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Chapter 10
PENELOPE
IgrabbedScarlettbytheelbowandsteeredhertowardthegirls’room.Ihadyettospeaktoherthismorningsincemyfatherdrovemetoschool.“You’llneverbelievewhathappened.”
“What the—”
Once we stepped inside the brightly lit bathroom, I spun around and locked the door behind me, then performed a cursory check to make sure there weren't any potential eavesdroppers hiding in the stalls. Satisfied, I turned back with a grin.
“He texted me back.”
Her eyes widened, and the corners of her lips curled. “So itwashim? No way. What’d he say?”
“We talked for a few minutes. Turns out, he actually thought I was someone else.”
Scarlett gasped. “Who?”
“Some girl named Julie.” I pulled a face, then added, “All I know is that she goes to a different school and they met at a party recently.”
“But how did you know to pretend to be her? I don’t get it.”
“Here,” I said, handing over my phone. “It’s easier if you read it.”
I watched as her blue eyes brightened, moving over the words, and when she finished, she glanced up at me, gaping. And I knew what she was thinking.
“Weird, right?”
“I’m so confused.”
“He actually seemed—”
“Nice,” she finished for me.
“And smart,” I added. “I mean, quoting Woolf and Tolstoy? How strange is that? At first, I didn’t know what to make of it because the things he was saying were so out of character for the Topher we know. And then it dawned on me. He probably rehearsed some of that stuff, especially the quotes. I mean, it was clear from the conversation he was into this Julie girl. Maybe that’s his thing. Quoting literary legends. Who knows? It’s not like we’ve ever been on the receiving end of his charms. And it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Scarlett pursed her lips. “Maybe. But even that seems weird. I mean, Topher Elliot having to work at impressing a girl? Since when does he need to do that? All he has to do is glance in a girls’ direction and they swoon.”
“I thought of that. The way I see it, he’s not trying to impress her so much as he is tricking her into thinking she’s his type. Nothing else makes sense.”
“Okay . . . Still, it’s hilarious you texted back and forth and he had no idea who you were the whole time.” Scarlett laughed and shook her head. “Serves him right for all the crap he’s put you through.”
“Which is why I’m going to keep texting him.”
“Um . . . Why?”
“Because I’ve been presented with a golden opportunity, don’t you see? Whether he’s trying to impress her or trick her into thinking he’s something he’s not, Julie,” I said, waving my phone in front of her, “is in a position to get a little dirt on the king.”
I smiled at the thought of finally taking Topher down, and my insides turned all buttery and warm. “There has to be something about him that he wants no one to know. And I’m going to find out what it is. After all these years, I’m going to gain the upper hand. Then the school will be my oyster. I can either blackmail him with it or use it to my advantage and see how he likes his weaknesses being exploited.”
“But what if he finds out you’re not Julie?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. No one except you has my cell number. Even if he talks to the real Julie and finds out that isn’t who he’s been texting, he’ll never know it’s me.”
“Are you sure you wanna do this? Because there’s a term for this. It’s called catfishing, and it generally ends in disaster.”
I scoffed and placed my hands on her shoulders. “You’re worrying for nothing. It’ll be fine.” Then I slung my arm over her shoulders and guided her back toward the door and added, “It’s about time the king of Lakeview got a taste of his own medicine.”
TOPHER
