AT EIGHT O’CLOCK ON FRIDAY night, Julie rushed into her bedroom. Parker was sitting on Julie’s second twin bed, painting her nails chalkboard black. Adele crooned from the iPod dock, and the sound of rain pattered on the window outside.
“I’m so glad you’re here. You’ll never believe what just happened,” Julie said, flashing her phone at Parker.
On it was a text from Carson. U like sushi? Was thinking of checking out Maru’s. Tomorrow?
Parker scanned the phone and handed it back. “Are you going to say yes?”
“You know my rule. No boyfriends.”
Parker shrugged. “Live a little. A date is not the same as having a boyfriend.”
“I know.” Julie rocked on her mattress. Goose pimples ran along her arms from the chill, but she barely noticed. “But god, can you imagine what would happen if Carson found out about my mom?”
Parker shrugged. “It’s nothing a little damage control can’t solve. You just have to spin the story.”
Julie shook her head. “That’s easier said than done. Think about what happened to Ava.” Even though Ava was smart and pretty and popular, it’d been easy for Nolan to taint her reputation, even if everyone knew deep down he was full of it.
“Or even you,” Julie added, looking at her friend. Parker had been the most admired girl in school before her dad attacked her. Even as a freshman, she’d been on almost every page in the yearbook. But now, just because her dad had gone to jail, just because there were scars on her face, she was persona non grata.
If their reputations had been so easy to damage, Julie didn’t stand a chance.
Suddenly, Katy Perry’s “Firework” came blasting out of her cell phone. She jumped, then picked it up and frowned down at the caller ID. Speak of the devil. Ava was calling. As soon as Julie picked up, she could hear Ava saying “oh my god, oh my god” over and over. She glanced nervously at Parker.
“Hey, what’s up?” Julie said tentatively.
Ava stopped oh-my-god-ing. “I think Granger killed Nolan.”
Julie froze, her fingers clutching the phone. “Our teacher Granger?”
“I’m almost sure of it.” Ava’s voice was hushed and trembling. Julie motioned Parker over, then put the phone on speaker.
“I was in Granger’s house,” Ava went on. “He offered to help with a paper, although that was bullshit—he’s a complete perv. I shouldn’t have gone, but that’s another story. Anyway, I found . . . pictures. On his phone . . .” She trailed off. It sounded like she was crying.
Slowly, Julie was able to get out of Ava what the pictures were of. Then Ava told her about the Nolan video where he’d threatened Granger. Julie’s heart gave a lurch in her chest. “That’s probable cause,” she said slowly. “But you really think he could have done it?”
“He wanted to kiss me when I left today,” Ava explained. “And when I said no, his face—” She broke off and sobbed. “It was awful. And he has an Oxy prescription. I saw it in his bathroom.”
“I can’t believe you went to his house,” Parker blurted.
“I know how it looks,” Ava wailed. “But I was just trying to get help with my paper. Honest.”
“We believe you,” Julie insisted. She stood up off her bed and started to pace. Granger had seemed so nice. So . . . supportive. It was shocking that he could be such a jerk. She thought back to the day in his class once more. Could he have overheard?
Caitlin had leaned forward across the desk excitedly. “Oxy. Everyone knows it’s his drug of choice,” Caitlin had said. “Or cyanide. He’d be dead in minutes.”
Julie had cleared her throat, her gaze drifting to Nolan across the room. He was in a group with Ursula; Ava’s boyfriend, Alex; and a meek girl named Renee Foley, and they all looked miserable. “We are just kidding, right?” she asked nervously.
“Of course,” Mackenzie said quickly, her laugh shrill.
Then Parker leaned forward, caging her fingertips together thoughtfully. “Though we don’t have to kill him to take him down.”
“What do you mean?” Ava asked slowly.
Parker thought for a moment. “Well, the next time he hosts a party, we can prank him. Obviously we won’t use cyanide, but what about Oxy? He loves the stuff anyway. Not too much—just enough to knock him out. Just enough to take some incriminating pictures.”
A gleam of excitement dawned in Caitlin’s eyes. “We could take pictures of him with his pants down. Or Sharpie his face.”
Mackenzie shifted. “Everyone hates him. They’re all just too scared to admit it. We’d be heroes if we pranked him.”
Ava straightened her back and lifted her chin. “Should we do it?”
“I’m in,” Mackenzie whispered.
“Me too.” Caitlin nodded.