Clique Bait - Ann Valett Page 0,59

and how easy it would be to rekindle that connection. To feel that closeness my insides yearned for.

Did this mean I couldn’t cross him off my list if I felt this way? Could I do it?

There might have been many sacrifices I’d made to fulfill my plan, but falling for William Bishop would not be one of them.

The moment was broken when the classroom door was flung open, revealing Mr. Hammond, our bio teacher. Sophie stood beside him. She ignored my presence, frowning at William and his busted cheek.

“What’s going on in here?” Mr. Hammond barked, looking from me to William, who had turned away to shield his injury.

“What happened to you?” Sophie echoed. Her scrutiny was heavy as I darted away from William.

“We were just talking,” I said quickly. “Sorry, sir. We’ll leave.”

Before Mr. Hammond could question us further, we fled the room. I half expected him to follow us down the hall and demand answers, but he was apparently unconcerned by the fact William had clearly been in a fight. Maybe Sophie was covering for us, a strange Level One loyalty thing.

William was oddly quiet as we walked to our cars. Maybe it was the adrenaline wearing off, but he was suddenly distant. I’d driven myself this morning, so I didn’t even get the car ride home to ask him about it. He didn’t even pause to say goodbye, let alone give a parting hug as he headed for his BMW with a small wave over his shoulder.

As I sat in Maddy’s makeup studio Saturday afternoon attempting to stick lashes to my eyes and trying to ignore the memories from a week ago, I couldn’t help but worry about William. He’d ignored the few texts I’d sent him today to check if he was okay.

I wondered if his father had heard about the fight, or if the Rutherfords were already drawing up an assault charge. Even so, I had to admit, the fleeting image of Francis cradling his nose was bringing me satisfaction.

I thought back to that charged moment between us in the classroom. It was impossible to ignore the fact that William was a good guy . . . or that I’d started to develop some very real feelings for him. I had no idea what that meant for my plan, though, at least as far as it concerned him. As for the others . . . I could only hope tonight would prove useful.

Following Maddy’s recommendation, I’d done my makeup extra dark to help me pass as older. I didn’t feel prepared, and I began to feel the creeping possibility that I was walking into a trap. But before I could chicken out, in my head a voice desperate for secrets whispered: What’s the worst that can happen? Isn’t it worth the risk?

Yes.

Maddy was busy babbling about the fight as she held a curling wand to her hair, waiting for me to spill every detail as I dusted my cheeks with setting powder. Once I was done recapping, I reached for my phone, opening my Facebook app to check if William was active. The green circle next to his name confirmed my suspicions.

So he was avoiding me.

“Come on, let’s go get our dresses,” Maddy said, pulling me from my thoughts. We took our vodka sunrises and headed upstairs for her bedroom.

I was wearing a gorgeous Givenchy dress—tailored to fit the awkward curves and crevices of my body—and heels that would make my height almost comparable to Maddy’s five-foot-eleven frame. I looked along her photo wall while I waited for her to do up the clasps of her shoes, Polaroids strung with fairy lights in front of her closet.

There were a lot of pictures from parties with large groups of people, but there were also a few close-up selfies of Maddy with other people.

“Is that Claire?” I asked, observing the picture of the slightly younger Claire and Maddy, who were arm in arm.

Maddy looked over her shoulder from where she was tying the strap. “Oh, yeah. We used to be friends.”

Before she rose to power, of course. For some reason, I pictured what it would be like if Monica was still here. Would she have one lone picture of me left with her on her wall, cluttered among hundreds of others, our friendship a distant memory?

As if my thoughts summoned her, my eyes caught sight of her blazing red hair in a picture with Maddy and Sophie. Mon’s smile was so wide it was infectious. There were