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 fr
om 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.
Keep smiling,
SOS
Text: 555-0101
Exposing Cheaters for Over Two Years
CHAPTER FIVE
“UH ...” I MOANED FROM MY BED, MY STOMACH twisting in knots.
“Baby,” Aiden said, standing at the edge of my bed and resting his hands on the wrought iron frame. “You can’t go to school like this.”
“I can’t miss practice again,” I mumbled, putting the pillow over my head to block out the sunlight streaming in my window. “And if I don’t go to school, I can’t very well show up in the gymnasium at three thirty.” I wished Aiden hadn’t pulled up my blinds. My well-dusted furniture was highly reflective, and my room was filled with prisms. They were making me dizzy.
My gut took a sharp turn. “Good golly.” I sat up, dazed, nauseous. “I’m going to be sick again.”
Aiden walked over, holding my elbow out to help me out of bed. “Let’s try and make it to the bathroom this time,” he said.
I’d made it as far as the hallway twenty minutes ago. My parents were setting up for a big show in Seattle and wouldn’t be back until Monday, so Aiden had to take care of my mess. I bet when he showed up for breakfast, he hadn’t expected to find me in this condition. In fact, I don’t think Aiden had ever seen me sick, let alone cleaned my upchuck.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I hung over the toilet. I looked back to see Aiden sitting on the edge of the tub, his elbows resting on the knees of his long nylon shorts.
“You’re sick, Tess. Nothing to be sorry about.”
I felt a little better. Moving across the blue slate floor, I slid against the wall and looked at him. He stared back at me and smiled softly, but somethin
g was bothering me.
“Why didn’t you call me last night?” I asked. My eyelids felt heavy, and my fingers were trembling, but my gut wasn’t twisted anymore. That was a vast improvement.
Aiden furrowed his brow. “Last night?”
I swallowed, feeling my throat burn, and rested my head against the cool wall. “Yeah. I was sick, and I called you, but you didn’t call me back.”
“I didn’t know you called.”
Aiden stood and walked over, climbing down onto the floor in front of me. He reached out to rub my thigh. “I’m sorry, baby,” he said quietly. “Figured you were sleeping.”
I watched his eyes. They looked honest, worried. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t in SOS mode. I shouldn’t be looking for signs of guilt, like twitching mouths or upturned eyes.
I exhaled and then got to my knees, trying to stand. “Help me get dressed?”
“Tess, I’m not taking you to school. I’m going to call your mom.”
“Don’t! They’re probably sleeping at the hotel.”
Aiden took my hand, helping me to my feet. Then he put his arm around my waist and led me back to my room. “Fine, I won’t call her, but you have to get in bed. Now.”
“No.” I turned, putting my hands on his chest as I tried to make my way to my closet.
Aiden chuckled, taking me by the wrists. “Stop being so fucking stubborn, Tessa.”
I shot him a look.
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so effing stubborn.”
“Better.” And I knew he was right. There was no way I could function in an academic setting at this point. I needed a day in bed. Chicken soup. Possibly a foot rub.
“Will you come over after school?” I asked. Aiden smiled.
“Baby,” he whispered, wrapping me up in his arms and burying his head in my hair. “I’m not going without you. I figured I could stay here and take care of you.” He kissed my ear softly, making a little growl.
It felt good. Even though I’d been throwing up all morning, Aiden had a way of still making me feel beautiful.
“You need to go to class.” But I put my hands under his shirt against his hot skin, hugging him. Snuggling with Aiden sounded like the best medicine ever. But we couldn’t. He was barely passing Language Arts as it was. “Just come back at three.”