Brian looks at me. “You gonna let her talk smack like that?”
Our teacher is standing in the hallway chatting with the teacher next door and I’ve never wanted class to start so badly, if only to put me out of this misery. I can think of a dozen comebacks to throw at her, some of which would make her blush. But the satisfaction of knowing I got under her skin would be ruined by the demerits I’d get from all these witnesses. Talking trash is not the Un-bully way.
I shrug. “I wish my fellow students good luck in the contest.”
Someone scoffs. “Lame!” someone else calls out.
I know it’s lame, and I know I sound like a politician, but I refuse to say anything that could cost me points. I will be nice no matter what.
Abby doesn’t say anything, and soon the teacher comes back and starts class. It might be my imagination, but I think I see Abby sneak a glance at me two times. But… like I said… probably my imagination.
When the bell rings, everyone hustles to get out the door and to their next class. I take my time, figuring that I might get a kudos for letting other people go first. As I make my way into the hallway something is shoved into my hand, but the crowds are so thick I have no idea where it came from. I duck into a nearby bathroom and unfold the piece of paper.
Meet me in Supply Closet 8 after school.
* * *
The last twohours of school drag by impossibly slow. I can’t stop thinking about the note that is folded up in my pocket. Who wrote it? The handwriting is big, neat, and loopy like a girl wrote it. Does Abby have this kind of handwriting? How have I never noticed her handwriting in class before? It doesn’t matter how much I try to remember those few seconds in the hallway, I didn’t see who slipped the note into my hand.
I also have no idea where Supply Closet 8 is, but thanks to a fire escape floorplan map on the wall, I locate it way in the back of the school by the band hall. Once school is finally over, I make my way down there, keeping a cautious eye on everyone I pass. Is anyone looking at me weirdly? Is this some kind of set up?
The closet is bigger than a closet. It’s actually a small room filled with shelves and boxes. I’m the only person in here and my anxiety gets worse with each passing second. I start to casually glance around for a hidden camera or something. Then the door opens.
Abby walks inside.
My heart leaps into my throat.
“What are you doing here?” she says. She looks more confused than ever, like seeing me was the last thing on her mind. Which is weird because I kind of thought I might see her. I kind of hoped it would be her who had passed me the note.
“I’m here because of the note,” I say.
Her brows pull together, making a cute little wrinkle in the middle of her forehead. “You got a note too?”
I reach I not my pocket and hold it up. She frowns. “Did who see who sent it?”
“Nope,” I say. “You?”
She shakes her head. We have exactly three seconds of awkward silence and then the door slowly opens. A girl walks inside. “Good, you’re both here,” she says.
I know I’ve seen her around school before. She’s short with long blonde hair she keeps in a single braid down her back. Her glasses are bright purple. Brazos High isn’t so big that you don’t at least have a vague recollection of each student. But I don’t know her name.
“Janelle?” Abby says, sounding like that’s the last person she’d expect to join us in this random supply closet. “What’s going on?”
Janelle looks around as if she thinks someone else is hiding out in this small room. Then her eyes get big. “Annabel Jefferson is cheating the app.”
Abby and I look at each other in disbelief. I turn to Janelle. “How do you know that?”
“Listen, first of all, you didn’t hear this from me, okay?” Janelle glares at me. “Promise me.”
“I promise,” I say. She turns to Abby.
Abby rolls her eyes. “If you wanted to remain anonymous you should have made me promise before you dropped that bombshell just now.”
Janelle sighs. “Sorry. I’ve never done something sneaky like this before. But just promise me, okay? I don’t want it coming back to me, but you both need to know what’s going on so you can stop it.”
“I promise I won’t say anything,” Abby says. “But that’s a huge accusation to make. Everyone loves Annabel. That’s why she’s in first place.”
“They don’t love her that much,” Janelle says. “Isn’t it obvious she’s cheating? She has fifteen thousand points and you two only have about five thousand. That just doesn’t make sense.”
