Everything she auditioned for wound up a dead end. Her mother was pissed and pushing her harder than ever. She
would
make Heather famous, and Heather
would
do whatever she said. Or else.
Heather wasn’t eager to find out what “or else” actually meant. At the moment, though, it weighed heavily on her mind as she pondered her mother’s reaction if she discovered the truth.
Heather was in trouble. Big trouble.
I shouldn’t be drinking this,
she thought. Clutching the wine bottle to her chest, she turned off the lantern so that they wouldn’t see her coming and hung a U-turn back down the hall. From the safety of the shadows, she searched for Kyle and realized with a pang that he had left.
The three girls were still dragging the very long, heavy rope across the floor. They reminded her of sailors on a pirate ship. August pointed to a sign he had placed over one of the coffins that read PENALTY BABES . Heather noted the hangman’s knot at the end of the rope and blew air out of her cheeks. August’s hunts were always edgy, but tonight that edge was
sharp.
She was a jittery mess, all her emotions about to spill out over her barely maintained surface tension. She hadn’t realized that so many people knew about Mr. Riker. But they didn’t know the worst part—her deepest darkest secret.
She hung back as August approached the trio of girls, admiring their handiwork. He was holding a little black box in his hand and as he waggled a joystick, the moldering corpse in the girls’ coffin shifted around like it was trying to get comfortable.
“August, you need to make us do our Truth or Dare so we can go get our next thing,” Thea prodded him sharply as she stepped away from the coffin and glanced fearfully upward at the screeching bats.
From her vantage point, Heather could see an expression of vicious glee sweep across August’s face, the light from the lanterns lending him a positively demonic cast. She took another swallow of wine. He was freaking her out. He’d teased hard at these hunts before, but he’d never been mean. This was a new August. Or was she finally just now seeing the real one?
“Okay, so decide, Truth or Dare,” August challenged the girls.
Beth looked petrified. Then Robin Brissett stepped forward. “I’ll do it. Truth.”
“Sorry, Robin, but you’re just along for the ride.” August waved her off dismissively. “It’s up to Thea and Beth.”
“Dare,” Thea and Beth said simultaneously.
August nodded. “As I expected.” He held out a black envelope. “Here you go.”
Thea took it while Beth sucked in a deep breath. Heather shot daggers at Beth Breckenridge Bitch the First. She had no idea how Beth had learned about Mr. Riker, but she had no doubt that Beth was the one who had spread it around.
“We’re the third ones back with an item?” Robin asked, studying the coffins.
“Yes, and it’s amazing how fast you’re catching up. That fifteen-minute delay in your start clearly wasn’t long enough,” August told her.
Robin was still busy taking inventory, though.
“Rope, crowbar, a gas can on the way. Except for the sweater, aren’t these all very…I don’t know, Colonel Mustard–like?” she asked.
“Like Clue,” Beth said with false brightness. Thea struggled to rip open the envelope. Beth reached out to take it from her but Thea frowned and shook her head, giving it another go. “You know, August, Robin is a killer gamer.”
Robin looked shocked and frowned at Beth, who ignored her and kept smiling at August.
“Really,” August said, inclining his head in Robin’s direction. “You have hidden depths, Ms. Brissett.”
Robin flashed Beth a dirty look. “Not so much. But I do play Clue.”
Thea smiled at a satisfying rip and pulled out a page from the envelope.
“Welcome to the Second Act of Cheater Theater,”
Thea read.
“You’ll feel ever so much better if you get things off your chest. So your choice: take off your tops or your bottoms, and
would
make Heather famous, and Heather
would
do whatever she said. Or else.
Heather wasn’t eager to find out what “or else” actually meant. At the moment, though, it weighed heavily on her mind as she pondered her mother’s reaction if she discovered the truth.
Heather was in trouble. Big trouble.
I shouldn’t be drinking this,
she thought. Clutching the wine bottle to her chest, she turned off the lantern so that they wouldn’t see her coming and hung a U-turn back down the hall. From the safety of the shadows, she searched for Kyle and realized with a pang that he had left.
The three girls were still dragging the very long, heavy rope across the floor. They reminded her of sailors on a pirate ship. August pointed to a sign he had placed over one of the coffins that read PENALTY BABES . Heather noted the hangman’s knot at the end of the rope and blew air out of her cheeks. August’s hunts were always edgy, but tonight that edge was
sharp.
She was a jittery mess, all her emotions about to spill out over her barely maintained surface tension. She hadn’t realized that so many people knew about Mr. Riker. But they didn’t know the worst part—her deepest darkest secret.
She hung back as August approached the trio of girls, admiring their handiwork. He was holding a little black box in his hand and as he waggled a joystick, the moldering corpse in the girls’ coffin shifted around like it was trying to get comfortable.
“August, you need to make us do our Truth or Dare so we can go get our next thing,” Thea prodded him sharply as she stepped away from the coffin and glanced fearfully upward at the screeching bats.
From her vantage point, Heather could see an expression of vicious glee sweep across August’s face, the light from the lanterns lending him a positively demonic cast. She took another swallow of wine. He was freaking her out. He’d teased hard at these hunts before, but he’d never been mean. This was a new August. Or was she finally just now seeing the real one?
“Okay, so decide, Truth or Dare,” August challenged the girls.
Beth looked petrified. Then Robin Brissett stepped forward. “I’ll do it. Truth.”
“Sorry, Robin, but you’re just along for the ride.” August waved her off dismissively. “It’s up to Thea and Beth.”
“Dare,” Thea and Beth said simultaneously.
August nodded. “As I expected.” He held out a black envelope. “Here you go.”
Thea took it while Beth sucked in a deep breath. Heather shot daggers at Beth Breckenridge Bitch the First. She had no idea how Beth had learned about Mr. Riker, but she had no doubt that Beth was the one who had spread it around.
“We’re the third ones back with an item?” Robin asked, studying the coffins.
“Yes, and it’s amazing how fast you’re catching up. That fifteen-minute delay in your start clearly wasn’t long enough,” August told her.
Robin was still busy taking inventory, though.
“Rope, crowbar, a gas can on the way. Except for the sweater, aren’t these all very…I don’t know, Colonel Mustard–like?” she asked.
“Like Clue,” Beth said with false brightness. Thea struggled to rip open the envelope. Beth reached out to take it from her but Thea frowned and shook her head, giving it another go. “You know, August, Robin is a killer gamer.”
Robin looked shocked and frowned at Beth, who ignored her and kept smiling at August.
“Really,” August said, inclining his head in Robin’s direction. “You have hidden depths, Ms. Brissett.”
Robin flashed Beth a dirty look. “Not so much. But I do play Clue.”
Thea smiled at a satisfying rip and pulled out a page from the envelope.
“Welcome to the Second Act of Cheater Theater,”
Thea read.
“You’ll feel ever so much better if you get things off your chest. So your choice: take off your tops or your bottoms, and
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