Tag lifted the armrest so he could snake his arm around my waist. “Don’t forgetattentive,” he murmured, breath warm against my neck.
“Maybe you two should leave,” Zoe suggested when I blushed. “Go get it on downstairs or something?”
The house lights blinked a couple minutes later, and Dean DeLuca walked across the stage toward the steadfast mahogany podium. He congratulated us on reaching the homestretch, but no one was really paying attention. It felt like all the air was being sucked out of the auditorium as Anthony’s father reviewed this week’s schedule. Daniel was due to speak next, and everyone was anticipating what he had to say about the missing yearbooks.
It’d been three days, after all. No prank had ever lasted three days.
“Happy Monday, Ames,” President Rivera said once the Dean of Students had passed the baton off to him, then paused to collect himself. He didn’t look so hot this morning; everything about him lookedwrinkled. His blazer, his khakis, his dark hair. “I want to take this opportunity to talk about the Almanacs.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, they have not yet been recovered…”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tag carefully fish his phone out of his pants pocket and dim its brightness after unlocking it. “What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Preparing to pull the trigger,” he replied, opening his Gmail.
Daniel cleared his throat. “I am directly addressing you, Jester.” His eyes scanned the auditorium’s middle rows and predictably landed on Alex. He didn’t flinch. “While yourthievery was funny at first, I now implore you to return the Almanacs. They ensure every year ends on a high note; you don’t want to be responsible for souring this one, do you?” His voice croaked. “Pleasereturn them.”
In response, Tag tapped his screen.
“Nobody is ever on their phone during meetings,” I muttered.
“One person is,” he muttered back.
“Oh my god!” Blair Greenberg exclaimed after three seconds, waving her iPhone in the air. “The Jester!”
Tag flashed me a smirk before handing over his phone.
From: [email protected]
Subject: School Meeting
President Rivera,
You beseech me to “return” the Almanacs?
If so, I must politely decline. Simply returning them was never in the cards. Per my last communiqué, I said I wouldhelpsolve the mystery. Not solve it myself.
Ames, what say you? Is it high time I offer my assistance?
Yours in merriment,
The Jester
“Yes!” resounded through the auditorium in varying tones. Some shrieked and shouted, while others were overcome with laughter. Tag’s thumbs flew across his screen, dashing off another message.
As you wish, it read.
And then I watched him delete the Jester’s email account.
Ames was abuzz the rest of the day, no longer entirely fixated on who the Jester was but wondering what kind of help they would soon provide. “Maybe a map of some sort?” Pravika posed when she, Zoe, and I went to Provisions for lunch. Somehow Zoe kept a straight face, but I almost choked on my sandwich; she was so close to the truth.
Tag, when are you hiding the first clue?Maya texted our chat later.After class?
Nah, he texted back.I’m swimming, then back under house arrest.
None of his fools responded.
Don’t worry, he assured us.I have a plan.
