you guys look at each other.” Jack shook his head, as if clearing the images from his mind. “Never mind.”
I opened my mouth to say more, but then closed it. He thought I’d fall for William Bishop and forget about Monica.
“I’m here for Monica, and her only. She was . . .” My throat was suddenly dry. “She’s my best friend.”
“Chloe . . .” Jack’s eyes were swimming with sympathy I didn’t need. “You know you’re not alone. It’s not easy to—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I gave him a sorry smile when I saw his face fall. “I have to go.”
“Wait—” Jack said. For a moment, I saw the vulnerability in his eyes as they searched mine, looking for something. But then they hardened. “I want you to promise, Chloe. Promise me that you will go through with this.”
“I promise,” I said. Of course I would. Couldn’t he see what I had sacrificed for this plan?
He nodded. “I’m counting on you, Chloe.”
After leaving, I accelerated out of the parking lot, studying for the test long forgotten. I had one thing on my mind now, and that was revenge. For Monica. For Jack. For me. Now, with a new alliance, exposing Level One was so close I could taste it.
Hours later my entire body was still buzzing from everything Jack and I had discussed. It was like I had just downed ten shots of espresso, my thoughts running a hundred miles an hour. All I needed was the final piece, the footage from their parties. I knew it would be valuable, especially if Maddy trusted Desmond enough to use as a pawn in her plan to drug me. What else had he been told to record?
I’d drawn up a dozen plans, running them through my head over and over. Now that I’d confided in Jack, there was the increased probability that I’d be exposed as a double agent. The more people that knew, the more likely they’d discover my motives. William was right. This couldn’t go on much longer. I needed to act fast.
My mom was away, leaving the house empty tonight. She was accompanying Dad to some gala in New York. He liked to act like a family man when he could, at least when the press was involved. It was the perfect opportunity.
My fingers were dialing William’s number before I could stop them, bringing my phone to my ear just as it started ringing. He answered almost instantly.
“Chloe?” he asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” I said, letting out a long breath. “I’m just . . . planning.”
“Planning what?”
I took a deep breath. “I want to break into Desmond’s house and steal his footage.”
William gave a long pause. “Breaking in and stealing? Really, Chlo?”
“Really.”
“That’s a big deal.”
“Yep.”
“And very risky.”
“So is what I’m already doing.”
“Not just lose-your-social-status risky, but go-to-jail-get-a-criminal-record kind of risky,” he reminded me.
“Not if I’m careful,” I said.
He sighed. It was frustrating to be discussing it in a phone call. I hadn’t realized it would bother him so much.
“And you think this will finish it?”
“I have more evidence,” I said. “About Sophie.”
I filled him in on my encounter with Jack while he remained silent.
“You told someone?”
I was taken aback by his disapproval. “Well, yeah, he’s on my side—on our side—he wants to expose them too.”
“Aren’t you worried this is going too far? I mean, now a teacher’s involved. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said finally.
I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “I know it’s crazy, but I’ve thought this through. If I can get my hands on what I need, then it doesn’t matter if I’m caught. I’ll have enough evidence against Desmond himself that he won’t report me. This will be over.”
“I get where you’re coming from,” he said, “I really do, but I think it’s extreme.”
“So is what happened to Mon.”
I could almost feel his look through the phone. That wasn’t an appropriate response. “Chloe, seriously. Just consider the repercussions.”
“Of course I’ve considered them,” I said. I’d done my research. William didn’t know that over the weekend instead of working on a math assignment I’d downloaded floor plans of the identical units for sale besides Desmond’s and drawn out an entry plan, going as far as to undertake extensive research on the schedules of him and his two housemates. “Why are you trying to stop me?”
“Because this is a completely different league, Chlo.” I waited for him to continue. “I don’t know if I can afford to be involved. After the fight