Page 13 of The Executioners Three
The keychain had betrayed her. Theo Porter was the actual devil. A pox on him and a pox on Allard Fortin Preparatory School.
At least Freddie wasn’t wearing Xena today—her Nikon F100 camera that she’d saved up all year to buy. Usually Xena lived around her neck, but Freddie had loaned it to her mom the day before for some promo photographs of the Village Historique.
Now here Freddie was, staring dejectedly into her locker. Her wool sweater stank in that manure way that only wool could, and she didn’t have anything else to wear.
She moaned and banged her head against the metal frame. Hadn’t she been through enough on Wednesday night with the screams and the arrests and herlost scarf?! Then yesterday’s suicide that wasn’t a suicide, and now today’s almost perfect morning had been ruined by a villainous out-of-towner stealing the mostsacredobject of the Berm High senior class.
The thought of going to first-period chorus and singing cheerful show tunes sounded truly torturous—and that made Freddie angry too! Normally, she loved Mr. Binder. Not only was he the chorus and drama teacher, but he also ran three local shops: West End Wines, Pottery-a-Plenty, and finally, the Frame & Foto.
With its state-of-the-art darkroom, Freddielovedthe Frame & Foto. Especially since Mr. Binder’s partner, Greg, had taught Freddie how to use ita year ago, and now she had her very own key for developing Xena’s photos whenever she wanted.
Doodle-loo, doodle-loo doo, doodle-loo doo, doo!
The Nokia ringtone sounded from behind the locker door. Freddie slammed it shut, expecting to find Divya staring at a surprise phone call. Instead, she found Kyle staring at one.
“I don’t know this number.” His brow pinched up adorably. In his right hand was a letterman jacket. In his left was the Nokia.
Doodle-loo, doodle-loo doo, doodle-loo doo, doo!
“Should I answer?” he asked Freddie.
“Um.” Freddie had no idea what to say. She was already reeling from the fact that he was standingrightnext to her.
Fortunately, Kyle came to a decision on his own. “I probably shouldn’t answer at school.” He hit a button and shoved the device into his pocket. Then he lobbed his green eyes onto Freddie. “Hello.” He beamed. “I brought this for you to wear, since I think your sweater might be…” His nose curled as he offered her the jacket.
She flushed.
“You don’t have to wear it, though,” he added. “I just thought you might want—”
“Yes.”Freddie snatched the letterman from him with far too much enthusiasm. Then laughed, high-pitched and twittery. “Thank you. I… I’ll return it after school.”
“Sounds good.” He shifted his weight. Glanced once at his toes. Then at Freddie’s locker. Then finally he blurted, “What are you doing tonight?”
Freddie’s breath caught. “Uh… nothing, I guess.”
“Nothing? On a Friday?” His green eyes widened.
“Er…” Freddie wasn’t about to admit that she and Divya usually spent Fridays at Divya’s house watching TGIF on channel 9.
Kyle angled in closer, and Freddie prayed her breath didn’t stink of biscuits. He was so close—close enough that she could smell him. A soft, manly soap smell that made her want to produce guttural noises in the back of her throat.
“Wanna hang out?” he asked.
She nodded. “Wh-where?”
The bell rang. She jumped. Kyle jumped. Then he laughed. “I’ll come find you after school.” He flashed another flawless smile, and she couldn’t help but notice as he sauntered down the hall that his white shirt was still damp from the water balloons—and therefore deliciously clingy.
She watched until he was long gone. Until every person in the hall had filed away and Principal Tamura snapped at Freddie to get to class. Then Freddie frantically peeled off her sweater and slipped Kyle’s jacket over her undershirt.
It smelleddivine.
She raced down the mustard halls, carried on a cloud of wonderment. Kyle Friedman had asked her out. He had asked her to meetat a place, for some time.And as she coasted blissfully through chorus, then trig, then history, she once again decided Fridays were the most perfect day of the week. Theo Porter hadn’t ruined it—he’d made it amazing. Theo Porter and a Lance Bass keychain.
And that was only a fraction of Freddie’s amazing day. Because it wasn’t merely the cross-country team or the Prank Squad who smiled at her (and at Divya too). Theentirety of Berm Highhad something nice to say. She got high fives from four teachers, three lunch servers, and Coach Lenox, who said, “Way to knock out the Woodchucks for a whole season!”
Freddie had basically become a superhero overnight, and all of this small town talking, she decided, wasthe best.
Of course, when the final bell rang and Freddie scrambled out of seventh-period Spanish to bolt for her locker, she nearly collided headfirst with Principal Tamura.
