“Awesome. Let’s get to it.” Jeremy reached into the pickup and unlatched the cage.
He slipped his hands in and grabbed a chicken to pass to Erin. Always my fearless friend, she didn’t even flinch when the thing tried to flap its way out of her grip. She held tight and calmed it down with a soothing cluck of her tongue.
“And you’re sure all I have to do is abandon the cage somewhere?” I asked, eyeing the other chicken and rooster now held tight in Jeremy’s hands.
“Yep.” Erin nodded. “As long as they can’t trace the cage back to Jeremy’s truck and to us, we’re in the clear.”
I grabbed the wire cage and pulled it out of Jeremy’s truck bed. It was surprisingly heavy, despite its small size. Wrapping my arms all the way around it, I nodded at Erin.
“Good luck.”
“Don’t need it,” she said, tossing her head with a smile.
She was right. No matter how crazy, Erin somehow always landed in the clear. I could only hope I had an ounce of that same bit of fortune.
I didn’t wait until they’d walked into the back door of the school. Carrying the cage close to my chest, I made my way toward the corner of the school building. There was the football stadium, the brand new shed that had been built after the old one was burnt down, and the line of green shrubbery that would make the perfect hiding spot for this bit of criminal evidence. I quickened my pace, letting the adrenaline rush over me. Any second now, Erin and Jeremy would be releasing the chickens inside.
And the new Tori Thorpe would officially be labeled as fun.
But that new me ran smack dab into someone as I rounded my last corner. Stumbling backward with my secret package, I nearly landed on my rear. A hand reached out and caught the cage, keeping me from falling.
“Ms. Thorpe, what are you doing back here?” the owner of that hand asked.
I stared wide-eyed up at my school Principal, Mrs. Gentry, as she studied me with her green eyes. She wore a floral shirt with a thick knitted yellow vest and thick-rimmed glasses—someone had mentioned earlier today that she and Mr. Gentry had dressed up like characters from the Big Bang Theory for the costume contest. In her hands, she held a cup of coffee and a cookie.
All the adrenaline that had been giving me a high gathered to form a giant ball of ice in the pit of my stomach. I’d forgotten about the door in back that some of the teachers used during break times. It wasn’t far from the teacher’s lounge. Apparently, Mrs. Gentry had been in need of some fresh air.
That was just my luck.
“I . . . uh . . . I . . .” I looked around, desperately searching for an excuse. “I wasn’t—I mean, I don’t . . .”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and then flicked down to the few feathers left on the bottom of the case. It only took a second for understanding to dawn on her. She glanced back at the door still ajar behind her and sighed.
“I don’t suppose the inhabitants of this empty cage are at home, safe and sound?”
I shook my head, guilt raining down upon my head.
Her calculating gaze shot back to me. “And I don’t suppose your friend, Erin, had any part in this?” My lips thinned, and I refused to revoke my fifth amendment rights, but the slight upward curve of her lip told me she already knew the answer. “And I’m thinking her buddy Jeremy might have supplied the inhabitants to this cage from his family farm?”
I sucked in my lower lip, my eyes widening. Mrs. Gentry was good. So very good. I could understand why she was a high school principal.
“Please don’t get mad at them,” I begged, finally breathing out. “It’s Halloween. They’re just having some fun.”
“Oh, I’m not mad.” Mrs. Gentry leaned against the stone wall of the school and sipped at her coffee. “I’m just imaging watching Erin and Jeremy staying late to mop the floors after those chickens make a mess all over them. It’s actually quite satisfying.”
I laughed nervously. That wasn’t part of the plan, but hey, at least neither of them were getting a suspension for their prank. But my punishment was still up in the air.
“Should I . . .?” I pointed to the cage in my arms.
She glanced over at me. “In my office, if you would. We’ll need somewhere to corral the animals.”
“And you won’t . . .?”
“Call your grandfather?” The way she said it was so ominous it made me flinch. I could only imagine Grandpa’s disappointment when he took that call. Still, Mrs. Gentry laughed and then took another sip of her coffee. “I have to admit, I’m pretty surprised to see they were able to rope you into this, Tori. You’re usually such a straight-laced student.”
“I am a straight-laced student.” My face contorted as I tried to convey to her the seriousness of my plea. “I swear. You’ve got to believe me.”
My mother’s postcard in my back pocket was burning a hole through my jeans. I could feel it draining on me, like a bad luck charm. Eleven little words from my mother and I’d thrown caution to the wind and practically ruined the carefully structured reputation I’d been building since childhood. It’d been stupid to listen to my friend. Even worse to enjoy that rush that came with breaking the rules. This wasn’t me. None of it was.
“Tori, if you go drop that cage off right now and never speak another word of this incident, we can pretend like it never happened,” Mrs. Gentry said, turning a wry eye in my direction. “After all, I’ve got much more important things to attend to—like winning a costume contest. But let’s not make a habit of this behavior, do you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A weight like a boulder lifted off of my chest. I breathed in a fresh lungful of air, thanking my lucky stars. Mrs. Gentry gestured toward the back door, which I gladly headed toward, leaving her behind to finish her coffee. The hallways were already getting crowded with kids headed to the gym for the assembly. It didn’t take long to hear the commotion from the prank Erin and Jeremy had set in motion. There were some squeals of panic near the girls’ bathroom. A few giggles and shouts about a chicken in the hall, but I bypassed the noise and headed straight to the main office where I deposited the literal weight hanging around my neck.
“That’s officially the last time I do anything impulsive,” I said, tearing the postcard out of my back pocket. I didn’t even spare it a second glance. Into Mrs. Gentry’s wastebasket it went, a discarded curse that had left me temporarily insane.
There was no way that Tori Thorpe, daughter of Sweet Mountain High’s biggest failure, could be like the other teens at school. It just wasn’t in the stars for me. If I wanted to do anything or be anything in this town, I had to be better than that. I had to do better for my grandpa. He was counting on me, the only person who could repair our family name.
My best friend’s epic plans for our junior year of letting loose, going to parties, and most especially, finding me a prince charming, just weren’t going to happen.
That wasn’t me.
Prince Charming was going to have to find himself a different princess.
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About the Author
M.L. Collins has done stuff. Good stuff. Bad stuff. Fun stuff. Boring stuff. She believes in true love, laughing loud and often, being kind, and assuming the best in people until they show you otherwise.
She loves classic rock, old Motown, and '90s country music. Just try to stop her from dancing. Although, please don't, because she loves dancing. (But, for the love of Pete, do stop her from singing; only people who love her dearly should have to suffer through that.)
She hates naps, dill pickles, and scary movies. Loves windy days, dogs, and LOTR. She's an unashamed lover of sprinkles on cupcakes.
ml loves reading and writing quirky sweet romance novels that m
akes you snicker, swoon, and sigh. She loves hearing from readers!
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My Totally Off-Limits Best Friend: A YA Sweet Romance (Sweet Mountain High, Year 2: A Sweet YA Romance Series) Page 15