Page 11

TEN

My office is at the back of the gymnasium, a section of the school that feels removed from the rest of the building, even though it’s still connected. There’s a small storage room and hallway which leads back to the main corridor, but it’s off-limits to students, and is hardly used by anyone other than the janitorial staff and me.

Shuffling through my bottom drawer, I grab a handful of tampons and slide them into the pocket of my hoodie. I think of how nervous Evie was when it came to discussing her cycle in front of the others. I rarely see that side of her. On the basketball court, she’s all spunk and fire, brimming with talent and attitude. It can make it easy to forget that these are young girls, still trying to figure themselves out as well as the world around them.

And I relate to Evie more than I do the others. She’s at Manning Academy on scholarship, something they didn’t even offer at the primary level during my day. Evie knows she’s not like the others, that if it weren’t for her talent, she wouldn’t be here. I know from experience that’s a lot of pressure to take on.

It’s how I felt when I first went to college. Most of the girls on our basketball team would have been there regardless of their athletic abilities. They could have sprained an ankle in the first game and still ended up graduating with a 4.0. I was different. Sports was the only thing that got me there, and knowing that was a heavy burden to carry.

If it was difficult for me at eighteen, I can only imagine how Evie feels. Regardless, she seems to get along with her teammates. They’re in awe of her talent, just as I am, just as we all are.

As I’m turning to leave the office, I hear movement to my left, coming from the direction of the main corridor. No one should be inside the building besides Joanna, the girls and me. I look at my watch again, checking the time. It’s nearing eleven, far too early for Nadia or any of her crew to be in the building. I haven’t even opened the door yet. I’ve not had a chance.

I tiptoe toward the door, listening. The sound of shuffling feet is unmistakable. Someone is on the other side of the door. I grip the handle, swinging the door open in one fluid motion.

Screams echo through the hallway, the piercing sound making me jump back, instincts to protect myself kicking in. When the sudden shock subsides, I see Connie and Delilah standing in the hall, their mouths agape.

“What are you two doing here?” I ask, angrily. “No one is supposed to leave the gym.”

“We’re on a dare,” Connie says.

“Beatrice dared us to run to our locker and back before you returned,” Delilah says.

“I ought to make you run suicides for breaking the rules,” I threaten them.

“We’re sorry, Coach,” Connie says.

Her tone works on me, or maybe my own nerves are already so rattled, I don’t care. There are far bigger issues on my mind than two girls wandering the halls.

“Get back to the gym. Now.”

The girls hurry off in that direction. I step into the corridor, turning my head from left to right, making sure no other players have snuck out. I’m annoyed with Joanna for not keeping a closer eye on them. She was probably so distracted with the movie setup it was easy for them to sneak away.

Shadows linger in the hallway from the windows on the walls, drawing attention to each classroom door. I get that familiar feeling of uneasiness, like I’m being watched, but I know it’s only the strange power of the place at night.

When I turn back toward my office, I nearly jump out of my skin. A man stands behind me, his face concealed in darkness. I raise my hands and let out a scream.

“Cass! It’s just me.”

Panic halts, confusion taking over. “Connor?”

He places a hand on his chest and exhales. “Geez, I wasn’t trying to scare you.”

“Well, you did. It’s dark, and no one is supposed to be in here.” I look behind me, at the hallway where I just saw the two girls. “How did you even get in?”

“Joanna heard me knocking at the lobby doors,” he says. “I was hoping to surprise you.”

It worked. Between the girls and Nadia, Connor has been the last thing on my mind. Joanna shouldn’t have left the girls unsupervised in the gym, even for a moment. She should know better. I shoo away my annoyance, trying to show I’m appreciative of the effort he’s making.

“I wanted to come tell you goodnight,” he says, stepping closer. His hand rests against my arm, warm and gentle. “I can’t remember the last time we spent a night apart.”

“Me neither,” I say, trying to think back. Connor and I have been together for over two years, living together for more than half that time. We rarely spend a night away from each other; our biggest stretches of absence are during the basketball season when I’m traveling for games. My heart still thuds inside my chest from my scare. I ask him, “Why didn’t you call me first?”

“I thought I’d surprise you.”

He holds up a bag from the grocery store. “I know you and Joanna bought a ton of snacks for the girls, but I wanted to make sure you were fed, too.”

“That’s sweet, but unnecessary,” I tell him, linking my arm through his. We exit through the door which leads to the main corridor, walking in the direction of the lobby. “Don’t worry about me. Besides, Joanna said you and Rex have plans.”

“Not anymore,” he says. “I got ditched for a girl.”

I laugh. “Enjoy a night to yourself then.”

“I won’t have many left,” he says, pushing the hair away from my face so he can kiss my cheek. “After the wedding. We’ll be inseparable, I’m guessing.”

“Right.”

“Maybe now that the season’s over, we can finally finish planning. Summer will be here before you know it.”

“It’s already on my to-do list,” I tell him, but I’m lying.

Truthfully, I haven’t done any of the planning I should have done up until this point. We only picked a date because Connor and his mother kept insisting. Out of the options they gave me, I settled on the one that was the furthest out, hoping it would give me a little more time to get ready. But he’s right. Now that the season is over, I don’t have any excuses to keep putting it off.

“Well, I guess I’ll head home,” Connor says, looking out of the glass doors that oversee the parking lot. “Try not to stay up too late.”

“I’m hoping the girls will go down soon,” I say. “If not, at least I have the rest of the weekend to recover.”

He leans in, kissing me on the lips. His skin is warm, scented with his favorite cologne. I wish I could leave with him right now, and not carry on with the rest of the night. But I can’t. I’ve already committed to this—the lock-in and the break-in. To pull out of either one now would cause more trouble than it’s worth.

I stand at the doorway, watching as he walks to the car. I pull the handle of the door, making sure it’s closed. The doors are permanently locked from the outside, but now I lock it from the inside too, for safe measure.

I look at my watch again. Midnight feels forever away, but this might be my best opportunity to make it to the computer science hallway unseen.

I walk slowly, looking from left to right as my own shadow glides beside me. The door to the computer lab creaks open. Rows of desks stretch across the room, a desktop computer and keyboard sitting at each one. At the back of the room, is a large cabinet on wheels. That’s where all the laptops are stored. Along the back wall are rows of printers and scanners. There’s an endless array of technology in here. No telling how much Nadia and whoever she works for could make from reselling the items.

Knowing Nadia, it’s less about the potential income the sting could bring. It’s the thrill that comes with stealing that she craves, the same sensation I felt earlier this week when I took Melinda Terry’s phone. Nadia likes knowing she’s bested someone, recalibrated the unfair odds that have been stacked against us since our birth. Stealing from Manning Academy must be particularly satisfying; she’s moaned about this school and its upper-crust attendants since we were kids. She must be delighted with the opportunity to finally win against them.

And I wonder, with a shudder, if she’s equally excited to win against me. Nadia must resent me for how easily I was able to move on with my life. Now, she’s dangling my deepest secrets right in front of me, determined to bring me back down to her level.

The emergency exit door is right beside the room. No cameras are set up in this corner of the hallway, no way of documenting what I’m about to do. I walk over to the door, pressing against the slow-release lever. The door opens with ease. Part of me was hoping it would be locked from the inside. That there would be at least one more hurdle stopping this from happening.

The only barrier is my own conscience. The only person that can stop this is me. And that’s what I should do. I’m not a troubled teenager anymore. This isn’t another dash and go. I’m an adult, and I should stand up when something is wrong, not let Nadia, or anyone else, get the better of me.

Problem is, I’m too weak to do it. There’s too much at stake, and I’d like to think I can wake up in the morning, forget about Nadia and the rest of this mess, and go back to living the life I love.

I open the door. A gust of cool night wind blows over me. Bending down, I select a heavy rock from the landscaping nearby and use that to prop the door open.

I walk away, not chancing a look behind me.