CHAPTER FOUR
I WAS NEVER SO GRATEFUL TO SEE CORN DOGS. The loud murmurs in the cafeteria, coupled with the smell of processed meat, were doing a number on me. Economics was miserable. Calculus was worse. All I wanted to do was lay my head on the sticky table and rest my brain. These teachers were seriously impeding my thought process.
“Where were you?” Kira asked, looking at me from across the table with concern. “I thought you’d been Kitten-napped or something.”
“My day was totally blown,” I complained. “I got the tardy chair in economics.”
“Tragic!” Leona said from the other end. “That woman should be stopped. I think Mrs. Foster is inflicting serious emotional damage on the student population with her attendance policies. I’m going to write a strongly worded letter to the school board.” She adjusted her glasses.
That was Leona. She was a great asset to SOS. Smart, prompt, and sassy! Sure, sometimes she was a little judgmental (like the time she called Coach Taylor a dictator for making her take a fitness test), but she was a whiz at both computers and fashion accessories. In fact, if I hadn’t been so melancholy, I would have certainly found out where she’d gotten her headband. It was fab.
“I like the letters you write,” Izzie announced, biting into her corn dog and nodding at Leona. “You have totally great verbiage.” Leona thanked her.
Just then, a hand slid across my shoulders, and I looked up, startled. Aiden dropped down in the seat next to me, a bewildered expression on his face.
“You look surprised to see me,” he said, taking his arm from around me. “Were you expecting someone else?” He grinned.
“Nope. I’m just depressed.” And I was. It was like uneasiness had settled over my uniformed chest. I glanced around the filled cafeteria and wondered how many of the guys in here had been unfaithful in the last two years. Unfortunately, I knew the answer. And it wasn’t good.
Aiden’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not like you. You’re like a little ball of sunshine. Always. And I mean always. What could you be sad about?” Aiden leaned over to kiss my shoulder, making my stomach flutter. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
Indeed, he was here. I had no reason to be sad. After all, I wasn’t the one being cheated on. But Darren had been the third adulterer this week, and his indiscretion had totally messed with our lunchtime seating arrangements. I glanced at the empty seat between Kira and Izzie and sighed.
Darren might not have been the first cheater, but he was the first one that we hadn’t discovered on our own—and that worried me. Because up until now, SOS had been foolproof.
Why were all of these boys going horny? And why did I feel worried when my relationship was healthy?
“We’re okay, aren’t we?” Aiden murmured into the sleeve of my shirt.
My eyes snapped to his. He never asked questions like that! Aiden was pure confidence.
“What? Why wouldn’t we be?” I asked, searching his face when he pulled back. His skin was smooth and tan as he widened his green eyes at me.
“Nothing,” he said quickly, shaking his head and wrapping both arms around my waist to pull me into him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“Hey, Tess,” Leona called from the end of the table. “I meant to ask you about the new lollipop in your history class. I heard he is oh, so lickable.”
“Ladies,” Aiden said, letting me go and pushing away his lunch tray, looking nauseous. “Please don’t talk about the men of the school like lollipops. Especially to my girlfriend.”
Leona giggled and winked at me from behind her glasses. “By the way,” she said as she stood up from the table. “The new boy has a sister, and she’s in my algebra class. A real bitch, if you ask me.”
“Language,” I tsked.
“Sorry. But she is.” Leona shrugged, backing up toward the lunch line. “She told Ms. Kellan that she didn’t ‘do’ word problems. Total pout face. And no accessories!”
I adored Leona, but maybe she didn’t understand that being the new kids at school was probably difficult for Christian and his sister, especially if they’d just moved. I mean, sure, using the word do on purpose was sort of tactless, but—
“Psst,” Kira interrupted, touching at the corners of her mouth with a paper napkin. “Hottie alert.” She darted an excited glance over my shoulder. I was glad she was working on her observation skills. They’d come in handy on missions.
Aiden cleared his throat and grabbed his tray back from the middle of the table to pick at the salad. He probably wasn’t interested in hearing about hot guys. Although I knew that no one was cuter than my sweetie. With that blond hair and those lean muscles, he—
“Tessa?” a soft voice asked.
There was a twinge of irritation, but I recovered quickly and spun around. Christian. Of course. Only this time, he had company: a small, attractive girl with long, straight blond hair and full lips. Her face, however, was pulled into a scowl. At least it was until she noticed my boyfriend. Then her pretty face perked up. Hm. She was checking him out.
“Hello again, Christian,” I said, bringing my gaze back to him. I felt Aiden turn around in his seat. I looked sideways at him and he was relaxed, lounging against the table and picking at his fingernails.
Christian took another step closer and smiled at me. “I was wondering if we could join you?” His dark eyes were framed perfectly by his lashes, making his stare intense yet … vulnerable.
My heart sank. He was probably embarrassed that he had to ask to sit with us. I couldn’t stand to see someone looking so lonely. “Sure,” I said politely. “You can sit with us.”
Kira let out an excited squeak as Aiden shifted next to me and turned back to the table, still picking at his nails. I watched as the blond girl stared at my boyfriend’s dropped head and made her way around to the seat across from him, between Kira and Izzie. She didn’t have the same laid-back clothing style as her brother. No, she was more provocative. Or as Leona liked to call it, “slutty”—too-short skirt, low-cut tank top. I swallowed hard. When she finally met my gaze, she smiled-close-mouthed.
“Oh,” Christian said, sitting down on the other side of me. “This is my sister, Chloe.” He motioned toward her, and she rolled her big brown eyes, as if she didn’t like the formal introduction.
Never one to forget my manners, I immediately stretched my hand over the table to her. Just because Leona had a harsh opinion of her didn’t mean … wait. Chloe looked at me for a second, almost as if the thought of taking my hand repulsed her. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
But then she reached out and took my palm in her cool one. She might have thought I hadn’t noticed her side glance at Aiden. But I had.
I turned to him, and he was still messing with his fingers, not paying attention. What was with him and his nails? I knocked my knee into his, and he looked up at me, surprised.
“What?”
“Nails,” I reminded him. The kid bit his nails to a ridiculous length and then chewed on his cuticles. It was sort of disgusting. I’d tried to give him a manicure, but, well, we never got very far. He always ended up offering to do me instead.
“Sorry, baby,” he said, dropping his hands into his lap. “Maybe you can buff them out for me later.” He looked sideways at me.
I crossed my legs to control the tingling between them. His stare was devious.
“We’ll see.” I couldn’t help but smile. I loved the snot out of him.
“It’s so fun meeting new people,” Izzie said happily to Christian as she chewed on the stick of her corn dog. “I think it’s really cultural and stuff.”
She was sweet. The only redhead in the school that wore the uniform. It was good to have diversity.
Kira cleared her throat and smiled until her dimples were deeply set in her cheeks. “I’m Kira.” She reached over the table to Christian, holding out her hand as if she expected him to kiss it.
He chuckled and instead turned it and shook it. Kira’s brilliant expression faded briefly, but then she turned to Chloe and smiled again.
“So you’re a sophomore?” Kira asked her enthusiastically. She was really great at staying perky.
“Yep. And you’re a cheerleader?” There was that tone again. The same one Christian had this morning. Had they been attacked by a roaming band of cheerleaders when they were younger? What was with the hostility?
“I am,” Kira said, not at all concerned. “I’m co-captain.” She straightened her back with pride. She’d been excited to get that title. Leona had threatened to quit, but we’d resolved it. Smitten Kittens didn’t hold animosity toward each other.
“Huh,” Chloe said, then looked over at me. “You the captain?”
I didn’t like her voice. It was low and gravelly, not cute and small like she looked. It made me think she was not at all the way she presented herself. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, if you will. Leona’s theory might have been spot-on.
“I am.”
“And I’m the captain of the basketball team,” Aiden spoke up. I turned to him. He was smiling at her. She smiled back. My stomach felt slightly ill.
Chloe’s stare came back to me. I felt pale and not at all cute. She started talking again. “Well, I was surprised when Christian said he wanted to eat lunch with a cheerleader, but I guess I can see why. You’re prettier than the ones at our old school.”
I heard Christian shift next to me. I didn’t think his sister was supposed to disclose their private conversation out loud. My pastiness began to grow pink, and my boyfriend didn’t make a sound. Biting at the inside of my cheek, I held Chloe’s stare.
She brushed her hair behind her ears, looking bored. “Besides, he usually hangs out with smart chicks—like class presidents.”
“Chloe!” Christian said through clenched teeth.
“Well, Tessa is the junior class president,” Kira announced proudly and pointed at me.
“Really?” Chloe widened her dark eyes, looking sincerely impressed.
My stomach became further ill, and I didn’t know why. I had made sure to eat a balanced breakfast! Still, Chloe was bothering me. I wanted her to go away, but I would never say that. It would be rude.
“My Tessa is smart at everything,” Aiden said, his voice dripping with admiration. I felt my fist unclench.
“Wow.” Chloe held up her hands in apology. “That’s really cool. I guess Christian hasn’t gone as bat shit as I thought.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” her brother asked her. I looked next to me to see that his nostrils were flaring as he clenched his jaw.
“No, Christian. I don’t.”
They stared each other down, neither flinching away. No one seemed to notice but me. The rest of the squad came over to our table, and when Leona returned, she gave Aiden her corn dog. She would never, and I repeat never, eat anything served on a stick. My boyfriend looked ecstatic and munched on it like he was a five-year-old at a county fair.
When Aiden leaned over to whisper in my ear, I had already begun contemplating if I wanted to spend time with the school nurse. I was not fond of the way her floral perfume smelled. I’d rather just sign out and leave, but I wanted a second opinion about my gut. It was highly unusual for me to feel this unwell.
“You okay?” my boyfriend asked, kissing my cheek. I didn’t look at him.
“I don’t feel very good right now.”
His hand immediately went to the small of my back. He brought his fingers to my chin and turned me toward him, looking me over with concern. His green eyes were so sweet. I didn’t know what was going on with me.
“Let’s blow off the rest of the day. I’ll take you home.” He smiled softly.
It wasn’t a terrible idea. I only had one more class and then back-to-back study halls. Aiden was fairly caught up in chemistry. I blinked a few times, and his face darkened more.
“Come on,” he whispered, pulling me up.
My head was beginning to ache. I felt dizzy, so I held on to Aiden’s arm as I looked at my table. The maroon and gray colors of all the cheer uniforms blended together in a school spirit haze. I got a better grip on Aiden and steadied myself.
“We’re going to take off,” he said to them. “Tess isn’t feeling well.”
“You okay?” Christian asked, clearly disappointed at my abrupt departure.
I just nodded.
“It was nice meeting you,” Chloe said loudly to Aiden.
“Uh, yeah … you too.” I could tell by his pause that he forgot her name. It made me feel a little better.
After a second, Chloe looked at me and lifted her hand in a sarcastic wave. “Feel better, prez.”
“Wench,” Leona fake-coughed.
If I weren’t about to throw up, I might have scolded Leona for her language, but at the moment, I was just happy she noticed. Smitten Kitten code was one thing, but out-and-out rudeness by the new girl was another. Christian saw my unease. He mouthed the words “I’m sorry” before Aiden pulled me away.
I lowered my glance and felt a strong arm wrap around me as I hugged him. He moved his cold palm to feel my forehead, then widened his eyes.
“God, Tess. You’re burning up.”
I stared at him, feeling faint. Something was wrong around here. My Kitten senses were meowing. And I needed to figure out why.
I had a hundred-and-two-degree fever. Really? I hadn’t had a fever in years. This would be silly if it weren’t so uncomfortable. I shifted on my living room couch, digging my toes into the chenille cushions.
“Are you going to throw up again?” Aiden asked, moving over. His upper lip was curled in disgust, although I knew he was trying to look supportive.
“No. I think I’m done.”
“Thank God,” he said under his breath.
“Don’t tease me. I’m sick.”
“I’m sorry. You want me to rub your feet?” There was a devilish gleam in his eye as he looked over my body.
“Stop!” But I laughed. Luckily, the wood-beamed ceiling had stopped spinning after I’d thrown up. Small favors.
“What?” He leaned over and picked up my feet, setting them in his lap.
“Aiden,” I whined, leaning my head back into the couch arm. “I can’t fool around. I’m sick.”
He rubbed at my heel, pressing firmly in just the right places. “It’s just that your skin is burning hot. It’s kind of turning me on.”
I giggled but then winced. My head was effing killing me.
“I’m sorry,” he said, leaning over to give my toes a quick kiss before moving them off of him. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head, giving me a peek at his stomach. I sighed.
Aiden smiled and then came over to feel my head. “My poor baby,” he murmured, bending down to kiss it tenderly. “Do you want anything before I go to practice?”
I wanted a healthy body, but I was pretty sure Aiden would only offer his own. “No, thanks,” I answered with my eyes closed.
He ran his finger gently over my cheek before grabbing his car keys off the coffee table. I listened as he walked through the kitchen to the front door.
After the screen door slammed closed, I lay there with only the hum of the refrigerator to keep me company. Regretting not asking for an aspirin, I let my headache pulsate until I drifted off.
“Tess?”
My eyes fluttered. My mother was standing above me, her graying brown hair frizzy around her face. Her lips were pursed as she pressed her cool hand to my forehead.
“Honey, you have a fever.” The wrinkles around her brown eyes deepened as she furrowed her brow.
“I’m sick. Where were you?”
“I just got back from setting up at the club for tonight. Daddy dropped me off, so he still has the car, but I can drive yours if you want to go to urgent care.”
“No, Mom. I think I just want to go to bed.”
Her face was filled with concern. It was rare that I was this dull. She pulled me up and held my arm as she led me through the house to my bedroom. I lay down on my bed, uniform and all, and snuggled into my white comforter. Once I was comfortable, my mother came back with a glass of water and some Tylenol. Soon, I drifted off again.
Several times my cell phone rang, but I never moved. My mother checked in one last time before she left for the show, but my fever hadn’t broken. After I gave her a halfhearted wave, she finally left me alone to suffer in peace.
I tossed and turned all night, dreaming of Aiden and then dreaming of Chloe and her short skirts. I even had an uncomfortably intimate nightmare about being locked in the computer lab with Christian. My forehead was covered in sweat when I woke up.
My body tingled. I looked around my darkened room, trying to get my bearings. It took me a minute to recognize my rosewood dresser, the half open closet door, and my hanging pom-pom collection. The clock on my nightstand read that it was nearly midnight. Too late to call Aiden.
Even though I tried to relax, I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about Christian’s sister that made me so uneasy. She certainly wasn’t the first girl to eye Aiden. I mean, the boy attracted attention everywhere we went. No. What was bugging me was the way she’d dismissed me. Like I didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter to Aiden.
Dang it. I looked back at my phone. I picked it up and scrolled through the missed calls. Kira, Leona, Izzie, my mom—nothing from Aiden. I twitched my nose.
I dialed his number, and as Aiden’s house line rang, I chewed on my lip. Please don’t let his mother answer. She wouldn’t—
“Hello?”
Jiminy Crickets! His mother. “Um, hi. Is Aiden there?”
“Tessa?” She sounded irritated.
“How are you?” I tried to be as sweet as possible, but I knew it didn’t matter. She hadn’t liked me since that first day Aiden brought me home in uniform.
She tsked. “It’s late. He’s sleeping.”
“I’m sorry. I was sick and I missed his call….” I stopped. She didn’t care. “Never mind. I’m sorry I called so late.”
“Good night, Tessa,” she said abruptly and hung up.
My chest ached as I set the phone back on my table. I didn’t like not being liked. Especially when I knew it was so undeserved. I loved her son. I loved Aiden more than anything—
The phone rang. I smiled as I reached out to pick it up. “Hi, sweetie,” I said, lying back and cradling the phone to my face.
“Tessa?”
My stomach flipped, and I bolted upright, darting my gaze around my room. It wasn’t Aiden. But it was a guy. “Um, yeah. Who is this?”
“I didn’t mean to call so late.”
“I’m sorry, who is this?” I looked again at the clock; it was midnight! None of my friends would ever dream of calling me this late. A Kitten needed her beauty sleep.
“It’s Christian …”
Oh, my.
“… from history class.”
I swallowed hard. Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Why was he calling me? First he was in my dreams and now he was on my phone? “How did you get my number?” That might have been a little rude. Guilt crept over me.
“I went to the attendance office and told them that I needed to bring you your assignments, so they gave it to me. I hope you’re not mad,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
He sounded really embarrassed. He should be! New boys weren’t allowed to find my number and then use it without asking me first!
“You really didn’t need to call,” I said, closing my eyes and trying to get my agitation under control. Being irritable was hardly becoming of a Smitten Kitten.
“I also wanted to ask you about your notes,” he said.
My pulse began to calm. Sure, it was midnight and that was an odd time to study, but if it was school-related, he could be forgiven.
“What about them?” I asked.
“They were great. Thanks for letting me borrow them.”
“You’re welcome.” Aw. That was really nice of him to say. I appreciated polite people.
“I was thinking I could come by and drop them off to you.”
Sticker shock! What was he thinking? “It’s … super-late.” I threw my legs over the side of the bed and eased them onto my carpet, confused and wondering if I’d missed something. Why in the world would he think he could come to my house at any time, let alone in the middle of the night? The tension from my neck seemed to crawl up to my face and rest between my eyes.
“Right. You’re right, I’m sorry. Stupid idea. I’ll just see you at school tomorrow.”
I rubbed at my temple, calming down. “I think that’s probably better. Besides, I doubt your parents would appreciate you sneaking out this late.” Aiden’s mother always hated when he did that.
“Yeah, I doubt my father would even notice if I was gone,” he mumbled.
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what to say to that. It sounded tragic. “Well, maybe your mom … ?”
“Nope,” Christian said briskly. “Parents divorced. I live with my dad now. That’s why we moved.”
Suddenly, I felt awful for being so mean. Divorce! That was something I could understand. “I’m so sorry to hear that. If you want to talk about—”
“Not really,” he snapped, cutting me off. “I’ll let you get some rest. Good night, Tessa. I hope you feel better.”
“Thank—”
He hung up. At first I didn’t move, but then I crawled back into my bed and set my phone on my side table. I stared at it. That was a very disconcerting conversation. I had half a mind to call him back and ask him about his parents. Maybe tell him about mine and why I understood.
I chewed on my lip and folded my hands under my cheek as I nestled into my pillow. Even though it wasn’t my fault that Christian had called me, I still felt guilty for talking to another guy. Maybe it was the SOS in me. The inner sense of right and wrong. Or maybe I was just really, really disappointed that Aiden hadn’t called.
There was another sharp pain in my head. I pulled my blankets up to my chin and tried to think things over. Divorce explained a lot … like Chloe’s scowl, for example.
And I shouldn’t really be mad about the notebook thing. Sure, it was presumptuous of him to think he could call, but maybe that was just his lame pickup attempt. I couldn’t fault him for that. Not all guys knew how to properly woo a girl anymore.
I closed my eyes. Aiden had been pretty smooth at winning me over. We were at a school assembly my freshman year, and he’d had to give a speech about recycling. Instead, he got up on the stage in front of all of Washington High, set up a flowchart, and listed “The Reasons Tessa Crimson Should Go Out with Me.” He had handouts and everything!
Yeah. Aiden was my guy. He was my perfect, whipped cream boyfriend sundae.
SOS STOP ORDER
CASE: 044
CLIENT: Becky Roth
SUBJECT: Corey Panchilla
Dear Ms. Roth:
Per your request, SOS shall suspend the pending investigation of Corey Panchilla. This is an official withdrawal from the case.
Although we are pleased that you feel Mr. Panchilla “would never do anything like that,” we caution you against engaging in any unsafe practices that may compromise your well-being.
It is also our duty to inform you that Mr. Panchilla will not be able to be reinvestigated because of the laws of double jeopardy.
We trust that this report will remain confidential as some of the information contained within could compromise our top-secret status.
SOS wishes you and Mr. Panchilla continued happiness and hopes that our services will not be needed in any of your future relationships. Have a great day.