know that. Zeena said you guys were flirting big-time. Chloe’s totally on the rampage.”
And of course she’s blaming me. My stomach tightens.
“Are you okay?” Ella asks.
Are you freaking? Can I see? Can I see?
“I’m fine,” I bark.
“Okay.” She nods uncertainly. “Only—”
“What?”
“Just—I was going to ask if you want to walk home today.”
I’m so scared and furious, I can’t think. I sputter, “I don’t know when I’m leaving.”
Ella hesitates. “I think you should really go straight home. And someone should be with you. Chloe’s really, really mad.”
“Chick is de
ranged
,” I say, my voice rising.
“That’s what I’m saying,” says Ella. “I’m worried she’s going totry and … do something to you. Do you want me to walk you home?”
Ella is a sweetheart. But I don’t need a sweetheart right now. I need Cassandra. She and I are a team; together we have the power.
“No,” I tell Ella. “I’ll be fine.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
ALL AFTERNOON, I SEND OUT distress signals to Cassandra.
Hello, Cassandra?
Yo, babe, need you
.
Seriously. Kind of in trouble here
.
I get back silence. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her today. What if she’s not even in school?
I can feel the eyes on me all afternoon.
Everyone knows. Everyone knows
.
I have my Spanish test last period. I can’t concentrate. When I finish, I take my paper up to Señorita Romero. I glance at the clock: three-twelve. Usually by three-thirty, the only people left in the building are kids doing after-school stuff.
Oh, and the ones who are waiting to kill you.
Cassandra, please!
Three-fifteen. School’s over. Kids tumble out of class, racing for freedom. I try to stay with the crowd as much as possible.
In the hallway, I run into Malcolm Willander, who asks if Iunderstood what we were supposed to do for calc. He is half flirting with me, and even though I’m not into him, I wonder if it’s worth it to keep the conversation going for protection.
Then two of his friends come by. He says, “So, catch you later?” and I say, “Yeah, text me,” and we’re done.
Three-twenty-five. There are still some kids lingering. If I hurry—but not obviously—and stick to crowded areas, I can make it out of the building.
I bump into Nina Watts, who’s on her way to drama club. Wagging a finger, she says, “Were you talking to Oliver, naughty girl?”
“Not me,” I throw over my shoulder, and keep going.
I pull open the door to the stairwell, look down it. The dark tunnel feels scary.
Most kids are gone now. If I get stuck in an isolated spot, I could be dead. Maybe I should just wait this out. Stay put till everyone’s gone. Chloe and Co. won’t wait around forever. I’m sure they have some tremendously important shopping to do.
I turn around, head back toward the library. There’s always someone in the library after school—some club or kids doing work. And even if no one’s there, books just feel safe. You can’t hurt someone around all those books, right? If I can just make it to the library, I’ll be safe, I think crazily, now all but running down the deserted hallway.
“Finally,” says Chloe, stepping out in front of me. Startled, I gasp.
I turn to run, but Zeena and Isabelle move in behind, blocking my exit.
“Hold her,” says Chloe. Zeena’s nails dig into one wrist, Isabelle’sinto my arm. They start shoving me toward a nearby bathroom. I wriggle, squirm, try to flail free. But they’re too strong, too fast.
Chloe opens the bathroom door—“Madame,” she says with a nasty smile. And I am pushed inside.
Our school bathrooms have three stalls with doors. To the left are three sinks and a long mirror. All the stalls are empty. I take a deep breath, get ready to scream for help. Suddenly, I feel an explosion of pain at the back of my skull. Someone’s got my hair in her fist and is twisting hard. I cry out, swing my backpack, desperate to hit her. Zeena catches my
And of course she’s blaming me. My stomach tightens.
“Are you okay?” Ella asks.
Are you freaking? Can I see? Can I see?
“I’m fine,” I bark.
“Okay.” She nods uncertainly. “Only—”
“What?”
“Just—I was going to ask if you want to walk home today.”
I’m so scared and furious, I can’t think. I sputter, “I don’t know when I’m leaving.”
Ella hesitates. “I think you should really go straight home. And someone should be with you. Chloe’s really, really mad.”
“Chick is de
ranged
,” I say, my voice rising.
“That’s what I’m saying,” says Ella. “I’m worried she’s going totry and … do something to you. Do you want me to walk you home?”
Ella is a sweetheart. But I don’t need a sweetheart right now. I need Cassandra. She and I are a team; together we have the power.
“No,” I tell Ella. “I’ll be fine.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
ALL AFTERNOON, I SEND OUT distress signals to Cassandra.
Hello, Cassandra?
Yo, babe, need you
.
Seriously. Kind of in trouble here
.
I get back silence. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her today. What if she’s not even in school?
I can feel the eyes on me all afternoon.
Everyone knows. Everyone knows
.
I have my Spanish test last period. I can’t concentrate. When I finish, I take my paper up to Señorita Romero. I glance at the clock: three-twelve. Usually by three-thirty, the only people left in the building are kids doing after-school stuff.
Oh, and the ones who are waiting to kill you.
Cassandra, please!
Three-fifteen. School’s over. Kids tumble out of class, racing for freedom. I try to stay with the crowd as much as possible.
In the hallway, I run into Malcolm Willander, who asks if Iunderstood what we were supposed to do for calc. He is half flirting with me, and even though I’m not into him, I wonder if it’s worth it to keep the conversation going for protection.
Then two of his friends come by. He says, “So, catch you later?” and I say, “Yeah, text me,” and we’re done.
Three-twenty-five. There are still some kids lingering. If I hurry—but not obviously—and stick to crowded areas, I can make it out of the building.
I bump into Nina Watts, who’s on her way to drama club. Wagging a finger, she says, “Were you talking to Oliver, naughty girl?”
“Not me,” I throw over my shoulder, and keep going.
I pull open the door to the stairwell, look down it. The dark tunnel feels scary.
Most kids are gone now. If I get stuck in an isolated spot, I could be dead. Maybe I should just wait this out. Stay put till everyone’s gone. Chloe and Co. won’t wait around forever. I’m sure they have some tremendously important shopping to do.
I turn around, head back toward the library. There’s always someone in the library after school—some club or kids doing work. And even if no one’s there, books just feel safe. You can’t hurt someone around all those books, right? If I can just make it to the library, I’ll be safe, I think crazily, now all but running down the deserted hallway.
“Finally,” says Chloe, stepping out in front of me. Startled, I gasp.
I turn to run, but Zeena and Isabelle move in behind, blocking my exit.
“Hold her,” says Chloe. Zeena’s nails dig into one wrist, Isabelle’sinto my arm. They start shoving me toward a nearby bathroom. I wriggle, squirm, try to flail free. But they’re too strong, too fast.
Chloe opens the bathroom door—“Madame,” she says with a nasty smile. And I am pushed inside.
Our school bathrooms have three stalls with doors. To the left are three sinks and a long mirror. All the stalls are empty. I take a deep breath, get ready to scream for help. Suddenly, I feel an explosion of pain at the back of my skull. Someone’s got my hair in her fist and is twisting hard. I cry out, swing my backpack, desperate to hit her. Zeena catches my
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