CHAPTER NINE
AS I GLANCED AROUND THE BOOKSTORE PARKING lot for Mary’s car, I pulled my pink phone from my jeans pocket, hesitating only as I remembered that Aiden didn’t own a cell. It had never really bothered me when we were dating, but then again, we’d been attached at the hip. Or lips. Whichever was closer.
I got to my car and sped away from the store, my mind twisting around the situation. Mary Rudick? What was she doing in town, and why would she come here without calling me? Something was suspicious about that. I’d need to consult the squad.
Call me ASAP!! I sent out a multiple text to Leona, Kira, and Izzie. Nearly five minutes went by without an answer. Dang it! Where were they?
I tossed my phone onto the seat, pressing a little harder on the accelerator as I climbed the hills toward my house. My insides turned with uneasiness, all stemming from my experience at the bookstore. And that was terrible. It used to be a safe place.
When I pulled into my driveway, the headlights illuminated the wood siding on my house. My parents still weren’t home. For a second, I thought about the break-in and how I’d be vulnerable alone. But then I pictured Mary Rudick and how she had bolted out of that store. What did it mean? I couldn’t waste time sitting in my car, scared. I needed to get to the bottom of this.
As soon as I got inside, I locked the door and dialed up Kira. She didn’t answer, and I remembered that she was meeting Joel for dinner. Hm. I didn’t want to involve too many Kittens. This was top-secret stuff.
I decided to try Leona, only her line went directly to voice mail. I hung up without leaving a message and began to pace my living room. Izzie’s mother told me that she was out with her “good-fornothing” boyfriend, and Aiden’s dorm voice mail was too full to take messages. I felt lost. Completely alone.
I collapsed on the couch and flipped channels, spotting an ad for a psychic hotline. “Secrets exposed.” I wondered if Madame Corrine would be able to tell me the identity of the copy-Kitten. Well, it was worth a shot. I was just about to dial her number for the free trial when my phone vibrated in my hand.
It was an unfamiliar number. “Hello?”
“Hey, Tess. It’s Joel. Sorry to call you so late. I—”
“Joel? How did you get my number?” I clicked off the TV and sank back into the sofa cushions. I was just happy to have someone to talk to.
“Oh…I, um, I got it from Kira’s phone earlier.”
I furrowed my brow. “You’re not still with her?”
“No.” He exhaled. “She said she was tired and that she’d grabbed something to eat with Leona earlier.”
“Rude,” I said, before I caught myself. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“No worries,” Joel said, his voice quiet. “You’re right.” He paused and cleared his throat. “Actually, Tessa. I was wondering if you were up for giving advice? You have…a unique outlook on life.” He chuckled and I wasn’t sure if he was complimenting me but decided he was too nice for veiled insults.
“Thanks, it’s sweet of you to say.” I sat up, my bare feet pressing against the floor. “But is everything all right?”
Joel let out a sad laugh. “I don’t think so,” he said.
My lips pouted. He sounded so melancholy. “Hey,” I said. “My parents are late getting home, and I haven’t had anything to eat. If you want to come by, I can order a pizza or something. I have a coupon.” Truth was, right about now, I could use a friend too.
“That sounds perfect,” he said, sounding relieved. “And thrifty! See you soon.”
After the pepperoni (his half) and pineapple (my half) pizza arrived, Joel and I ate at the coffee table while watching some super-lame documentary on the solar system. It was sort of funny, considering the earlier mix-up about outer space he and Kira had had. But when I pointed it out, he didn’t seem to get the humor.
“Ugh,” I said, sinking to the floor and leaning my back against the couch. “I’m so full.”
“Probably shouldn’t have inhaled half a pizza, then.”
I snapped my head back to Joel, who laughed. “I’m joking, Tess! I mean, sure, it wasn’t as funny as your solar system joke.” He rolled his eyes. “But still a joke.”
I smiled and closed up the empty box, setting our plates on top. Then I climbed up to sit across from him on the couch. It was time to get down to business. “So,” I said. “What did you want to talk about?”
Joel flinched, almost like he was hoping I wouldn’t bring it up.
“I feel stupid now,” he said, closing his eyes. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with this stuff. You have your own problems.”
I sure did.
“But it’s Kira. I…I don’t know what’s going on with us.” When Joel’s soft hazel eyes met mine, I could see how sad he was. He truly cared about Kira. What was her deal? Didn’t she know how hard love was to come by these days? She was totally fouling out!
I rested my head against the back of the sofa, thinking. “What happened tonight?” I asked.
He exhaled. “Well, we were supposed to meet for dinner. Then she shows up late, all frazzled, and says that her cheers were completely ‘effed’ and that she had to meet with Leona tonight to go over them.”
The pineapples turned in my stomach. The squad was continuing to leave me out. I felt my own eyes sting with tears.
“So I asked her if she wanted to grab something from the drive-through, and she tells me she’s already eaten! I mean, I was waiting for her, Tessa!” Joel’s voice took on an edge, and to be honest, it was kind of hot. It was a real moment—a moment where you could see someone’s passion. I blinked heavily.
“Tessa?” he asked softly, meeting my stare. “Do…do you think she’s cheating on me?”
Fudge ripple! Was he serious? “No way! Kittens don’t cheat!”
Joel tilted his head in complete confusion. “Uh . . . okay. Is that like part of your cheerleader pledge or something?”
Right. I sometimes forgot that people didn’t know we were SOS. “Yes,” I said confidently. “And Kira’s been through a lot. With a lot of guys.” Joel looked a little sick.
Oops. I also sometimes forgot that not everyone knew about Kira’s promiscuous past.
“What I mean is…” I paused, not wanting to do any more damage. I sighed. “She loves you,” I said simply. “She just does.” I smiled. “And I can see why. You’re an awfully nice guy, Joel. Kira’s a lucky girl, and she’s not likely to forget it.” There. That sounded much better.
Joel watched me carefully, his crooked tooth peeking out just a little beneath his parted lips. It was his little quirks—the tooth, the T-shirts, the…non-fishing—that made him that little bit of extra cool. “And you’re a nice girl too,” he said. “Despite what they say.”
“What?” My heart jumped in my throat.
“I’m kidding,” he said, laughing. “Wow, Tessa. You really need to work on your sense of sarcasm.”
I didn’t tell him that I found sarcasm rude.
“God,” he said, glancing down at the shiny silver watch on his arm. “It’s getting late. I should go.”
“Oh.” I was disappointed. I liked having the company.
He paused as he stood. “Unless there was something you wanted to talk about?”
Joel was such a mind reader! There was a lot I needed to talk about, but most of it was top secret. No. I needed to talk the Mary thing over with the squad, and only the squad. Or at least, I would if they ever decided to let me in their loop again.
“I’m fine,” I said, standing up to walk him out. “But I’ll let you know if something comes up.”
Joel looked down at me, narrowing his eyes. “You’re a mysterious girl, Tessa Crimson. And very interesting. I hope your boyfriend comes to his senses soon.”
“Thanks.” I wished he would too.
As Joel and I crossed the living room into the kitchen, he snapped his fingers. “Wait, I almost forgot!”
“What?” I looked at the sofa but didn’t see anything.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, jogging quickly out the front door.
I peeked out the front-hall window to see Joel reach in the passenger side of his car, light up its interior, and grab something on the floor. Then he slammed the door shut and ran back over to me.
“For you,” he said, extending a small, square package in one arm. I looked down, and my stomach fluttered.
“My book?” It was the lavender-covered mystery novel!
“Yep. You left it on my pile of novels, so I bought it for you. You were sort of a blubbery mess.”
I blinked, turning the book over in my hands, and then glanced at him. “Thank you.” An overwhelming mix of feeling rushed through me. I wanted to both laugh and cry because at that moment, I felt special. Not invisible.
“Anytime,” Joel said quietly, giving me a smile as he backed slowly toward his car. “I’ll talk with you again soon, okay?”
I nodded, waving once to him. I liked Joel. In fact, he might be exactly the sort of friend I needed right now. Someone that didn’t judge me. Didn’t—
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, making me jump. I moved back inside the house, turning the dead bolt on my front door before pulling out my phone. It was Kira.
“Hey,” I said, exhaling. “I’ve been trying to call you.”
“I saw that. Sorry. Hey, I’m just around the corner at Taco Bell with Leona and Izzie. Can we stop by?”
“Oh.” I suddenly wondered if Kira knew that her boyfriend had just left my house, but I didn’t think so. It wasn’t like we were doing anything wrong. Still. I might want to keep it to myself. “Sure,” I said finally. “I have to talk to you about something anyway.” I wondered what they would think of Mary being in town.
“Perfect,” she said. “See you soon.”
When she hung up, I stood in the hallway, feeling a bit uneasy. Something about her clipped tone made me wonder what exactly had happened tonight. I swallowed hard. I needed some confidence. I needed…the skirt.
(CODE PINK) SOS INTER-KITTEN COMMUNICATION
Dear Smitten Kittens,
Due to recent events, all of our inter-Kitten communication will change to our most top-secret status: Code Pink.
We are formulating a plan to combat the heinous rumors surrounding the outing of SOS. None of us were involved in the rogue messages or the inefficiently designed blog. It was an imposter.
While we finish assessing the damage, do not discuss SOS with anyone outside the group. There is still a chance for us to remain anonymous.
If you have any questions, please use the Code Pink hotline at 555-0101. Do NOT make any communications on the SOS database or e-mail lines.
Keep smiling,
Leona ?