Ace of Spades Sneak Peek(18)

Plus, she seems way too uptight to steal anything. But then again, I don’t know her.

And I don’t care …

I glance at the message again, then chuck my phone back in my pocket.

I check that my headphones are still in, then I breathe.

Drown.

And play.





8


CHIAMAKA

Wednesday


“It’s all over school,” I whisper to Jamie during biology. Thank God there are only a few periods left after enduring people eyeballing and muttering about me all morning.

“It sucks,” he replies, like I just told him the cafeteria is out of fries.

“But no one believes it’s true. Doesn’t take a genius to know you aren’t that kind of person,” Belle says.

I narrow my eyes at her. What is your angle here, Belle? She’s probably trying to look good in front of Jamie, but I see through her.

Like yesterday, Jamie says nothing, and it makes me feel funny inside. Like I should feel guilty for an offense I didn’t commit.

“I’m sure it will blow over,” Belle reassures me.

Again, I ignore her.

“Yesterday evening, one of the science technicians noticed that the science resources storeroom was left open, and unfortunately, some materials we need for today’s experiment were taken,” Ms. Brown says.

That’s … impossible. I always lock the resources storeroom.

“Fortunately, Niveus has plenty of backup materials available. But the theft of these items and the carelessness demonstrated by our Science Rep will be dealt with, and there will be major repercussions.” She pauses. “We want you all to know that we take this sort of thing very seriously,” she finishes, briefly shooting me a severe look.

I feel my face burn as others glance at me too.

“Aren’t you the Science Rep?” Jamie whispers, not so subtly.

I ignore him.

There’s no way I didn’t lock the storeroom. Someone else must have gotten the key and done this. I’ve been Science Rep for years, and not once have I left the room unlocked. I start to raise my hand, ready to clear my name, but I get interrupted by the slimy voice of Satan’s child, Jeremy Hearst, in the corner.

“Well, we don’t want Chiamaka near those spare materials either—you know, since they’re so scarce. Wouldn’t want those to go missing too,” he says, triggering light, awkward laughter. Jeremy’s an ass, that much is public knowledge. We’ve been in the same classes since freshman year, and he’s always thought of himself as the funniest guy in school. The funniest thing about him is his face.

It’s going to take a lot more than fake news to shove me off the top. You’d think after three years he’d know that.

“You can all proceed with the experiment. Chiamaka, can you come up to the front, please,” Ms. Brown says.

I push myself out of my seat, shrugging off the nosy gazes that follow me.

“Chiamaka,” Ms. Brown starts when I get to her desk, her voice low and serious. “I’m only going to ask you once. Did you take the materials?”

I feel offended she’d even ask something like that.

“No, and I didn’t leave the storeroom unlocked either.”

Ms. Brown nods, but, like Jamie, she looks at me as if I’m some crook.

“You of all people know how serious this is. I’ve had a word with some of the other teachers, and they think it’s best that you give the key back,” Ms. Brown says.

“But I didn’t—”

“I’ve heard you. But unfortunately, we just can’t let a careless mistake like this fly. Some of those materials, if found in the wrong hands or in the wrong place, would be a real health and safety issue for the school. I’ll still give you your reference for Yale, but I think it’s best we find someone else to take over managing the resources storeroom. I’m sorry.”

I bet she is.

I nod, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself by arguing back.

“I understand,” I say.

“Good. Drop the key off before the end of the day. I’ll either be in here or the science library.”

Why not now if I’m the criminal they claim I am?

She tells me to go back to my group, and so I turn, trying to make my face as expressionless as possible despite wanting to scream.

“Are you okay? Your face is red…,” Belle says when I sit back down.

I look at her pretty heart-shaped face and kind eyes and then I look away, grabbing the instructions and focusing on them.

Jamie starts telling a bad joke and Belle laughs, and I really want to hit something.

She isn’t even meant to be here. Jamie is my lab partner, but of course, given my luck so far these past few days, Belle was conveniently transferred to this class. Her old teacher is on sabbatical for the semester, so the students in that class got divided up.

“Oxygen and potassium went on a date…”

Oh god, make it stop.

“Ask me how it went?”

“How?” Belle asks.

He told this same joke at my sixteenth. No one laughed.

“It went … OK.” And then he’s laughing and she’s smiling, giving me a side-glance.

I look down at my notebook, tracing over the words written on the experiment instructions sheet. I don’t want to share mocking looks. I don’t want to be friends. I already have a best friend.