Kira cleared her throat. “I’ve spoken to the girls, and they’ve all insisted they’re not involved. Although several of them suspect Chloe Ferril.”
I rested my elbow on my desk, rubbing at my temple. “K, we need to have an internal investigation before we seek outside suspects.”
“It’s not us,” Kira said. “And honestly, I can’t believe you would even think that we’d go behind your back. I have enough problems now that you’re gone. You didn’t come to practice last week to teach us that cheer like you promised, and Izzie fell off the human pyramid and almost died!” I gasped.
“It’s true,” Leona added. “I had to call 9-1-1.”
Kira sighed. “Tess, I know you’re on a soul-searching mission or whatever, but we don’t have time for internal investigations when our spirit is at stake! We don’t even have our routine set for homecoming!”
“Are you serious?” I demanded. Homecoming wasn’t far off, and it was a big deal for the school. We played the Ducks (our rivals), and the money raised was usually enough to buy our sports equipment for the year. But without a shiny new routine, we’d be a total disappointment.
“No offense, Kira,” Leona said. “But the squad has fallen apart. Between your lifeless cheers and Izzie’s new boyfriend, we’re not connecting on any level.”
“And what about you?” Kira shot back. “You’ve been taking electives in body shop. You show up at practice with grease on your skirt. Grease!”
I shook my head as feelings of guilt and regret rushed through me. Between therapies I had tried to sit in on as many practices as possible to help keep the transition smooth, but I had never really noticed how disjointed things had gotten. Sure, I knew there were problems the last time I’d seen their practice; their below-regulation-height herkies, for one. I just hadn’t wanted to meddle.
“Girls,” I said. “United front. Smitten Kittens don’t hold animosity toward one another.”
“Forget it,” Kira said, sniffling. “I’m trying so hard, and no one appreciates it.”
My heart broke. I hated that I’d done this to her. I’d completely overburdened her.
“Kira.” Leona sighed. “Don’t be overdramatic. I think you’re a good captain. I just think that with this SOS problem, you’re in over your head. We need Tessa’s help.”
I straightened my stiff back and adjusted the phone at my ear. “She’s right, K. You are a good captain. And I gave you the squad because I trust you. You’re the right leader for the Smitten Kittens.”
Kira was quiet for a second. “Thanks,” she said finally, sounding more courageous. “I know we’ll pull the cheers together in time for the game.”
“I know you will too. Now,” I sighed. “Tell me about this SOS alert. I think it’s important we figure out this mess before it gets out of hand. When was it sent?”
“This morning,” Leona said, without missing a beat. “I got a call from Izzie at about nine. The message was sent to all the girls in the county—including us. Only these messages were sent to our old SOS accounts. She figured they must know—”
“Who we are,” I finished, glancing back at the screen. My stomach twisted as I thought of how someone had found out our identities…and what they would do with them.
“But I guess it’s not the first one,” Leona added. “In the beginning of the summer they had sent out a flyer, just not to us. Wonder why we got one this time?”
“A warning?” Kira asked.
“Good guess,” I said. It made total sense that whoever was sending out these messages would send one to us. Because really, it was their way of proving that they knew our identities. And a way to keep us quiet. Like a threat.
“So what’s our move?” Leona asked. “Are we going to restart the real SOS?”
“No,” I answered quickly, then clicked off the computer monitor and slowly got up from my desk chair. I had to think this through. Someone had discovered SOS, and even though I wasn’t captain anymore, I was still a Smitten Kitten at heart. I wasn’t going to let someone get away with pretending to be us. This was a forgery of the worst kind—a reputation hijack.
“Listen up, girls,” I said. “Call the rest of the squad and schedule an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning. I’d like to open an investigation of my own.”
When I came into the living room, Aiden was sprawled across the sofa, looking completely bored.
“What was that about?” he asked. “Kira have another dating disaster?”
I walked around the couch and flopped down against his legs. “No,” I said, not wanting to bring up SOS yet. “Kira doesn’t have anymore DDs. She’s settled down.”
Aiden widened his eyes. “Seriously? Kira’s got a man?”
“I told you,” I said, running my hand down Aiden’s calf as I leaned on him. “That guy she met over the summer.”
“I don’t remember.”
“They’re totally steady. Heard he’s really nice, too. Not like her usual.”
“Huh.” Aiden considered this. “Well, good for her. I felt bad after the whole Darren thing.”
“Me too.”
I pulled a peach-flavored Jolly Rancher out of my pocket and began crunching it between my teeth. I was stalling. I knew that I had to tell Aiden about the faux SOS, but I was nervous. We’d had such a nice weekend, and bringing up the super-secret snooping society that I’d once used to spy on him might ruin the mood. I was torn. “So…”
“Uh-oh. What?” Aiden rested his elbows on his knees as he stared at me intently. It made my throat tighten.
“Something…happened,” I said.
“Wait, what? Are you okay?” Aiden reached out to touch my hand protectively. It made my mouth twitch into a smile. I hadn’t felt all that protected lately.
I exhaled and closed my eyes. “Today every girl in Redmond received a solicitation from SOS.”
Aiden cleared his throat and pulled his hand away. When I looked at him, his jaw was clenched. I’d promised him that my spying days were behind me.
“But I didn’t do it!” I said quickly, knowing that SOS was still a sore subject with us. “It was a fake communication. I didn’t send it!”
“A solicitation? And none of the Sex Kittens wrote it?” Aiden asked, sounding suspicious. “It said SOS, right?”