CHAPTER 53

MAGGIE WOKE UP JUST AS early Sunday as if it were a school day. She hated when that happened. She rolled onto her side so she wouldn’t see the light brightening the window.

Did Robin Hood leave a post? The question meandered through her brain. If she got up and checked, there’d be no going back to sleep. Then again, if she really thought she’d get back to sleep now, she was fooling herself. She scooped her phone off the nightstand and went to the site.

“Good morning, Robin Hood. What’s my hero been up to while I slept?” She felt herself smiling as she read his opening post. She absolutely stopped when she read the message to Giovanna. And he was spot on. Giovanna had changed so much. Did she even know who she was anymore?

That’s when it hit her. He’d made his first real mistake. She pulled out the Robin Hood posts she’d compiled and added to her list.

Robin Hood is in eighth grade.

Last year we may have had the same English class.

He definitely saw me all the time —so I must have seen him.

He has a group of guys working with him . . . his merry men.

It wasn’t much more than she had before, but it was something. It definitely ruled out Hudson. She went back to the site and read the rest of Robin Hood’s posts, hoping for more clues.

“You’ve done something, Robin.” He wasn’t just cyber-sparring with them now. He did something. Last night. Something that was going to expose Kat and Alexa and Giovanna for the bullies they truly were —and some of the guys too. But what?

What had Kat and Alexa written that made Robin Hood respond this way? She didn’t want to read the posts, but couldn’t help scrolling back anyway.

Maggie: I’ll wear my ugly red shoes until the day I die.

Giovanna: Make it happen, Maggie. I hope you die soon.

Kat: Real soon! Like tonight. I don’t want to see your ugly face or shoes again.

Maggie stopped. Hugged her knees.

Dear God —what do I do with this? Was there nothing sacred to them, not even life itself? Was this just a game to them? Maybe. But the game was so morbid, so deathly dark. They meant to win. And exactly how would they measure a win? She pulled her blankets up around her.

Should she show Mom? She’d do something drastic, wouldn’t she? Just like any good mom would. Maybe Maggie could talk to Mr. Cutter. He’d know what to do.

If Kat or Alexa or Giovanna found out, they’d say she was a snitch. But they could say what they wanted. They did anyway. The truth was, Kat, Alexa, Giovanna —all of them —wanted her dead. That made them dangerous. She had to report them.

But how? “Hey, Mr. Cutter, some kids here want me to kill myself.” That sounded a little paranoid, didn’t it? Better yet, why not just print out all the posts —everything —and just give it to him? She’d print two copies. One for Mr. Cutter. One for her mom —just in case. Maggie had to stop this.

She read Robin Hood’s posts again while the printer spit out page after page. “I’ll keep wearing the shoes, Robin. But you be careful.” If Kat and her litter wished Maggie dead, they’d wish Robin was dead too. It’s not like they’d physically try to kill. But they had a way of making a person wish they were dead —and that was even worse.

She’d made up her mind that she wouldn’t acknowledge the site anymore. But she had to post something. A message. Not to Kat or Alexa or Giovanna. But to Robin Hood.

Once Maggie reported the website —to her mom or to Mr. Cutter —the site would get pulled. They’d see to it.

Maggie pecked out a message.

The Real Maggie: Robin Hood . . . thank you . . . and please tell me who you are. Not here . . . but find a way. I need to know.

She read it over again. Would she make the situation worse by showing herself on the site? Probably. But how else could she get a message to him? Likely the pack and the litter would be trying to figure out Robin’s true identity too —but definitely not to say thanks. Maggie just had to figure out who he was first.

She held her breath . . . and sent the message.