“Chicken of the Sea,” I murmured.
“Who is it?” Kira demanded, yanking the camera away from my face.
“It’s Mary.” I looked back at Leona.
Leona shook her head, twisting her face. “What the frig is she doing here? Last night she told us she was giving up on her anti-Tessa campaign and going back to Washington State.”
“No,” I said. “That’s where Aiden goes to school. Mary goes to college in California.”
“Not anymore,” Kira said offhandedly. “She transferred to Washington at the beginning of the year.” She lowered the camera and looked at me. “She didn’t tell you?”
“What? No. When did she—”
“Hey,” Izzie said, motioning toward the parking lot. “What kind of car does Aiden drive?”
“Jetta,” I answered, still staring at Kira.
“Oh.” Izzie clapped, sounding excited. “Then he’s here!”
I snapped my head toward the parking lot. And I saw it. It was definitely Aiden’s white Jetta passing by us. It slowed to a stop, just as Mary looked toward it and waved.
She said something to Christian’s sister and turned on her dark heels. I picked up the binoculars to watch. Her thick brown hair bounced off her shoulders, and her red dress fit her athletic frame perfectly. She crossed to Aiden’s car and leaned in the passenger window, talking to him. She laughed, glancing around the parking lot once. And then she got in.
“Did she just…” But Kira didn’t finish, because just then, they started driving away. From the back window, I saw her lean over.
And kiss him.
“It could be a tragic misunderstanding like the last time,” Kira said quietly as we drove the darkened streets of Redmond. “If there’s one thing we know about Aiden, it’s not to jump to conclusions.”
I nodded. My stomach was sick, but like I’d told Izzie, if you’re broken up, it doesn’t count as cheating. It just counts as sucky.
“Well, makes sense why she’s been trying to keep you off the squad. She obviously hates you.”
I gasped and put my cool hand over my forehead. This couldn’t be happening. Betraying me on a cheer level was completely different than betraying me on a boyfriend level. I mean, Mary started SOS! She should have better morals. “I wonder if they’re dating,” I murmured. “What if she’s his girlfriend?” The thought made me sick.
“I can see why she didn’t tell you she switched schools. Makes you wonder how many times they’ve met up at college,” Leona commented from the back.
I spun around to face her, and her eyes widened behind her glasses.
“Um…which I’m sure was never.”
Good gravy. This was the new worst night of my life. My heart felt completely trampled, doused, and lit on fire. I rubbed my eyes with my thumbs. I’d need to see the hairdresser tomorrow. And the manicurist, the aromatherapist, and, lastly, the barista at Starbucks. Oh, yes. It would be a full-day self-help extravaganza.
There was a sniffle from the back (Izzie) and it struck me: I wasn’t the only Kitten with a broken heart. It was selfish of me to think of myself at a time like this, when we were on a mission. No, if anything, we’d just found the perfect suspect. “Stop the car, K,” I said. “We have to get back to the assignment.”
Kira looked over at me, impressed. “Really?”
“Yes. I let us down once, but I refuse to do it again. Aiden has obviously moved on, and maybe it’s time that I do too.” I was trying to sound brave, but my own words were making my chest ache. “Listen, right now the Smitten Kittens are in disarray. I’ve lost Aiden, Izzie’s lost Sam. Leona—”
She coughed from the back, letting me know that the Marco story was still top secret.
I nodded, flashing her an apologetic glance. “The point is, we all have problems, and to solve them is going to take true commitment. But with a copy-Kitten out there trashing our name and meddling in our lives, we’ll never get the focus we need.” I stared at the girls, trying to see if they were all on board. Izzie and Leona smiled at me encouragingly while Kira stared out the windshield, continuing to drive.
“It’s time the squad unites,” I said. “I’ll date Chris—do whatever you want. But I want back on the squad. And Kira, you’re the captain. You can overrule any vote.” I straightened my back as Kira’s mouth opened; she looked a little surprised.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not sure you’re ready for it, Tess.”
I reset my jaw. “Are you saying that you won’t let me on the squad?”
“Of course she’s not saying that,” Leona announced from the back. “We need your leadership, Tess.”
“Excuse me,” Kira said, looking at her in the mirror. “I’m the captain, and I make the decisions.”
I considered telling Kira about my conversation with Principal Pelli, but no matter how unreasonable she was being, I couldn’t hurt her like that. She wanted to be captain so badly.
“Think about it,” I said, turning to Kira. “For now, take me home. I need to devise a new plan. I have a main suspect, and I know she’s going to slip up.” (Being around Aiden sometimes caused lapses in judgment.) “And when she does, I want to be the one busting her!” Because this mission had just become very personal.
Leona laughed. “You’re going all badass on us, Tess.”
“It’s BA. And I haven’t even begun to catfight,“ I said seriously.
“Well,” Izzie began, “is it Chloe or Mary?”
I narrowed my eyes, replaying the night in the bookstore when Chloe touched Aiden and then the horrific scene of Mary kissing him. Then I closed my eyes. “I don’t know. But I’ll find out.” Then turned to Kira. “Now drive.”
Kira gritted her teeth and shook her head. “Whatever you say, Tessa.”
I watched her, unsure where the animosity was coming from, because if there was one thing I knew, it was that Smitten Kittens didn’t hold animosity toward each other.
But then again, maybe she didn’t consider me a Smitten Kitten anymore.
When I got home, my mother was in the kitchen, sitting at the table clipping coupons out of a magazine. She looked surprised to see me when I walked in. It might have been my head-to-toe black spy wear.
“Hey, honey,” she said suspiciously. “Where are you coming from?”