Page 40 of Giving In

“I will,” I admit. “But I guess learning the twins might have been in a gang since they were kids is not exactly encouraging.” And the fact that Jake would literally shoot me dead if he caught me.Or worse.

“We need it. Then we can communicate with Sam pretending to be Rose and we can ask whatever questions we want.”

I think in silence, watching Chris, Luke, Rose and finally Jake getting out of the car. Rose gets a cigarette out of a pack and puts it between her lips before lighting it.Jake grabs her pack and quickly copies her.

They start walking towards the entrance and Jake catches me staring. He gives me a cold, calculated smile but doesn’t say anything. When Camila hops off her bench to go meet him, his face switches completely. He becomes warm and welcoming.

Fuck this guy.

A new wave of hatred toward Jake engulfs me. I’m going to take whatever I want from him, just like he did with me.

“Let’s do it,” I say with renewed resolution. “Tonight, during lacrosse. I’ll sneak into the locker room and get it from her bag.”

“That’s my girl,” she exclaims happily, getting us the attention of the group not far from us.

Camila looks at me like she’s ready to kill me. I want to go over there and shake her. Shout that her boyfriend is a psychopath but what are the chances that she’ll think I’m just some jealous groupie?

Maybe I am.

Camila’s friend, Beth, walks with her but separates from her before they reach the group. She turns around and goes another way.

“I bet Beth doesn’t speak to them because of Rose,” Em says as she catches me watching.

“You’ve just heard rumors. You don’t even know if she really slept with Jason.”

She sighs dramatically. “I wish we could know if the gossip about this group is true. Especially the sexy ones.”

I laugh as we walk back into the building.

???

By the end of lacrosse practice, my brain is in overdrive. I wouldn’t be surprised if steam comes out of my ears from overheating. I left practice slightly early and I’m now going through Rose’s sport bag that she left on the benches in the locker room.My cheek is practically bleeding from gnawing on it.

What do I do if I get caught?I wonder for what seems like the hundredth time. The burner phone is not in her bag. In fact, there’s only her uniform. She must have put her precious stuff in the locker.

I face her locker and my brain is buzzing, wondering how I could possibly find her code.

There’s no way you’re going to break into her locker, Jamie. You’re really not that smart.

I can start with her birthday. After all she does love herself and she loves her brother. Everyone knows the twins’ birthday in this school since it’s always the biggest party of the year. I roll my eyes at the thought as I roll the wheel of the lock. 1. roll. 0. roll. 3. roll. 1.

Oh, the irony that Jake’s birthday is on Halloween since he’s a demon.

Sadly, the lock doesn’t move.

“Ugh, come on,” I mumble to myself.

We have four rows of lockers in this room. The first two rows are perpendicular to either side of the doors and the other two rows are on the other side. This means that when someone walks in, there is a row on their left, a row on their right and they have to walk around the row on their right to find the other lockers. My locker is on the side of the room that can’t be seen from the door. Rose’s locker is right by the door. If someone walks in right now, I’m screwed.

I open the door to make sure no one is coming and close it again. My hands are so sweaty I have to wipe them on my skort. I’m not used to doing something illegal.

I need to try something else. I can’t get my head around this girl. I thought she didn’t do feelings, but I saw the look in her eyes when she was alone with Sam. Maybe she’s not as heartless as she pretends. Her code might be the most random numbers, or it might as well be the date she met Rachel for all I know.

Just try something. Anything!

Alright let’s try her birth year. I quickly roll to each number, but the lock doesn’t bulge.

“Fuck my life.”

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