With satisfaction I notice that Ricardo is taller than Kenneth. I don’t know why, exactly, but I find it immensely gratifying that my ex has to look up to my current, admittedly fake, boyfriend.
“Yep. I have a new guy. I don’t waste time when I find what I want, unlike someone I know.” My pointed meaning is not lost on Kenneth, whose skin flushes angry red.
Immediately the whispers move down the hall, rippling outward like a shockwave from where I’m standing at ground zero. In less than ten minutes, everyone in this entire school will have heard about me and Ricardo. Oh, joy.
Raking a hand over the back of his neck, Kenneth retreats into the health center, shutting the door behind him. He’s put off for now. It’s only temporary, but it’ll give me time to formulate a plan to handle him.
Trepidation wells as I turn to focus on Adrienne and Genevieve. Adrienne looks like she’s about to burst, and is the first to speak. “Is this why you were so vehemently against us getting to know each other last semester? Because you had a crush on him? That makes so much sense. I knew you seemed unreasonably mad at him! Wow, I’m so happy for you.” She gushes, beaming at us. “My best friend and my sister. Eek!” She throws her arms around us and jumps up and down.
Laughing, Ricardo says, “You got us, chouchou.”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes at his cutesy nickname for my stepsister.
Ricardo takes my hand, twining our fingers.
It’s all I can do not to yank my hand away. The way he’s looking at me, with feigned affection, is making me want to punch him in the face. Of course, I’d never do that. I would never lose control in public like that. Or ever, really. I force myself to smile back, sweetly.
Maybe I should take up Krav Maga again so I have an excuse to beat the crap out of my training partner, even if it’s not Ricardo. My grin widens. Maybe I could get Ricardo to come too. Then I really could punch him in the face.
Genevieve stands apart from us, her blue eyes watery as she stares at us, lips parted in cruel surprise. Her aghast expression drowns my sudden craving for violence.
I reach for her hand. “Gen, let me explain. Please.”
Shaking her head, she bolts toward the women’s bathroom.
A bunch of people swivel to watch her go. One whistles, irking me.
Untangling my fingers from Ricardo’s, I excuse myself. I have to go talk to my bestie.
A cacophony of vibrations and ringtones fills the hallway, making me pause.
“What’s this?” Adrienne says, showing me her phone screen.
“An all-school alert?” I mutter out loud, digging my phone out of my bag. Opening it, I click on my messages. There’s a new one—from Headmistress Morgan.
Embassy Academy Alert
Attention, students.
All students and faculty who have a car registered here at Embassy Academy are hereby requested to refrain from driving off campus for the next several days while the police conduct their investigation in the vicinity outside our campus. A personal shuttle will be made available to students who require a mode of transportation for off-site appointments.
The crowd parts as Cal lopes toward me, looking up from his phone. Asif is with him. “Hey, Char, have you seen this? Where’s my car, anyway?” Cal shows me the screen as he stops in front of where I’m still standing with Adrienne and Ricardo. “Uh, why are you holding hands with Rico Suave, here?”
All three of them swivel to me, and my stomach dips into my toes.
I am so dead.
9
After giving Cal some bull excuse about having his car detailed as a thank you for letting me borrow it, I hurry into the restroom. Genevieve is standing in front of the mirror, bracing herself on the white marble counter with outstretched hands. Rings glitter on her long, slender fingers. Her gingerbread brown hair hangs in waves that have fallen forward over her shoulders.
I never lie to Genevieve, but today I must. I can’t tell her about what happened with Professor Rook, because then she’ll be complicit. It’s bad enough that Ricardo knows, and Kenneth suspects what I’ve done. Not Genevieve too. And I can’t tell her that I’m faking it, because that would be far too embarrassing.
I square my shoulders, hoping I’m a good enough liar to pull this off. Stepping up beside her, I