I invite Sam and Amir over for some gaming on Thursday, so I can casually drop the question.
“I’ve got Mountain Dew, and Sammy boy has his mom’s homemade gingerbread,” Amir says, and he comes bursting into the living room and drops everything on the coffee table. “So we’re set for some serious gaming.”
“Hand over the gingerbread,” I say. “I could eat it all myself.”
“Save some for me!” Sadie says from the doorway.
“Hey, stop eavesdropping!” I warn her.
“Why would I waste my time eavesdropping on you nerding out with your friends?” Sadie says with an eye roll so big I’m surprised her eyeballs don’t pop out of her skull. “I just happened to be passing by on the way to the kitchen and heard the word gingerbread.”
“There’s plenty,” Sam says, holding the tin out to her.
“Why can’t you be my brother?” Sadie tells him as she helps herself to a gingerbread reindeer with white-and-green icing. “You’re so much nicer than Will!”
“You just don’t know Sam well enough,” Amir says. “He’s secretly much more evil than Will.”
“Not possible,” Sadie says over her shoulder as she drifts out of the room.
What does Amir mean about Sam being more evil than me? It’s just the usual trash talking between us when we get together, especially when we’re gaming. Right?
We’ve been playing Super Smash Bros. for over an hour when Amir calls out: “Pause! Bathroom break!”
“Figures you pause when I’m beating you,” I grumble as I stop the game.
“Total coincidence,” Amir says, getting up and heading for the door.
Sam glances at me and laughs. “Right. Total coincidence.”
“Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask you something,” I say. “I know it sounds kind of random, but … do you remember the day you asked out MJ in the library?”
“Not if I can help it,” Sam says, flopping back on the couch. “Thanks for bringing up a painful memory.”
“Sorry,” I say. “It’s just … do you remember if she left the library before or after you did?”
Sam looks at me, puzzled. “Why do you want to know that?”
“Go with it for a second. Do you remember?”
His brow furrows. “I don’t … Wait, I’m pretty sure MJ left first, because Ada and I walked out together.” He gives me a sheepish look. “She was talking me off the ledge, because I figured I’d probably blown it with MJ forever.”
“So you and Ada left together … Did you notice if Carly and Jayson were still there?”
“Yeah, they were still there,” Sam says. “I stopped on the way out to ask Jayson if he’d watched the Nets game.”
“So Jayson left after you?”
“I guess,” Sam says. “Why?”
I hesitate, wondering if the fact that he and Ada left before Carly and Jayson is enough to clear the two of them from suspicion. I decide to risk it.
“I’m trying to figure out who Rumor Has It is,” I say.
“You’re trying to solve the insolvable mystery?” Amir asks, coming back to plunk himself on the sofa. “Why bother? You’ll never figure it out—no one ever has.”
“But we have clues,” I tell him.
“Who is ‘we’?” Sam asks.
“MJ, Dara, and me.”
“So wait. Are you asking me questions … because you think it could be me?” Sam asks slowly. “You think that I would post a video of Dara accusing you of cheating?”
“Seriously, Will?” Amir says. “You thought Sam did it?”
“No, not really,” I admit. “I know that you would never do that to me. But then I never thought that MJ would make a video like that, either, but she did.”
“Hold up, hold up … did you just say MJ made that video?” Amir says, his eyes wide with shock. “Our girl MJ?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“Shut up!” Sam says. “Why?”
“She was mad because I didn’t tell her Dara and I were dating, and I kept bailing on hanging out for no reason,” I explain.
“She wasn’t the only one,” Amir mutters. “I can’t believe you held out on us like that.”
“Yeah,” Sam says. “But I wouldn’t ever send something like that to Rumor Has It.” He looks me straight in the eye. “And I swear to you, I’m not the one behind that website.”
“I didn’t really think you were,” I say. “But we’re starting with the suspects who were in the library that day with MJ and were also at her party.”
“So … does this mean Sam and Ada are in the clear?” Amir asks. “Because they left the library before Jayson and Carly?”
“I think so,” I say. “Dara’s talking to Ada. You know, to double check everything.”
“Wow,” Sam says. “I hope you realize I’d never do that to you. Or to anyone.”
“I know,” I say. “But how do you think Dara feels? I was a total jerk to her. We all were.”
“I guess we owe her an apology, huh?” Amir says.
“Big-time,” Sam says. “So are you two back together?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think she’s ever going to really forgive me,” I say with a sigh. “Ugh. I don’t want to think about it. So I’m focusing on trying to figure out who is behind Rumor Has It.”
“So how are you going to figure out if it’s Jayson or Carly?” Amir asks.
“Are you guys free tomorrow? How do you feel about a trip to the mall?”
“Are you kidding? You want to go to the mall the week after Christmas?” Sam says. “With all the people returning the presents they don’t want and fighting each other in the sales? It’s like hardcore mode in Call of Duty. We’ll never survive.”
“Trust me, I’d much rather stay here and destroy you at Call of Duty, but MJ said Jayson is working at Lord of the Fries,” I tell them. “And now that I know that Sam and Ada left before him and Carly, I want to ask him some questions.”
“You realize Carly is his kind-of, sort-of girlfriend, right?” Amir says.
“Duh,” I say.
“So is he going to answer you truthfully?” Amir asks.
Oh. I hadn’t really thought about that. “But what am I supposed to do?”
“Why don’t I ask him?” Sam says. “I was the one who talked to them in the library that day.”
I run my fingers through my hair, thinking. “That’s a good idea,” I say finally. “It’ll be less obvious.”
“As long as you appreciate the depth of my friendship,” Sam says. “Going to the mall with everyone and their mother. Man.” Sam shakes his head.
“I do,” I say. “But how do you think Jayson feels? He has to work there!”
“He deserves danger pay,” Amir says. “But it’s probably more like minimum wage.”
I arrange to pick them both up the following morning. After they leave, I text MJ and Dara.
Me: Sam says he and Ada left the library together.
Me: BEFORE Jayson and Carly.
Me: Dara, did you talk to Ada yet?
Dara: Yup. I talked to her today, and she said she left with Sam.
Me: Yeah. So it’s down to Jayson and Carly.
Me: Sam, Amir, and I are going to the mall tomorrow to talk to Jayson.
MJ: Do you think Jayson will tell the truth? I mean, he and Carly are dating.
Dara: That doesn’t mean he won’t throw her under the bus. Look at what happened with Will and me.
Me: Ouch.
MJ: Yeah, ouch, but also … true.
Me: Well, Sam said he’d ask Jayson, since he talked to them that day.
MJ: Good thinking. But if Jayson did it or knows that Carly did, I bet he’ll lie.
Dara: Probably. But we gotta ask.
Me: Talk to you tomorrow.
Parking at the mall on Friday morning is insane. We’re cut off like three times for parking spots by ruthless shoppers. Sam’s right—this is hardcore mode and we’re not even in the mall yet. After driving around for fifteen minutes, we finally get a space and head into the mall.
It’s not much better inside. People rush past, smacking my legs with their shopping bags. “Jingle Bells” is blasting over the loudspeakers even though Christmas is over, like we haven’t already had to listen to nonstop carols since before Thanksgiving.
“Promise me we’re leaving as soon as we talk to Jayson,” Sam says. “I’m having sensory overload.”
“Deal,” I say.
Lord of the Fries is hopping, even though it’s not even lunchtime. Jayson looks frazzled.
We get in line, and when Jayson sees us, he smiles. “What’s up? You crazy enough to come here during the post-holiday frenzy?”
“I know, right?” Sam says. “I don’t know how you stand it, especially now.”
“Yeah, I’d probably be yelling at customers half an hour into my shift,” I say.
“Oh, I am,” Jayson says. “But just in my head.” He eyes the line forming behind us. “So what can I get you?”
“Three large fries,” Sam says.
“Gotcha,” Jayson says, turning to get them.
When he comes back and we’re paying for the fries, Sam asks him, “Hey, Jayson, do you remember we were in the library the Monday before break? It was during study hall? You were sitting with Carly at the table near the computers, and as I was leaving with Ada, I asked you if you’d seen the Nets game the night before?”
Jayson looks confused. “Uh … yeah, I guess.”
“Did you and Carly leave the library together?” Sam asks.
“What? Why do you want to know?”
Jayson sounds more curious than defensive.
“I just wondered, because I left my GHS Robotics hoodie there, and it hasn’t turned up in Lost and Found, so I was wondering if you saw anyone take it,” Sam says. I’m impressed with how quickly and easily he came up with that lie—then my paranoia kicks in. If he can lie this easily to Jayson, how do I know he’s not lying to me?
Ugh. I remind myself that Ada confirmed she and Sam left together.
“I didn’t see your sweatshirt,” Jayson says. “But you should ask Carly when she gets back. I had to leave because I didn’t want to be late to earth science again. Mr. Hardy threatened to give me detention if I was. And I can’t get any more detention or Coach is going to bench me. But maybe Carly saw it.”
“All right, thanks,” Sam says. “Well, hang in there. See you at Amir’s tomorrow night?”
“Yeah,” Jayson grumbles. “Happy fricking New Year.”
I laugh. “See you tomorrow, dude.”
“Later, Jayson,” Amir says.
We fight our way back through the mall while devouring fries and relinquish our parking spot to a big SUV with antler horns on the roof and a red nose on the grille.
“So,” Amir says. “What now?”
“Do you believe him when he says he left first?” I ask.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t we?” Sam asks.
“It should be easy enough to check with Mr. Hardy if Jayson really was under threat of detention,” Amir adds.
“True,” I said. “I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow when Carly shows up to your party.”
If it’s not her, then we have to start working through the list of all the others who were in the library that day. And if they check out, then we’ll have to start over.
Ugh. I can’t wait to clear my name, so life can go back to normal.
Then I think about Dara.
Well, normal-ish, anyway.