The Naughty List (18 page)

“How not well?” I asked, pushing my tray away.

“Um . . .”

“Like Izzie almost got arrested not well,” Leona spoke up. “And I broke my glasses.” She pointed to her newly unobscured brown eyes. I was ashamed that I hadn’t even noticed that she wasn’t wearing her glasses. My observation skills had completely deteriorated.

Leona leaned her elbows on the table. “Without you, Tess, we’re a detecting disaster. In fact”—she pointed down the table—“Kira ended up making out with the suspect!
Again!”

I looked sharply at my friend, but she shrugged. My word. The Smitten Kittens were running wild. “Look, girls. It’s time. SOS saved a lot of heartache, but at what expense?” I sounded braver than I felt. But they needed a leader. They needed me.

“He still loves you,” Kira said to me, as if she knew what my real trauma was about. She smiled, her dimples deepening. “Aiden will be back.”

She was a doll for saying it, but I wasn’t so sure. A guy like Aiden didn’t just walk around life single. Someone would get their claws into him. And they probably wouldn’t make out with another boy in a car in front of his house. They’d trust him. I wished I had.

“Tess.” Leona tossed a wilted fry at me. “Heads-up, Christian is on his way.”

My eyes snapped up. Pork chops and applesauce! She was right. He was walking right for us—his long-sleeve T-shirt wrinkled and the bottom of his khakis shredded.

I turned quickly to look toward Aiden’s table, but he was nowhere in sight. His tray was gone too. He’d left, and I was glad for that. I wouldn’t want him to see Christian and me in the same room, let alone within three feet of each other.

Kira coughed as Christian reached our table. He stared down at me, his hands in the pockets of his tan pants. I couldn’t even stomach looking at him. Neither could half the junior class. The rumors in the halls were that Christian had been plotting to steal me from the start. Some even claimed that Christian was a plant by the Ducks to thwart the playoffs by messing with the Wildcats’ star player. I knew that wasn’t the case, but I didn’t bother correcting anyone. I was glad he was a social leper.

“Tessa?” he asked with his quiet voice. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“No. You can’t,” Kira answered for me. I loved when she got a little attitude. It was adorable. I smiled to myself and stared down at the table, feeling slightly better.

“Fine,” Christian said, sounding low. “It’s for all of you anyway. I just wanted you girls to know that I’m not going to say anything about SOS. I realize that what I did was wrong. I ...” He paused, and I wondered if he’d admit to everything he’d done. I leaned toward him.

“Look, Tessa,” he said, leveling his apologetic gaze at me. “I sent that text from Cassie about Aiden, and I’m sorry.”

My face became hot with anger. Leona growled from the end of the table.

Christian glanced in her direction and then back at me. “And Chloe was the one that called Aiden’s mother about him drinking. She also asked the teacher to set her up as Aiden’s lab partner.”

“I knew it,” I whispered, clenching my fists in my lap. Total scam job.

“But we didn’t do it for any stupid playoffs,” Christian said, his mouth pulled back in annoyance. “And Chloe didn’t just do it for Aiden. She did it for me. Things have been tough for us lately and she was trying to help.”

“Help herself to Tessa’s boyfriend,” Leona called out.

“She’s not speaking to me either,” he shot at Leona. “I have nothing, okay? I screwed up and I’m sorry. I just ... I just wanted you to know that.”

I didn’t know whether to believe him. When he looked back at me, I could tell by his weakened eyes that he was sorry. He definitely was. There was a small tug in my chest because it was hard to watch someone standing so awkwardly. I turned away from him.

“Okay, thanks.
Bye
,” Leona said. She wasn’t one to feel sorry for people, but that was okay. My girls had my back. I should have told them about what I was planning to do with Aiden. They would have set me straight.

Christian stood for a minute, but I didn’t look up until I heard his sandals shuffle away. He didn’t stay in the lunchroom; instead, he just walked out. I felt bad for him, really. But I wouldn’t talk to him again, not after everything he’d done.

“He’s still cute,” Kira said, twisting her gum around her finger. I looked over at her in disbelief. “What?” she asked, widening her eyes. “He is.”

Christian didn’t give up easily. He practically stalked me—again. Calling, waiting for me after class. It was all I could do to not speak to him. That was how I decided to handle it. I would never speak to him again. Mature? Not entirely. But effective? Most definitely.

Unfortunately, Aiden was using the same tactic on me. No phone calls, no texts, not even a note written on the back of a homework assignment. I couldn’t even figure out his schedule. He was never in the halls, and I never saw him at lunch. He was like a ghost. He didn’t so much as glance at me at the games. My cheer kicks were decidedly less high.

I was happy that I didn’t have to do any more spying for SOS—knowing that I’d never have to videotape another sexual act or hide under another restaurant table. Kira and Leona had said they’d handle the society, but after the mishandling of the last few missions, they’d agreed it was time to let SOS go.

Leona drafted up a final letter and let me review it before sending it out. Then we hid all of our old equipment and files in a garage at Izzie’s grandparents’ ranch. Even though SOS was gone, we didn’t have the heart to get rid of the stuff. At least not yet.

But my perk did not return. In fact, my depression seemed to deepen. I missed several practices and my new cheers were less than inspiring.

At the games, my parents’ signs became more and more colorful; probably they were trying to up my spirit, but it didn’t work. I needed more than glitter and puff paint. Instead, I just watched Aiden race up and down the court, successfully ignoring me whenever I was near. My parents only asked me about him once, and I told them the entire truth. No more lies. That was my new motto. Well, that and, “Can I have whipped cream on that?” This depression had earned me about five pounds of guilt.

Chloe joined a new crowd. She and Christian seemed to patch things up when he started sitting with her again at lunch. Her group consisted of other sophomores who weren’t nearly as moody as her. I hoped they could give her some guidance in the attitude department. She definitely needed it.

But the Wildcats played well. Our team had made the playoffs for the first time in three years, and as Smitten Kittens captain, that should have made me ecstatic. But it didn’t. It had been four weeks, and my ex-boyfriend had yet to speak to me. There was nothing inspiring in that.

I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to lead the cheers for the big game. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

SOS TERMINATION OF SERVICES

Dear Clients,

It is with a heavy heart that SOS announces the termination of our cheater identification services. Due to recent events and dramas, it was determined that SOS was no longer able to effectively conduct investigations.

Enclosed you will find a self-discovery questionnaire to help you decide for yourself whether or not unfaithfulness is occurring. But SOS urges you to always base your decisions on concrete evidence. Not hunches. And certainly not the hunches of boys that may have ulterior motives.

SOS is thankful for your years of referrals and donations. We hope that we have made high school a safer place for your hearts.

Best of luck to you all in your future romantic endeavors.

Keep smiling,

SOS

Text: 555-0101

Exposing Cheaters for Over Two Years

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER, TESS, AIDEN
looks like total crap.” Kira smiled in a show of support. The gym was loud around us as the Wildcats raced from one end of the court to the other during the final round of the playoffs. But Aiden seemed exhausted, dribbling the ball with little oomph.

Luckily for Kira, my requirement for clean language had been relaxed over the weeks. In fact, every image-conscious thing I’d ever worried about seemed absolutely petty and ridiculous. I didn’t even wear ribbons anymore.

Cheering through the playoffs had been difficult. Good thing this was the last game. My self-esteem was in the gutter. I was a horrible role model, and worse yet, I was a cheater. Of sorts. I mean, sure, I’d been manipulated, but nothing excused the fact that my passion pink lips were on the mouth of someone other than my boyfriend. I’d even used my tongue. Gross.

I dropped my head, staring down at the shiny wood of the gymnasium floor. My pom-poms hung lifelessly at my side. There was no cheer that could help me now.

The shrill sound of the buzzer startled me. I felt the girls line up, poised to tell the Wildcats to attack, but I stared at Aiden. His hands were on his hips as he talked to Coach Taylor, nodding. He looked so cute in his basketball shorts. I remembered how much I always liked him after a game. All sweaty and manly. We weren’t as perfect as I’d thought, but we’d been happy. I knew that.

Why had I been so quick to think he was cheating? My suspicion had gone from zero to sixty in a nanosecond. Sure, there was SOS and the history of cheaters, but Aiden didn’t have a history. Maybe we really had simply grown apart. I sniffled.

I’d never brush his damp hair away from his face again. Or hear his tender whispers in my ear as he massaged my shoulders. I’d totally effed up. My life was a mess.

“Tess,” Kira called, smacking my shoulder with a gray and maroon pom-pom.

Right. The buzzer had sounded, signaling that warm-ups were over. I was supposed to lead an encouraging cheer. I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath.

I was still a Smitten Kitten. People depended on me.

There was a distinct squeak as my sneakered toes crossed the planks to the middle of the court. It was soon followed by the sound of eight other squeaks. I looked at the crowd. They were pumped. People had actually painted their faces to look like cats. Normally, that would have made me smile. But now, I could only force a grin.

I lifted my maroon and gray pom-poms in the air and shook them. The room quieted at the familiar swooshing I provided. I knew the usual cheer, but it didn’t seem to fit the mood I was in. Something about being miserable made me less perky. Then I began a stomp, soon to be joined by my squad.

“Get the ball, get, get the ball.”

They echoed.

“Ducks will fall, yes, yes, they’ll fall.”

Echoed again.

“Score it, dunk it, BEAT THOSE DUCKS!”

“Let’s show them, WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK!”

The crowd finished the sentence with me and then went wild with crazy screams and uproarious laughter. Well, that pumped them up. I dropped my pom-poms to my side and turned. The girls stared at me, mouths agape. The opposing team looked at me, almost frightened by the frenzy I’d created. And then the Wildcats looked at me, mostly impressed. Except Aiden. He stared at me with a look of surprise I’d never seen. He’d been so obnoxiously calm. It was nice to see that I could still ruffle his fur.

My sneakers let off an admittedly adorable perky sound as I marched back over to the sidelines. The crowd was chanting, “Sex Kittens!” They should have probably been saying, “Wildcats!” or even, “Smitten Kittens!” But what the hay, at least they were making noise.

I dropped crossed-legged on the floor and folded my hands delicately on my lap. My squad walked over, watching me like they were afraid I might pull out a switchblade and murder them at any second. I was not unaware that they all sat at least three feet from me.

The players took the court, some laughing. Aiden shot a glance over to me, still wide-eyed. I almost smiled at him, but he looked away before I could. The plump ref stood in between Dwayne and a Duck. I was mildly amused that the opposing player actually resembled his mascot. Ducks were so lame.

The room hushed. The ref tossed the ball into the air and both boys jumped. Dwayne was the first to touch it, knocking it toward Aiden. Aiden snatched it out of the air and pulled it down. He began dribbling it toward the basket, then stopped, standing at the outside of the key. Coach Taylor screamed out a play. Aiden continued to dribble and nodded at him. He passed the ball to the center, who in turn attempted a layup. It bounced off the rim into the hand of a Duck, and the teams raced down to the other end of the court.

Aiden was slow. Watching him now, I realized how right Kira was. He looked like a pile of sugar cubes. His shirt wasn’t even tucked in.

The next twenty-four minutes were a slaughter. The Wildcats only scored twelve points. The Ducks had scored forty-eight. When the halftime buzzer finally sounded, the entire gymnasium let out a sigh of relief. There was only so much pain a group of overeager spectators could take.

“Tessa?” Kira approached me slowly. Her blue eyes watched me cautiously.

“Yes?”

“Um. Did you have a specific cheer in mind for halftime?” She looked frightened. I realized she’d never heard me cuss before. It must have made me look pretty hard core.

“K . . .” I paused and looked at the rest of the squad. They’d lost faith in me. I’d been a total downer for weeks and, as a result, the Smitten Kittens had lost their purr. SOS was dead. There was only one thing to do. Step aside. “You lead them,” I told Kira, lifting my chin to her.

She gasped. Then the rest of the squad gasped. Well, except Leona. She said something closer to, “You have got to be kidding me.”

Kira began to tear up and I smiled. She deserved this moment. She’d been loyal all this time. She’d been cheated on, lost out on Christian, and yet—she’d never let it affect her cheering. She should lead the big game.

“Really?” she choked.

“Yeah.
Really?”
Leona asked, unnerved.

“Kira is your lead today,” I announced, sounding brave. “Make me proud, girls. I’m sitting this one out.”

They looked me over sympathetically. I was one sad Kitty. They could see I needed a rest. With a quick embrace, Kira thanked me and jogged out enthusiastically into center court as the players filtered into the locker room.

The squad began a spirit-inspiring cheer about making a comeback, and I took my spot on the gym floor sideline. I picked at the shiny gray material of the pom-pom. Maybe I’d just go home. I glanced up into the crowd and saw my parents waving at me. They were so sweet.

Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden’s mom. We looked at each other, and I totally expected her to gloat in some way. Instead, she raised her hand in greeting, giving me a small smile—almost like she was happy to see me. Stunned, I smiled back politely and then turned to look down into my lap. That was very strange. Quite odd.

Truth was, there was no reason for me to be here anymore. In fact, I was surely the reason Aiden was messing up. He was probably wishing I were gone. He’d never forgive me, let alone speak to me.

I was just about to stand up when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I twirled on my butt and came face to crotch with Christian. My lip curled.

“Sorry,” he said and took a step back. “I know you don’t want to see me.”

“You’re right. I don’t.”

“I just want to talk to you.”

I pursed my lips. Yuck. I couldn’t believe I fell for his lies. I couldn’t believe I knew what he tasted like.

“I’m sorry I kissed you,” he said, standing and looking down at me.

That was surprising. I hadn’t expected him to say that. “You are?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “You were upset. I sort of took advantage of that. It wasn’t right. I just really liked you, Tessa. I just wanted a chance.”

He meant it. His face was obvious in its admiration. And suddenly, I kind of forgave him. Oprah once said that forgiveness was the first step in healing. And even though Christian’s actions were heinous and completely out of line, the boy took a chance. There was a time when I would have fought that hard for Aiden. I should have fought harder.

“Sorry,” Christian mumbled.

“Thanks for your apology,” I said. He met my eyes and grinned, a glimmer of hope sparkling there. “But.” I held up a finger at him. “I still think you’re a jerk, and I’m still not interested. Clear?”

His smile faltered. “Crystal.”

I sat and he stood, and we looked at each other. The sounds in the gym were relatively quiet. Our team was getting the stuffing beat out of them; that generally cramped school spirit. I could hear Kira’s voice shouting chants, but Christian took a step toward me. I felt immediate panic as I realized that he was going to embrace me. Wait. He wanted a hug? Had he lost his marbles?

A roar rose from the crowd behind him and I looked up into the stands. The fans were cheering and pointing toward the court. I turned slowly, wondering if Kira’s cheer had gone terribly wrong. Instead, I saw Aiden, stalking out of the locker room and crossing center court.

My eyebrows pulled together. What was he doing? Why wasn’t he involved in the coach’s halftime talk? As he got closer, Kira’s voice trailed off as she watched him stomp past the cheer squad.

Oh. My. Word. He was walking toward me. I was still cross-legged on the floor, with my lip-locking mistake hovering over me.

Aiden’s face was red. Holy snapdragon! The boy looked angry, He looked ...

“Damn,” Christian mumbled.

I flipped my head back to look at him just as a fist connected with his jaw in a loud thwack. I screamed, my eyes following the length of the tan arm that was attached to Aiden’s body.

Christian stumbled backward, landing in the laps of a stunned front-row fan fest. The crowd erupted in cheers. Did they think this was a stunt? Part of the halftime show? Or were they just happy to watch Christian get hit?

Wait. Aiden just punched someone in the face. He totally just hit someone without provocation. I got to my knees, beginning to scramble up to sort out the situation.

Suddenly, Aiden took me by the elbow and pulled me to my feet.

“What—”

“Zip it, Tess,” Aiden said as he tugged me toward the locker room. And although I appreciated him defending my honor ... or his, I was not about to be yanked across the court. I pulled my arm out of his grasp and swung to face him.

The Smitten Kittens parted around us, leaving Aiden and I sneaker to sneaker in center court. The crowd quieted. I was only mildly aware that we had become the halftime entertainment.

“You ... punched someone back there,” I said to Aiden as he panted in front of me. It was all I could think of to say.

“I know.”

“Um ... You’re supposed to be in the locker room. Your team is losing.”

“I know that too.” Aiden glanced back over to the bleachers, to where Christian was holding his jaw, watching us. “You want to go help your boyfriend?” he asked loudly.

I narrowed my eyes. “No. I’m glad you punched him,” I said back, motioning my hand to Christian. The crowd snickered. The acoustics in here were amazing. I hadn’t even been projecting.

“Really?” Aiden put his hands on his hips. “What? Did you two break up or something?”

“Sick! I was never with him in the first place. It was a mistake, Aiden. He tricked me. He told me you were cheating on me or at least implied it.” Okay, so I jumped to the conclusion on my own, but Christian had set the fur ball in motion.

Aiden seemed to consider this. He stepped closer to me, using the back of his palm to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “You weren’t dating him?”

I shook my head. “No. Never.”

Aiden adjusted the waistband of his basketball shorts as he looked over at the crowd. Then he turned back to me. “You should have told me everything,” he whispered. “Even about SOS.”

“I wish I had.”

“I would have told you to stop. . . .” he added with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t have listened.”

“Yeah. I know you wouldn’t have.” He smiled. “But I’m sure we would’ve worked it out somehow. An arm-wrestling match, maybe.”

I laughed. “Maybe.”

Aiden’s grin faded as he watched me. “You lied to me, Tess,” he said seriously. “You lied
a lot.”

There were murmurings in the audience, and I wondered if they could hear everything, hear how sorry I was.

“I never meant to hurt you.” And I hadn’t. I would take it all back in a heartbeat.

He nodded, staring at me as I began to chew on my lip. At least he was talking to me. That was progress, and I should have been ecstatic. But I could smell his perspiration, and I felt the tingles that came along with being this close to him.

I still wanted him. I belonged with him. But I’d betrayed him, and I wasn’t sure I would ever forgive myself for that.

I looked over my shoulder into the bleachers. My mother was sitting there with the Wildcats sign in her lap and her hand over her mouth. My father leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he watched us. When he saw me notice him, he waved. Then I looked to Aiden’s mom, almost expecting her to be holding a “So Long, Tessa” sign, but she looked supportively down at us. Maybe things had changed.

Aiden touched my elbow, drawing me to him. “Tessa.” He paused. “I forgive you.” When I looked at him, his beautiful green eyes were glassy.

“You do?” My breath came out in jagged gasps. He nodded.

“But...”

My heart sank.

He looked me over. “I don’t know if we can fix this. I’m ... hurt, baby. I’m so hurt.”

I wanted to make it better, rewind time and erase what I’d done. But all I could do was try to smile.

He reached out to hold my cheek. “You’re always so brave,” he said adoringly. “Always smiling for me.”

“Because you make me happy,” I choked out, not wanting him to leave me.

Aiden sniffled, a tear running down his already-glistening cheek. “And you’re my little ray of sunshine,” he whispered.