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“WHERE THE HELL IS JESSICA? You told me she’d be here!”
Crossing her arms, Christy paces the girls’ bathroom in the sophomore wing, irritation and fury burning their way through her. Why does she have to deal with this crap? She’s too busy with cheer practice and the upcoming fall madrigal showcase to take care of geeks like Penny Ramsay.
If she’d leave my freaking boyfriend alone, I wouldn’t have to worry about it.
Leaning against the sink, Hannah mutters, “Chill. She couldn’t get here. We only have five minutes until the bell rings, so let’s get this over with. If I’m late to history again, I’ll be sitting in detention.”
“Isn’t that, like, three times this month?”
Glaring at Addy Linbrook, Hannah snorts. “No, it’s four.”
Christy stamps her foot. She doesn’t have time for their stupidity today. “Enough. We’ve got to ramp up our efforts, ladies. Like some weird alien, Dotty has possessed my boyfriend’s mind. He won’t stop talking about her.”
Addy shrugs. “What do you want us to do? We’ve tried everything. Jessica and I ran her out of the courtyard, Hannah threatened her in the library. Now, she’s helping Mrs. Leavy during lunch. Can’t really do anything to her in there.”
Christy arches an eyebrow. “Nobody has her in any classes?”
Hannah scoffs. “The girl’s a near genius if you didn’t know. She’s in my history class, but she’s taking mostly sophomore level classes. From what Erin says, Ramsay’s on a fast track to graduate early. Thank God. The sooner little Miss Perfect leaves, the better.”
Christy smirks. It is no secret that Hannah hates Penny Ramsay with a vengeance. That’s what makes her the perfect accomplice.
Addy claps. “Hey! Erin works in the office. We can get Dotty’s schedule!”
“What good will that do? We can’t start shit around the teachers,” Hannah says. “It isn’t like junior high. The RHHS staff love the cow. We need a new plan.”
“You’re right,” Christy says. “We’re going about this all wrong. Threats haven’t worked. And after Addy and Jessica’s stunt, Luke is more protective of her than ever.” She sniffles and wipes fake tears from her eyelashes. “I trailed him going to her house the other night after our date.”
Addy claps a hand over her mouth. “Jeez, what a crappy thing to do!”
Christy digs her fingernails into the pads of her hands, welcoming the sting as anger and betrayal rip through her heart. She’s spent the last two years seducing Luke. From the first moment she saw him, she knew he was hers. She’s liked boys before, but the way Luke makes her feel goes beyond puppy love. He owns her heart.
Luke is mine.
Unfortunately, he has a wart on his ass that can’t be removed. In less than a month, Penny Ramsay’s little innocent act had upended everything Christy’s worked for.
Manipulative bitch needs to learn her place.
“He’s been there every night this week. I don’t know why he feels so protective of her. But it’s getting out of hand.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “Why the hell are you putting yourself through this? Just break up with the asshole.”
Stamping her foot in frustration, Christy squeals. “Ugh! I can’t! I love him, okay? We’re meant to be together. Even my mother thinks so.”
Holding up a hand, Addy frowns. “I’m with Han. Why’re you going nutso over some guy that talks about another girl all the time? I mean, didn’t he, like, just ask you to Homecoming?”
Blotting her eyes with a tissue, Christy nods. “Right? So, he obviously wants to be with me. That’s why we need a new plan. We need to make it look like we’re trying to be friends with the cow so we can get rid of her.”
Addy’s buggy eyes pop wide as she wrinkles her nose. “Are you sure that’s the only way? I mean, I don’t have any beef with Ramsay, but being her friend? Ew.”
Christy rubs her temples, feeling as if her head might explode. “You aren’t listening. It’s reverse psychology. We just need to make it look like we want to be friends with her. And we have to go through Luke to do it. Otherwise, she’ll never go for it.”
Hannah sighs. “And how do we do that? Donovan isn’t stupid. He’ll suspect something.”
“Not if we say we want to help her,” Christy says.
“And then what?”
Flipping her hair behind her shoulders, Christy grins. “We come up with a prank so humiliating, it’ll make her want to change schools.”
Hannah’s shoulders stiffen as her eyes widen. Addy laughs. “Are you serious?”
Tapping her nails against the sink, Christy gives her cousin a sidelong glance. “I’ve done it before. I’ll think of something good. Don’t I always?”
Hannah mutters, “It depends. Your plans usually don’t work out too well for everybody else.”
Christy presses her fists against her hips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Hannah glares at Christy. Finally, she says, “Addy, head to class. I need to speak to my cousin. Alone.” The girl darts a glance at them and finally leaves the bathroom. Hannah grabs Christy’s arm with a hiss. “What the hell are you doing?”
Pulling out of Hannah’s grasp, Christy juts her chin out. “Protecting what’s mine.”
Hannah releases a frustrated sigh. “Does Donovan know what happened at your other school? That you were forced to leave St. Luke’s?”
“God, no!”
Draping her arm around Christy’s shoulders, Hannah stares at her point blank. “You’re taking this a little far with him. You’re becoming as obsessed as he is with Ramsay. If he knew half the shit you’ve done—like stalking that Collins girl?”
Wiping angrily at her tears, Christy pushes away from the sink. She doesn’t want to go there. Even now, the thought of Tony Holstein choosing Megan Collins over her sends her into a frenzy.
“That was two years ago. It was just a dumb bet.” At the seventh-grade end-of-school mixer, Christy and her best friend Samantha had planned a trick to see if Tony really liked her—complete with a rigged session of Seven Minutes in Heaven.
Unfortunately, the plan had backfired. Their group had slipped off to the rectory for a friendly game. After the bottle that Tony had spun landed between Christy and Megan, he’d taken Megan’s hand and led her to Father Thomas’ dark confessional booth.
As the seven minutes turned into ten, Christy lost it. She’d made Samantha find Sister Frances. Feigning innocence, Christy pointed to the confessional, pretending she’d heard a ghost.
As Sister Frances opened the door, Tony jumped back with his pants undone. Megan’s bra landed on the floor. Sister Frances screamed.
The next day, Tony and Megan didn’t return to school.
Hannah hums. “And just like this thing with Ramsay, you wouldn’t let it go. Sending threatening texts to a district prosecutor’s daughter wasn’t the smartest idea. They kicked you out of school.”
Christy snarls. “Collins and Ramsay aren’t even comparable! Ramsay’s a nobody. I can handle her.”
“Yeah... you’re pushing it, cuz. Uncle Michael and Aunt Julia moved here because of your crazy shit.”
Crossing her arms, Christy juts her hip out. “You have no freaking clue what you’re talking about. My father was offered the head of surgery position at Detroit General. That’s why we left Ann Arbor and moved to Rochester Hills. For a fresh start.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “Sure, it was. If Donovan finds out you’re bullying his best friend’s sister, it won’t end well. Just like with Collins.”
Turning away from her cousin, Christy flips on the faucet and splashes water on her cheeks. “Luke doesn’t know a thing. And he won’t. Unless you tell him.”
Hannah holds up her palm. “I’m not saying a word. I’m just giving out friendly advice. Don’t let it be like this, Chris. This isn’t worth it. A guy isn’t worth it, not even Donovan. And neither is that fat cow.”
Tearing a paper towel from the dispenser, Christy grits out, “That was a long time ago. Tony isn’t Luke. Luke is so much more. He’s the end game. He’s the best. And I deserve the best.”
Hannah scoffs. “Whatever you say.”
Rage races through Christy like a tornado as red spots filter through her field of vision. None of them get it. She can’t quit now. They are so close...
Patting her face dry, she throws it in the trash. “I’m different now, Han. I went through therapy, remember? This is different.”
“Sure, it is. How long did it take you to sleep with Tony after you humiliated Megan Collins?”
Gripping the edge of the sink, Christy screeches, “Enough! You’re supposed to be helping me! We need to get rid of Ramsay for good.” She arches an eyebrow. “And you’re in this whether you want to be or not.” Over the years, she and Hannah had shared summers full of mischief... enough that Chris had plenty of dirt to spread.
As the intended threat hits, Hannah eyes Christy warily. “So, what’s the plan? How do you humiliate a girl who does that pretty easily on her own? I mean, Ramsay’s not popular, and she hardly blends in.” Hannah’s upper lip curls into a snarl. “The fricking teachers love her. So does Mrs. Donovan.”
Chris nods. “We have to draw her out. Make her think we want to include her. We need to show the teachers our intentions are good.”
“Donovan won’t be easy to convince. He’s already suspicious, especially of me.”
Draping an arm around Hannah’s shoulder, Christy smiles. “Leave it to me. I’m the mastermind, remember?”