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Everyone in the class scribbled notes Suddenly Eers into the purse until she felt the iPhone’s s would be a welco of Medea Solish teacher’s literary interpretations made Emma wonder if Mrs Frost had had a less than faithful husband
"Miss Mercer?" a voice snapped Eht over her desk She waved her tattered copy at Eht now, or I take it for the rest of the year"
Emma raised both eled
Fortunately the bell rang right then, and English was the last class of the day E the iPhone screen for who had called Even after all this ti what she knew, she still carried around a tiny seedling of hope that the incoht be from Sutton
But it was just an email from Sutton’s mom FINAL BIRTHDAY PARTY MENU was the subject Emma scanned the list of crudités, appetizers, and desserts LOOKS FINE, she began to write back, but then she noticed carrot cake cupcakes on the list Carrot cake had always grossed her out--the raisins in the cake erbil poop MAKE THEM RED VELVET INSTEAD, she tapped on the screen
The halls swar out their lockers and kids in sports unifornize stood in the corner near the trophy case, whispering E whenever she saw blond hair that looked like Laurel’s or a y frame like Madeline’s She’d avoided Sutton’s friends and her sister all day, clairaphy project to work on at lunch--"Photoshopping unibrows on yearbook portraits again, Sutton?" Charlotte had joked--and ignoring their snarky texts and IMs The idea of facing theht nowSutton’s locket? And how come Madeline had taken that picture? Was it like soirls’ bathroom to splash some water on her face Just as she reached for a paper towel, a hand touched her shoulder Emma yelped and turned around
"God" Nisha stood next to her at the sink, shielding her face with her hand "Jumpy much?"
Emma turned back and shakily twisted on the tap "Oh What’s up?"
Nisha raised a piece of hair behind her ear "Did you forget already?"
"Forget what?"
Nisha placed her hands on her hips She stared at E all captains do at the start of every year?"
Emma blinked Hoas she supposed to know that?
"Uch" Nisha made a frustrated noise at the back of her throat "You know, some of us can’t do all of the work by ourselves Soe applications to fill out"
Enantly "I want to go to USC"
Nisha paused for afor the punch line Then she burst out laughing "That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day"
She shoved open the bathroom door and started down the hall toward the sports locker room Emma followed Nisha walked briskly Her ponytail swished back and forth, and her hands were clenched into tight fists They darted down the stairs and whizzed past Jason and Kendra, the pi out in the little alcove under the risers As they passed, Emma noticed that Jason’s hand had disappeared up Kendra’s shirt
Nisha strode into the sports locker roo uniforht into a small private office Stacks of construction paper, Crayola htly colored sand, and stickers occupied litter had tipped over, spilling tiny sparkly shards all over the floor It made Emma think of fairy blood
Twenty-five individual nairl on the tennis team, had been laid out in the middle of the table Brooklyn Killoran’s na-star stickers A black piece of construction paper displayed Isabella McSweeny’s nalow-in-the-dark paint Nisha had drawn flowers sprouting out of each of the letters in Laurel’s name and a loopy scribble around the border And then E, her nalitter or puff paint or stickers that said YOU GO, GIRL or ACE! It could’ve been a na on a jail cell
"I’ closest to her, one for a girl na these on the lockers, if you think you can handle that"
"When did you make them?" Emma asked
"Over the weekend" Nisha flicked a piece of glitter off her wrist
"Why didn’t you ask me to help?"
Nisha stared at Eh "As if I would ask you to helpoff the table, sending a few crayons to the floor As Nisha walked down the tennis aisle, Emma noticed that tiny specks of red fake blood from last week’s prank still covered the walls, lockers, and floor Nisha stood squarely on top of one patch as she pinned her own na tennis rackets--on her locker door
Emma bit her lip "I’m sorry about e did last week"