I prove it before she does something to me ?” Emma asked. She glanced through the crack in the door, watching as a couple of Hollier kids bounced on the pole vault mat. “I want this over with. This isgetting so out of hand. And beyond getting justice for Sutton, do you realize how sick I am of pretending? How I just want to be me again? My entire life is on hold. I just realized the other day that I may not be able to go to college.”
Ethan’s features softened. “I know,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.
Emma nuzzled into his shoulder, feeling better. “So you’re not mad at me?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’s hard to think about you and Thayer together.”
“You know I’m into you—and only you.”
“I know. Really, I do. But I am annoyed you didn’t invite me to the hot springs. I’d love to know where they are.”
“Well, now I know where they are.” Emma playfully poked his chest. “You and I will go soon—alone.”
“Sounds like a date,” Ethan murmured.
“You’re still planning on coming to my dad’s birthday party Saturday night, right?” Emma asked. “ Please tell me you are. I don’t think I can deal with it without you. Especially with Laurel there. It’s freaky enough sleeping one room away from her. I’ve locked the door and the windows every night this week.”
Ethan pretended to think about it. “I suppose,” he said after a moment. “But only if you’re very, verygood. And only if you introduce me to this Grandma Mercer.”
“You’ll love her.” Emma rolled her eyes. “But she smells like she bathed in Chanel No. 5. And she’ll probably offer you a cigarette.”
“Well, then I’ll be sure to bring my lighter,” Ethan joked. “Oh, and speaking of old ladies, I almost cracked the code on the traffic cameras. The proof that it wasn’t you pulling that tree prank will be yours in no time to hand over to Ms. Ambrose.”
“ Thank you! ” Emma clutched her hands dramatically. “The Lying Game will really love you then. They’re already working on another prank for the dance to keep the Devious Four in their place.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to do anything too horrible to those girls, are you? I mean, they’re bitches, but I know what you Lying Game girls are capable of.”
“ I’m not a Lying Game girl,” Emma reminded him. “And we’re only doing what they have coming to them.” Then she had an idea. “Maybe the prank-inside-the-prank at the secret dance could
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