“Let me assist you,” Ms. Pruitt says, hurrying over to Kristen.
“Thank you, Ms. Pruitt, but I don’t need any assistance. I think I have what I need.”
“What about a scarf? They just came in—cashmere in green and black plaid. It’d look stunning against your fair skin. And with the weather cooling off, you’ll need a scarf, especially in the evenings.”
“I’d love one!” she says, faking her enthusiasm. She doesn’t want a scarf. She’s just going along with it.
“Take this,” Ms. Pruitt says, shoving the backpack and shopping bag at me.
“Don’t I need to pay?” I ask, swinging the backpack over my shoulder. It’s even heavier than Trystan’s, which is on my other shoulder. I’m going to break my back carrying all this.
“It’s been charged to your uncle’s account,” Ms. Pruitt says. “You’re free to go.” She waves me away. “Come, Kristen. I’ll show you the scarves. I was just about to take them from the box.” She walks off, heading to the back of the store.
Kristen glances at me, a slight smile on her face. “I can’t wait to see them, Ms. Pruitt.”
I need to watch out for this girl. She’s definitely conning Ms. Pruitt with the fake nice act, but I get the feeling she’s conning me, too, with that look she just gave me.
“See you next week,” I say to her.
She ignores me and walks off.
“Is it ready?” Maria asks, coming back in.
“Yeah. Let’s go.” I hurry past her to the door.
As Maria drives down the winding road that leads us away from the school, I turn back and gaze at the large stone sign.Twisted Pine Academy, it reads.Dedicated to Achievement.
“So what did you think of the school?” Maria asks.
“I’d rather go to public,” I say, turning back to the front. “I don’t fit at a private school. Too many rules. And they’re too serious.”
“It’s one of the best schools in the country. The kids there go on to good colleges. I wish I could afford to send Shayla there.”
“She could go in my place.”
Maria glances at me. “You need to give it a chance. The boys seem to like it.”
“They only like it because they’re popular. And playing sports wins them bonus points with the principal. He wants a winning team and apparently my cousins are making that happen, or at least Braden is. I’m not sure about Trystan.”
“Both boys are the best on their teams, although Braden gets more attention being head of the football team.”
“That’s why they like it there. Athletes on a winning team get whatever they want. Principal Shithead will forgive whatever they do. They could set the school on fire and he’d be okay with it as long as they keep winning games.”
“Being their cousin could benefit you,” she says.
“I don’t want people liking me because I’m their cousin. I can make my own friends. I don’t need their help.”
“You might in a school like Twisted Pine. It’s not going to be easy making friends there. Many of those students have been together since preschool. They’re like family. It can be hard for new people to fit in.”
“Family? More like a cult.” I shudder. “The place creeps me out. The building. The psycho principal. Ms. Pruitt. She seemed too snooty to work in a bookstore. Seems like it’d be beneath her.”
“That isn’t her regular job. She’s only there to help out before school starts. There’s another woman who runs the store during the year.”
“If she runs the store, why wasn’t she there today?”
“Principal Edwards wants someone with more experience handling the store during this busy time. He trusts Ms. Pruitt will get all the orders correct. The parents of Twisted Pine students don’t accept mistakes. A few years ago a friend of Braden’s received the wrong books and his parents demanded free tuition that semester as payback for the inconvenience of having to go back and exchange the books.”
“That’s crazy. Did the school agree to it?”
