Page 46 of Science Project

“Why do you care that I like her so much?” I asked, putting the binoculars to my face.

“Because friends don’t let friends make bad decisions,” she said.

First of all, I didn’t know we were friends. And second …

“You let Allie fall for Jace again.”

She paused. “That’s different.”

I zoomed in with the dial to get a better view of Nicole’s dining room. The light from the living room flooded in and hit the glassware stored in the china cabinets, which meant that Nicole and Jace were in there, doing God knew what.

And it pissed me off.

Last night, Nicole had been the one to come on to Jace, unlike all the other guys she had been with. To my understanding, they all came on to her, touched her, used her for their pleasure. I was still trying to piece it all together.

But … this didn’t make sense.

Why Jace? And why had she been crying yesterday in her car after she flirted with him?

Suddenly, Imani pulled the key from the ignition. “Come on.”

“Come on?” I asked, glancing over at her.

Imani snuck out of the car and shut the door quietly behind her. Then, she sprinted across the street and slipped between Nicole’s house and her hedges. I stared at Imani with wide eyes from the passenger seat of her car.

What is she doing?!

If Nicole saw me with Imani and saw me stalking her, I’d be screwed!

But I ran across the street after Imani because I didn’t want her getting into trouble.

“What are we doing?” I asked. “We can’t stalk someone. It’s against the law!”

Though … I wasn’t about to tell Imani what I did in my free time with Nicole.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Imani said, waving me off. “There is a better place to see into her house around the back.”

“How do you know this?!” I asked, hurrying after her. “It’s Poison, isn’t it?”

Stopping on her heel, she whirled around and poked a finger into my chest. “No, it’s not Poison. I did this far before I ever met them, so stop thinking that I’m such a good girl, and let’s have fun, snooping on Jace Harbor and the girl you like … and Poison.”

After slumping my shoulders forward because she wasn’t going to budge, I followed her around to the back. We pressed our bodies flat against the house and inched closer to the back door that led to the pool.

“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked.

Desperate to persuade her to leave … but also desperate not to see Nicole and Jace.

Together.

“No, but we’re doing it anyway.” She glanced over her shoulder at me. “You ready?”

“Uh …” I scratched the back of my head. No! “Sure?”

She crouched and glanced in through the back glass door. I looked over her shoulder and gritted my teeth. Inside, Nicole sat on her knees in front of Jace Harbor, who smirked down at her.

Suddenly, Imani pulled back and hit her hard head into mine. “Jeez, Akio,” she said, rubbing the spot. “You have a hard-ass head. Now, do you see who Nicole really is? Look at how uncomfortable she’s making him, and she—” Imani glanced back into the room. “Wait.”

Uncomfortable? Jace didn’t look uncomfortable.

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