We gathered our pumpkin spice popcorn, put up our bunny-slippered feet, and sat back to watch every single episode of Ask an Angel. For you.
Research matters, folks. Don’t say The Shrieking Violet isn’t serious. Or is that “isn’t not serious”? We get confused with all the shrieking around here.
Anyhoo, what did we learn?
From those red lips in episodes 18, 22, and 31, we can confirm that rumors of Quinn being a succubus are some percentage true.
Of greater concern, however, is Quinn’s very position as a student at this school. Not only should she not be running for elected office, but she shouldn’t even be allowed at Acedia since she lived outside the charter region when she applied for the lottery!
Shriek with me, folks!
Cat set down her phone. That twisting in her stomach coiled into knots. Because the article wasn’t entirely false. Succubus aside, the bit about the charter school region contained a modicum of truth.
It was the summer after their dad had left. Their move into the current apartment, though planned, had yet to be completed. They were living with one of her mom’s friends a couple of towns over when they’d both applied.
Details Cat had never shared. She’d bet the Fit to Print award that this was a secret Angeline would entrust to only one person.
Leo.
Which meant he must have been feeding stories to The Shrieking Violet.
Which had an ad from the bowling alley underneath the article.
This was all Angeline’s fault.
“I have to go,” Cat said.
“No problem.” Emmie’s eyes filled with concern. “I wouldn’t worry though. No one in their right mind would take that seriously.”
The notifications kept coming on Cat’s phone. People asking The Red and Blue to confirm the claim.
“You forget, this is high school,” Cat said. “‘Mind’ barely applies, let alone ‘right.’” She started walking. “See you in school.”
“Sure,” Emmie said. “Or text me later.”
Cat nodded as she clicked on The Shrieking Violet’s account. The original tweet linking to the story had comments like:
Rules *are not* made to be broken!
Expel!
Succubus are wicked cool. Vote for the succubus!
The likes were pouring in. Everyone was reading The Shrieking Violet.
And waiting for a response that The Red and Blue couldn’t give. Cat couldn’t investigate a somewhat true, mostly false claim that affected not just her sister but herself.
Angeline had put her in an impossible position by being so selfish. If she hadn’t betrayed Leo, none of this would have been happening.
Cat charged into their apartment, and her mom lifted her head from Evelyn’s Girl, Talk Like Everyone’s Listening book.
“Cat, I was just about to make lunch. Are you—”
“Not hungry.” Cat marched through the living room. The Angeline show. As always. Cat ripped the ribbon off the knob and flung open their bedroom door.
“Hey! I’m filming!” Angeline popped out of the desk chair. Half her face was covered in what looked like strawberry jelly, and the room stunk of rotten fish and sour milk. “Cat, you know better!”
“Me, what about you?”
“Oh, what evil have I managed to do to you now? I’m not the one trashing you in The Red and Blue.”
Cat’s face reddened with anger as she lifted her phone.
“Cell phones?” Angeline grabbed a towel off the end of her bed and leveled it under her chin. “I know you’re a total Luddite, but honestly, Cat, I’m not responsible for the ills being done to our society by smartphone technology.”
“But you . . .” Cat couldn’t concentrate what with Angeline’s half-bloodied face straight out of a horror movie. “What is that?”
“Wine-soaked, macerated seaweed facial. Natalie Goldberg’s mom’s apparently a budding entrepreneur in skin care.”
“And you’re promoting it?”
“Testing first. Hence the one side.”
Cat pinched her nostrils. “Whatever she’s paying you, it’s not enough.”
Angeline shifted the towel to catch a glop falling from her cheek. “She’s not paying me.”
“Then why are you . . . Oh, you really are unbelievable! Is this all for a vote? That’s . . . that’s just . . . how could . . .”
“Use your words, Cat.”
Cat swiped her palm across Angeline’s face. The foul, sticky concoction coated her fingers, and she shook her wrist. Red globules dropped onto the white carpet.
“Cat!” Angeline fell to her knees and dabbed at the stain, only spreading it wider. “I swear you’re trying to sabotage me.”
“Funny, that’s what I came here to say to you.”
Angeline stood and wiped the rest of the gunk off her face. “Natalie’s vote comes with that of the whole swim and tennis teams, not to mention band and the hippie artist crowd.”
“How very well-rounded of her,” Cat said through clenched teeth. “But you’ll have no need of votes at this rate.”
“Are you talking about that ridiculous thing in The Shrieking Violet?”
“That ridiculous thing that’s getting more reads than anything I’ve written except for my story on the Frankengirls? That ridiculous thing that’s stealing my advertisers? What’s going to keep my paper going when The Shrieking Violet pilfers them all?”
“Why does this have anything to do with me? I’m not responsible for it.”
“But you are. How did they get that story?”
“How should I know?”
“Think, Angeline, think. Who else knew?”
“You, and I’d think you were the snitch except you’re a terrible actress.”
They stared at each other.
Cat’s heart pounded in her throat, and she wanted to smear seaweed in Angeline’s eye. “Leo? Did Leo know?”
The way Angeline drew back confirmed it.
“Then he’s doing this!” Cat said. “He’s giving them these stories.”
“Leo? No way. He’d never. He’s too . . .” Her thoughts trailed off, and Cat saw doubt enter her sister’s eyes.