For a long moment he was silent, just gazing back into my eyes as if he was waiting for me to reveal the punch line.
“You know what? You need to tell someone about this,” he said finally. “An adult. Clearly you should not be dealing with this on your own. You’re starting to lose your grip.”
He turned abruptly and speed-walked up the steps to the chapel, twisting sideways to get past a couple of sophomore guys hanging out in the doorway.
“I don’t get you!” I yelled, chasing after him. “None of us thought Ariana was capable of killing Thomas. And Sabine? She was the nicest person on earth until she pulled a gun on me.”
He whirled around and I nearly slammed into his chest. “Yeah, and shot Ivy,” he said. “Ivy’s a victim, Reed, not a villain.”
“Or maybe the fact that she took a bullet because the guy she was dating was trying to save me instead of her is just one more reason for her to hate us,” I hissed, more than a little aware of the fact that dozens of students and teachers were now well within earshot.
Josh’s eyes went cold. Dead, almost. He turned around without another word, trudged over to the senior guys’ section on the back left side of the chapel, and sat down. As I walked past him toward the junior girls’ area, he didn’t even glance in my direction. It was official. If he hadn’t been pissed off at me after the shirtless Upton incident and the Sawyer hug, he was now.
“Hey, Reed!” Lorna whispered, sliding closer to Kiki so I could sit down at the end of the pew next to her. “What was that all about? Josh does not look happy.”
“Trouble in paradise?” Missy Thurber sneered, turning around in her seat to look at us.
“No one was talking to you, Missy,” I snapped.
“Wow. You really are the queen bitch these days, aren’t you?” she replied before facing forward again.
“Everything’s fine with Josh,” I told Lorna quietly. “We’re just having a slight disagreement about what to do for Valentine’s Day.”
“Sometimes I think that holiday is more trouble than it’s worth,” Astrid groused from down the pew.
“Preaching to the choir, sister,” I replied.
I took a deep breath and tapped my foot impatiently as everyone around me whispered and did some last-minute cramming for quizzes or texted on their phones. I wished Double H would get this party started already. I was in no mood to sit in this chapel any longer than I had to. For the first time, I wasn’t dreading one of the kidnapper’s tasks. I was definitely in the mood to blow off some steam.
“Good morning, everyone!” Headmaster Hathaway called out from the podium at the front of the chapel.
Instantly, everyone around me fell silent. My original plan had been to wait until Hathaway had launched into his usual slate of announcements about club meetings and alumni days and keeping the campus clean, but my impatience got the best of me. I jumped up, stepped into the aisle, and screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Snake!” I shouted, pointing at the floor, my eyes wide. “Snake! There’s a snake in the chapel!” Every single person in the room turned to gape at me.
“Reed! What’re you doing?” Lorna cried.
“There’s nothing there,” Astrid said.
“Miss Brennan, kindly take your seat,” Mr. Hathaway ordered, his words clipped.
“Snake!” I screamed again, edging around my imaginary reptile. My face was so hot I actually thought it might spontaneously burst into flame, but still I pressed on. “Snake! Everyone get out! There’s a snake in the chapel!”
“Miss Brennan!” Headmaster Hathaway shouted.
Missy, Constance, and some of the other girls in their row started to laugh. I grabbed Missy by the shoulder and yanked her out of the pew. “Snake! Run, Missy! There’s a snake!”
“Get off me, you freak!” she shouted back, tearing my fingers off her shoulder.
“Miss Brennan!” the headmaster roared.
I almost laughed. Guess I had officially succeeded in pissing him off.
Now people were starting to stand up from their seats to better see the nutjob in the aisle. Some of them looked appalled, others amused. Gage stood on the pew, laughing a big belly laugh. I saw a few flashbulbs pop as people whipped out their phones to commemorate the morning that Reed Brennan finally lost her marbles.
I bet a lot of them thought it was a long time coming.
“Snake! Snake!” I screamed.
Sawyer jumped up from his pew and put his hands on my shoulders. “Reed? What are you doing? Are you okay?”
“Snake!” I screamed in his face, feeling awful for pulling him into this. “Snake! Snake! Snake!”
Finally the headmaster gave the nod to the two security guards stationed at the back of the chapel. They both marched forward and each of them grabbed an arm, turning me around, and basically dragging me out the door. Sawyer tripped backward and stood there in the aisle, dumbfounded as he watched us go. I purposely averted my eyes from the area where Josh and his friends sat. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see his reaction to all this.
“Snake?” I said mournfully over my shoulder, just for fun. As the guards manhandled me outside and the door was slammed behind us, half the chapel burst into applause and cheers.
Nice. I bet that pissed Double H off more than anything.
Five minutes later I was perched on one of the cots in the nurse’s office, the starched, white coverlet crunching beneath me as the nurse tugged the thermometer out of my mouth.
“Normal,” Nurse Raine said, appearing surprised. She shrugged and tossed the disposable tip into the garbage. “You sure you’re feeling all right, dear?”
“I’m fine,” I said dismissively. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”
The nurse stood up straight and shrugged. I suppose that after a number of years of dealing with kids trying to get out of tests, avoid ex-boyfriends, and spend the day sleeping, she’d pretty much seen it all.
“Here. Drink this and lie down,” she said, handing me a paper cup full of water. “I’m sure you’ll feel better after a nap.”
“Thanks.”
As she walked out her hand reached for the light switch, but she paused when she saw Headmaster Hathaway walking in. My heart thumped extra hard in my chest. What was he doing here? And how had he gotten here so fast?
“I’ll take it from here, Ms. Raine,” he said, tugging his leather gloves from his hands. He slipped off his overcoat, hung it over the back of a chair, and sat, tugging up the legs of his suit pants slightly.
“That must’ve been a very quick morning service,” I joked, trying to mask my nervousness.
“We need to talk, Reed,” he said without preamble. He leaned forward, forearms on his thighs, and laced his fingers together. Headmaster Hathaway was actually a nice-looking guy, with his light brown hair, tan skin, and chiseled cheekbones. But there was something about his demeanor that made me want to squirm. He tried to act like he was a friend to the students, but there was always some kind of backhanded threat or ominous warning just waiting on the tip of his tongue. “There’s something going on with you, and I need you to tell me what it is.”
And just like that, my tongue started to itch. I could tell him. I could just tell him and let him deal with it. He was an adult. A person of authority. He was even friends with Noelle’s parents. He’d walk right out of here, call them, and they’d get a SWAT team on Noelle’s ass in about fifteen seconds. Josh was right. I didn’t have to deal with this on my own. I was, technically, just a kid.
Right as I was about to open my mouth and spill it all, my cell phone let out a loud beep. Instantly all my blood rushed into my face. What was I thinking? I couldn’t tell anyone anything. Noelle’s life hung in the balance. After everything I’d been through here at Easton, I knew all too well how fragile life was. How easy it was for some people to take it from others. I couldn’t risk losing Noelle.
If I lost her, I had no idea what I would do. And besides, I didn’t entirely trust Mr. Hathawa
y. Who knew if he would actually do the right thing?
“I’m fine,” I told him, my voice thick. “Really. I just … needed to vent.”
Headmaster Hathaway blew out a sigh and hung his head. He made a temple of his forefingers and held them over his mouth as he looked up at me again.
“I’m sorry that you choose not to trust me, Reed,” he said slowly, his eyes like two rounds of coal. “But if you won’t tell me what’s going on, I’m just going to have to find out for myself.”
“Get off your butt, Reed. We’re kidnapping you!”
Under the current circumstances, hearing such a thing might have scared me, but it was coming from Tiffany and she had a big, fat smile on her face as she walked into my room. I sat up on my bed, dropping the history book I was trying to concentrate on. My extra-credit assignment was due on Tuesday and I had barely made a dent. Letting my friends kidnap me right now would not be the most responsible choice.
But who could worry about being responsible at a time like this?
“Who’s we?” I asked, leaning to the side to try to see around her. Rose waved at me from the doorway.
“Rose and I are taking you to the Botanical for a little Saturday morning R and R,” Tiffany said, grabbing me by the wrists and hauling me up. She clapped her hands together. “Let’s go. Coat, hat, bag. Go, go, go!”
“Okay, if your intention is to relax me, you’re not off to a great start,” I said with a laugh.
“She has a point, Tiff,” Rose said. “Dial it down a notch.”
“Sorry,” Tiffany said. “Spa days excite me.” She looked me up and down, her brow creased with consternation. “Why are you not moving?”
I glanced at my iPhone, sitting silent and lifeless on my desk. What if the kidnappers texted while I was in the middle of a massage? What if I had to do something on campus right away? Maybe being away from here for too long would be a big mistake.
But then, none of the kidnapper’s assignments had been immediate. And besides, it was Valentine’s Day, and I hadn’t spoken to Josh in almost forty-eight hours. I had no idea if he still intended to take me to the dance tonight as we’d planned, or if he was going to call me and cancel, or if he was just going to stand me up completely. My shoulder muscles coiled tightly, sending a twinge of pain all the way up my neck. Yeah. I could use a little pampering on a day like this.
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m definitely not moving fast enough.”
I grabbed my phone and shoved it in my bag.
“That’s my girl,” Tiffany said with a grin.
“When did you guys come up with this plan?” I asked. I slid my arms into the sleeves of my coat and lifted my hair out from under the collar, letting it fall loose down my back.
“Roughly five minutes after your minor breakdown in chapel the other day,” Tiffany said matter-of-factly.
My face burned at the memory as I strode out the door. A couple of people had asked me what the snake thing was all about and I’d told them that I didn’t want to talk about it. Meanwhile, those who didn’t know me well, or who were already wary about me thanks to my close association with the last two murders and murder victims at Easton, had been giving me a wide-berth on campus, taking out-of-the-way routes across the quad just to avoid passing me directly. It was kind of amusing, actually, but sooner or later, I was going to have to come up with some kind of explanation for my actual friends. I just hoped it would be later, because my tired brain was not functioning at high levels these days.
“Five minutes? Try five seconds,” Rose said with a laugh. She fell into step behind me as I led the way down the carpeted hallway to the stairs. “She was on her phone making a reservation before the applause had even died down.”
I shook my head and jogged down the stairs, shoving open the door and taking a deep breath of the crisp, cold air. Waiting for us at the curb in front of the huge, stone fountain, was a sleek, black town car.
“What would I do without you guys?” I asked as Tiffany slung her arm over my shoulders.
“You’d definitely be in a straitjacket by now,” she joked. “Let’s roll.”
“For a young girl, you certainly hold a lot of tension in your shoulders,” my masseuse, Kristianne, told me as she finished up my deep tissue massage.
“She has more stress than the usual sixteen-year-old,” Rose said, her voice muffled since her face, like mine, was mashed into a donut pillow.
They had no idea how much more stress. Even though the masseuses had told us to leave all electronic devices in the lockers with the rest of our clothes and personal items, I had managed to sneak my iPhone in and half-camouflage it under a towel on the chair in the corner. Every chance I got, I glanced casually in that direction to check if it had lit up with a text while I wasn’t paying attention. So far, it had been dormant.
“Okay, Reed,” Kristianne said in her quiet, soothing voice. “You can roll over.”
Kristianne held up the thick towel and blanket that were covering me, shielding my naked body from her view so I could roll onto my back. My head felt heavy and my brain was all fuzzy and relaxed. Even with the specter of my phone looming in the room, I had somehow managed to let a bit of my tension go.
“How was it?” Tiffany asked from the next bed.
“Amazing,” I replied. “Thanks, Kristianne. Thanks, you guys, for bringing me.”
“Anytime,” Rose said, rolling over as well.
“Okay. We’ll leave you girls now,” Rose’s masseuse, Joanna, said, standing with the other two near the door. They all wore cream-colored polo tops and khaki pants, like some kind of neutral relaxation brigade. “You’re free to enjoy lunch in the garden room, and remember to drink lots of water. It will help you flush out all the toxins.”
“We will,” Tiffany said, taking a deep breath with her eyes closed. “We’re good little toxin flushers.”
Rose snorted a laugh and the three masseuses exchanged an amused glance before walking out and leaving us to ourselves. I followed Tiffany’s example and just lay there for a moment, eyes closed, breathing in the soothing eucalyptus-scented candles and listening to the softly pinging guitar music. This was the one of the greatest gifts anyone could have given me. Why couldn’t Josh see how amazing my friends were? It wasn’t like he was running around trying to de-stress my chi and loosen my pressure points. Or whatever it was they did around here for a hundred bucks an hour.
“Okay. I’m starving,” Tiffany said, sitting up straight. “Let’s eat!”
Rose and I grabbed our soft terry cloth robes. Tiffany went to the cooler of cucumber water in the corner and filled three glasses, and Rose went to work securing her hair in a bun. While their backs were turned, I grabbed my phone from under the towel, turned it on to vibrate, and slid it into one of the pockets.
“For you, my dear,” Tiffany said, handing me a glass of water.
I downed it in a few gulps and refilled it.
“Wow. Thirsty?” Rose said.
I smiled. “I also have more toxins than your average sixteen-year-old,” I joked.
Together we walked out the side door of our “serenity room” and followed the signs pointing the way to the Garden Room. The large, airy space was dotted with small café tables, and three walls were made up of floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the bare trees behind the spa. A babbling brook cut its way through the snow, and overhead, white clouds raced their way across a clear, blue sky.
“So, Reed,” Rose said as we chose a table and glanced over the menu. It was all salads and fruits and teas. “What really happened with that whole snake thing? Did someone put you up to it?”
“Kind of,” I replied.
I had been expecting this question for the past two days, of course, and on the ride over I’d finally put the finishing touches on my cover story. I took a sip of my water, while Tiffany and Rose waited expectantly.
“I lost a bet with Gage,” I said, rolling my eyes and faking an embarrassed smile. The whol
e snake episode was just childish enough to be a brainstorm of his. “I said he couldn’t knot the stem of a cherry with his tongue. He did it five times in a row.”
“Omigod, Reed! You should know better than to ever make a bet with Gage!” Rose chided me.
“Especially when it involves his tongue,” Tiffany added, sticking hers out slightly.
“Lesson learned,” I replied. “I will never go there again.”
“What can I get for you ladies?” the waitress asked in the same hushed tone everyone seemed to use around here.
“Mango chicken salad, please,” I said, leaning back in my chair.
I took a deep breath, secure in the knowledge that neither Tiffany nor Rose would ever catch me in my latest lie. Neither of them was particularly friendly with Gage, and the whole bet story was forgettable enough that by tomorrow neither of them would care anymore. Everything was going to be fine. I was even starting to enjoy myself.
And then my cell phone vibrated.
“What was that?” Rose asked, looking around.
“My phone,” I whispered.
I fumbled it out of my pocket and held it under the table.
“Reed! You’re not supposed to have that in here,” Tiffany hissed, glancing over her shoulder at one of the waitresses.
“What’re they going to do, kick me out?” I asked. I pushed back from the table slightly to see the text on the screen. All at once, my lungs filled with relief. The text was from Josh. It read:
Hope we’re still on for tonight. I’ll pick you up at 8! XO
Thank goodness. I wasn’t sure that, on top of everything else, I could handle him dumping me on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s from Josh,” I explained.
Tiffany and Rose nodded knowingly.
I was just about to slide the phone back in my pocket when it vibrated again, startling the breath out of me.
This text was not from Josh.
ONLY ONE ASSIGNMENT LEFT. YOU FAIL, SHE DIES. FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TONIGHT.
And just like that, the shoulder knots Kristianne had worked so hard to uncoil were back.