“Not necessarily.” Haley’s tone was patient; she did love to flaunt her evil genius. “We went cloak-and-dagger with Max because we can’t count on someone on the outside of the Red Court with his kind of involvement in the election not to ruin the whole thing in a fit of morality or accidentally spilling his guts. The people we pick for this part of the job will only focus on tearing down one candidate. Besides—”
I cut in before she could finish. “I know. Mutually assured destruction and all that.”
She nodded primly and pulled up the list of kids we could work with. We began reviewing each of them and identified which would be best suited for this job. All of the names on the list linked to separate documents that had descriptions of each of the assets’ strengths and weaknesses as well as a brief summary of the job we ran for them and all the other favors we had collected. It was an organized criminal’s dream.
“Do we ever stop collecting favors at some point?” I asked.
“No one is ever really free until they graduate. And sometimes even then...” She trailed off cryptically.
“How do you collect once a student has left? What if they go to college across the country?”
“Sometimes the ones who leave are the ones who need a clean slate the most. It’s easy to keep tabs on people when you know their pressure points.”
The clinical calculation wasn’t easy to hear, but it all made sense. I reminded myself that each of the names on the list wanted something bad enough to make a deal. We weren’t leading lambs to the slaughter. If anything, they’d walked themselves over willingly.
“Do you ever feel bad calling in debts and collecting from these people?”
She made a dismissive noise. “No, and you shouldn’t, either. Everything has a price.”
That kind of thinking made the bitter pill of Red Court work easier to swallow. Besides, I wasn’t there to help the people who’d made bargains. I was there to stop the Red Court from hurting innocent people like my sister. The rest could burn for all I cared.
* * *
I cleared my throat softly and held my phone, my actual phone, up to my ear.
“I don’t know,” I declared loudly. “Jenny says that Maura Wright is going to run away with it this year.”
Step one: site cryptic source with common name who has inside information.
There was no place more crowded than the girls’ bathroom during a passing period, and this was my third passing-period bathroom trip today. I continued to recite my side of the fake conversation.
“Well, I’m only telling you what Jenny told me. Of anyone, she’d be the one to know.”
Step two: provide air of credibility to cryptic source.
My face was strategically turned from the mirrors and stalls toward an alcove with a spartan bench. This piece of information had to be attributed to my fictional friend Jenny, not me, so it was imperative that no one noticed who was relaying the information.
This part of the plan relied on high schoolers’ propensity for gossip and providing fodder for the rumor mill that was too good for any eager ears to pass up. Whispers from behind me started speculating on the Jenny in question. Jenny the head cheerleader? Jenny the sophomore student council secretary? Jenny the lunch lady? All possibilities. Not that it mattered. The ball was rolling and Maura Wright was the Homecoming Queen front-runner.
As I exited the bathroom on my way to World History, I texted Haley.
Me: Done.
Haley: good
Haley: you need to deliver a note to mia gary
Mia Gary was the Favored we had dismantling Maura’s biggest competition, Teagan Bradley. A tall order since Teagan had won a Homecoming crown all three years and was going for the sweep.
Me: It won’t be a note congratulating her on a job well done, will it?
Haley: no...she’s been too enthusiastic in her work
Perfect. Haley directed the saboteurs to be subtle. There wasn’t such a thing as subtle enthusiasm.
Me: And I’m delivering this note to her why?
Haley: you’re my underling
Me:
Haley: relax her locker is 1124 two down from yours
Haley: do you need a jack of spades
Me: No, I have a deck.
My gift from the QoH. It’s been in my locker, waiting for its chance.
Haley: mia is saying that teagan is purging to fit into her homecoming dress
Haley: if we don’t lock this down teagan will end up with pity votes
Me: That’s awful.
Haley: sometimes the favored go off script and take things too far
Haley: we need to remind her that we are in charge
Me: Consider it done.
Mia deserved to have her cage rattled for spreading a nasty rumor like that. She was only supposed to talk about how unfair it would be if Teagan won again. This task certainly showed Mia’s true colors, and they weren’t flattering.
No matter what the Red Court dictated, things could always get out of hand because too much hinged on the Favored playing their parts just right. I wondered if April’s accident happened because someone the Red Court tasked to take her down went too far. The thought flew circles around my head, dizzying me with the repercussions. If one of the Favored was at fault, I’d never know, never be able to make them pay. But there was someone else within reach. Mia was about to get her due.
I was looking over my texts with Haley when I almost ran headlong into Gideon.
“What are you doing down here?” I knew Gideon’s schedule by heart and his next class was Lit on the third floor. The history hall, located on the ground level, was completely out of his way.
“Looking for you, Em.”
He’d been acting strange since that day in the hall, when we saw all of the photos.
“I’ve barely seen you recently. Even my dad is noticing.”
There was a desperate edge to his voice that I hadn’t picked up on before, and behind that, there was an undercurrent of resentment. It was true that the Red Court was keeping me busy. Between our current task, school, track training, and debate, I hadn’t had time for much else. The realization left me with a guilty conscience, which wasn’t a feeling I appreciated since most days felt enough like an emotional roller coaster and I didn’t need anything else adding to the ups and downs.
“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been MIA, but I need you to understand what I’m trying to do. Of everyone, you’re the one person I need to be ok with. Every other relationship in my life is complicated except ours. I take that for granted. I know I do.”