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Chapter 13

Goose bumps form on my skin as I glance down the table to where Bash is sitting with his band. He winks at me as he takes a bite. My insides melt again. I try to wink back but my face won’t cooperate. I just stare like an idiot. He has to be used to that by now. All I do is act like a fool when he’s around. I must be the ultimate ego boost. Not that it stops me from staring.

He turns back to that girl he sings with and her face lights up as she speaks to him. They have to be a couple. They’d actually be cute together if it weren’t for the fact that the thought makes my skin break out in hives.

“Right, Marra?”

I turn to Halen. “What?”

She glances over at where I was just looking, then she grins at me.

I’ve been caught staring. My face flames again.

Halen leans closer. “Earwyn won’t be able to prove you had anything to do with it, because it’ll all be us” —she waves around at her friends— “and the band.”

“What am I going to do?”

One of Halen’s friends gives me a sheepish look. I think her name’s Lumen. “You’re the bait.”

I whip my attention back to Halen. “Bait?”

“You haven’t heard a word of anything, have you?”

“I, uh …” I need to think of something to save face! But then Bash catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. He’s waving his arms around like he’s telling a wild story. I’d rather hear that than how I’m going to be used as bait.

Giggling brings me back to the conversation I’m part of. Halen’s grinning and glancing down the table. “I think I know why you’re so distracted.”

All her friends are staring at me.

“Because I got no sleep thanks to Earwyn and her group? Exactly.”

Halen gives me a knowing look but drops it. “Do you want to hear how you’re going to be bait?”

“Lay it on me.” I start eating—I’m going to need the sustenance to get through the night.

Halen and her friends explain the plan and I do my best to take in every detail. I even turn my shoulders so I can’t see Bash and his band. It’s better that way because I’m having a hard time fighting my attraction to him. Having a harder time wanting to fight it. Even though I’m sure the only reason he’s helping us out is because he can’t stand Earwig and her dogfish.

“Think you can manage that?” Halen asks.

I look up just as I spill sauce down my face. You’d think that’d be impossible underwater, but it’s not. At least not when I’m involved. I wipe my mess with a napkin. “I just have to start an argument with them. Sounds easy enough.”

Pearl leans forward. “You have to lead them toward the janitor’s closet while you’re arguing.”

“Where’s the janitor’s closet?”

“Down toward the dean’s office.”

“Middlebrooks.”

They all nod.

“I know right where her office is.”

Halen puts a hand on my arm. “Just get them there, then storm off like you're mad.”

“Doubt that’ll be hard.”

Lumen looks at me. “You sure you can pull the whole thing off?”