“Whoa. Hold up!” Q stammered. “I can’t be a part of something like this. Without the help of the hem-netjer, we could screw up. We could get caught. I can’t have anything like that on my record. It would ruin my chances of getting into Stanford.”
“Fine, then stay low. It’s what you do best anyway,” Seth spat. “I’m supposed to meet Natti at quarter to four this afternoon at her locker. The school should be quiet enough by then. Ky and I will get her to hand over the letter. Hopefully we won’t have to twist her arm too much. Then we’ll just take it from there.” Seth’s heart physically burned with a raging heat. “No matter what happens, the hem-netjer doesn’t find out about Natti. Period. You got that, Q?”
Q didn’t respond. He sat frozen to his seat, scowling in thought. Ky, on the other hand, shot up and started for the door. “Where are you going?” Seth hissed.
Ky sneered. “I’m just picking up some supplies.”
The bell rang ending the tennis match of the day, and the butterflies started twisting Natti’s stomach into knots. She was still concerned about what happened with Seth that morning. How could someone go from flirty to agitated in seconds? It was like something had thrown a switch inside him.
“You okay, Natti?” Wanda nudged her. “You’ve been kinda off all day. What’s going on?”
Natti forced a smile, not wanting to make her friend worry. Wanda just had gotten back to school that morning before lunch, despite the doctors apparently telling her to take it easy for a few days. “It’s nothing,” she lied. “I’m so happy to have you back at school, but I’m also still feeling guilty about what happened.”
Wanda crossed her arms. “There’s more to it. I know it. Spill!”
“No.” Natti shook her head. “There isn’t. I swear.”
“Right . . .” Wanda drew out. “So, have any plans for this weekend?”
Natti was reminded of her date that night. Would Seth even want to go with her after this morning? “Nope. Just homework and the usual chores.”
“Oh, come on!” Wanda begged. “I’m like grounded for the next two weeks. No blog, no books, no TV, no anything! Which means I need to live vicariously through you while I sit at home for next three hundred, thirty six hours doing nothing but homework. Blah!”
Natti snickered. “Well, just think, your grades will improve.”
“Ha!” Wanda playfully shoved Natti. “This is going to be like the most boring two weeks ever! Give me something juicy to think about.”
“Okay,” Natti elbowed Wanda in the ribs. “Then think about the fact that Seth O’Keefe actually held you in his arms,” she teased.
“The disappointing part about that thought is I don’t even remember. Actually, I don’t remember a damn thing from that night. Stupid alcohol.”
Natti was about to correct her, but resisted, remembering the official report given to Wanda’s parents said she had suffered alcohol poisoning. Natti still wasn’t convinced. Unfortunately, when it came down to it, it was her word against the doctor’s, and that just gnawed at her.
Her attention was drawn away when she spied Seth on the other side of the court. “Hey, I’ll meet you in the locker room. I have something I want to do, okay?”
“Sure.” Wanda shrugged and continued on.
Natti held back for a moment, and then slipped over to Seth. He jumped when he saw her. “Natti!” His cheeks began to turn red, and he nervously rubbed his neck. “What are you doing here?”
Natti raised her brow. Okay, not the greeting I had hoped for. “I wanted to check in on you. You’ve been kind of avoiding me all day. You okay?”
“Yeah, just peachy,” he snarled.
Natti looked him over. His muscles were still wound up tight, and a vein pulsed along his neck. She wasn’t sure what to say, except, “Are we still on for this afternoon?”
His eyes locked on to her in surprise. “Of course.”
“Are you sure? Because if we need to reschedule—”
“No, Natti. We’re cool.” Natti felt the heaviness of his words on her heart, but was distracted when Seth ran his hand along her arm, warming her skin. He eventually withdrew with a scowl. “Look, I’ll meet you at your locker. There’s just . . . There’s something I have to take care of first, all right?”
Natti nodded, feeling a little uneasy. “Something, as in . . .”
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Seth told her. “I promised I would handle it, and I will.”
“Oh,” Natti said, realizing he meant it had to do either with her or with what happened at Q’s party. Yet the heaviness in her chest wouldn’t settle, and she wasn’t comforted by Seth’s tone. “O-kay. I—I guess I’ll see you later.”
***