I felt my cheeks blush, but I quickly pushed any affection I had away. I was about to start a mission. I couldn’t let Aiden distract me.
“I can’t talk to you right now,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.
“Will you ever?” he asked back quickly. “Will you ever talk to me again?” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’m going crazy, Tess.”
I stared at him then, looked at him for a long moment before responding. I closed my eyes. “No. I don’t think I will.”
I couldn’t see him, but I heard him let out a soft cry. There was a stabbing pain in my chest and I opened my eyes to look down at the fabric of my dress, wishing I could just spin around to watch it flow around me, forgetting about Aiden and Mary.
When I finally got up enough courage to look at him, his head was hanging, his hand was over his mouth. I saw tears drip from his cheeks to the ground. It was too much—watching this was too much right now. I needed to get back inside and call Joel.
“I’m sorry, I have to go,” I said quickly, swiping under my eyes to make sure my makeup was safe. “Thanks for coming by, Aiden. But tonight’s homecoming and…” I had started to go back inside when he reached out to take my arm.
“Tessa…”
“Have a good night,” I said, pulling my arm out of his hand and not looking at him. “Goodbye, Aiden.” My voice cracked on his name, but I swished my way through my door.
“I still love you, Tessa,” Aiden called after me before I shut the door.
By the time I got back to my bedroom, my makeup was a lost cause. Once my ex-boyfriend set foot on my property, I was a goner. But the minute I walked in my room, I grabbed the box of tissues off my desk and began blowing.
“Who was it?” Kira asked, sounding annoyed.
“Aiden,” I answered, my voice thick with tears.
“I still can’t believe he went all the way with Mary,” Izzie squeaked, getting up to come over to the bed and sitting next to Leona. She patted it for me for sit down too. I nodded, unable to talk as I blew my nose into the tissue.
“Well, Mary is pretty,” Kira said from across the room. I looked up at her, blurry eyed.
“But in a skanky way,” Leona added, smiling for support. “Like some other cheerleaders we know.” Kira narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond.
After another minute of feeling sorry for myself, I felt Leona’s hand on my shoulder. “I know you’re sad, Tess,” she said. “But it’s after seven. You have to pull yourself together. Let’s finish this assignment and then we’ll all set out on a new mission. To get boyfriends.”
“Um, hello,” Kira called. “I still have one.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Leona climbed off the bed and stood in front of me as I sat on the edge of my bed, tissue still covering my nose. “Sharpen up,” Leona said, bending down to get close to my face. “Mission starts now.”
With the Smitten Kittens’ help, I managed to look halfway decent and lose my blotchy crying skin. We tweaked the plan, and I decided to call Joel once I got to the gym, making it a little easier for the copy-Kitten to intercept. Chances were, they were already following me.
I walked into the gymnasium, my heels clicking on the wood floors and echoing in the air. It was creepy. I knew that the girls were already here, arriving twenty minutes before me, but I didn’t dare look toward them. In case the copy-Kitten was here, I didn’t want to give up our position.
I sorted through my purse and pulled out my pink phone, dialing Joel’s preprogrammed house number. He answered on the first ring, and I smiled. I loved promptness.
“Hello?” He sounded confused.
“Hi, Joel. It’s Tessa.”
“Really?” He laughed. “I thought you were avoiding me.” I shifted in my heels, surprised he had noticed.
“I wasn’t avoiding you. I was…busy.”
“Busy avoiding me.”
I twitched my nose, wondering if I’d hurt his feelings by not talking to him. I really didn’t like the idea of that. “I’m sorry,” I said.
“Fine. You’re forgiven. But you owe me a vanilla Frappuccino.”
I smiled, wishing I could just do this tonight—talk with a friend. But that wasn’t part of the deal, and after tonight, Joel might never speak to me again.
I walked over to the wall, my heels clicking. I bent down to sit against it—even in my pale yellow dress. Once on the floor, I exhaled.
“Aiden came to see me today,” I confided, only half acting.
The phone made a rustling sound on Joel’s end. “Again? What did he say? Are you all right?”
“I don’t know,” I murmured. “I don’t know anything anymore.” I almost started crying, but I sniffled and straightened my back, ignoring the slight twitch there.
“He’s being a jerk off,” Joel said, sounding authentic. “He needs to leave you alone now.”
I appreciated the protective tone in his voice. I let it soothe me.
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked softly.
Here it was, my chance. But for a second, I wanted to tell him to meet me somewhere else altogether and maybe go for corn dogs. There was a noise from above me.
I closed my eyes. “Can you meet me?” I asked, trying to focus on the mission. “I’m at the gym.”
“What are you doing there?”
“It’s a long story.” And it certainly was.
“Um…You need me now?”
“Yes. Right now.” I couldn’t believe I was doing this.
Joel was quiet. Then, “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
ASSIGNMENT 5
6:50 P.M., SEPTEMBER 25
The operative bit off the ends of her red nails as she watched from the supply closet. It was a perfect view to where Tessa was standing under the bleachers. She looked nice, dressed up so delicately. It almost was enough to forget the fact that she was a liar.
The operative watched through her night-vision lens as Tessa talked on her phone, walking over to the wall to slide down to the ground. For a minute, the operative felt a small pang of regret, seeing the sadness on Tessa’s face. But she pushed it away. Tessa had brought this upon herself.
Under the bleachers, Tessa clicked off her phone and dropped it to the floor next to her feet, exhaling loudly. She looked nervous.
She should. The operative just needed to get through this, and then she had a revenge planned that would be so much worse than what happened at the party. So much more damaging.
Tessa pushed herself up off the floor. She swiped at her dress with both hands, making sure it was clean.
For a second, the operative froze as Tessa’s gaze touched on the half-open storage closet across from her. But a sound from the hallway made Tessa turn.
Just then, the door pushed open just enough for Tessa to react to who was about to enter.
She smiled.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I STOOD UNDER THE BLEACHERS OF THE HALFlit gymnasium in my homecoming dress waiting for Joel, my heart pounding from both spy anxiety and the knowledge that I was being watched. It definitely bothered me to be on this end of the lens, and it made me wonder about all the subjects I’d investigated in the past.
Kira and the other Smitten Kittens were surely watching from above me in the rafters, but I didn’t dare look up. No. The copy-Kitten was here. I could feel it.
The gym door cracked open, sending in a streak of light. “Tessa?” It was Joel. At the sound of his voice, my heart skipped a beat underneath the flowy material of my dress and I smiled.
“Over here,” I whispered, trying to sound like this was a casual encounter. Joel saw me and nodded, walking inside and then closing the metal gym door quietly. When it clicked shut, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his suit and strolled my way.
I could tell from the grin on his face that he liked my dress. He even sighed when he paused in front of me. “Wow, Tessa.” He shook his head. “You look gorgeous.”
I widened my eyes, w
ary of Kira, who was hearing all this and almost certainly not liking it. “Thanks,” I said, trying to punch his shoulder playfully. It just came out as awkward. I was a terrible flirt.
“You’re welcome, pal?” He laughed.
He was clueless as to what was going on, and I couldn’t tell him. Instead I tried to pretend like I hadn’t lost my mind. “I needed to talk to someone,” I said, glancing away from him toward the ground. “And you’re really good at listening.” Well, that part was true.
Joel shifted, his loafers scraping the floor. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but…you’re not thinking of taking him back, are you? That would be really stupid.”
My eyes snapped up as I stared at his soft hazel eyes, weighing his comments. “Why shouldn’t I take him back?” My heart began to beat faster under the bodice of my dress. Joel was gazing at me, and I was mesmerized by his compassion, by the way he cared about how I felt. About my future.
“Because there could be someone else out there for you. Someone better.”
I blinked heavily, and Joel laughed, self-consciously rubbing at his chin as he stepped closer to me. My breath quickened. He smelled good—a clean mix of soap and aftershave. His hair was brushed to the side, totally dapper.
“You look like you need a hug,” Joel whispered, holding out his hand. It was trembling slightly, and I drew in a long breath, trying to convince myself that what I was about to do was for the Smitten Kittens. For an assignment.
I reached out, sliding my palm into his, feeling his heat envelop me. Very gently, he tugged me closer until we were almost touching.
Then he exhaled and put his arms around me, resting his chin on my head. It was a sweet gesture, but intimate. I felt myself melt into him.
“Kira’s so lucky,” I murmured with my eyes closed.
Joel’s body tensed. “What do you mean?” He pulled back and looked down at me, confused.
Dang, was I blowing the mission? I shouldn’t have brought her up. “Um…”
“Tessa,” Joel said, his eyes narrowed. “You know that Kira and I broke up, right?”
I stepped away. “What? When?” My hands fell to my sides and I looked around the room, completely flabbergasted.
“Remember that day of the fair?” he asked. “That night…I told her that I didn’t think it was working out. Wait. You didn’t know? I thought that was why you were avoiding me.”
“Joel, are you serious?” I started shaking my head, trying to rethink this. Joel and Kira were still together. She said so herself.
“Yeah, Tess,” Joel murmured, moving closer to me. “I would have told you, but…I don’t know. You were having problems with Aiden, and I didn’t want to bother you with this.”
My eyes darted around the room. Kira had been so jealous tonight, so possessive of him. The last week had been absolute misery for me, and yet she hadn’t even mentioned that they’d broken up. This was a big deal. How could she not mention it? It affected the mission. It meant—
I froze. My clutch purse was lying on the floor and I picked it up, rummaging through it, looking for my phone.
“Tessa,” Joel said, sounding concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“Hold on.” I sped through the numbers in my recent calls, and when I found Mary’s, I clicked it.
“Hello?” she answered, sniffling. I cringed at the sound of her voice.
“Question,” I started. “Why did you go to the squad and tell them not to let me back on?”
“Tessa!” She sounded completely relieved to hear from me, but I had no time for her apologies.
“Just answer me.”
She paused. “I…I didn’t think I had a choice. It had nothing to do with Aiden, I promise. Oh, Tessa. I’m so sorry. You have to know—”
“Then why did you tell the girls not to let me on the squad?” My heart was racing and I closed my eyes, scared of her answer.
“Kira,” she said finally. “She told me you were out of control. Said you were running everything in the ground, but no one would listen to her. Asked me to help her. I…I believed her. Aiden said you’d changed too.”
“Don’t,” I said quickly. “Don’t you dare talk about him to me.” I exhaled and opened my eyes, seeing Joel staring at me wide-eyed. “I have to go, Mary,” I said. “We’ll discuss this another time.” Although I had no intention of following up on that offer.
I hung up the phone and slid it into my purse, then met Joel’s concerned gaze. The reality of the situation hit me. “You should go,” I said to him.
“What? But I’m here for you, Tessa. I came to see you.” His voice got quiet and I felt him reach out to touch my hand. He smiled, looking nervous.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “You’re…a good friend.” Joel seemed to wince at the word and slowly dropped my hand with a soft laugh.
“Yeah,” he said, looking down at me tenderly. “You too.”
“You should go,” I repeated, wanting to get him out of here before the copy-Kitten was exposed. He didn’t need to be involved in this. He wouldn’t understand. “Go,” I said, pushing him toward the exit.
Joel looked back at me, concerned, but then he nodded and made his way to the door. “I’ll save you a dance, tiny Crimson,” he said with a smile. And then he left.
Normally Joel’s adorable words would have sent excited tingles over my body, but instead the rage of the moment began to fill me. And the minute the door clicked, I spun around to face the empty gymnasium.
After all these years and all this time…I closed my eyes, trying to let the shaking in my fingers subside. But my adrenaline was too keyed up. I opened my eyes and clenched my fists.
“Where are you?” I screamed, looking up to the empty rafters and then toward the back door. There was a scurrying sound above me until finally Leona appeared and came jogging toward me.
“What the hell, Tessa?” she said, a thick strap over her shoulder holding her new equipment. “We haven’t caught the—”
“It’s her,” I said, my face on fire. “It’s a flipping Kitten.”
“Excuse me?” Leona said. “You mean Mary, right?”
I shook my head. “No.” Suddenly there was a bang from the supply closet and I turned to face it. My blood was boiling. I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt so angry in my whole life, not even at Chloe or Mary.
I began to cross the room to where the supply closet was shut, my heels clicking on the wood floor. Leona jogged to keep up with me. I looked sideways at her. “Where’s the rest of the squad?”
“Checking the perimeter for accomplices. Kira thought they might have one waiting outside.”
I laughed. She was a clever Kitten after all. Leona and I stopped in front of the supply-closet door and turned to look at each other.
“What is going on, Tess?” she asked, hitching up her eyebrow. “I’m totally freaking.”
I straightened my posture, preparing to face what was behind door number one. Then I leaned forward to open the door that would reveal our imposter.
It was dark at first, and the room was silent, other than the sound of our ragged breathing. Then from the closet, there was a low laugh.
She stepped out, camera in hand. Her dimples set deep with a smile. I shook my head, barely able to believe it. I think part of me had hoped I was wrong.
“Kira?” Leona choked out, standing next to me. “What the hell?” Leona reached over to hook her arm in mine, pulling me backward as Kira glared at me from the shadows of the doorway.
She ran her hands down her curves, smoothing out her suit before stepping out into the gym. The buzzing lights above illuminated her just enough to make her look sinister.
“Don’t look so stunned, Tess,” Kira called, before her black high-heeled boots made clacking noises on the wood floor. She slowly began to cross the empty room toward us, wrapping one sleek boot in front of the other, almost like a zigzag.
The pulled muscle in my back was screaming at me, but I didn’t react to it. I was too shock
ed. I was too betrayed. “But… why?” I asked her, my throat suddenly dry. “You were my best friend.” The thought nearly made me cry.
Kira scoffed and shook her head. “Exactly. Were.” Then, as if seriously irritated, she quickened her pace in my direction. Her blonde curls were pulled tight in a bun, her makeup flawless, her lips ruby red. She was completely done up for homecoming—minus the dress and smile.
Leona tried to pull me away, but not before Kira was in front of me.
Slap! My face turned with the force of her hand across my cheek. I stepped back, shocked and stinging like all heck. I reached up to touch my face, my eyes wide and watering.
Leona stepped forward and shoved Kira hard enough to make her stumble back. “Have you lost your mind?” she screamed at her, but I was still standing there. Furious.
My best friend had just hit me. She hit me! I shook my head, clearing it. “K, th-that was completely uncalled for,” I stammered, still feeling the burn on my cheek. “What have you done?”
“What you couldn’t,” she shot back, walking forward and knocking into Leona’s shoulder with the side of her body on the way.
“Don’t even think—” Leona started, holding up her finger in warning.
“Get the rest of the squad,” I said to her. “We need backup. Tell them it’s a severe case of post-traumatic SOS disorder.” It was the only explanation.
“Oh, shut up, Tessa,” Kira said, stopping to stand boot to heel with me in center court and snaking her neck. “Ever think that my problem is you? Ever think that maybe you were the one causing my stress?” She narrowed her eyes.
“Me?” I touched the front of my homecoming dress, completely offended. “You’ve been lying for weeks, Kira. Maybe longer!”
“I’ll be right back,” Leona said quickly, and then turned back to look at Kira. “With a straitjacket, you crazy bitch.”
“Language,” I mumbled, never taking my eyes off of Kira. Her hands were balled up into fists at her sides.
“Whatever I’ve done, K, it shouldn’t have come to this. I just wanted us to move on with our lives—minus SOS.”