Kiss List (Book I of the List Series)

Chapter 13 - Going Rogue

"You're not going to believe this," Alyssa said.

I looked up from my laptop where I was writing an essay for my History of Ancient Rome unit in History class. I saw Olivia and Payton look up from their textbooks as well. We had all gathered in my room for a "study night" but Alyssa was holding her drop box for yearbook photos. "What is it?" I asked.

"Missy sent in another photo," Alyssa said. "It's the one with her and Graham kissing but this version is photo-shopped. I don't even know how she got it to us, she's on the other side of the country doing college tours this week. She must have had someone drop it off for her."

She held up the photo for us to see. Photo-shopped was putting it mildly. Missy had gotten the quality of image of her kissing Graham enhanced and then had it superimposed in front of a wildly enthusiastic audience of football fans. A banner floated above them in the background surrounded by semi-transparent images of Graham and Missy laughing and wearing their recently-awarded homecoming crowns. The background was all black and white while Missy and Graham were vibrantly colored. It was stunning and very professional looking.

Payton whistled. "Looks like our homecoming queen is gunning for the cover of the yearbook or at least her own page with that photo," she said.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Olivia said sarcastically. She had joined Alyssa and was searching through the drop box. She held up a CD and what looked like a check. "Was it the CD labeled 'Yearbook Cover Photo' or the $100 donation to the Yearbook Club from Missy's dad's law firm with 'Cover Photo' written in the memo line?"

"Are you serious?" I asked, stunned. "She's trying to buy her way onto the cover?"

"Looks that way," Alyssa said. "This photo is amazing. She must have gone to a graphic designer to get it looking this good."

"Little good it will do her," I said. If Missy thought she could bribe us to put her on the cover she had another thing coming.

The girls, however, gave me strange looks.

"Well, we're not putting it on the cover, right?" I said.

"We'd have to license another photo or pay someone to punch up one that's been submitted by a student," Alyssa said hesitantly

"And it would be nice to have a bit of extra money for the club," Olivia said. "We could use some of it for snacks. It would be sort of like getting the last laugh by using Missy's money for our enjoyment."

"You would actually put her on the cover?" I exclaimed in shock. "Let her go down as the immortal symbol of the year? After what she did to me?"

"In fairness, you did go kind of boy crazy," Payton said. "I mean, you spent an entire afternoon with a boy in the therapy room. Missy thought you needed to be brought down a peg; that's just how she thinks. She could have done a lot worse than telling a boy you liked him when you didn't."

My jaw dropped. "You all practically forced me to do it!"

"We forced you to kiss a few boys," Payton said. "We didn't force you play baseball with Sam or skip school to be with David. You've taken this a lot farther than we planned."

"Not that it's a bad thing," Alyssa said quickly when she saw my face flush with anger. "We are just saying we can understand where Missy is coming from. Not condone what she did, certainly, but we understand it."

"It's still not a reason to give up money and a free cover photo," Oliva said. "I mean, at the very least we have to put it in somewhere. It's a pretty cool photo."

"She... argh!" I thundered in frustration. "This is insane! I can't believe you're all turning against me!"

"We're not turning against you, girl," Payton said. "We're just not for throwing money out the door and going to war with Missy. No matter what you do she's never going to understand that what she did was wrong. You can either fight her or you can forgive her and save many lives in the process. Come on, turn away from the dark side and join us over here as we bask in the light of free snacks."