Empire High Betrayal (Empire High #3) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,47

of those elaborate engagement parties?”

“I don’t think so.” We walked toward her homeroom.

“Well if you do, make sure Justin plans it. I want to hang out with him more. And if you don’t make me your maid of honor?” She drew a line across her throat like Isabella had. “Joking,” she said and laughed on her way into class.

A chill ran down my spine, and it wasn’t from what she’d said. I turned around. Isabella was standing on the other side of the hall. That same horrifying smile on her face. Had she been standing there the whole time just staring at me? I turned and ran to my homeroom despite the fact that my feet still hurt.

Chapter 16

Tuesday

Everywhere I went, Isabella was there. She even came into my English class with the pretense of handing in a late assignment to my teacher. But I didn’t buy it. Because she’d stared at me the whole time with that same creepy smile as earlier. I was used to having her minions keeping their eyes on me when she had been blackmailing Matt. But it was like she didn’t trust their intel now. Like she needed to watch me for herself. And there was nothing more horrifying than her evil, smiling face.

Felix wasn’t in gym class. I’d waited for him by the doors, but he never came. Kennedy said he’d been absent yesterday, and he must have been absent again today. Unless he was avoiding me. I’d hoped to talk to him before the whole school knew about Matt and me. But I’d missed my chance. I sat down on the bleachers and sighed. At least I didn’t have to participate today.

It wasn’t just my mind spinning or my chest aching. All day my stomach was upset, worried about my talk with Felix and avoiding Isabella as best I could. But Felix wasn’t here. And Isabella was somewhere in the school. I didn’t have anything to worry about out here. No creepy half-sisters or awkward conversations. Sitting on the bleachers in gym class was the first time all day I’d been able to breathe easy. I watched as a few of my other classmates ran on the track.

I looked down at Matt’s varsity jacket. The cool autumn wind blew, and I was happy to finally have something warm. I leaned my head back on the bleachers behind me. The sun on my face was as warm as the jacket. My eyelids felt heavy. I yawned and tried to keep them open. It was like my body had been on high alert all day. And now that I was outside, breathing fresh air, I realized how exhausted I was. I yawned again.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Coach Carter was blowing his whistle, signaling the end of class. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair. God, I felt a million times better.

Maybe Isabella had always been around that much and I just hadn’t realized before. It was a small school. There really wasn’t any way to avoid her.

Fresh air and sunshine had been the cure to my paranoia. Coach Carter blew the whistle again. I went to stand and realized that there was a piece of paper underneath one of my Keds. It must have been litter from the last game. I lifted my foot and grabbed the piece of paper so I could toss it. But then I saw something written in bright red ink.

The countdown is on. Your bloodline is about to run dry.

That wasn’t red ink. I stared at the words. Was it written in…blood? I dropped the note.

Shit. I leaned forward and watched the paper flutter beneath the bleachers. What the hell was that? My heart was pounding out of my chest as I got up and started running toward the gym.

I knew it was Isabella. Who else would leave a threat like that under my foot? But she wasn’t in my gym class. I stared at the other students running back up to the gym. It had to have been one of them. Right? And the only one I really knew was Cupcake.

“Cupcake!” I yelled and tried to catch up to him, but my stupid feet still hurt.

It was like he heard me and started running faster.

By the time I reached the gym he was already running up to the boy’s locker room. Son of a bitch. A few students turned and started laughing at me as I walked toward