In Vendetta House (The Vendetta Series #1)

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"Can I talk with you please?"

I glance up from my food to Courtney, who looms above me with her arms crossed. Her mouth is pinched like she has a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Uh..."

Sasha is subtly shaking her head with wide eyes. Eric is slicing at his neck with a hand and mouthing no. Jesse is just curiously watching me to see what I will say.

"Uh... okay?"

She leads me out the cafeteria and I follow, wary.

Courtney's stance is rigid, her eyes masked with dark shadows. Whatever this is, it's probably important enough for her to let go of her personal grudge against me. Or she's planning to kill me out here.

We step out the heavy door, walk farther down the wing and stop by a corner. I wait for her to speak. There's an awkward pause of feet shuffling and eye averting before she opens her mouth.

"I want to know what you know about Vee."

I raise an eyebrow, buying myself time before I have to answer. "What makes you think I know something about Vee?"

Courtney rolls her eyes, giving a signature hair toss. "Please. I know everything."

There's silence as I stare at her with a blank expression.

"Okay," she sighs. "I happened to overhear something about rescuing Vee when passing your door."

"Eavesdropping isn't nice."

She narrows her eyes. "Neither is not telling me what's happening to my best friend."

"I thought you had a dozen other best friends falling at your feet."

She whips around from semi-facing me to fully facing me. "Don't you dare!" she snaps.

I jerk back at the sudden display of anger. Then I remember her file. She has no one left. Vee seemed like the only person that was her genuine friend. Everyone else was there for her queen bee status.

"I'm sorry," I say, shaking my head. "I didn't mean that."

She doesn't reply, turning away to only sort of facing me again.

"Okay," I say, resolve in my voice. "I'm not saying I know anything or I don't know anything. But if I do happen to know something, it's dangerous. High-stakes dangerous. Bigger-than-all-of-us dangerous."

"You can stop with the cryptic telling-but-not-telling," Courtney says, mocking me. "We both know you know something. If I can't force it out of you, I'll just follow you around all day. It's better if you actually include me and I help."

I beg to differ.

Around the corner, I hear the cafeteria door make a swish as it opens.

"Tell her," a voice carries across.

Jesse appears in view, his hands stuck casually in the pockets of his jeans as he saunters close.

«What do you think you're doing?» I silently scream. « ere you listening in to the conversation by our thoughts?»

«I have a plan,» he responds lightly, ignoring my question. «Just tell her.» 

«No! I am not going to tell her. She'll probably run along and report everything to Aunt Nelly. Do you know what happens when she does that? We die!» 

He raises an eyebrow. «Princess-»

I purse my lips, annoyed. «I have a name. Use it.»

«Ariel,» he says.