Page 87 of The Jack*ss in Class

“It’s okay.” I squeezed his hand. “But now I’m not sure where we can go.”

Flynn gave me a hopeful look. “Your place?”

I bit my lip, considering. My sorority house had strict rules about male visitors, especially after hours. But then again...

I pulled out my phone and texted Parker.

Me: Need a MAJOR favor. Can you help sneak Flynn into the house?

Her response was immediate.

Parker: OMG YES!!! Operation Get Tempest Laid is GO!!! Give me 5 min to organize the troops!

“I think we have a chance,” I told Flynn, showing him the message.

His laugh was both surprised and delighted. “The Donkey Sitters Club rides again?”

“Apparently so.”

Fifteen minutes later, we parked a block from the KAT house and waited for Parker’s signal. My phone buzzed with detailed instructions.

Parker: Mrs. H is in her office. Hannah will create a distraction in the common room at 9:42 EXACTLY. Come in through the kitchen door. Alice will flash the porch light twice when coast is clear. Bettie has lookouts posted on all floors. DO NOT USE THE MAIN STAIRS. Take the service stairs by the pantry. I’ll be waiting at our door. GOOD LUCK SOLDIER.

“Wow,” Flynn said, reading over my shoulder. “This is some serious black ops planning.”

“They’re very invested in my love life,” I muttered, embarrassed. “Or lack thereof.”

“Not lacking anymore,” he said, leaning over to kiss me softly.

At exactly 9:42, we saw the porch light flash twice. We sprinted across the lawn to the kitchen door, where Alice was waiting.

“Target approaching,” she whispered into her phone. “Initiating Phase Two.”

Somewhere deep in the depths of the house came the sound of a crash, followed by shrieks that sounded suspiciously rehearsed.

“That’s Hannah,” Alice confirmed. “Move now, you’ve got forty seconds before Mrs. Henderson reaches the noise.”

We crept through the kitchen, following Alice’s directions to the service stairs. Just as we reached them, footsteps approached from the main hallway.

“Hide,” Alice hissed, shoving us behind a large pantry shelf.

I found myself pressed against Flynn in the narrowspace, his arms around me, both of us trying not to breathe as Mrs. Henderson’s voice drifted past.

“What in heaven’s name is going on in here? Oh my lord. What happened to that vase?”

“Such a terrible accident,” Hannah’s voice replied, the picture of contrition. “I was practicing my dance routine for the spring showcase and?—”

The voices faded as they moved toward the common room.

“Clear,” Alice whispered. “Up you go.”

We climbed the narrow service stairs to the second floor, where Parker was waiting in the hallway, looking like a spy in a bad movie with a black beanie pulled over her purple hair.

“Targets acquired,” she stage-whispered into her phone. “Proceeding to secure location.”

“Is all of this really necessary?” I asked as she ushered us into my room.

“Absolutely,” Parker replied, checking the hallway one last time before closing the door. “Mrs. Henderson has been on a rampage ever since she caught Jessica sneaking in that baseball player last week. We’ve got lookouts, decoys, and Bettie’s ready with the ‘urgent sorority business’ excuse if needed.”

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