“I thought we called a truce! I thought we both decided he was a loser!”
Dinah started laughing. “I told you he’d go for me. All’s fair in love and war.”
Hanna’s head swirled, knocking her off-balance. “I can’t believe you,” she whispered, feeling her throat get froggy and tears rush to her eyes. More images from last night flashed in her mind. How Dinah had said, offhandedly, that she’d love for Hanna to go to Larchmont Academy—she could use someone cool like Hanna there. How Dinah promised to introduce Hanna to her Bazaar-editor aunt when she visited for Christmas. How Dinah had given Hanna a big hug when they left, saying she’d see her tomorrow.
“I thought we were friends,” Hanna sputtered.
“Oh please.” Dinah rolled her eyes. “You’re just pissed because I tricked you. Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing to me?”
“I wouldn’t have. I didn’t,” Hanna squeaked, her voice sounding way more pathetic and vulnerable than she would have liked. And then, before the tears could spill down her cheeks, she whirled around and headed for the locker room. Her fingers shook as she worked the combination to her locker. She grabbed her bag and marched out of the gym without even putting on her coat.
As soon as she emerged into the chilly air, she let out a pent-up sob. The tears streamed hot and fast down her face. She staggered to her car and leaned on the hood, feeling like a huge water balloon inside of her had burst. She cried for Ali’s death. The horror of Mona. The nightmare that was her new family. That she hadn’t heard from Lucas at all. That she had pursued Vince at all, when who she really wanted was Lucas. Everything just felt so . . . wrong.
“Aw, is someone crushed?”
Hanna gazed across the parking lot through blurry tears. A figure stood on the other side of her car, a sneaky smile on her face. For a moment, Hanna was afraid it was Ali. But then her vision cleared. This girl had chestnut-colored hair, not blond. It was Kate standing there against the door of her Honda Civic, staring at Hanna at her worst.
Chapter 14
Mutually Assured Destruction
“W-what are you doing here?” Hanna stammered, straightening up.
Kate giggled. “Was boot camp just too much for you today, Hanna?” She stretched out something in her hands. It was an extra-large red T-shirt that said GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR!
Hanna’s stomach dropped. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The program sounds really awesome.” Kate waved the T-shirt tauntingly under Hanna’s nose. “I’m sure everyone at Rosewood Day would love to know what you’ve been up to.”
She pulled out her phone and showed Hanna a series of pictures. Hanna and the red-shirted boot campers running through a tire obstacle course behind Body Tonic, all of them fat and red-faced and ridiculous-looking. The boot campers gathered in a circle doing one of Vince’s AminoSpa chants. And the coup de grace: Dinah and Vince kissing, and Hanna standing in the doorway just now, looking devastated.
She’d seen everything.
“Give me that,” Hanna said, grabbing for Kate’s phone.
Kate held it over Hanna’s head. “Not so fast!”
“Have you been following me?” Hanna shrieked. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“What can I say? I love a good secret.” Kate rocked back and forth in her fur-lined Uggs. “And someone gave me an amazing tip-off, so I followed you here.”
A shiver snaked up Hanna’s spine. Who could have done that? Immediately, A came to mind . . . but A was gone.
“Don’t be ashamed of going to fat camp!” Kate went on. “At least you’re making a positive change, you know?” She typed something into her phone. “I think this would make a lovely post on your Facebook wall. And maybe people would sympathize with you for losing the guy to that other girl!”
Hanna’s heart pounded hard. “I’m not interested in Vince!”
Kate gave her a knowing look. “You keep telling yourself that, Hanna. But the photos don’t lie. Now, what would be a good caption for Facebook? Boot camp is so amazing, and look at my awesome new friends? Or how about something simple, like Getting my huge ass in gear?”
Hanna let out a whimper. She was “friends” with all kinds of people on Facebook. Naomi Zeigler and Riley Wolfe, two popular bitches who’d love nothing more than to hear about this. Senior girls who invited her to amazing parties. Mason Byers, James Freed, Noel Kahn, and her ex, Sean Ackard. That Mona had wanted to kill Hanna was bad enough—a post about boot camp would cement her status as a loser for good. She already saw herself sitting alone in the cafeteria at lunch. Spending every Saturday night in her room. Never being invited to a party again.
“Please don’t post about this,” Hanna cried. “I’m begging you. I’ll do anything.”
One of Kate’s eyebrows rose. “What’s in it for me?”
A stiff wind blew up, numbing Hanna’s ears and the tip of her nose. She stared out at the empty road in front of Body Tonic and racked her brain. What did she have that Kate wanted? Hadn’t she given up enough? Ever since Kate had set foot in Hanna’s house, Hanna’s life had gone from bad to worse. Kate had already usurped all of Hanna’s father’s attention. As soon as she started at Rosewood Day, she’d probably become the most popular girl in their grade, taking Hanna’s place. How much more torture could she take?
What she wouldn’t give for Mona right now—the Mona she knew before all the A stuff began. The two of them could laugh in Kate’s face, tell her she wouldn’t dare cross them, and then spin around and drive away in a cloud of exhaust. Having Ali here would be even better: She’d loop her elbow around Hanna’s, lean in close, and whisper, “You’ve got something on her too, Han. That’s what’s so great about secrets—you can use them as currency.”