“Say you’re staying with a friend.”
“And hide in the car while the game’s going on? That’s not going to work,” Val says impatiently. “Everyone knows the Royals, and someone is bound to mention that they saw Ella at the game.”
A sympathetic murmur spreads through the bathroom.
“Not to mention that Callum will definitely be there and probably rat me out to Steve,” I remind them. I’m not sure why I’m suddenly okay with all of these girls offering me advice, but I am. It feels weirdly welcoming in some way.
Before anyone can come up with a workable solution, the bell rings. Everyone’s heads pop up and there’s a flurry of activity as the girls jostle each other to get their makeup reapplied and their stuff packed away.
“We’ll think of something,” Hailey says on her way out. About six girls stream out after her, all of them waving goodbye to me.
“That was…” I trail off, my confused eyes focusing on Val.
“Fun? Helpful? Entertaining?” She grins. “Not everyone here is awful. Besides, now you know Steve’s behavior is completely normal. You just need to figure out how to work him.”
A little dazed, all I can do is nod. Okay then. I guess he is being normal.
“I tell my parents what they want to hear and then do my own thing,” a familiar voice offers coolly.
I spin around to see Jordan stepping out of a stall.
“Did you crawl out of the sewer or have you been there the whole time?” I accuse.
“Eavesdropping the whole time,” she says blithely. “So you want to have a little sexcation with Reed Royal, hmmm?”
I don’t answer her right away. This girl has disliked me from the moment I stepped foot onto Astor Park’s hallowed prep school grounds. When I was ordered to try out for the dance team, she left me a stripper’s uniform. I’m sure she meant for me to be too embarrassed to come out of the locker room, but I put on the gear, marched into the gym, and punched her in the face.
“Maybe,” I finally say.
“So you need my help.” She nudges Val out of the way and passes her hands under the automatic soap dispenser.
“No. I came to Val for help.”
Jordan scrubs her hands clean, shakes the excess water off, and then grabs a paper towel from the stack in the basket next to the sink.
“And Val’s here and so were six of my teammates, but you haven’t come up with a solution,” she says smugly. “Meanwhile, I have the perfect one.”
I doubt it, but her confident tone keeps my feet glued to the floor.
“Why would you help me?” I watch her with narrowed eyes, but I can’t read anything on her face. Damn, she’d be an impressive poker opponent.
She tosses the towel in the trash. “Because you’d owe me.”
Owe her? That sounds miserable. But…what if she really does have a solution to my problem?
“What would you want in return?” I ask suspiciously.
“A favor to be paid later.” She pulls out a little pot from her purse and dabs her perfect lips with shiny gloss.
I watch her, waiting for the rattler’s tail to sting me. “What favor?”
“I don’t know yet. Depends on what I’ll need from you.”
“Tell me your solution first.” I expect her to say no, but she surprises me.
“Sure.” She puts the lip gloss away. “You’re a good dancer. Layla Hansell sprained her ankle the other day jumping with her little sister on a trampoline. You can fill Layla’s spot on the team.”
“Shit.” That comes from Val.
Shit, indeed. It is the perfect solution. Steve wants me to do extracurricular stuff. Dancing is the only thing I’m capable of and somewhat interested in doing. The dance team’s going to travel to this playoff game, which means I can be on the field and sell Steve on the idea of spending time with Astor Park kids.
It’s diabolical how perfect this plan is.
Jordan smirks. “Let me know your answer by the end of the day. You can text Val. Bye now.”
She saunters out of the bathroom, her hair a dark ribbon streaming behind her.
“I hate her even more,” I say to Val.
“I don’t blame you.” My friend drapes an arm around my shoulders. “But damn, that’s a good excuse.”
“The best,” I say despondently. “The very best.”
19
Ella
“What are you doing here?” I exclaim when I find Reed leaning against my car after school. “You’re suspended!”
He rolls his eyes. “School’s over. What are they going to do, suspend me again for standing in the parking lot?”