A Little Bit Ninja

9: On the Prowl

Chapter 9: On the Prowl

Truthfully, I can’t say why I told him maybe. What I meant was “No freaking way.”

It’s possible that I was feeling charitable because I felt guilty about that girl’s Macaroni Surprise. Either way, I knew it would be useless for me to go to class for the rest of the day, because my mind was currently a swirling vortex of dog poo, pictures of dead people, and secret closets.

I needed to get home and start cracking this case ASAP, or I would be removed from this school, my home, and my life—permanently. Deep in thought about the possible revelations about my mom that I might encounter when I get home, I almost walked into Millie.

Oh, I forgot. I’m going to lunch—with my friends. Since this could potentially be among the last times I ever go to lunch with them I tried my best to look excited.         

“Hey,” I smiled, but judging by Erica’s frown I think it looked more like a grimace.

Millie shocked me when she pulled me into a tight hug. I almost forgot to hug her back; it was so out of the norm. She stepped back and surveyed my face before speaking.

“I’m so sorry Jadie. I know I was being stupid,” she looked down as she spoke.

Apologies were not her forte, so I wasn’t about to complain about the lack of eye contact. I was elated that she was even doing it. Normally when she realized she was being a lunatic for no reason she just ceased the silent treatment and hostile glares and everything went back to normal. This was above and beyond my expectations for a makeup.

“No Millie, it’s fine. I understand. Especially after Stephan last month.”

Unfortunately Drake wasn’t the first guy that had thrown himself at me when Millie was hoping to snag him. But, sometimes it goes the other way too, so it’s not like that gives her any extra right to be angry.

“No, really. I’ve been a real brat. Sorry for sabotaging your date with Rakesh.” She looked up at me guiltily.

“As far as I’m concerned, the only thing that ruined my date with Rakesh was an onion juice bomb. So unless you had something to do with that, I totally forgive you.”

And although I was happily surprised about the apology, and was more relieved than I can say that I had my other best friend back, I had to wonder why she suddenly came to her senses. Erica had probably instigated the remorse somehow. She always stepped in when she thought we’d been fighting too long.  

“By the way. That was awesome,” Erica gushed.

“What? The hug? You can have one too.” I moved toward her but she just started waving her phone in my face. What now?

She pushed play on a video text. Good grief. Please don’t tell me that the scene from five minutes ago has already circulated the entire school. I mean, it wasn’t embarrassing for me in any way. I wasn’t the one who ended up with feces in my hair. But, shouldn’t you at least get to have fortune and fame before you have to deal with paparazzi? Seriously.

Just as I suspected. The video began right after I screamed Landon’s name. 

I just rolled my eyes—because Ant wasn’t in the vicinity to carry out his blindfold threat—and jumped into the driver’s seat. Both of them were screaming laughter as they watched poo hitting Landon in the head over, and over, and over, and over, and over. All the way to SouperSalad! and back to school. I swear I’m the only mature one of us three.

“I’m going to head home girlies. I’m not feeling good.” I fibbed.

In reality, I was just dying to crack this paternity case wide open, with the help of the top secret files I was sure were stashed in the hideout. Some of my impatience must have shown as I lied to them. Erica eyed me warily, but Millie called me on it.