Page 88 of Silent Comrade
His hand dropped to his side.
Jenna was quickly shoving items in herbag.
“How’s it going?” Britt said, way toobrightly.
Jenna stiffened. ”Excellent. Had a wonderfulparty at the country club this weekend. Made some amazing businessconnections for after I graduate. You know. The usual types ofthings,” she babbled, then stopped and pasted a plastic smile onher face.
Britt would pay good money for a free shotat popping Jenna in her perfectly created nose. “So. Are youexcited for the big show?”
With a snort, she said, “Looking forward toseeing everyone’s collections.”
“Me too!” Britt lightly brushed Jenna’s armand Jenna jumped like she’d been branded. Britt ignored Red’spalpable stare. He was a large, silent shadow nearby. “Well, let’shope everything goes perfectly at the show. No speed bumps,right?”
“Well—” The laptop clattered to the floor.Jenna scrambled to pick it up, her fingers slipping twice beforeshe clutched the computer to her chest.
“You know what’s been great?” Britt foughtto keep her voice calm and steady as she poured on abless-your-heart saccharine charm that would have made Momproud.
Jenna narrowed her eyes and tossed herblonde hair back over a shoulder. Her entourage gathered aroundher, breathlessly waiting. “No.”
“It’s so cool how we get to change our mindsat the last minute. See, I’m going in a totally different directionwith my show. A better direction. You could say I’ve been inspiredby a remarkable turn of events!”
“Um, that’s nice.” She patted her bag beforelifting it off the desk, and smiled at her friends. “You allwaiting on me?”
A few bland replies.
Britt plowed ahead. “Yes, it issonice to have the flexibility and a fantastic creative spark, andthank you for saying so.”
“I didn’t say so.”
“Of course you did.” Britt twined herfingers into the backpack strap. “Hey, I can’t wait to see yourcollection up there on stage. Like you said: colleagues supportingeach other and all, am I right? Hey, good luck with Design of theYear. Once people hear about your hard work … refining …otherclassmates’ designs … I’m sure you will be in the obvious choicefor that award.” With a wink at Jenna’s gape-mouth expression,Britt nearly skipped as she left the classroom. Only a few stepsinto the hall, the taunting didn’t feel so good.
Damn it, Britt wasn’t a jerk. Dishing outsnarkiness satisfied for a few minutes, then … nothing. The tensiondripped out of her limbs and she slouched her way to the nextclass, eyes burning.
Red had watched the whole thing. At least hewould know she didn’t limit her bad behavior to him.
As Mom used to say:Pretty is as prettydoes.
Britt had not been very pretty at all backthere. Mom would have been so disappointed. She gulped.
“You were kind of rough on her,” Red’s voicefloated down to Britt.
“Oh, look, you’re there.” Without lookingup, she muttered, “She deserved it, and more.”
“Not arguing with you. I’m still amazed howyou didn’t destroy her project in return. Would have tempted me, ifI were in your shoes.”
Pulling her head back, she gave him aside-eye. “What are you getting at?”
“You’re better than her, head to toe, insideand out.”
“And?”
“You don’t have to stoop to her level.” Hishalf-smile did not make her heart flutter. Not at all. “Sometimesthe best revenge is success.”
A sour taste coated her tongue. “Thank you,Counselor Red.”
“Britt, we need to talk about this mor—”
She held a hand up before they entered thenext classroom. “Here’s the deal. I said not-nice things early thismorning, and I’m sorry. I could have voiced my concerns better, andI’m going to own my behavior and apologize. However, it doesn’tmake the facts of our situation less true.”
