Page 24 of Wicked Scandal

Nyla clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Girllll,” she drags out the word in exasperation. “If he said maybe to prom, it has to be about you. I mean, who else would it be about?”

Dammit. I picked a terrible time to delete that app. I listen intently, hoping to get a clue as to what he said or did on his video to make them think it was about Sam.

Is he crushing on her? Of course he is. Sam’s beauty is undeniable. She draws the attention of all the guys at Willow Creek High. Rumors have swirled around the school about her, some not so great, but they could just be whispers of jealousy from other girls.

Jealousy of my own is biting at my stomach right now. So much so that I reach out and grab my phone. Before I can talk myself out of it, I redownload the app.

Bouncing my knees under the desk, I wait impatiently for the loading circle to disappear. Anticipation gnaws at me, and I don’t even recognize who I am anymore. Wilder is eleven years younger than me. Eleven years!

I can’t even begin to entertain the idea of us.

But, no one will know I watch him in secret, or that we chat outside of school hours. No one will ever know because I will never tell a soul. Not even Wilder.

As soon as the download is complete, I open it up and log into my account.

Before I even start his recent video, I open my chat and see three unread ones from Wilder.

WildMisfit: Can I ask you a question?

WildMisfit: Never mind. I don’t want to pry. Curiosity is just eating at me.

WildMisfit: Screw it. I’ll ask anyway. Do you go to Willow Creek High? Lately, I find myself looking for you, but I don’t know who I’m looking for.

It ends there, awaiting my response. I chew on one of my nails, debating a response. Why is he looking for me? Especially if he’s interested in Sam. I shouldn’t want him looking. He needs to stay in his world and I need to stay in mine.

So I type out an answer.

CatEyes: You’re not prying. And yes,I do go to Willow Creek High. I see you every day. But you shouldn’t be looking for me.

I hit send, hoping I didn’t go too far with this one. I’m not being dishonest. I do go to Willow Creek High—just not as a student.

I’m surprised when his response is immediate, especially since he’s in another class right now. If I remember right, he’s in computer science and it is his least favorite. Is it creepy that I know his schedule? Probably.

I sigh as I wait in anticipation for his message.

WildMisfit: So when do I get to officially meet you?

I smile at my phone, wishing I could tell him we’ve met while he fully ignores my advice not to look for me. As much as I want to tell him I know more about him than I should, and he knows me too, I also know I need to be the one to draw the line here.

So, I play it safe. I need to get him off my trail, not closer to it.

CatEyes: What makes you think we haven’t already met?

WildMisfit: I see how it is. You’re toying with me now.

CatEyes: Maybe I am ;)

One thing I know about kids like Wilder, it’s they get bored when responses aren’t immediate. If I can keep it vague maybe he will become less interested. And maybe I will lose this pull to him in the process.

WildMisfit: Ok. I’ll play along. Can I at least get a hint? Do we have any classes together?

I bite my lip because now he sees this as a game, which was not my intention. Now I’m stuck, because I don’t want to lie to him.

CatEyes: We have one class together.

WildMisfit: You’re a senior?

CatEyes: That’s more than one hint. But I’ll bite. I’m older than you, if that tells you anything.

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