Do you remember in seventh grade when I pooped in the girl's bathroom and backed up the toilet? The whole bathroom got flooded, and they had to call in a plumber. The entire school was speculating who did it. I was so embarrassed I pretended to be sick for a couple of days and stayed home. Then that annoying girl, Elizabeth, guessed it was me, but you swore it wasn't and made her take it back. You got everyone to think she was jealous because I got the lead role in the school play and she didn't. You were so boss. I don't know why I thought of that today, but I just wanted to say thank you. You're a queen and the best-est friend a girl could ask for. -Georgie aka Alexx
The hallway bustled with students as lunch started. Alex ignored the couple making out next to her locker and grabbed the paper bag her dad had packed for her this morning—a ham and cheese sandwich with pretzels and a chocolate bar. She hated ham and cheese but took the bag with a smile and was rewarded with a kiss on her forehead and a "have a good day, sweetheart."
Alex knew he was tired. Not only had he pulled a forty-eight-hour shift, but he had a patient die—an eight-year-old boy who had been in a car crash. Her dad took patients' deaths hard, but it went up a notch if it was a child. Alex always knew when it happened because she'd catch him staring at her with a haunted look in his eyes.
Usually, her mom would take his hand and lead him to their room. She'd hear them murmuring, talking about whatever he saw, and sometimes her dad would break down crying. When they emerged from their room, he was calmer, more grounded, and her mom would coddle him for the rest of the day, continually rubbing his shoulders or making his favorite foods.
It was during those moments that Alex understood what love truly meant. It's also why her mother's affair hit her like a hundred-pound brick. Her parents might fight and throw ugly accusations at each other, but when they needed each other the most, they were always there.
Not anymore. Stupid Mr. Conway.
The couple making out jerked apart as Alex slammed the door shut. She sent them an apologetic look, even though she felt anything but sorry, especially when her phone vibrated with a text.
Mom: You took the bus again this morning? What happened to Hugo picking you up?
Ugh. Her dad must have snitched. Despite her parents' arguments, they were united on one front—Alex.
Alex: I'm taking the bus from now on.
Mom: I don't like you going to and from school by yourself. I'll arrange to carpool with Mrs. Sheehan and Mrs. Harrison again.
Alex: No, I don't want that. I told you I'm not friends with them anymore.
Mom: You don't need to be friends. You just need to sit next to them for twenty minutes a day. This isn't a negotiation.
Alex: Mom, you're not listening to me. I'm taking the bus.
Mom: And you're not listening to me. You're carpooling — end of discussion.
Alex: I'm sixteen.
Mom: Exactly. You're a pretty sixteen-year-old girl all alone on the streets. That's an easy target for criminals and god knows who else. I do not want my kid out on the street by herself.
Alex: God, Mom, it's not like Castillo Canyon is a hotbed of criminals and gangs. I'll be fine.
Mom: What's with the attitude? You've been pissy and downright disrespectful for the past couple of weeks.
Guilt crept in, but Alex quickly shoved it aside.
Alex: Nothing is going on.
The phone rang. It was her mom. Alex didn't want to answer it but knew there would be hell to pay if she didn't. Bracing herself, she answered, "What's up?"
"You can try and pull that 'Nothing is going on,' speech with others, but I'm your mom. I carried you in my womb for months. I know you better than yourself. So tell me, what's wrong? Is it Brianne and Sloane? Are they being mean to you?"
She wanted to roll her eyes. Mama bear was coming out. "I'm not being bullied."
"Okay, then is it the drama club? Has something happened with Keya or the other members?"
"No. Everything is fine."
"Then it's Alexx," her mother concluded.
She gritted her teeth at the finality in her mom's voice as if she knew something like this would happen. "It's not Georgie."
Her mom hesitated. "Hugo?" she asked softly.
A lump formed in Alex's throat. "We're, uh...taking a break." She'd passed him on her way to third period this morning. He'd been laughing with Arlo, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. When he spotted her, his laughter died, which made her chest squeeze. He gave her a solemn nod and then quickly looked away.
Her mom made a noise in the back of her throat. "Honey, I'm sorry. What happened? Are you okay?"
She cleared her throat. "Things have been hectic for both us, so we decided to cool it for a bit. It's fine—I'm fine."
"Oh, sweetie, you're not. I'll stop by the store and get your favorite ice cream. We can indulge while you tell me everything."
Alex's insides turned to mush. This was the mom she knew and loved. Maybe the whole affair thing was a misunderstanding. Maybe there was a perfectly rational explanation. "Mom..."
"I know, I know, you're sixteen and have friends of your own, but trust me, vegging out and talking is good for the soul." A man's voice called her mom's name. It sounded like Mr. Conway. "Listen, I have to get back to work, but tonight it's just you, me, and a big tub of ice cream, okay?"
Alex yearned to ask what Mr. Conway wanted but knew it wasn't the time or place. Instead of spilling the details about her and Hugo over ice cream, maybe she could turn the tables and get her mom to spill the truth about her relationship with her boss. Of course, what would she say or do if her mom was having an affair?
The mere thought made her skin flush with dismay. She drew in a calming breathe and reminded herself nothing was set in stone. It could all be a misunderstanding.
To take her mind off her mom, Alex headed to Mrs. Piccola's room. There were a couple of tweaks she wanted to make to the boys' costumes. She'd gotten the idea from an article she found in the library. When Alex reached the classroom, she was surprised to find it empty. Usually, it was bustling with Keya, Cleo, and the other members as they practiced their lines or musical numbers.
Alex went straight to the back and opened the closet doors. She shifted the stacked boxes out of her way and wondered for the hundredth time why her costumes always had to be pushed to the very back. She understood that people were working on props and stuff, but they did to shove her hard work aside like it was trash?
Frowning, she pulled the box labeled "costumes" out. The flaps were open, and the edges were all roughed up. Had Keya been digging through it?
Anxiety ripped through her. She pulled the first garment out and gasped. It looked like someone had taken a pair of scissors and gone to town on it. Her vision tunneled as her legs suddenly went liquid. She stumbled back, grabbing onto the doorknob as if it was her saving grace. Who would do such a thing?
She surged forward, frantically pulling out the other costumes. Each one had huge gashes—from sleeves to collars to pant legs. Nothing was spared. Nothing salvageable.
All that hard work...
A sob rose to the surface as she clutched the garments to her chest. What was she going to do? There was no way she could re-sew them all in time. Hell, she didn't even have enough money in the budget to buy more material. She held up the clothes in front of her cataloguing every angry slash.
Why? she silently screamed. Why in the world would anyone do this to the club? To her? She instantly thought of Alexx but quickly pushed the ridiculous idea aside. Alexx might dislike Keya and the club, but she would never hurt Alex, so who could it be?
She shoved her fingers through one of the holes. This took time. There were multiple cuts on every garment. She ran a finger over the edge of a cut. It wasn't jagged, but a clear line like scissors would give. Had the person grabbed scissors from Mrs. Piccola's desk or brought their own?
"Alex? You here?"
All the muscles in her body stiffened as the sweet and spicy scent of Ravi drifted over. Alex hadn't talked to him since she heard about his upcoming date with Alexx. When Alexx had texted her about it, she didn't know what to think. Hurt and betrayal were at the forefront as well as a big dose of guilt for even thinking those things. She should be happy for her best friend—ecstatic as Alexx was for her date with Hugo—but she couldn't muster it. Not without breaking a tooth from a tremendous amount of clenching.
"Alex!" Ravi exclaimed, rushing over. His eyes went wide when he caught sight of her. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" His tone was frantic as he ran his hands down her arms. When he didn't find anything wrong, he turned her head side to side, checking for injuries.
She opened her mouth to assure him she was fine, but what came out was a garbled mess as she shoved the ruined costumes in his face. He stared at her for a beat, then pulled her into a hug. Her body stiffened. What was he doing?
He tightened his arms like he thought she would push him away, but when she didn't, he began rubbing her back. Soothing circles that had her muscles relaxing and her eyelids drifting shut. She didn't know how long they stood there in that dark closet, but by the time she pulled away, her tears had dried up.
His hand cupped her cheek, angling her face up so he could get a clear view. "Better?" he asked, his voice low and raspy.
The intensity of his gaze made her shiver. What was he thinking behind those molasses eyes? "Yeah. Thanks." She remembered his upcoming date with Alexx and scrambled away. "Um, anyway—"
He took hold of her hand, intertwining their fingers. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked, lines creasing his forehead.
She held up the tattered clothes she was still clutching. "I, uh, I gotta find Keya. Show her what happened."
Ravi gently lowered her arm, looking at her like she was a gazelle about to bolt. "Keya can wait. More importantly, are you okay? How did this happen?"
She huffed out a laugh; her voice tinged with panic. "No idea, but someone obviously doesn't like me."
"That's not possible," he denied. Carefully, he took the ripped up garments from her and held it up. He winced as the jacket hung limply, every hole gaping. "Okay, maybe you have a point."
"Told you."
"But this could be aimed at Keya too. She's not exactly Ms. Congeniality."
Alex took back the clothes. "You don't have room to talk, Mr. Ass."
He inclined his head in a silent agreement. "Any idea who did this?"
Alex's jaw clenched as she studied the seam of the jacket. It'd taken five different stores to find red thread that matched the fabric accurately. Her thumb ran over the perfectly even stitches, each a labor of love. Anger coursed through her. "I have no idea, but I can guarantee you I'm going to hunt down whoever did this and demand they fix it," she vowed, but deep down, she knew it wasn't going to happen. Finding the person would be next to impossible, and even if she did, the person couldn't magically re-sew everything.
A long mournful sigh escaped her lips. Maybe she should throw in the towel and quit drama club. This whole experience had been a disaster from the start.
"I don't like that look," Ravi said. "What are you thinking?" She told him, and he vehemently shook his head. "You're not a quitter. This is a setback but you can—"
"Setback? Try apocalyptic." She moaned and buried her face in the clothes, her hair strewn everywhere. "I don't even want to know what Keya will say when she'll find out. I should have stored them at my house or at least in a more secure location. She's going to hate me."
"This isn't your fault and if Keya can't see that, then screw her."
Alex looked up from behind her mussed strands. "But I'm the one who wanted to keep them here. I didn't want them cluttering up my room. If only I had—"
Ravi grasped her face, messed up hair and all, and said sternly, "It's. Not. Your. Fault." He gently but firmly knocked on the top of her forehead. "Get that through your thick head."
"Ow." She glared up at him, rubbing the spot. "That was unnecessary."
"Someone's gotta make you see reason."
"Don't know why it has to be you..."
He stilled. The air grew thick with tension. "Don't you? I think I've made my position pretty damn clear."
Clear? She wanted to snort. Had he forgotten his date with Alexx? Anger surged through her veins. How dare he blatantly play her and her best friend. "From where I'm standing your position is pretty damn murky. And why are you here with me? Shouldn't you be with Georgie, planning your date?"
"There is no date. That's why I'm here. To explain." He sent her a chiding look. "I tried to talk to you in English, but you wouldn't even glance at me."
She took a step back and crossed her arms. "I was busy."
He stepped forward, eating up the distance. "You were busy avoiding me. If you'd taken the note I passed you, you would know that it was all a misunderstanding and I broke the date with Alexx right before coming here to find you."
"Y-you broke the date?" A thread of relief wove through her.
"I did." Ravi shifted closer. His breath fanned across her cheek, warming her cool skin. "I never asked her out. We were in the middle of a conversation, and before I knew it, she had a whole date planned out."
Her pulse sped up. She could feel his clothes caress hers. "T-that sounds like Georgie."
He bent his head and breathed in deeply, giving a tiny sigh of pleasure. "To be clear, I don't want her." His arm circled her waist as his other hand brushed the hair out of her eyes.
She stared up at him. "Ravi..." she whispered, his name coming out as half plea, half protest.
His head slowly descended, giving her time to pull away.
She should.
She absolutely should.
But Alex couldn't make her body move. It stood still, tingling with anticipation. For a single moment, everything stood still. Even her heart stopped for a beat like a horse seconds before a race, then his lips touched her, and her heart busted out of the gates, galloping full throttle.
There was nothing tentative about this kiss. Ravi knew precisely what he wanted and took.
And took.
And took.
It should have been overwhelming, but it wasn't. Alex wanted to give—wanted to fall into the abyss and never leave. She clung onto his shoulders as his lips moved against hers. Back and forth, back and forth. His tongue swept in, and she moaned, electricity charging through her.
"Freddy?"
Somewhere from the fog, she heard her name being called, but she swatted it away like a pesky bug.
"Freddy? Are you here?"
It was closer this time. Louder too.
Groaning, Ravi cupped the nape of Alex's neck and coaxed her head back. He kissed her longer, deeper...
Footsteps pitter-pattered across the linoleum floor and then the closet door creaked open. A flash of awareness exploded out of Alex like a firework.
Georgie!
She ripped herself away from Ravi and whirled right into the stunned face of her best friend.