Page 2 of Spiteful Lies

Gillian narrows her eyes on me as if I’m stupid. “You’re smart, Astrid. You would’ve passed.”

“Passing isn’t good enough,” I explain as we walk down the path. “My average has to be a 4.0, or I’m out. Do not pass Go. Do not collect your allowance. Go directly home.” I look at the flash drive in my hand, and a feeling of dread drapes over me like a clean sheet descending on an unmade bed. “You cannot tell anyone, Gill. Not with everything that’s going on.”

She sighs. “Yeah, if they were to find out that you actually fought at the Pit…”

The gleam in her eye is less than reassuring as she plucks the flash drive out of my freezing hand. She has something else on me that’s equally damning, and slowly we both realize that I can’t change my mind and take it back. I have to give her the answers because she knows my biggest secret. A secret that will get me kicked out if Dr. Rawlins ever finds out.

Gillian giggles, trying to lighten the intensity. “Don’t worry, Astrid. I’ll never tell. I wouldn’t dare. I’d never screw over a friend. And we’re friends, right?”

I nod in agreement, but my smile is so stiff it hurts the corners of my mouth. “Of course, Gill. But you can’t share it with anyone, not even Bobby. Okay? And well, I can’t let it out of my sight.”

But Gillian slips it into her pocket, grabs my hand, and yanks me down the path. She tugs my arm fiercely as I’m dragged toward my doom. “Come with me then,” she says. “We can print it out at the computer lab. Don’t be so nervous, Astrid. I promise I won’t tell. You’ve just done me the biggest favor. My lips are sealed. I’m not a fool.”

But I am. No one knows our secret as we enter the computer lab, but deep down, I know I’m going to regret doing this. I should’ve kept my mouth shut and just felt bad for her.

Chapter 2

Astrid

One of these things is not like the others, and that’s the cop cars creeping onto the campus. An unlit police car drives through the stone gates and inches along the pedestrian path early Sunday morning. It’s highly noticeable even though no obnoxious sirens are blaring. The thick tires crunch against the frozen ground. Carefully, a black unmarked police car follows behind the first as students turn to check out the silent procession.

I tug Wyatt’s jacket as we stop jogging to stare. “Look. Where do you think they’re going?”

He eyes the cars over his shoulder. “I can guess. Come on. We can outrun them at that rate of speed.”

It would be dumbass stupid to take off running at top speed away from two approaching police cars. We might as well change into neon gym gear. Smiling, Wyatt casually wraps his arm around my waist, and I take the hint. I lean in for a kiss, ignoring the cops, and then we scurry off over the grass, laughing and holding hands. Who knows if acting like two fools in love tricked them, but they don’t bother to follow us. Besides, I like it, hanging onto Wyatt’s strong arms while pecking his cheeks with kisses.

“Look at you being all romantic.” I smile as Wyatt smashes his lips against my cheek.

“You like this?” he teases, grabbing me by the waist and swinging me around in the air.

Laughing, I giggle like crazy. “Wyatt, stop. Stop acting goofy.”

“You must like it, or you’d have called me a dumbass.”

I wrap my arms around his shoulder, pressing a breathless kiss against his warm lips. Our breath mingles in the air, and clouds form then float away in the sky. “I love you,” he whispers, “even when you’re acting like a girl.”

I shove him away playfully, and he chases me toward Oberlin Hall. I do like it, and I’m not going to act tough and pretend that I don’t. I don’t need to be on the defensive anymore. Laughing and stumbling, we reach Oberlin before the cops and hide near the trail with a view of the door. This is the logical place to go. Getz was released but banished from Stonehaven. They must be here to check his office.

“Should we go inside and hide?” I ask, crouching down behind a boulder.

Wyatt shakes his head. “Let’s not risk getting caught inside.” He lowers his head as the cars approach. “I just want to see if they carry anything out.”

It’s cold outside, but it feels like someone has dumped cold water down my back as a chill trickles down my spine. “Like his computer?” I ask.

Wyatt nods. “Yeah, but if we had taken it, they would’ve known something was wrong. Let’s just hope they think he’s only a pervert.”

I shiver again, my teeth chattering as I hunch my back against the cold hard rock. Wyatt frowns slightly at me as I sink low to the frozen ground. The first frost was last month, and the crunchy ground feels as icy as the boulder against my back. I can’t help it when I start to tremble. This whole scene is way too familiar.

Wyatt wraps his arms around me, pulling me close toward his warmth. I lean my cheek against his shoulder, and I cuddle closer, taking all of him in. The roughness of his peacoat against my cheek and the strength of his arms calm me, and I let out a low sigh. He presses a lingering kiss on the top of my head.

“I’m sorry, Astrid. I wasn’t thinking. This must feel like déjà vu.”

“It’s not your fault.” I wrap my fingers tightly around his arm and shut my eyes. “I went off and started my own club, and it was raided. Pierce told me to stay away from the Pit, but I went anyway. You tried your best to warn me. Maybe this time, I’ll listen.”

Wyatt holds my face in his hands. “There’s nothing wrong with sticking up for yourself. You’re not the type to be bossed around anyway. But maybe you don’t need to be in survival mode anymore. Switch to thriving instead.”

“What about you?” I open my eyes and stare hard into his face. Wyatt frowns, and worry is evident in his features. “Are you in survival mode? What are you going to do?”

---