Page 76 of Wicked Games

“Come on, Theo. Don’t make me beg.”

His eyes darken, and I involuntarily take a step back.

“Don’t mistake our moment in the woods for kindness,” he says. “And as for Caleb, it’s none of your business. He’s taking a sick day.”

“A sick day,” I repeat.

When has Caleb ever been sick? As a kid—never. Since then, I don’t know. Something feels off about this. Something wrong. But why does everyone seem to know except for me?

Theo brushes past me. “Leave it alone, Margo.”

If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’snotleaving something alone.

Riley waits for me outside the library, her foot tapping. “Eli invited us to sit with them,” she says. “Caleb isn’t here, so I figured?—”

“That’s fine.” I speed past her. The encounter with Theo has me thinking… and plotting. This just solves the issue of getting in front of the rest of his friends individually. “What’d you bring?”

“Figured I’d get hot lunch today.” Her cheeks flush red.

“Look at you, Riley Appleton.” I elbow her. “Turning into one ofthem. Does that have anything to do with Eli Black?”

“He might’ve offered to buy it. And who am I to mock hot lunch, when it means I don’t have to eat another tuna fish sandwich made with ‘love’ from my dad?”

“Fair enough.”

She’s been griping about tuna for weeks. It’s about time she’s done something about it.

We go to the hockey table. Liam shuffles to the side and pats the seat next to him.

I sit, emptying my bagged lunch, while Riley slides in across from me. Eli already got their lunches, and the table fills in around us. Ignoring Theo’s pursed expression, I turn to Liam. “Where’s Caleb today?”

Liam coughs. “Um, sick.”

“With what?”

“Huh?”

“A cold, the flu, pneumonia…?” I tap my chin. “There are just so many things, some more serious than others.”

“Drop it, Margo,” Theo snaps.

I raise my eyebrow. “Eli?”

He lifts his head.

“Why’s Caleb out with a mysterious sickness?”

Riley groans. “This is why you didn’t even hesitate?—”

“You live with him, for God’s sake,” I continue.

It shouldn’t bother me this much, but it’s just another mystery that I don’t want to deal with. I need answers.

He said he’d see me today.

When?

Why isn’t he here?

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