Page 24 of Rags to Royals

Mariah goes on. “Do you have any idea how many jokes I heard about Mom and the Scarlet Letter when we got here,Ruby?” Mariah asks. “And how many times I’ve heard about how their moms thought Grandma named you Ruby because of the Biblical meaning but then found out it was really the Wizard of freaking Oz? And how it’s sointerestingthat the devil is always depicted wearing red? I’m just giving them what they want.”

I knew about the Wizard of Oz, but the Scarlet Letter? Wow. This town is intense.

But I love the color red, and I already love Scarlett’s daughter embracing all of this the way she is.

And I haven’t even set eyes on her yet.

“Believe me, I’ve heard all the Scarlet Letter shit myself. I see their mothers still don’t understand the full meaning of that novel,” Ruby says. She sighs. “So what’s the email say?”

I can almost picture Ruby rubbing her forehead.

“That the principal wants Mom to talk to me about my temper and my lying.”

“Your lying?”

“She doesn’t think it’s true either, of course. She thinks I’m doing it to start fights.”

“I mean…itisa crazy story,” Ruby says. She raises her voice a bit. “Your mom didn’t even believe it when Henry first told us.”

I cast a look at my friend. He shrugs.

“But I’mnota liar!” Mariah exclaims. “And it’s unfair that everyone is assuming I am! They can’t prove that Momdoesn’tknow Cian. Plus, Mrs. Carter, the study hall teacher, is directing the school musical and has said that now she doesn’t want me tobe a part of it. She says I cause too much drama! Which is pretty ironic, right? She’s thedrama teacher.”

“Wait, she’s keeping you off the musical because of this?” Ruby asks.

I frown.

“Bitch,” Henry mutters.

“Well, because Leah is one of the leads and she thinks I’ll cause trouble with her. And because Leah’s mom is Mrs. Carter’s friend. It all goes together.”

“I see.” Ruby sounds contemplative now.

“It all sucks. Mom just needs to tell them it’s true. That she knows Cian and that they did date for a little bit.”

“Well, they didn’t reallydatefor a little bit,” Ruby hedges.

“They don’t need to know how long. She just needs to tell them she knows him. Or you need to let Henry go down and talk to them.”

“He could get Cian on the phone!” Greta pipes up. “They could video call Cian and he could say that yes, he knows Scarlett.”

Okay so…this could be interesting.

I look at Henry. He sighs. “Maybe Scarlett will be glad to see you after all?” he whispers.

Well, that would be nice.

Henry reaches for a bag of pretzels. I lift an eyebrow. He shrugs. So I reach for the Oreos on the shelf just over Henry’s shoulder.

“I like your cologne,” I tell him.

“It’s yours,” he says.

I nod. “Thought it smelled familiar.”

He starts to unroll the top of the bag—the crinkle of the bag isreallyloud.

“I don’t know,” Ruby says,loudly, clearly trying to cover the noise.

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