Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,92

said.

I hadn’t even seen Miller approach.

He stopped beside me, sizing up Mason. “I’ll be taking them.”

“Cool.” Mason lifted up his hands like he was innocent. Which he was. “See you at the dance, Brooklyn,” Mason said. “You too, Kennedy,” he added before joining his date.

“Well that wasn’t the best start,” Kennedy said as Isabella and her friends left. “But at least we get to have a sleepover!”

I laughed. “I can’t believe you want to spend the night here.”

“Both of you can’t fit in my bed,” Miller said with a smile.

I shoved his arm. And then immediately pulled back. Mr. Pruitt was probably watching us right now. But I didn’t want to have this conversation with Miller right in front of Kennedy.

“Obviously I’m sleeping in Brooklyn’s bed, perv,” Kennedy said.

Miller laughed. “Let’s get you girls to homecoming.”

“While we’re at the dance, would it be possible to have all of Isabella’s clothes cut up?” Kennedy asked.

That was a great question. We all laughed, even though I actually wanted to know the answer. How was I going to get through living with Isabella until she went off to college next fall?

I looked over my shoulder at Mr. Pruitt’s study door. I was only safe from Isabella when he was in the same room as us. And for the first time, I felt a chill run down my spine when I left the apartment instead of when I entered.

Chapter 29

Saturday

Back home, all the dances had been held in the high school cafeteria. But Empire High had rented out the same ballroom where I’d first talked to Matt. Miller’s sedan stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the limos when we pulled up to the front. It was like a show of wealth that I didn’t understand. If they all showed up in limos, it didn’t exactly make it special. I looked down at my Keds sticking out from underneath my mother’s dress.

I smiled over to Kennedy when she snapped a picture of me. She was rocking a much more modern dress, but it was second-hand too. I was pretty sure we’d be the only two here not wearing new dresses, and for some reason that made me happy. Kennedy and I were showing up in style. Not the same designer’s dresses and cookie cutter limousines as everyone else.

Kennedy took a deep breath. “You ready for this?”

I wasn’t really sure if I was. Operation Felix was in the back of my head. The fact that my dad knew I’d been running down to the staff floor every night was making my stomach twist in knots. But most of all? I knew Matt would be through those doors. And I didn’t know what any of it meant. All I knew was that my broken heart felt like it was being tugged in three different directions.

I glanced out the windows at the other students laughing and taking pictures. The last time I’d been here, I’d had to go around to the staff entrance on the side. But tonight? I’d get to walk through the front doors. Or… “You know we could just ditch the dance and go see a movie or something.”

Kennedy laughed. “Oh, come on. This is going to be amazing. I’ve only ever waited tables here.” She unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Yeah.” It was kind of amazing. We weren’t servers tonight, we were part of the elite. I unbuckled my seatbelt but didn’t move to follow her out the door. “Do you mind giving me just a second to talk to Miller?” I asked.

“No problem. But don’t take too long, it’s getting cold.” Kennedy slipped out of the car and slammed the door behind her. She didn’t go up toward the ornate hotel doors. She waited for me right on the sidewalk, just like I would have done for her. I wasn’t sure either of us would have wanted to venture into the dance alone. Kennedy was braver than me. But neither of us were dumb. Walking into that hotel alone was just asking for trouble.

Miller turned in his seat so he could look at me. “You look really beautiful, Brooklyn.” There was something sad in his eyes that I didn’t understand. Apparently I looked sad too, because he added, “is everything alright?”

“No, not really.” I took a deep breath. I’d lost both my mom and my uncle in the span of several weeks. I was a mess. And I’d been pulling so many people into my mess with me. Just because I needed comfort, it