“Whatever. I have my own reasons,” he said, turning his back on me.
Note to self: Do not get personal with Khail.
Third hour had never felt so long. I sat there listening to Mrs. Wilkinson drone on about economics and didn’t hear a single word. Khail had insisted that, this once, I couldn’t help.
“You gotta be the one with an alibi,” he said seriously. “The rest of us can all claim that we thought we were just helping with the assembly. But if the trail leads back to you, you have to have proof you weren’t involved.”
“But I’m the only one who can talk to Kimberlee,” I argued. Kimberlee had agreed—volunteered, even—to be on watch for teachers, custodians, and especially Principal Hennigan while the wrestlers were pulling off their antiheist.
She seemed more focused since Khail had become involved. I think that she—like me—had almost given up on the idea of ever getting everything returned. There was just too much for one person. But now, with a whole team of wrestlers helping, we could be done in a couple of weeks! I thought she would be happy, but she seemed more serious. Maybe that was good, actually.
“Dude, she can go through walls; she can run right to you if there are any problems—which there won’t be,” he tacked on confidently, “and you can grab the piss-pass and come warn us.”
I still wasn’t convinced. But Khail was sure they could pull it off alone, and he did have a point about the alibi thing.
The bell rang for the assembly and I forced myself to pack my backpack at a normal pace before joining the rest of my classmates, merging into the crowd of students ambling toward the gym. My heart started to race as we approached the double doors, where people were already filing through. Was there more noise than usual? Less? It was my first assembly at Whitestone. I had no idea.
I clenched my fists as I walked through the doors.
My jaw dropped.
Khail had truly outdone himself. A ten-foot Christmas tree stood in the center of the gym, hastily decorated in the school colors. There were streamers and balloons and someone had thrown handfuls of confetti over the whole thing.
And beneath the tree, stacks and stacks of Ziploc bags—also covered in confetti. There were already people sifting through the contents, calling out names, and tossing the bags to one another. Kids were smiling and laughing as the few teachers who were there tried fruitlessly to clear them away from the tree.
“Nice, huh,” Kimberlee said, suddenly right by my ear. I was extremely proud that I didn’t fall down on the floor and go into convulsions.
“They did a pretty good job,” she continued coolly. I stepped away from the doorway so the crush of students wouldn’t trample me, and leaned against the wall with Kimberlee.
“This is amazing,” I whispered out of the side of my mouth.
“Khail’s such a show-off.” But she sounded pleased.
Sera was standing off to the side of the crowd, observing everything with her arms crossed over her chest. I walked over to her and slid my arm around her waist.
She didn’t react—just stared straight ahead. I wondered if I should pull my arms back. But finally I leaned down a little closer to her ear and whispered, “Everything okay?”
She looked up as though just noticing I was there. “Yeah,” she said, turning her head back to the crowd. “I just . . . I mean, really. What is this?”
I managed to shrug casually.
“I’d bet money this is more stuff that Kimberlee stole. And here everyone is all excited. Why aren’t they mad? They should be totally pissed. This is . . . this is just sick.” She pulled away with an apologetic frown, headed for the exit. “I’m gonna get some air. I’ll see you in a bit.”
I turned back to the tree. It didn’t look quite so festive anymore.
It took almost the entire half hour allotted for the assembly to get the student body away from the tree and up on the bleachers where they belonged. Mr. Hennigan was breathless and flushed after ten minutes of trying to sweep the kids away from the tree. But it was useless. He’d yell at five or six kids on one side and get them to leave, only to have them replaced by five more kids on the other side.
Once order was restored, we were treated to a long lecture on appropriate behavior and following rules and the proper use of school facilities. “I know who’s doing this,” Hennigan said in a soft, barely controlled voice. I shivered, wondering if that could possibly be true. “It’s clearly the same person or persons who were involved in the theft ring last year.”
A small murmur went through the crowd. But all I could feel was relief. Hennigan had no clue.
“When I catch whoever the guilty persons are,” he said—and I was a little shocked at how angry he looked, “there will be suspensions. Expulsions. And prosecutions! This,” he said, flinging his arm in the direction of the tree, “involved truancy from class and breaking and entering school property. To say nothing of pilfering these items to begin with.”
Fear churned in my stomach. Khail had warned me that Hennigan had been obsessed with the thief, but I had apparently underestimated him.
“Do not think this will be treated lightly just because of these ridiculous apology notes,” he continued, holding up a torn sticker. “Whoever this student or students are, you will be caught, and you will be punished.” He stepped away from the microphone and the room was silent save for the crinkling of a hundred bags.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pride as the cheerleaders finally ran in—officially beginning the very late assembly—and there wasn’t a single bag left under the tree.
Eighteen
I WENT TO MY FIRST wrestling meet that night. I wanted to support Khail and the guys after what they’d done. I mean, what they had accomplished on one day would have taken me months to do on my own.
And Sera was there cheering.
Kind of. They all sat on the edge of the mat in their uniforms and yelled and waved pom-poms. I guess I’d appreciate it if I were a wrestler.
I certainly appreciated it as a spectator.
The actual wrestling, perhaps not as much. Watching Khail wrestle made me remember that I was mortal. Seriously. He wasn’t being offered wrestling scholarships right and left for nothing. I always knew he was huge and ripped, but you don’t quite understand the meaning of ripped until you see someone in those little wrestling outfits. Layers of muscles, masses of muscles, muscles with muscles, and only one tiny leotard thingy to cover it all up. I think Khail’s opponent must have contemplated his own mortality as well, in the twenty-four seconds it took Khail to twist him into something a contortionist might squeal at before his shoulders hit the mat.
I had visions of myself down on the floor if anything in our little scheme went sour. Talk about terrifying.
After the match Sera ran up to hug me, said something about her ridiculous outfit, then hurried off to change before I could comment that there was no need. Oh well, maybe another time.
I was just leaning against the wall when I heard someone whisper my name, and before I could turn, Khail yanked my arm and pulled me around the corner into the darkened hallway.
“If you wanted some time alone, all you had to do was ask,” I joked, rubbing my shoulder.
He just looked at me.
“Uh, good . . . wrestle,” I said awkwardly.
“Hardly,” Khail said with a snort. “The guy’s a freshman. Only got to be on varsity because the guy I was supposed to match with didn’t make weight. I hate it when that happens.”
“Um, yeah. That sucks.” I had no idea what he was talking about. “Anyway, man, that Christmas tree was awesome.”
Khail broke into a grin. “It was, wasn’t it? It was Stevens’s idea to do the streamers and shit and, I gotta tell you, I wasn’t convinced it would look right. But it totally did!”
“It did; it was awesome.”
“So what’s next?”
“What do you mean next?”
“The next return,” Khail sa
id with a grin. “We’re all ready!”
My throat went dry. “What’s the hurry?”
“I want this done!” Khail said. He took a deep breath. “Also, we’ve only got two weeks till State. Then wrestling season is over. You’d be surprised how much freedom we have to wander around the school in-season. A teacher stops me and I just hold up my bag and say, ‘Coach wanted me to . . . whatever.’ They totally buy it. But after wrestling, we go back to being like everyone else. We have enough time to do a drop this week and a drop next week. Early the week after if we have to, but that’s pushing it.”
“Listen,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. “Everything today was really cool and you guys helped me so much, but—” I hesitated. The fact of the matter was I wanted them to keep helping me. But it wasn’t fair to ask. “I don’t think you guys should do this anymore.”
Khail’s face snapped serious. “Why not?”
“Hennigan’s talking expulsion, Khail. And I don’t think he’s kidding. I can’t ask you guys to risk that for me. It’s not fair.”
Khail sighed and leaned against the wall. “I know you’re concerned for us, Jeff, but we don’t want out.”
I looked up. “Really?”
“I talked to the guys before the match tonight. I was worried about Hennigan too, so I told them that they had a one-time free pass out. And all of them want to stay.”
I didn’t understand. “Why?”
“You’re new and you don’t know all these kids, so they aren’t talking to you about the stuff they got back. Some of this is important stuff. Actually, most of it. This guy in my calc class got back an action figure worth almost a thousand bucks that he brought to school for a display for one day. A girl in my history class got a hat knitted by her best friend who moved. There was one guy who got back a pair of gloves that his mom gave him for Christmas a few months before she died in a car accident. Dude was in tears, Jeff.”
“Wow.” I didn’t know what else to say. I’d been so focused on Kimberlee, I hadn’t thought what returning the stolen items might mean to other people.
“The guys all feel like they’re helping with something that really has meaning, you know?” He slapped my shoulder and I tried not to show how much it hurt. “We’re with you, bro.” He started to walk back toward the locker room, then turned just before reaching the corner. “Unless you want to wimp out.”
I shook my head quickly. “No, that’s not it. I just don’t want to drag you all down with me if anything goes wrong.”
Khail took a step back. “We’ll be careful,” he said earnestly. “Real careful. We’ll lay low for the rest of the week. Won’t return anything. Then it’s back to business.”
“How am I supposed to come up with something that fast?”
Khail just grinned. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” He turned and started to walk away. “Oh,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “I got you something.” He handed me a cheap, nondescript cell phone.
“What’s this for?” I asked.
“I don’t want you to think I’m taking Hennigan’s threat lightly. All the guys have this number and it can’t be traced; I paid cash for it. When we’re done, toss it in a Dumpster in Chino or something, okay?”
I felt strangely touched that Khail was kind of looking out for me. “Thanks,” I said quietly.
“We’re going to see this through to the end. You come up with a plan and we’ll be there.” He continued walking this time, around the corner and out of sight.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “Good,” I said shakily. “Good.” I waited for a few more seconds to give Khail a chance to make it to the locker room so no one would realize we’d been talking.
My conscience was seriously conflicted. I mean, it was great to have all these guys on my side and really feeling like they were doing something noble, but it didn’t make me feel any better about the possibility of getting them expelled. And I hated hiding the whole thing from Sera. But not only had I promised Khail I wouldn’t tell her, judging from her reaction to the Christmas tree that morning I wasn’t sure she would like me being involved at all. Never mind being the person in charge.
I peeked around the corner to make sure Khail was gone, and pulled my head back when Sera came out of the girls’ locker room. Feeling like an idiot for hiding from my girlfriend, I was about to walk out when someone called Sera’s name. “We’re all going to O’Brien’s, you coming?”
“Not tonight,” Sera said. “I’m going somewhere with Jeff.”
“Okay,” the girl said hesitantly. She started to walk away and I got ready to pop out again, but then the girl stopped and turned back. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”
Great. My timing was fabulous. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but now did not seem like a good time to suddenly appear.
“Uh, sure,” Sera said hesitantly.
“You know I love you, and I’ve been there for you since you first got on the squad even through, well, everything. But . . . Jeff? Really?”
“What about him?” Sera asked defensively.
“Don’t be that way,” the girl said, sounding like she cared, although I didn’t think it was any of her business. “I’m just concerned. He’s not like the guys you used to date.”
“It’s his best feature,” I heard Sera reply dryly.
“I don’t want you throwing yourself at some new nerdy guy just ’cause it’s been a while.”
Wow. Harsh. I wasn’t completely sure if her bluntness was a sign of a true friend, or someone to seriously avoid.
“It’s not like that,” Sera said softly. “He—he’s really nice. He listens to me and seems to actually care what I think. He doesn’t push me to do stuff I don’t like and . . . I need someone like that right now. And I admit: It’s nice to have a fresh start. Almost everyone at Whitestone has known me since I was in diapers. It’s . . . I think I need someone who only knows who I am now.”
“I just wanted to check,” the other girl said. “Let you know I’m still watching out for you.” There was a pause that I could only assume held some kind of hug or girly gesture, but even in the silence I could sense a sincerity there that I weirdly appreciated. For Sera.
“Thanks. Really,” Sera replied.
“Okay. Well, see ya,” she said.
I waited a few seconds, then walked out from the darkened hallway, glad to see Sera’s back was still turned. I had a feeling she wouldn’t be supercomfortable knowing I’d just overheard that conversation. I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with it. New start? I hated that it made me wonder if any of what Kimberlee was constantly spouting about Sera was true. Trying to push those thoughts away, I stepped up behind her and laid a soft hand on her waist.
And barely managed to catch her hand before it smacked me in the face.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said, her hands covering her mouth. “You scared me!”
I grinned down at her. It was kind of fun to see her ruffled. “It’s okay. You didn’t get me. I should make a noise before I sneak up on you.”
“I’m just nervous,” she said with a sigh, starting to walk toward the front doors. “This whole stolen stuff coming back thing is creeping me out. It’s like every time I turn around I expect to see . . . I don’t know. A ghost or something.”
I laughed in a way that I hope didn’t sound too fake. Hoo, boy, if she only knew.
“Stupid, I know.” She shrugged. “I’m totally on edge.”
I slung an arm over her shoulder. “Well, let’s get you off that edge.” I have the lamest pickup lines in the world.
Luckily, Sera didn’t laugh, probably due to having just almost smacked me in the head. “So what are we doing?”
“I know you’ve only got an hour, but are you hungry? Like, not just halfway hungry, but real hungry?”
She cocked her head to one side. “Actually, yeah. You?”
“Starving.”
“Then let’s go.”
/> I took her hand and led her to my car, remembering at the last second to open her door, and we drove out of the parking lot. When we got to the In-N-Out, I pulled into the drive-thru. I ordered for us both and handed the warm bags to Sera as she looked at me with a curious smile. She seemed to sense that I had something planned, so she didn’t comment as I pulled away from the restaurant.
Then I drove to the park.
Yes, that park. The one where I had the disastrous night that turned out about a zillion times better than any night should have, considering its dubious beginning.
I had hoped to do this on our first date, but I couldn’t find the park. Being semi-sober as she drove me home didn’t change the fact that I had no idea where I was. I’d spent hours driving around looking for it over the past week or so. And I was at least eighty percent sure this was the right one.
That eighty turned into a hundred when Sera smiled and said, “Here?”
I exited the car without answering and came over to her side, taking the bags. “Everybody gets an occasional do-over, right?” I said with a smile. “This one’s mine.”
We ate at the picnic table as if it were the middle of the day instead of nearing ten o’clock at night. “You sure cheer a lot,” I said, reaching for a fry. “Basketball games, wrestling matches. Plus you have practice, too, right?”
“Every day after school. Plus competitions, which are coming up at the end of the month.”
“It seems like a lot of time for someone who says she doesn’t like cheering.”
Her hand hesitated; then she broke a fry in two and studied the ends. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I just like parts of it better than others.”
“Like watching Khail wrestle?”
“Yeah. That’s nice. But it also just gives me an excuse to get out of the house. And my parents like it when I’m busy. They stay off my case. Now that is worth it,” she said, pointing at me with her broken French fry.
“No joke,” I said, thinking of the brief interludes I’d had with her parents.
“They like you, I think.”
“How can you tell?” I asked with a laugh.