29. Margo
Chapter 29
Margo
I loop my arm through Riley’s as we walk toward the library. “I need a favor.”
She tilts her head. “Like ‘bury a body’ type of favor, or ‘want to stop and get coffee before school’ type thing?”
I snort. She unlocks the door, and we slip inside.
It’s been an exhausting week, but the good news is: it’s Friday.
Once Caleb returned to school, he made a show of being extra nice to me. He glared at anyone he saw making rude comments. That alone seemed to quell most of the bullying. It was a weird turn of events, considering how we left things Monday afternoon. Half of me expected him to pretend I didn’t exist and throw me to the wolves, as cliché as that sounds.
“Like a… ‘drive me to the mall’ type of favor.”
She drops into her chair. “Oh, that’s easy enough.”
I don’t sit.
“Wait… do you mean now?”
Riley got her license not too long ago. Technically, she’s not allowed to drive anyone. Her parents only just said she could take the car to school. That’s not to say she doesn’t do it occasionally, but we keep it under the radar.
“Just… miss lunch and maybe the next class? Please?”
She appraises me. “Why do you need to go to the mall?”
I give in and sink down into the chair next to her. I should’ve asked her yesterday, but I was nervous she’d say no outright.
“My foster sister, Claire, asked to meet me. She knows I’m grounded…”
“Of course,” Riley groans. “And I’m the friend with a car.”
“You know it’s not like that. I haven’t seen her or her sister since we were taken out of our last home. I miss her terribly.” I don’t have to fake the tears that spring into my eyes. “I should’ve asked you yesterday, or?—”
“You haven’t talked much about them.”
“It hurt too much.” I sniffle.
She finally stands. “Okay, fine. Don’t cry or you’ll make me cry, and then my makeup will be ruined. I can give you one hour, and I want to meet your foster sisters. And then we come back before seventh period, so Mr. Bryan doesn’t fry both of our asses.”
I nod. “Yes. Perfect. Thank you.”
“Okay, follow my lead.”
We walk over to the librarian’s office. Riley taps on the door, and the woman inside jumps. I have never talked to her or seen her out of her office.
“Amy,” Riley says. “Margo is feeling super sick. Can you write us a pass to the nurse?”
Amy looks at me. “You’re sick?”
I put my hand over my stomach. “Yeah.”
“Are you pregnant?”
I pale.
She giggles. “Just kidding, of course. Humor. I can write you a pass…”
Riley makes a noise in the back of her throat.
I bite my lip to hold back a frown. This isn’t going to work.
“Oh, and can you write us a pass back from the nurse, too? I’ll bring you Mom’s cookies on Monday.”
Amy’s eyes light up. “Her homemade chocolate chip?”
“Yes,” Riley agrees, nodding emphatically. “So…”
Amy sighs. “Okay, fine. One second.”
“Leave the time blank,” I cut in.
Amy glances at me, rolling her eyes. She hands us the slips, and Riley hugs her.
“I feel like I missed something,” I say.
“Amy is my cousin.” She laughs. “She’s such an introvert… Before you came along, I’d eat lunch in her office.”
We sneak out a side door and crouch-run to her car. It’s probably more suspicious that way, but this is the first real time we’ve skipped a class. As soon as we’re on the road, we burst into giggles.
“Tell me about Claire,” Riley orders.
I smile. “She’s sixteen. Smarter than me, for sure. Her sister, Hanna, is twelve. They both came to my foster family a few months after I got there. We became thick as thieves.”
She glances at me. “Sounds nice.”
“Claire’s a wild child,” I say. “Always coming up with these crazy ideas. Hanna and I were more similar. Quiet… grounded.”
Riley snorts. “Shy.”
“Yeah, that.”
We get to the mall in record time, which is perfect. The faster we get here, the more time I have to spend with Claire.
At the food court, I look around eagerly while Riley goes to buy us lunch.
The last time I was here, Caleb made a fool out of me.
Shoving that thought away, I spot her on the escalator. I wave frantically to catch her attention and rush toward her. We crash into each other, hugging and laughing.
I pull away first. “It’s been, what, a month? You’re grown up.”
Her blonde hair, long when I first saw it, is short and curled. She has cat-eye sunglasses perched on her head, light eye makeup, and dark-red lipstick.
She manages to seem more adult than I feel.
“I missed you, Wolfe.” She hugs me again. She’s petite enough that she can tuck her head under my chin. “We have so much to catch up on!”
“How’s Hanna?” I ask.
“Brilliant,” Claire says. “Foster family loves her, of course. There’s a brother in this one. I’m thinking they might be keepers.”
My eyes widen. “That’s amazing.”
She shrugs. “If they keep me is a whole other issue. They’re infatuated with Hanna—not her adventurous older sister.”
“You two are a package deal.”
“I’d rather her secure a home that loves her. I’ll be fine.”
Riley approaches with a tray of food, and Claire’s head shoots up.
“Who’s this?”
“Claire, this is Riley. She’s my friend at school. Riley, Claire, my foster sister.”
They shake hands, and we lapse into silence. Riley passes me a carton of food.
“So, how’s things been back at Emery-Rose?” Claire asks. “Run into Caleb?”
I’ve managed to keep our sex a secret from everyone—Riley, even. I survived Tuesday without skipping, and he arrived back on Wednesday, as promised.
A stolen kiss or two before class, his hand on my thigh at lunch… other than that, nothing.
“Ooh, Riley, she’s turning red. What is happening?” Claire leans forward.
“They’re dating,” Riley tells her. “After a tumultuous start.”
Claire grabs my wrist. “Really? Margo, that’s great!” She squeezes hard enough to bruise. “After all, you never shut up about him. It’s like you willed this to happen against the odds.”
I smile, pulling my wrist away. I put my hands under the table. She knows about my history with him, but her reaction isn’t quite what I thought.
“What about you?” I ask. “Any cute boys at your new school?”
“Where do you go?” Riley asks.
“Lion’s Head.” She grins. “There’re some cute guys there, Wolfe. They’re deliciously rich.”
“Is that all you care about?” I laugh.
“No, I also care about the size of their?—”
“Claire!” I squeal.
Riley chuckles. “I suppose that’s an important factor.”
“Our girl wouldn’t know,” Claire confides, leaning across the table toward Riley. “She’s never had sex.”
Riley is unfazed. “That’s not a bad thing.”
“It is if the guy you want is the hottest piece of ass in school…” Claire raises her eyebrows. “Isn’t that right, Margo?”
I pause. “What do you mean?”
“Just that… you know, I’d imagine he would be quite demanding in bed and all. And I know you aren’t really comfortable…” Claire pops a piece of gum in her mouth.
Great. That’s so nice.
“We should go.” Riley flashes me the time on her phone.
I latch on to that. “Oh, shoot.”
We stand, and Claire rises a beat later.
“It was good to see you, Claire. My foster parents mentioned I would be ungrounded soon. Hopefully that means we can get together on a weekend with Hanna.”
Claire grimaces. “My weekends are pretty packed. But Hanna would love to meet up! I’m sure you two can arrange something.” She darts around the table and wraps her arms around my waist. “Good to see you, sis.”
Riley and I leave her there. As soon as we’re out of sight, she elbows me.
She says, “You didn’t tell her about any of the bad stuff.”
“Why worry her?”
“The girl didn’t seem worried about you.”
“Because I didn’t tell her that Caleb was an epic bully?” I roll my eyes. “Some stuff is better left unsaid. Like how he and I had sex on Monday.”
She gasps so hard, she chokes. I pat her back while she coughs, and her eyes are wide when she straightens.
“Holy shit. Tell me everything.”
I do. The good, bad, and ugly. Because Riley’s the sort of friend who can handle it.
She parks, and we hurry back to the side door that we had left propped open. We end up back in the women’s locker room. It was a weird way out, I’ll admit. But it’s one of the only doors that isn’t monitored, since the gym classes usually go in and out through the gymnasium entrance.
I grab our bags from my gym locker and pass Riley’s back to her. We walk out, and I grind to a halt when I register who’s waiting for us.
Caleb.
“Skipping class, baby?” He pouts. “Without me?”
Riley edges around us, shooting me an apologetic look. “Talk to you later.”
Leaving me alone with the devil.
“I had somewhere to be.” I dig my pass out of my pocket. “It’s fine anyway.”
“Ooh, a pass. Riley’s librarian cousin, no doubt.”
I blink at him. He appears relaxed, but I feel the tension between us.
He’s pissed , but he’s hiding it well. After days of nothing, this is what I get?
“How do you know Amy is her?—”
“Cousin?” He lifts one shoulder. “It’s no secret.”
I glare at him. He doesn’t impede me from continuing down the hall toward Robert’s art class, however. He keeps pace with me, his hands in his pockets and bag slung over one shoulder.
“Where’d you go?” he asks.
“You really want to know?”
“Well, I’m not asking just to hear my own voice.” At the door to the spiral staircase, he holds me back. “Are you still getting picked on?”
“Are you asking because you’re concerned?” I scoff. “Yes, I’m still getting picked on. It’s every day.”
He slides his hand through my hair. “I’ve decided that the only person who can be cruel to you is me .”
“Lovely.”
How can he be so callous and turn me on at the same time? My body reacts to him like a tightly wound wire. One touch and I come alive.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he murmurs. “Wear something sexy under your clothes.”
“What’s tonight?” I follow him up the stairs. “Caleb.”
He winks. “You don’t want to tell me where you went? Two can play that game, love.”
Getting answers from him is like trying to squeeze blood from a stone. Pointless and impossible. He ignores the questions I pepper him with when Robert is preoccupied, and we fall silent when Robert peers over our shoulders at our progress on our end-of-the-semester project.
Caleb approaches Robert near the end of class. They talk in hushed tones, but I can’t make out Caleb’s question. Only the reply, which seems to come with apprehension.
“I’ll need to speak with my wife,” Robert tells him.
Caleb returns to his seat and smirks at me.
“What was that about?” I whisper.
“Nothing to worry about,” he says. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
The bell cuts off any further interrogation. Caleb slides off his stool and strides out the door, leaving me behind. No backward glance, no hovering like the last week. He’s just… poof . Gone.
Robert clears his throat. “Ready?”
“What did Caleb ask you?”
He gives me a too-innocent look. “He just had a personal question.”
He’s not going to tell me . I try not to let that sting too much.
Once we’re home, I retreat to my room. My phone has been unusually silent. No Caleb, no Riley… no Unknown.
I do have a text from Claire, though.
Claire
So great to see you, Margo!! Really missed you. Hanna sends a kissy face. Want to meet up next weekend??
I grin at my phone.
Me
I’ll double-check, but I think I’ll be ungrounded by then! Yay!
I set my phone down to change out of my uniform. My phone chimes again, and I grab it, already smiling. The smile fades when I see who this new text is from.
Unknown
Do you ever get tired of being fake?
My good mood plummets like a stone in the ocean. Down, down, down.
Unknown
How does it feel to lose your virginity to a monster?
I choke on my gasp. How do they know?
I certainly didn’t tell anyone…
Which means Caleb did.