What's Your Status? (29 page)

Glen → the crew
Is that guy going to keep doing this?

Grounded_Brian → the crew
I have Young Investors tonight—but you don’t need me, right? Everyone’s cool?

Grounded_Brian → the crew
Well, except Mark?

Glen → the crew
HA. NICE.

Roth Mann → the crew
Well! I say!

Dave Gold → the crew
It’s official. I’m working on Saturday night. Big Tony is thrilled.

La Lisse → the crew
Is your petite amie? Um, NON.

Dave Gold → La Lisse
Lisa, can we talk about this off-line?

mad_mac
Still on prom to-do list: Pick up dress from Caitlin’s Closet! Must not forget. Or should ask Mom to do it for me…hmm…

Roth Mann → the crew
Okay, we’re set on my end. She seemed kind of desperate. And also kind of furious.

KitKat → the crew

“Well, I hope you all enjoyed that,” Mr. Underwood said as he flipped through our papers at the front of the classroom. When I’d gotten to English that day, he’d announced that we were having a “Quiz. Pop quiz” on
The World Is Not Enough.
I’d been trying to read it all day long between classes, but hadn’t finished, because I’d found that A Lunch Period Was Not Enough. As a result, I was pretty sure I’d just dropped my English grade a few points.

Jimmy turned back to me. “How’d you do?” he whispered.

I shook my head. “Bad. Very bad.”

“Right there with you,” he said.

“So!” Mr. Underwood boomed, turning to the board. “Let’s talk about the Fleming double cross. This is paramount in the Bond novels. Our dear Bond never knows who is on his side. Imagine what that must be like…never to be sure who you can trust.”

I tuned Mr. Underwood out, leaned forward, and poked Jimmy in the back. “You and Liz are meeting at Dave’s on Saturday?” I asked.

“Yes,” he whispered, turning his head slightly to talk to me. “At seven, right?”

“You got it,” I said.

“And what exactly is going on with your updates?” he asked. “Liz and I are very confused.”

“I’ll explain on Saturday,” I said, hoping that with the excitement of the prom, he would forget. The bell rang, and I shoved my papers into my bag as Mr. Underwood yelled to be heard over the stampede for the door.

“Don’t forget to read
Casino Royale
for Monday!” he yelled. “And as you read, remember—you can’t ever be sure of anything. Even what you’re sure you’re sure of.”