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Emily hid behind a crowd of kids from St Anthony’s

This was another reason why she wanted to quit swi--so she wouldn’t have to spend every day after school with her ex-boyfriend, who did know He’d caught Maya and Emily in a more-than-just-friends moment at Noel’s party on Friday

She pushed into the eirls’ and boys’ locker rooain about A’s latest note It eird, but when Emily read the text in Maya’s hotel bathroom, it was almost like she could hear Ali’s voice Except that was iht? Besides, Ben was the only person who knew about Maya Maybe he’d somehow found out that Emily had tried to kiss Ali Could…could Ben be A?

"Where are you going?"

Emily whirled around Ben had followed her into the hall "Hey" E his shredded Chaood luck, so he wore them to every meet He’d re-buzzed his hair over the weekend It ’s up," he answered nastily, his voice echoing off the tile walls "I thought you were quitting"

Eed my irlfriend seemed so proud of you"

Eht" He took a step toward her

"Think what you want" She turned for her locker room "And that text you sent didn’t scare me"

Ben furrowed his eyebrows "What text?"

She stopped "The text that says you’re going to tell everyone," she said, testing him

"I didn’t write you any texts" Ben tilted his chin "But…Ia dyke is a juicy little story"

"I’h her teeth

"Oh yeah?" Ben took a step closer His nostrils flared in and out "Prove it"

Eed forward, wrapped his hand around Eainst the water fountain

She breathed in sharply Ben’s breath was hot on her neck and s to squir arainst hers "I said, prove it"

"Ben, stop" Frightened tears came to her eyes She swatted at him tentatively, but his movements just became more forceful He ran his hand up her chest A small squeak escaped her throat

"There a problem?"

Ben stepped back suddenly Behind them on the far side of the hall stood a boy in a Tate Prep warm-up jacket Emily squinted Was that…?

"It’s none of your business, man," Ben said loudly

"What isn’t any of my business?" The boy stepped closer It was

Toby Cavanaugh

"Dude" Ben twisted around

Toby’s eyes ed his chin up at Ben "What’s the deal?"

Ben glared at Eo of her She shot away from him, and Ben used his shoulder to shove open the boys’ locker rooht?" Toby asked

Emily nodded, her head down "I think so"

"You sure?"

Emily sneaked a peek at Toby He was really tall now, and his face was no longer rodentlike and guarded but, well, high-cheekboned and dark-eyed gorgeous It h ed…

Her knees felt wobbly It couldn’t be…could it?

"I have to go," she irls’ locker room

8

EVEN TYPICAL ROSEWOOD BOYS SOUL-SEARCH

Tuesday afternoon as Aria was driving honized the lone figure sprinting around the goal area, his lacrosse stick cradled in front of his face He kept switching directions and sliding in the wet, athered overhead, and noas starting to sprinkle

Aria pulled over "Mike" She hadn’t seen her brother since he’d stormed out of the Victory yesterday A few hours afterward, he’d called ho dinner at his friend Theo’s house Then, later, he called to say he was staying overnight