Chapter Three
“A D minus? Are you serious?” Courtney lifted her Spanish test off her desk as Mrs. Herrera continued passing them out to the rest of the class.
Courtney turned to me, her lip-glossed mouth half open in shock. “But we studied.”
Beth twisted in her seat in front of mine and pointed to me. “No, we studied.” She looked back at Courtney. “You were texting all night, remember? Then you left early to go to that party on Bell Hill.”
“Oh yeah.” Courtney sank back in her seat, letting her test fall onto her desk. “But still, I sat there with you guys for like an hour.” Her eyes widened. “I won’t be able to keep playing volleyball this fall if I don’t raise my grade.”
Beth shrugged. “Do the extra credit.”
“The short story?” Courtney looked at Beth as if she’d just asked her to kiss Kid Rock. She lifted her test in the air. “How could I do that? I don’t even know what half these words mean.”
Eyeing the red markings all over her test, I raised my brows.
Courtney lifted her gaze to mine. “Okay, more than half. Practically none of them.” Her attention darted to Beth. “But you can.” She lowered her voice when Mrs. Herrera moved to the front of the class and turned her back to write on the whiteboard. “Write it for me. Please.”
Beth shook her head. “I’m working this weekend.”
“So?” Courtney leaned forward. “You’ll still have time. I have like three parties that I already said yes to. Come on,” she whispered. “It’s not like you have a social life.”
The bell rang as Beth shot Courtney a look of annoyance. “No,” Beth said, grabbing her backpack and heading for the door.
Courtney reached into her backpack and spritzed herself with her blue bottle of Ocean Dream perfume, which she liked to refer to as her “signature scent.” I coughed as the mist hit my throat, all strong flowers and fake sandalwood, like I’d just swallowed a department store.
“You don’t need any more of that,” I told her. “I could already smell it all through class.”
Courtney let out a dramatic sigh as she tucked the perfume back into her bag, tilting her head as she gave me that look—the one that screamed You just don’t get it, do you?
“It’s not for you, Palmer. I read in Seventeen that guys are drawn to a girl with a consistent, alluring scent.
” She elbowed me playfully in the ribs. “You should try it sometime.”
“No, thanks.” I slung my JanSport over one shoulder and followed Beth, with Courtney trailing close behind.
“Hey, Beth.”
I spotted Ryan Mendoza, one of the most popular guys at school, slowing to give Beth a fist bump.
“Hi, Ryan.”
He nodded to me. “Hey, ladies.”
Even though he acknowledged Courtney, he avoided her gaze as we continued down the hall. I smiled at her once Ryan was out of earshot.
“I think he’s still scared of you from that time you pushed him off the monkey bars in second grade after he stole Beth’s glasses.” I nearly cringe recalling the audible snap of his bone when he hit the pavement.
A look of amusement crossed over Courtney’s face. “Oh yeah. That little turd deserved it after making fun of Beth like that.” She grinned. “And he never stole Beth’s glasses again.”
It was true. No one dared make fun of her after that.
When we reached the hallway, Courtney draped a long slender arm over Beth’s shoulders, which lifted her tight black T-shirt a few inches above her low-rise jeans.
“Anyway, back to my extra credit, you need me on the volleyball team. How are you going to get scouted for that scholarship you can’t shut up about if we don’t make it to the finals? ”
Jake and Tyler, two other seniors on the track team, strode down the hallway in our direction.
I watched their gaze travel to Courtney before falling to her exposed midriff.
I fell in line beside Courtney, who acted like she didn’t notice their stares.
But I saw the flicker of satisfaction in her green eyes from the attention.
“Maybe you should study harder next time,” Beth said.
“Come on,” Courtney pleaded. “Just this once. You’ll be doing the whole team a favor. Plus, you owe me one.”
“For what?” I asked.
“Ugh.” Beth lifted her head toward the fluorescent lights. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Yay!” Courtney wrapped her arm tighter around Beth. “You’re the best.”
I shook my head at Beth for how easily she allowed Courtney to manipulate her.
Courtney threw a glance over her shoulder as Jake and Tyler went into a classroom.
When she turned back, her eyes were sparkling.
She leaned in close and lowered her voice.
“Jake and Tyler told Emma this morning that Bryson brought a dozen roses to school to ask out his homecoming date”—she fluttered her eyelashes dramatically—“a.k.a., me. Don’t say anything, okay? I want to look surprised when he asks.”
I’m shocked the senior quarterback hadn’t asked Courtney already.
She’d been laying it on him hard, falling over him every chance she got.
I was sure they’d be together before now.
Last weekend, Gigi had thrown a party while her parents were working, and Courtney planted herself on Bryson’s lap until she’d gotten so drunk Emma had driven her home.
Once Courtney set her sights on something, she didn’t let up until she got it.
After Courtney had left, I stumbled onto Bryson and Gigi on the front porch.
He had his arm around Gigi, who was wearing his jacket.
Knowing how Courtney felt about him, I’d been surprised to see Gigi cozy up to Bryson.
At first, I thought Gigi and Bryson were joking around.
But by the end of the night, Gigi’s head was on Bryson’s shoulder, and they looked undeniably like a couple.
Gigi had to have known Courtney had gone home drunk—she wouldn’t have dared to do that in Courtney’s presence.
The bell rang for third period, but Courtney was still rattling on about homecoming. The three of us headed for chemistry, and we came around a corner to see Bryson moving toward Gigi at the other end of the hallway. With one arm tucked behind his back, he tapped Gigi on the shoulder.
“Walk faster,” Courtney barked under her breath. “He must be asking where I am.”
Beth and I picked up our pace to keep up with Courtney while Gigi whirled around from her open locker to face Bryson.
Bryson whipped the roses out from behind his back and extended them toward Gigi. He said something that I was too far away to hear.
Gigi covered her mouth with her hand. “Yes! Of course I will!” She threw her arms around Bryson’s neck as Courtney stopped in her tracks.
Mark and Chase, two of Bryson’s friends, appeared at the other end of the hall. Chase whistled.
“Bryson’s got a homecoming date!”
Mark slapped Bryson on the shoulder as they moved past. I glanced at Courtney, whose smile had gone wooden.
“Hey, Court,” Bryson called when he saw us.
At the sound of Courtney’s name, Gigi released Bryson and took a step back. She cast Courtney a sheepish look as Courtney resumed her stride, heading straight toward them. Beth and I looked on as Gigi tucked a long strand of blond hair behind her ear.
“Oh, hey, Court.” Gigi’s voice was calm, but I could tell she was bracing for Courtney’s reaction.
We all were. I recognized the look on Gigi’s face, desperately seeking Courtney’s approval—a look I’d worn many times since meeting Courtney in kindergarten.
Courtney squealed. “That’s great!” A wide smile spread across her face as she bounded toward them with a bounce in her step. “So happy for you two.”
Gigi’s shoulders sagged with relief as Courtney embraced her.
A look passed between Beth and me. Gigi seemed to accept Courtney’s reaction as genuine. But I knew better and could see that Beth did too. I saw the look in Courtney’s green eyes. For a flicker of a moment, they went cold, emitting one emotion: hatred.
And it scared the shit out of me.
Mrs. Herrera stopped in front of Courtney’s desk to lay a sheet of paper on it. “This is your work?”
The sun from the window reflected off Courtney’s carrot-red hair as she looked up from doodling a knife in her notebook. “Of course.”
Courtney didn’t even hesitate. She lied so well that even I almost believed her. It gave me chills.
Mrs. Herrera crossed her arms. “I’ve never seen you use these types of words before.”
Courtney shrugged. “I’ve been studying a lot.”
Mrs. Herrera pursed her lips. She tapped the short story that Beth had typed up over the weekend. “If that’s the case, I want to see a better score on our next exam.”
Beth waited until Mrs. Herrera moved to the back row, then whispered to Courtney. “I dumbed it down so it could pass off as yours.”
I laughed. Courtney frowned.
“You’re welcome,” Beth added.
“Thanks,” Courtney muttered.
The bell rang as Courtney unzipped her backpack and folded the paper inside. A gasp erupted from behind me. I turned to see Tiffany showing Megan a text on her phone.
“No phones in class,” Mrs. Herrera shouted.
“But the bell rang,” Tiffany said.
“I don’t care.”
Tiffany turned to Megan, tucking her phone into her pocket. “They’re in the hall.”
Wondering what Tiffany was referring to, I followed Beth and Courtney out of the classroom. When I stepped into the hallway, everyone I passed was holding a sheet of paper, whispering among themselves.
I spotted Emma walking toward us, clenching a paper in her hand.
Unlike the others who looked entertained by them, Emma looked pale.
Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she wore the Juicy Couture sweat suit Courtney had gifted the five of us for Christmas last year, each in a different color.
Nearly all of Emma’s clothes came from Courtney, who knew Emma’s mom couldn’t afford to buy her the same labels the rest of us wore.
Emma didn’t like handouts, so Courtney would cut the tags off new clothes, then give them to Emma, pretending she didn’t want them and acting as though Emma were doing her a favor for taking them off her hands.
For as mean as she could be, Courtney was also incredibly compassionate.
I moved toward Emma. “What is it?”
She extended it toward me. Beth and Courtney leaned over my shoulder.
I drew in a breath. It was a photo of Gigi straddling Luke Cross, her boyfriend for most of last year. They were shirtless and looking up seductively at the camera. SLUT was printed in bold hot-pink letters above the enlarged photo.
“These were taped to everyone’s lockers,” Emma said. “They’re even up on the walls around the school.”
Beth swiped it from Emma’s grip. “Oh no. This is bad.”
I met Emma’s gaze. “Has Gigi seen it?”
Emma nodded. “That’s why I was coming to get you. She’s freaking out. She won’t come out of the bathroom. Come on.”
Courtney, Beth, and I followed Emma through the maze of students holding copies of Gigi’s photo. Some were laughing, some were murmuring, and others were just staring at the printed photo in silence. I bumped into two freshmen ogling the photo as they walked.
“Oh my gosh,” one of them said. “Is that Gigi Harris?”
The other one nodded after apologizing for bumping into me. “And Luke Cross.”
“Skank,” the other girl said.
Ahead, Selena, the new girl on our volleyball team who’d moved to Sequim over the summer, stood outside the girls’ bathroom with her arms crossed, a worried expression across her face.
“Is she okay?” Beth asked Selena.
Gigi sobbed from inside the bathroom. Selena shook her head. “Of course she’s not okay.”
Emma led the way into the bathroom, holding the door open for the four of us to enter.
Gigi was hunched over one of the sinks, her palms pressing against the counter. Her body heaved with each sob. She looked up when we all stepped inside.
She snarled upon seeing Courtney. “You did this.” Gigi lunged at the redhead, black streaks of mascara streaming down her face as she shoved a finger in Courtney’s face.
Courtney’s back slammed against the tiled wall. I stepped closer to the door. I’d never seen Gigi like this, so clearly ravaged by her anger.
Courtney shook her head. “No.”
Liar, I thought, remembering Courtney get up to use the bathroom with her backpack during Spanish period. That must’ve been when she did it.
Gigi narrowed her eyes. “Yes, you did. You wanted Bryson. When he asked me out and not you, you couldn’t handle it.”
Two sophomores entered the bathroom, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw what was happening.
Emma stuck out her long arm. “Use another bathroom.”
The girls retreated without a word.
“You’re the only one I sent that picture to.
And you promised me you’d delete the email after I sent it.
That was over a year ago, but no one cares now.
Now that I’ve been labeled the school slut, Bryson already called off homecoming with me.
” Gigi sniffed. “I told him that photo was taken last year, but he didn’t want to hear it.
” Gigi lowered her face to Courtney’s, baring her teeth.
“You win. It’s over. Happy?” Her last word came out a hiss.
Gigi stepped back, and the four of us watched in intense silence as Courtney moved toward Gigi. “I swear I didn’t do this. Didn’t Luke take the photo? Maybe he—”
“He wouldn’t.”
“Someone else then. Believe me, I would never do this to you. I’m so sorry, Gigi.”
Gigi held still as Courtney wrapped her arms around her while she sobbed, too broken, apparently, to put up any more of a fight.
While the other three looked on, I turned away. Gigi may have wanted to believe Courtney, but I doubted she really could.
I couldn’t.