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“Soph!”

“Scar.”

“No snakes. That’s my only request. Please.”

“I’ll text Mr. Tanner your request.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“We definitely need an apple tree though. Do you think he knows a tree guy?”

“Mr. Tanner knows a guy for everything. You did swear him to secrecy, right?”

“He’s no snitch. He hasn’t told anyone about your secret lair, has he?”

Scarlett stared at me. “Our secret lair. And no, but your dad almost did.”

“Almost. My dad is no snitch either. Really, we have nothing to worry about. There will be no fights. And our parents won’t find out about the party or our secret lair. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m glad you’re sure of it.”

Jacob sat down next to me. “What are we sure of?”

“That we’re not getting caught,” I said. “And you’re in charge of making sure Leo and Axel don’t get in a fight.”

“I’m not babysitting them all night.”

“Please?” I batted my eyelashes at him.

Scarlett cleared her throat. “He’ll be busy. Right, Jacob? You asked Olivia to come, didn’t you?” She sounded so hopeful. I knew she wanted him to be happy too.

Jacob shrugged. “No, I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”

Scarlett frowned. “Why? I thought the two of you were really cute together.”

I stifled a laugh. Scarlett hated that bitch. But she’d actually said it with a straight face.

“You should ask her to come,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett, what are you doing?! Couldn’t she see that she was making this worse?

Jacob just stared at her.

“For me,” Scarlett said. “Please?”

“Why would you ask me to do that after what I told you?”

Yeah, this wasn’t helping. I put my hand on his thigh to get his attention.

Jacob looked down at my hand.

Which I’d plopped down wildly too high. I lifted it and hit the back of my hand against his chest. “Well, if you won’t help stop a fight, you can be on mascot lookout.”

Jacob laughed. “I don’t think we’ll need a lookout for the mascot. All those feathers are going to stand out when everyone else is half-naked.” He stood up. “I’m gonna go tell a few more people about the party.” He walked away.

I turned to Scarlett. “What the heck was that? Why would you ask him to bring Olivia? You hate her.”

“Because I want him to stop looking so sad.”