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After the second to last period, I head to my locker to swap out what books I won’t need for today and tomorrow, then reach in to grab my binder for Theo’s case, pulling it out.

The locker door swings shut fast, the metal snapping inches from my hand. I yank back at the last second, my binder slipping and papers fluttering everywhere. Rachel is standing there, leaning down, blocking my view of Chloe standing beside her. Both of them have their skirts hiked up and bright pink stockings peeking out from over their matching thigh-high heels. “We need to talk,” she says, her words heated.

My gaze narrows on her perfectly brown-lined lips; I say nothing until the bell rings. “I have class.”

“We talk now,” Rachel says, “or I take a trip to the dean.”

I blow air out of my nose. It’s one thing to corner me in the bathroom, catch me during study hall, or after school. But to impede on my class hours is a disrespect that makes me want to shove the gum Rachel chews down her throat.

“I should charge you for this,” I say, dropping my bag onto the floor and crossing my arms.

They both look around, waiting for the hallway to clear out. When it does, and the final door slams shut, Rachel smiles her cavity-sweet smile at me. With her hair in a slick ponytail, her smile makes all the features in her face harsher. “You’ve been busy.”

“It’s the life of an academically gifted student,” I say. “What can I say?”

“You’ve been hanging out with Theo,” Chloe says, accusatory, like we were friends and I stole her boyfriend. “I thought you were a girl’s girl.”

“Right,” I say, pulling out my phone and typing quickly, “because girl’s girls wait for another girl to be alone so they can gang up on her because they don’t like what she’s doing.”

“Please, you act all tough,” Rachel says, poking a finger at my chest, “but it turns out you have a little soft spot. Or is it just for Theo?”

I keep a smile on my face. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Cut the shit. You made an appeal to get Peter removed as a witness,” she says, referring to how I spent my time during study hall after going back and forth on what was the right thing for me to do. “You’re going back on your word.”

“Or maybe I didn’t want your help sabotaging the case. I work alone.”

“You think you’re the only smart person in the room, but you’re not,” Rachel says. “You’re going back on your deal.”

I force myself to bark out a laugh. “I am the smartest person in the room, and if you were as smart, you’d be able to figure out what I’ve really been doing.”

She frowns deeply, her brows pressing together, yet no wrinkle forms between her brows. “Then what are you planning? Why’d you appeal?”

“Because Theo Hudson is irritatingly nosy,” I tell her, the words ringing true. “If I didn’t do something to help him see I’m working on his case, he’d no doubt figure out I’m holding back for a reason. If you saw, I also added another witness. One that will make up for Peter.” I cross my arms in front of my chest, judging. “Are you even keeping up with the case?”

Rachel mirrors my movements. “So you’re not crushing on Theo?”

“Yeah,” Chloe says, accusatory, her fingers twirling her hair by her shoulders, “we heard you guys were hanging out at the festival. We were friends once; you snaking your way in and dating Theo goes against girl code.”

I gesture between us. “We’re not close enough to even have basic human decency code between us.”

“So you do like Theo,” Chloe scoffs. “You’re going to go back on your word, on our plan, because you caught feelings for my ex-boyfriend?” The red beneath Chloe’s skin burns hot enough that it peeks through her dewy foundation.

“You think we’re going to just sit by and let you and Theo be happy and in love after you took our money and swore to be on our side?” Rachel steps forward. “You’re more naïve than I thought.”

This situation is getting out of control, but I can’t help this sense of protectiveness seeping through my blood for Theo. “You don’t own Theo. Eventually he was going to move on. Were you going to threaten every girl he dated after you?”

Rachel takes another step forward. “Only the backstabbing ones that smiled in your face and went behind your back to hook up with your best friend’s ex-boyfriend.”

“I never smiled at you,” I say, then take a step back. I’ve been hanging out with Theo too much. This is not at all the time to be a smart-ass. This needs to deescalate immediately.

I hold out my hands. “Look.” My heart speeds up, but I force a careless snort. “Again. All of what you think you see is part of the plan. I thought you wanted revenge, real revenge. Here I am getting close to Theo as a plan B, and you’re all up in my face like I’m doing something wrong.”

“How is getting close to Theo helping us?”

“Because, Rachel,” I say, my voice brimming with condensation, “what happens to a case, regardless of evidence for or against the defendant, when it turns out their defense is romantically involved with them?”

It takes a moment, then her eyes fill with recognition. “The case gets thrown out.”