Page 2 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
“Perfect. Now, speaking of the first day of school. What’s the one thing everyone looks forward to at the start of the school year?”
Ashton chuckled. “Seeing Mrs. Diego in those sundresses she wears when it’s too hot?”
Equally ignorant Kyle gave him a high-five.
Riley raised her hand next. “The Most Likely To list!”
“Duh.” Jade gave her a proud smile. “And this year, it’s up to us to make it.”
The Most Likely To list had first surfaced our freshman year, where the popular crowd would elect students most likely to be…something. Like,Most Likely To: End Up AloneorMost Likely To: Never Have A Boyfriend. Interesting. Juicy. Hilarious.
And this year, we were the ones responsible for picking.
I could just imagine it now. Well, sort of. I had no idea who I’d vote for what, but I was going to invent the best label. I’d make sure of it.
“I already have mine,” Ashton declared.
“Save it until we vote.” Jade had absolutely zero patience for him, either. “Just start brainstorming. We’ll check in next Friday.”
“We need fifty of them, right?” I asked.
“Right. So everyone, be sure to come up with a few. Take a look at the list from last year for inspo.” She walked up the aisle of desks, holding her phone in her hand. “The Top Tier from last year passed down some rules. And you know how sacred the Tier is—like being a Brentwood Babe, or, I don’t know, a national treasure. People will be looking to us.”
I immediately perked up, smoothing down my cheer top like it was a pageant sash.Sacred. It totally was. And students wouldn’t just know about us by passing us in the halls—no, we’d be front and center on Brentwood Babble now, the school’s gossip site. Over the years, I’d been one of the many people who tuned into Babble like it was the Bible, eager for the next thread.
And this year, when people scrolled through Babble’s articles, they’d be reading aboutus.
I watched my bestie intently, considering pulling out my phone to write down the rules myself.
“Rule one: no failing classes. Shocking, I know.”
Ashton groaned like someone had slapped him. “Guess I’m out already.”
Riley giggled. “School hasn’t even started yet, dummy.”
“I’m sure someone’s starting off the school year with their grade in thenegative.”
“Better not be you,” Jade said to him without looking up. “We sit together at lunch. No petty drama, no bullying. We’re not twelve.”
“Why can’t we pick fights?” Kyle asked, all fake innocence.
I leaned back on the cabinet. “Do you remember Chris Buckley ever throwing a punch? Or Tristan Webber? Of course not. People are supposed tolikeus. Respect us.”
Kyle didn’t look offended in the slightest. In fact, he grinned at me. “Whatever you say, Maddie.”
Ugh.
Jade ignored us. “No getting benched for a game. No Fs, no freak-outs, no dating someone from a rival school.”
“Gross,” Riley added, like the idea personally offended her.
“Why would we,” Kyle said, eyes locking on me, “when the best options are already here?”
Ugh times two.
I couldn’t help but look at Connor, Reed, and Landon, who were totally zoning out. And Ashton and Kyle were just cracking jokes. I didn’t get it. This was ourinauguration. Why was no one else over-the-moon excited?
“The football quarterback should be in a relationship,” Jade continued to read, this time giving a pointed look to one person in particular. “That’s you, Landon.”
