Page 8 of The Honor Society

Maybe that’s why he’d been acting so strange after getting shot, like he was more worried about shoving the damn flash drive into Jude’s hands, even mine, the person who hurt him, than the fact that he was bleeding to death. Jude had taken the paper though the minute the police came along with the flash drive and shoved it in his shoe, feigning ignorance. And even weirder his dad pretended he had no clue what The Dean’s List was. All of it was strange. Down to his dad getting left off with no charges filed after a talk with the police and then me going in for questioning later. When I said it was self defense, when I freaking lied about why I shot Axel, I got another text that it would all be taken are of. And like magic. It was. Whoever I was working for was powerful, powerful enough to silence the cops, powerful enough to look the other way, powerful enough to kill me.

A shudder wracks through me. God what if I’d gotten it completely wrong though?

What if Axel was trying to keep it from The Proctor the way I was supposed to be doing, meaning we were on the same side?

“Hey,” Lilah waves a hand in front of my face. “You okay?” That same hand reaches for my shoulder and squeezes it. “Don’t worry, Axel’s a fighter, he’s not going to just take all of this laying down. He’s goofy and unserious about ninety-nine percent of the time, but he loves you. He wants to remember you, I’m sure he does.”

I snort. “Right, he wants to remember the girl who shot him.”

“No charges were pressed, your finger slipped remember?” She snorts. “Listen, fear makes us all do crazy things but, I know you well enough to know you could have taken that shot and you didn’t. I’m here for when you’re ready to tell me why. When you’re ready to explain the screaming at night, and the constant fear in your eyes these last few days when you’ve checked your phone.”

I wasn’t ready. All Jude said when they took Axel away was to wait for questioning and then he went and talked to the same father that was hellbent on chasing all of us down. Lilah’s dad looked like he was going to face more time. Nothing made sense. Finally, Jude said to confess that I was being threatened by some unknown entity, the gun was given to me by that same entity, and I was scared that Axel was going to hurt me. And in the end, no page from The Dean’s List, no flash drive.

Which just made me look like an even bigger bitch.

I lied and for what?

To protect myself, but Jude said it would also protect Axel. The weird part? No police officer followed up. Something this massive should make the news, people should be talking, social media at least should be in a flurry, but it was like someone wiped it and on that exact same night a huge cocaine ring next to campus was busted—and the Mayor’s son just so happened to be the ringleader. Explain that.

Suffice to say, nobody cared about Axel anymore.

Or me.

“Yeah.” Throat dry, I swallow and hit the parking garage button. “I think I’m just going to go back to the apartment and take a nap.”

Lie.

I feel like I haven’t slept in I don’t even know how long.

Every time I close my eyes I see the betrayal and hurt in Axel’s, and every single time I try to tell myself I’m safe, I see the harshly scribbled notes being sent to me, or the man in the black suit and black sunglasses who seems to lurk around every corner.

“Oh.” Lilah sighs. “Okay, well I’m going to go with Jude but if you need anything…”

“I won’t.” I say quickly. “It’s just a nap.”

“Sure it is.” Jude interrupts. “Just like it’s just a coma, or it’s just a little blood, or it’s just a list of corrupt people on a thumb drive everyone’s willing to kill to get. I’m sure…”

“Jude.” Lilah snaps.

“What? It’s not like we aren’t all thinking it. The elephant demands to be talked about especially one this big.” He shoots a glare towards me. “We’ll see you tomorrow, same time, here, alright?”

“Where else would I be?” I mean for it to come out flippant instead it comes out shaky, uncertain and at the exact same time Jude locks eyes with me.

His penetrating gaze is absolutely terrifying. Blue, steely eyes burn right through me. “Good question, Charlie. Good fucking question.”

I get off the elevator to the parking garage before he can interrogate me any further. Do I blame him? No. But just because I don’t blame him doesn’t mean it stings any less or that it’s any less invasive and mean.

I power walk towards my Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’s bright blue. It doesn’t blend in, which I’ve always liked until now.

A black sedan is parked right next to it.

I’d know that car anywhere. It’s followed me for the last few days and weeks before that even, always watching, always keeping tabs.

I take a deep breath and grab the mace from my purse. This is ridiculous. What’s the worst that can happen? I get shot too? I say no? I’m sick of this psychopath following me, or whoever it is.

When I get close to my car, I swear I feel someone watching me from behind.

I don’t have time to react to anything. Something hits me on the back of the head, hard, and then everything goes black.