Page 42

“But can you do it?” I asked.

RJ looked at Liam.

Liam smiled. “Yeah, we can do that. Looking for a certain number in particular, Soph?” He gave me a knowing look.

“Maybe...”

“Well, it’s going to cost you a favor,” RJ said. “And Scarlett already owes me like 20, so think wisely.”

Scarlett stared at him. “There’s no way I owe you 20 favors. That’s ridiculous.”

“You’ve been very needy recently.”

She swatted his arm. “It’s like two favors. Stop it.”

“Absolutely not, baby doll. I’ve been keeping track.”

“Don’t do it, Soph,” Scarlett said. “It’s not worth it. We already owe him a bunch of favors.”

“You do,” I said. I was always very on top of my favors to my little brother. If I wasn’t, he’d hold them against me. Kind of like he was doing with Scar.

She opened her mouth and closed it again.

“It’s a deal, guys. Just get me the list ASAP.”

“Done,” Liam said. He pulled out his phone. “Want me to email it to you?”

I stared at him. “There’s no way you could have done it that fast.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, we already had the list.”

“Liam!” Scarlett scolded.

I exhaled slowly. Those little con-artists.

RJ tried to hide his laughter.

My little brother and cousin were somehow the worst and also the best at the same time.

“Whatever,” I said. “Email it to me.”

Liam hit a few things on his phone and then I had a beautiful email in my inbox. The most beautiful email in the freaking world. I opened it and stared at Mr. Halifax’s cell phone number.

“What are you guys up to?” Axel asked as he leaned against the locker next to Scarlett’s.

“Sophie’s upping her game,” Scarlett said.

Axel turned his attention to me. “Let me guess. You’re going to walk into Mr. Halifax’s class, pretend to trip, and somehow rip your skirt clean off?”

“Not a terrible idea,” I said. “But I’m planning something better. I’m going to text him.”

“What are you going to text him?”

“Oh!” RJ rubbed his hands together. “You should text him but not tell him who you are. Kind of like what your mystery man is doing. Because that seems to be working on you.”

“It is not working on me. I’m done talking to him.” My mystery man was nothing but a distraction. I didn’t need a mystery man. I had the perfect man right in front of me in calculus every weekday.

“Really?” RJ raised his eyebrows. “You’re done talking to him?”