Page 43 of The Executioners Three
“Fine.” Divya snatched him back and pushed him into her own pocket. “Though it’s your loss, Fred.”
Once the door was shut, Divya flung herself onto her bed and Freddie flung herself onto the floor. Face down. Nose into the carpet. “I’ve made a huge mistaaaaake, Divya.”
“How?” Bed springs creaked as if Divya were shifting positions. “I thought you were madly in love with Kyle. Surely making out with him is what you want.”
Freddie moaned and covered the back of her head with her hands. “It wasn’t Kyle I made out with.”
“Wait,what?” A thump shook the house. Suddenly Divya was on the floor beside Freddie and trying to peel back Freddie’s hands. “Who the heck did you make out with?”
Freddie groaned into the carpet.
“You don’tknowanyone, Frederica Gellar.” Divya tugged and tugged. “Tell me right this instant who you made out with!”
Freddie curled into a sideways ball. “It’s the enemy,” she whispered to her knees. “The Leonardo DiCaprio to my Claire Danes.”
“The… Leonardo?” Divya’s voice pitched upward in confusion. “I don’t understand—”
“Theo Porter,Divya. I made out with Theo Freaking Porter.”
Divya gasped—a great burst of air that was the loudest gasp Freddie had ever heard. Enough so that she thought Divya’s lungs might have seized and CPR was necessary.
Freddie stretched out, all ready to use her bestBaywatchlifesaving techniques… only to find Divya was not in need of assistance. Oh no, Divya was lunging in close, grabbing Freddie’s wrists, and now pinning them to the sides of her head.
“Please,” Divya said, “tell me this is a joke.”
Freddie cringed and shook her head.
“So you actually kissed Theo Porter?TheTheo Porter from Allard Fortin Preparatory School?Theguy who dumped water all over us on Friday?”
All Freddie could do was nod. And nod some more while Divya continued to list all the reasons Theo Porter was a Very Bad Human Indeed.
“TheTheo Porter you got arrested last Wednesday?TheTheo Porter that’s the sheriff’s nephew—”
“Wait, you knew about that?”
“Everyone knows about that.”
“I didn’t.”
“Because you’re a terrible pie.”
“PI.”
“Whatever.” Divya released Freddie’s wrists, and pushed back onto her haunches. “You can’t tell anyone about this, Fred. Wejustmade some actual friends outside of the book club, and if they find out what you’ve done, they’ll ditch us.”
“I know.”
“And I really like Laina, okay?”
“Iknow.” Shame coiled in Freddie’s lungs. “And I don’t want to screw it up for you and President Steward.”
“Good. Thanks. That means you haven’t told anyone about this, right?”
“Um…” Freddie gnawed her lip. “Actually, a whole swarm… or is it a nest? Doesn’t matter. A bunch of Fortin Prep students saw us and—”
“Nooooo, Freddie. Say it isn’t so.”
“—but, they didn’t seeallof it.” Pushing Divya back, Freddie hauled herself into a sitting position. The room spun. “All they saw was the part that looked like a prank. Byme.”
