“Impressive. And what about you, sir?” I appreciated that he shifted focus to the boy in front of me. Though I would have to get used to it if I truly meant to infiltrate the Teflon crew, I hated being watched.
Eventually I knew all kinds of trivia about the rest of my class and then Colin started the lesson in earnest. He was a good teacher, explaining his expectations up front, how he would evaluate our performance, how much reading and writing we’d be doing, and then his test policies. By far it wasn’t the worst first session I’d had.
The rest, until lunch, were a mixed bag. I had a few of the same teachers from last year, but they were all polite enough to pretend I hadn’t changed into a new person. By the time break rolled around, my shoulders hurt from the tension. It took all my courage to go into the cafeteria instead of hiding in the bathroom. The place smelled delicious, mostly because we had chefs instead of lunch ladies. There was a wide variety of choices, too, but my stomach roiled too much for me to grab anything but salad and yogurt. If I kept up this I’m-freaking-out diet, I’d end up even skinnier, not one of my goals.
When I stepped out of the line, I almost bumped into Jennifer. Today, she wore her hair long and straight, glowing with a blue-black sheen. Between that and her flawless skin, she was much prettier than either Brittany or Allison. If popularity was driven by looks alone, Jennifer would rule the school. Since she seemed to have a heart, that would be a good thing.
“I just want to say that I appreciate your apology … and I accept. So thanks.”
As I moved to step past her, she said, “I don’t know if I could be that forgiving.”
I’m not. It’s a long con.
But I couldn’t seem to write off what happened too fast. “Yeah, well. You weren’t the one who made all the plans. I mean, you could’ve stopped it, but I guess … it’s hard to speak up when all of your friends are involved.” That sounded like the right balance of repressed anger and blame.
She nodded. “That doesn’t make it okay. I should’ve gone to the headmaster or a teacher or something. I wish I had.”
Me too.
“Well, I’m gonna go. See you.”
The words seemed to slip out of her. “If you want, we could eat together.”
“Me, with your crowd? I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Plus, I wasn’t sure I could swallow a single bite at the same table with Cameron Dean. I needed time to get used to the new dynamic and to bolster my resolve.
“It doesn’t have to be with them. There are plenty of tables.”
“Are you sure they won’t see you as selling out to the enemy?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It’s the least I can do to make this up to you. They can get by without me. I just … I don’t want you to eat alone.”
I was sure I could join any table at this point and not be run off with torches and pitchforks, but Jennifer seemed to have some guilt to work out. Never let it be said that I refused to let a girl cleanse her conscience. If it made her feel better to see me as a pity project, I could work with that.
“Okay, let’s sit by the window.” Where everyone could see that Jennifer had taken my side over the Teflon crew.
This should be interesting.
I had only eaten a few bites when a shadow fell across our table. An upward glance identified Allison Vega: brown hair, streaked with copper; bronze skin; green eyes; curvy. Word was, her family had ties to the cartel. That was probably just WASP gossip, though. Rich white people tended to think that there was only one way a Colombian family could make money.
“Are you lost, Jen?” Allison demanded.
She shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
The cafeteria denizens were riveted by this discussion, so I went on the offensive. Confrontation didn’t come easy to me, but I had been studying their techniques for the last three years. Call me a method actor.
“Hey, Allie-cat. You’re looking healthy. Did you stop bingeing and purging over the summer?” I said it loud enough that more than a few people overheard it.
“Screw you,” she said, smiling.
“It’d be great if you could go. I’m talking to Jen. Thanks.” My tone was polite, framed with the saccharine smile that I’d seen Allison and Brittany unleash.
Allison stood for a few seconds, apparently unable to think of a response, then she whirled and went back to the Teflon circle. The people at neighboring tables snickered; they likely enjoyed seeing Allison dispatched with her own weapons. There was definitely satisfaction in it.
“Maybe I didn’t need to worry about you after all,” Jen said. “You’ve changed.”
I smiled faintly. “I’m aware.”
After that, my yogurt and salad went down better, since I’d passed the first hurdle. People knew I wasn’t the same perpetual victim I’d been last year, and things should get easier from here. I didn’t have a clear strategy for infiltration, but making friends with Jen was a good start. From watching other people try and fail, I understood that I couldn’t seem to care much about impressing them. They openly mocked those who tried too hard, which was why Davina wasn’t a full-fledged member after three years of orbiting their space.
The rest of the day was uneventful. I sat through my classes, listened, and took notes, while gossip washed around me. I could expect more of the same for a day or two, but eventually, they’d get bored with speculating just how much work I had done. I pretended I didn’t hear the whispers; it was simple from years of practice, and now they were saying nice things.
Assholes.
After school, I sighed at the guy who stopped at my locker and tried to ask me something about Lit class. Since Colin hadn’t assigned anything yet, it was a stupid plan for getting to know me better. I stared at him until he stuttered and backed away. For the first time, I glimpsed why Allison and Brittany acted the way they did. I couldn’t deny the faint rush of power that sprang from a single glance.
But I don’t want to be like them for real.
So I managed a smile. “I have to go. Maybe we’ll talk later.”
“Sure,” he said, seeming relieved.
Then I slipped past him, joining the throng heading for the exit. My backpack was full of textbooks since my dedication to schoolwork hadn’t changed. Outside, the weather was sunny, just a hint of clouds, but the humidity made my hair curl. I threaded through the knot of students heading for their cars and passed the gate to where all of the bodyguards and black vehicles were waiting.
Then I drew up short. Kian stood across the street, leaning up against an office building. When he caught sight of me, he straightened, checked the traffic, and jogged across the street. It had only been a couple of weeks, but it felt like forever since I’d seen him. Today, he was dressed in black, but it worked on him and didn’t come across as emo.
He wore a faint smile when he reached my side. To my astonishment, he leaned down to brush my lips with his in the kind of casual kiss that boyfriends gave long-term girlfriends. Since that didn’t apply to us at all, I froze until I heard some girls behind us talking about how totally hot he was, loud enough that I was supposed to notice.
“What’re you doing here?” I whispered.
“I thought it would be nice if I met you on your first day back.” The answer radiated goodwill and innocence, but … what about the rules that prevented us from socializing? Whatever had happened, his eyes begged me to play along.
“It’s an awesome surprise.” I stretched up on tiptoes to hug him murmuring, “What the hell?”
“Later,” he breathed into my ear.