Chapter
Two
“So yeah. They found a…body this morning. Rumors are flying it was a teenage girl.”
“Are you serious? How do you know?” Wednesday morning before third period and the halls are packed, everyone trying to get to class. I’m desperate to dump a few books off in my locker so I don’t have to carry them around. Bad enough I have to wear the school uniform what feels like every day of my life. Don’t need my backpack to stretch out my navy blue cardigan sweater and make it look even worse.
“I just…know. I have sources.” My best friend, Danielle Sanchez, is practically whispering as she stands by my side; I can hardly hear her. Not that it really matters, considering whatever she’s telling me is most likely pure rumor and speculation. Maybe she’s hallucinating. I mean really—a dead body found before eight in the morning in our privileged little community?
No freaking way.
“Who are your sources? And please, speak up. I can’t hear you. No one’s listening to us anyway.” My voice drips with skepticism and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I’m the realistic one while Dani’s the idealist. She’s all in, all the time, believing every little thing she hears, from the stupid lies some jock tells her in Spanish class to the rumors buzzing around the quad at lunch.
Me? I trust no one. I’ve been burned far too many times.
“Cops were on campus first thing this morning. Didn’t you see their cars in the parking lot?” Dani frowns when I shake my head. “They showed up at the main office just before first period. A whole bunch of them, too, with serious expressions and looking badass in their uniforms.” Only Dani thinks cops are hot. She loves a guy in uniform. “They looked like they were going to a funeral or whatever.” Her eyes go wide the moment the words leave her lips. I can read her mind. She’s thinking of funerals and murder and dead teenage girls.
“I was at the Larks meeting before first period.” And what a worthless meeting that had been, not that I’m telling Dani. Half the girls in our community-service group weren’t even there—every one of them seniors. The juniors all show up because they’re trying to secure their Larks spot for next year, but they’re clueless most of the time.
This is why meetings before school are pointless. No one wants to get out of bed a minute earlier than they have to, not even for their fellow Larks or for the good of the community. “You didn’t show up,” I remind her.
Dani shrugs. “I figured you’d fill me in, considering you’re President Penelope.” Ugh, I so hate it when she calls me that, but I say nothing. Just give her a little grin.
She smiles serenely in return. “But back to the cops. Supposedly they wanted to see recent attendance records for all seniors.”
“Please. They might’ve been looking for a truant senior, and I can think of two right off the top of my head. I seriously can’t remember the last time I saw James Fuller or Craig Howe in class.” Grabbing my physics book, I slam the metal locker door so hard it rattles before I take off down the crowded hall toward my third period class.
Dani falls into step beside me, the heels of our loafers clicking in time on the concrete floor. “Valid point.” She’s always saying valid point. Usually because I’m explaining that whatever lies someone fed her were just that—total lies. “But I think you’re way off. I heard they only wanted to look at the girls’ attendance records. No guys.”
“So?” I can’t even focus on what she’s saying right now. I have that test in physics to study for—Mrs. Emmert said we could use both sides of an index card to write notes to help us, and I want to get a head start. I do well in school. Okay, fine, I do great in school, but this year, physics is tripping me up, and I don’t like it. I can’t put my future at risk, which means I need to do everything I can to ace this test. My college applications must look impressive. I’ve got everything mostly covered.
Advanced classes, check.
Volunteers within the community, check.
Social and athletically involved, check and check.
Problem? I’m going to look less impressive because I suck so badly in that stupid freaking class. I’m barely keeping my head above water with a C that could slip into D territory if I don’t watch it.
And I can’t have that. Within my group of friends, we’re all a bunch of overachievers. And the Larks isn’t just about community service—it’s the ultimate overachievers group. The outgoing seniors nominate the best of the best before the end of their sophomore year. The Larks is a small group of ten girls who are the smartest, the most respected, the most athletic, the most popular in our school. We all try to make the top grades so we can get into the best colleges and make our school and our families proud.
Sometimes, it feels like we don’t really have a choice, either.
“So put two and two together. It was a girl’s body that was found this morning? And they’re checking out seniors’ attendance records?” Danielle’s the one who rolls her eyes when I say nothing. “Duh, Penelope! The dead body is someone from school! Someone from our class.” The last two words are said in a ragged whisper.
“No way,” I tell her, but she’s nodding frantically, her enthusiasm level shooting up about fifty notches. “You always think the worst when something happens.”
“That’s because bad stuff happens to good people!”
“I’m afraid you’re watching too much Discovery ID channel again.” It’s true. My best friend loves to jump to conclusions. There was the time during sophomore year Danielle thought Melissa Hankins got caught up in a sex-slave ring but it turned out Missy had mono. Or when she thought Brent Villanueva was a drug dealer who got tossed into prison when really Brent spent the night in juvie because he was caught with a little baggie of weed in the front pocket of his jeans.
The cops didn’t even want to take him to juvenile hall. They were ready to cite and release, but his parents wanted to prove a point. They wanted him to suffer the consequences. He stayed the night, picked up some excellent leads on who to score even better weed from, and was released the next morning. He proceeded to go to his best friend’s house, where they smoked a bowl together before they came to school.
Typical.
“Maybe I am, but come on. It’s just too weird of a coincidence.” A little shiver moves through her and she frowns. “I just hope it’s not someone we know.”
“Ah, Dani.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and give her a side hug. We’ve been friends for so long, and I love her dearly, even though she’s a little nutty sometimes. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“Something is definitely up.” Dani smirks, looking rather pleased with herself. “Courtney answers phones during second period in the main office. She said the cops called in twice. Twice.”
“It’s probably nothing.” Maybe. Maybe not. How often do the police call the high school? I know we have rent-a-cops who put on a big show when they strut around campus, supposedly scaring us straight or whatever.
“Or it could mean everything.” Danielle glances over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing. “Touch me and die, Pearson!”
I blow out an exasperated breath when I hear Brogan Pearson and all his football buddies laugh at Danielle’s useless threat. She’s the one dying for Brogan to touch her. She’s just playing hard to get.
“I’m sure we’ll find out what’s going on eventually,” I tell her once we reach the wing where my class is. “See you at lunch?”
Dani nods and waves before we go our separate ways, Brogan chasing after her with his friends. He’s a goofball, always playing pranks on people, and for some reason everyone loves him, especially Dani. I tolerate him because she’s had a crush on him for so long, but I don’t get the appeal.
Pushing thoughts of Brogan Pearson out of my head, I hurry to class, slipping into my seat and pulling a few index cards and my pen out of the front pocket of my backpack before I scan the room.
Everyone’s talking in low whispers, their wide-eyed gazes lingering on empty desks. Unease trickles down my spine and I jump a little when the guy who sits next to me brushes past and settles into his seat, sending me a curious glance when he catches me gawking.
I look down, not wanting to engage. Weird boys who keep to themselves and rarely talk really aren’t my thing. Plus, his background story is weird and sort of sad and warped. Something about a dead father and a mom in prison for murdering him? I don’t know if it’s true—the information did come from Dani, after all.
But I do know he lives with his grandma up on Hot Springs Road, which is like, the most elite neighborhood in town. We’re talking multimillion-dollar estates with views of the Pacific that stretch as far as the eye can see. He’s also really smart and prefers to keep to himself, which ups his weird factor around here. No one wants to keep to himself on purpose.
Meaning no one can figure him out.
Within minutes, Mrs. Emmert strides into the classroom and dumps a stack of books and a can of Dr Pepper on top of her desk before she surveys everyone sitting at their desks, her hands resting on her hips. “Ready to get this review started?” she asks, her overly cheery voice making everyone groan in agony. Including me.
She does a quick roll call, not missing a beat when a couple of female students come up absent and the whispers start all over again. Mrs. Emmert shushes us before she launches into the chapter review, talking so fast I can hardly keep up. I finally prop up my physics textbook in front of me and switch my phone to record mode, so I can catch every word she says and not have to worry about writing it all down. I prop my elbow on my desk and rest my chin on my hand, the sound of the teacher’s droning voice making me sleepy. Not a good sign. I usually don’t feel like this until after lunch.
Why did I take this class again? To look good to future colleges? Or to torture myself?
A crackling sound suddenly comes over the school intercom and Mrs. Emmert clamps her lips shut, all of us swiveling our heads in the direction of the speaker that’s on the wall, just to the right of the American flag. We hear a throat clear.
It’s our principal, Mr. Rose.
“Attention everyone—we’re asking that all Cape Bonita Prep students please leave their classrooms in an orderly fashion and go to the main gymnasium for an emergency assembly.” There’s a pause, the static from the speaker loud in the quiet classroom. “Again, all students and faculty. Please come to the gymnasium for an important announcement. Thank you.”
Mrs. Emmert blinks repeatedly, her expression one of surprise, her lips tight with seeming concern. “Well, you heard the man. Gather up your things and let’s go to the gym.”
Shutting off the record button, I shove my phone into the front pocket of my backpack. “What about the test tomorrow?” I ask as we all seem to stand at the same time, earning a few irritated groans for my efforts. I need to know everything that’s going to be on tomorrow’s test. I refuse to fail.
More like I can’t fail.
“We’ll postpone it.” Mrs. Emmert actually looks disappointed. Me, on the other hand? I’m thrilled for the extra day of reprieve. And so is the rest of the class as they all start to cheer. “All right, all right, settle down.” She hesitates for a moment before she continues. “Just to let you know, in all my years at this school, I’ve never seen anyone call a surprise assembly.”
“You don’t know what it’s about, Mrs. E.?” someone yells from the back of the room.
“No, I do not.” Mrs. Emmert’s smile is strained, her gaze worried. “Trust me, I’m just as curious as the rest of you.”
“This ought to be interesting,” the guy who sits next to me mutters under his breath as he shoves his textbook into his black backpack. He pulls the hood of his navy blue regulation school sweatshirt over his head, slings his backpack onto his shoulder, and heads out of class.
“Cass is so weird.”
I turn to see my friend Courtney Jenkins sneering in the direction the boy just left. “He’s not so bad,” I say, wondering why I’m defending him. Seriously, I do think he’s a little weird. I’ve never really talked to him.
In other words, I know nothing about him.
“Please. His mom murdered his dad—she actually cut his throat open because she’s a vengeful bitch, and now she’s in prison forever. So freaking creepy. Makes you wonder if that sort of thing is hereditary.” Courtney mock shudders. “So. Do you think the assembly is about the body that was found up at the church?”
Wait a minute. A body was found at the church? Maybe Dani was right. She did mention that Courtney told her about the police calling in. What if they’re going to talk to us about it because the body they found is of someone we know? “I have no idea.”
“I think it’s someone who goes to this school.” Courtney looks around, her perfectly curled, perfectly blond hair barely moving. “The question is, who’s not here today?”
A shiver runs down my spine at Courtney’s foreboding tone. “I don’t know.”
“Girls!” Mrs. Emmert’s shrill voice makes me wince and I turn to find her glaring at us. “Let’s go!”
I exit the classroom without a word, Courtney following behind me and chirping away, though I’m not really listening to her. All I can think about is someone’s dead. Someone we might know.
And I have no idea who it is.