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“Your school is exactly like mine,” Kelsey groaned good-naturedly, squeezing into the room behind Emily and taking in the scenery. “It’s only a school play, but they treat it like it’s opening night on Broadway. ”
“Seriously,” Emily giggled, turning around and giving Kelsey a shaky smile. She felt a little nervous bringing Kelsey here, but when Kelsey had asked what Emily was doing tonight and Emily told her, Kelsey had gotten so excited. “I love Macbeth!” she’d said. “Can I come?”
“Um, sure,” Emily had said tentatively, quickly adding, “You should know that Spencer is playing the lead. Will that be weird?” Kelsey said it wouldn’t, and Emily had no idea how to tell her that it might be weird for Spencer. What was she supposed to say? Spencer thinks you’re our new psychopath text-messager?
They moved past the hostess stand, and lo and behold, Emily spied Spencer across the room, smiling bashfully at Mrs. Eckles, a ninth-grade English teacher. A streak of nerves went through her, but she straightened up and took a deep breath. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder to Kelsey. She needed to explain to Spencer why she’d brought Kelsey before Spencer randomly saw them together and freaked. Maybe if she leveled with Spencer, Spencer would understand. And maybe, if they all talked rationally, Spencer would realize that Kelsey wasn’t A.
Emily wove through the crowd and tapped on Spencer’s shoulder. Spencer’s expression soured. “Oh. ”
A sick feeling washed over Emily. “I can explain,” she blurted.
Spencer pulled her into a little nook that held a trolley for forks, spoons, and other utensils. Her face was pinched and angry. “You told me you weren’t hanging out with Kelsey anymore. ”
“I know I did, but . . . ”
“And then you bring her to my play?”
Emily gritted her teeth. “Kelsey’s nice, Spencer. She even said she wanted to see your performance. ”
“She wanted to ruin my performance, you mean. ”
“She’s not A,” Emily urged.
“Of course she is!” Spencer slammed a fist on the trolley, making the utensils jump. “How many times do I have to explain this to you? Does what I say not matter anymore? Have you become the kind of person who flat-out lies when asked a question?”
“I’m sorry I lied when you asked if I’d seen Kelsey,” Emily said in a small voice. She’d panicked when she’d texted with Spencer after the incident on the trail. It had been easier to say Kelsey hadn’t been there. “But you’re not seeing things clearly. Kelsey doesn’t want to hurt us. In fact, she has no idea what you did to her. And the other day, when someone pushed me down the hill, Kelsey was there. But she was the one who ran down the slope and helped me up. ”
Spencer’s mouth dropped open. “Are you high? She was probably the one who pushed you in the first place!”
Emily peered around the room, feeling weary. Some of the drama extras blew straw wrappers at one another and chanted the witches’ lines from the beginning of the play. “Kelsey isn’t A,” she said. “Ali is. I think I saw her at the top of the hill, and I keep seeing flashes of blond hair everywhere. ”
Spencer groaned. “Would you stop it with Ali? She’s gone. ”
“No, she’s not!”
“Why are you so convinced?”
A sour taste welled in Emily’s mouth. Tell her, she thought. Tell her what you did. But her mouth wouldn’t move. And then a waitress skirted around them, grabbing some forks and knives from the console, and she lost her nerve.
“Kelsey is A,” Spencer repeated. “She’s got the perfect motive. I sent her to juvie, Emily. I ruined her shot at a good college—at life. And this is how she’s getting her revenge. ”
“She doesn’t know you did that,” Emily argued. “But while we’re on that subject, don’t you feel bad about what you did to her? Don’t you think you should come clean and apologize?”
Spencer backed up until her butt hit the little silverware caddy. “Jesus, whose side are you on?”
A group of parents cackled nearby, sipping from glasses of red wine. Three sophomore boys plucked unattended beer mugs off the bar and took quick, covert swigs. “This isn’t about picking sides,” Emily said wearily. “I just think you should say something. She’s right over there. ” Emily pointed to where Kelsey had been standing, but she couldn’t see her anymore through the thick crowd.
“She’s here?” Spencer stood on her tiptoes and looked out at the mob, too. “Are you trying to get us killed?”
“Spencer, you’re—”
Spencer held up her hand, stopping her. Realization flooded over her face. “Oh my god. Are you in love with her?”
Emily stared down at the terra-cotta-tiled floor. “No. ”
Spencer clapped her hands. “You are! You’ve fallen for her just like you fell for Ali! That’s why you’re acting like this!” A desperate look flashed over her face. “Kelsey’s not into girls, Emily. She hooked up with a million guys last summer. ”
A stab of pain shot through Emily’s gut. “People can change. ”
Spencer leaned against the wall, looking incredulous. “Like Ali changed? Because she really loved you, Emily. You were her dream girl. ”
Tears pricked Emily’s eyes. “Take that back!”
“Ali never cared about you. ” Spencer’s tone was matter-of-fact. “She used you. Just like Kelsey’s using you now. ”
Emily blinked hard. Rage bubbled up inside of her, fiercer and sharper than anything she’d felt before. How dare Spencer?
She whipped around and marched across the room. “Emily!” Spencer yelled. But Emily didn’t turn. Her nose itched, like it always did when she was about to sob.
She pushed into the girls’ bathroom and placed both palms on the sink, nostrils flaring. In the mirror, she noticed Kelsey behind her, quickly shoving a small object back into her purse. “Uh, hey,” Kelsey said nervously.
Emily grunted out a reply. Then Kelsey turned and noticed Emily’s tear-streaked face, her angry triangle of a mouth. She rushed to the sink. “Are you okay?”
Emily stared at their reflections, her emotions a huge jumble. Spencer’s words burned in her brain: Ali never cared about you. She used you. Just like Kelsey’s using you now.
Then Emily raised her head, suddenly knowing what she should do. “There’s something you should know,” she said in a strong, clear voice. “About last summer. ”
Kelsey’s face suddenly looked guarded. “What?”
“Spencer Hastings framed you the night of your arrest. She was the one who arranged for the pills to be planted in your room. She had someone call the cops and tell them you were trouble. ”
Kelsey stiffened. “What?” She took a big step back, looking positively flummoxed. Emily had been right all along. Kelsey clearly hadn’t known this before.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said. “I didn’t find out that long ago, but I thought I should tell you. You deserve to know the truth. ”
She moved toward Kelsey to embrace her, but Kelsey pulled her purse higher on her shoulder. “I have to go. ” She hurried, head down, out of the room.
Chapter 29
SHE WARNED YOU, ARIA . . .
At the cast party, Aria was sandwiched between the jazz band, who were playing a very loud rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema,” and a huge poster of Macbeth, which featured Spencer’s and the guy who played Macbeth’s faces in huge black-and-white relief. Ella, her boyfriend Thaddeus, Mike, and Colleen were at her side.
“You were a wonderful doctor, Michelangelo,” Ella had to yell over the music. Her long beaded earrings swung wildly. “If I had known you had such an interest in acting, I would’ve enrolled you in the Hollis Happy Hooray Day Camp with Aria when she was little!”
Aria bleated out a laugh. “Mike would have hated it!” The Hollis Happy Hooray Day Camp put on a lot of plays, but campers were also required to put on marionette shows regularly. Mike had been deathly afraid of pupp
ets when he was younger.
“I think he should audition for a bigger role next year,” Colleen piped up, leaning over and pecking Mike on the cheek. Everyone beamed. Mike stiffened for a moment, then forced a smile.
Aria gazed around the crowded room. She’d called Hanna and Emily earlier, asking if either of them were coming. Both had said yes—Hanna’s dad was making her since Kate was in the play, and Emily was coming to support Spencer. But she didn’t see them anywhere. The cute guy who’d played Macbeth was schmoozing with the director by the bar. Naomi, Riley, and Klaudia were dancing on a small square of wood floor near the front of the restaurant. Kate was trying to get Sean Ackard to join in, but he kept shaking his head.
Someone tapped her shoulder, and Aria spun around. Ezra stood behind her, wearing a suit jacket, a clean blue button-down, and unrumpled khakis. “Surprise!”
Aria nearly dropped the ginger ale she was holding. “What are you doing here?”
Ezra leaned into her. “I wanted to see you tonight. I called your dad’s house, and your stepmom said you were at the cast party. ” He looked her up and down appreciatively, taking in the purple sweater dress she’d thrown on for the occasion.
Aria backed away. Everyone could see them. She whipped around, feeling her family’s gaze upon her. Mike looked disgusted. “Mr. . . . Fitz?” Ella said, blinking hard.
Aria grabbed Ezra by the hand and pulled him across the room. They snaked around Mrs. Jonson, one of the English teachers, who did a double take. Mr. McAdam, the AP Econ teacher, raised a suspicious eyebrow. It felt as though everyone in the restaurant was suddenly whispering about them.
“This isn’t a good time,” she hissed when they finally got to the narrow hallway that led to the bathroom.
“Why not?” Ezra stepped aside for a group of kids to pass. It was Devon Arliss, James Freed, and Mason Byers. Their eyes bulged at the sight of Aria and Ezra together—they’d all been in Aria’s English class last year and had surely heard the rumors.
“This would be the perfect time to tell your mom about us,” Ezra said. “And to talk to her about New York. ” He took her hand and began to pull her back in Ella’s direction. “C’mon. What are you so afraid of?”
The jazz band shifted into a slow number. Aria planted her feet. Something in the front archway caught her eye. Noel Kahn and his brother, Erik, had just come in. Noel was looking from Aria to Ezra, his mouth open.
Aria turned back to Ezra. “Look, I can’t talk to my mom about this right now. And I don’t do well with ambushes, okay?”
Ezra shoved his hands in his pockets. “Are you saying you don’t want me here?”
“It’s not that I don’t want you here. But you seriously don’t think this is weird?” She gestured into the dining room. “All of your old colleagues are here. I still go to school with all of these people. Now everyone’s going to talk. ”