Homeroom is miserable, pretending to be unaffected and we're supposed to work on our essays in class today. I don't know how to have a conversation with Bailey and act like I want to get to know him without being pissy. The guy sold me out to Cassie so she could throw it in my face in front of everyone at school.

"What about the effects of sports on the body?" Bailey grumbles, and I catch him glancing at my knee.

"I really don't want to write a paper about myself," I snap in a low whisper, avoiding his gaze.

"That's not how I meant it," he growls, "but you know a lot about the frustration and pain of it. That will help us."

"We can write about anything and you want to pick something that requires a lot of research?" I glare at my desk, picking at a notch in the surface with my nails.

"Stop that," Bailey clasps my hand, "are you pissed at me or something?"

"Gee, let me think about it?" I snip sarcastically.

Fuck it.

He can know how pissed I am. I doubt he'll suspect I want to do anything about it. He thinks I am too much of a coward to fight back.

"Is this about Cassie?" His hand on mine tightens.

"Let me go," I yank, but he doesn't release me.

"Stop it..." Bailey leans into me, keeping his voice low and dangerous, "I didn't... It was... I was trying to help."

"Oh, please," I roll my eyes, "you knew she would use it against me. You only poured lighter fluid on the fire, jackass."

"She usually listens to me," he removes his hand and swivels back into his chair infuriated.

Yeah, she probably does.

Because you're a dick that always gets what he wants!

"It wasn't your business to dish out. This is why I didn't want you at my house..."

"That's why we're going to my house after school."

"Screw that. I'm not going anywhere with you. We can do it here at school."

"The school locks up after practice," Bailey points out, "and you will be at my house. You can learn my secrets."

"Oh, right because you have a horrible home life?" It can't be that easy considering where he lives, but I don't care if I hurt him.

Bailey grumbles under his breath before saying, "I guess you'll find out, won't you?"

The bell rings and he is out of the room before I can even blink.

Good riddance.

💀

After the lunch bell rings, I start to head for the library, but my stomach lurches. Crap. Yeah, I have to eat. Also, I can't find Mallory if I don't look for her. I could just text her. She did send me a text after I put my information in her phone.

In the cafeteria, I make sure Cassie is busy with her friends and keep an eye on her at all times. I make it through the line, going for a cheeseburger and chips. I grab a juice at the vending machines and move to sit at the vacant table where I used to sit with Taryn and her friends. Asher and Sofia are just as absent as she is.

This is weird.

I was always the one hiding out, but now I am here alone. I sit on the far side of the table. My back to the wall with a full view of the cafeteria. Asher isn't anywhere, making do with other people. I don't even see Sofia blending in with anyone else either. I can't imagine what she is doing. She isn't involved in any extracurriculars. It's normal for Taryn to disappear during lunch, as far as I know, since she's apart of clubs and is the class secretary.

The table by the doors erupts with laughter and I glance over to see Zane and Riette laughing hysterically. Zane is here, so Taryn isn't busy with student council. There are a number of other things she could be doing right now. She may even be busy making out with Asher, which would explain his absence, too.

Bailey watches his friends, but he is focused on something in his phone. He looks nervous or upset. Maybe he's just angry about whatever pisses him off.

Suddenly, Mallory slides in across from me with a lunch tray. She has a Mandarin chicken salad, a breadstick, and bottle of water. She smiles wide at me, mixing honey mustard dressing over the salad and taking a large bite. She clearly got my text and is happy she'll have some help. I just have to make sure to watch my back. This could all be a part of another setup, but I'll be prepared this time.

"I'm so glad you texted," she begins, stirring the salad some more and chewing quickly, "can we meet up after school?"

"I'll have an hour or so," I nod happily, "but I have to meet up with Bailey to work on our essay for English."

Mallory freezes and her eyes snap to me, "no fucking way... This could not get any better! That's a perfect in. That gives you time alone with him. Where are you meeting up?"

"His house."

"Perfect," she taps her toes into the tile, "this time... Just work on the project and don't be weird. You know, just yourself. Treat him how you normally do. We can recon more after we establish ourselves."

"Excuse me?" I set down the last half of the burger, gaping.

"We have to figure out what our long-term game is. Clearly, Bailey is going to be an in for us, but we have to earn his trust."

"I don't want him to be an in," I snap harshly, "I want to take him down, too."

"Oh?"

"The only reason Cassie said anything this morning is because he told her," I snarl.

"Oh shit... That's where that came from? So, is it true? Your dad talks to you like that?"

"Ugh..." I shake my head, "I'm not talking about my dad. Bailey took something very personal and private and broadcasted it to his fucking girlfriend. I want to take her down, but I want him to fucking hurt."

"I'm all on board," Mallory giggles, "I'm ready to take them all down, Max."

"As long as Cassie and Bailey go down, I don't care about the rest."

"Well, Cassie and Bailey will be a good start. First thing is first, we have to tear them apart. They're too tough to beat together. We need to eviscerate that relationship," Mallory takes another bite.

"Agreed."

"And you're the one to get in between them," she consumes another large bite of green leaves and chicken.

"Why me?" I whine.

"Bailey has some weird obsession with you that pisses Cassie off, and if anyone can get him to break it off with her, you can."

"Bullshit."

"I'm not kidding," Mallory shakes her head, "he only stays with her because she blackmails him. I don't know what she has over his poor ass, but I don't think he really even enjoys making out with her. They don't even have sex. It pisses her off. She's tried seducing him multiple times."

What?

I glance in his direction, but the Ghost Riders are gone, "we can just make a point of him being unable to perform."

"That won't hurt him. Every girl in this school will still want a chance to fuck him," Mallory is determined to rip them down and make it stick.

The bell rings to signal the end of lunch, "we'll have to work this out after school."

"Meet me at my car."

"Should people know we hang out?"

"Who gives a shit? They can think we're planning something or we're just safer in numbers." Mallory suggests, clearing our trays.

We walk together to my locker, "alright, but... I doubt it's a good idea."

"Cassie will squirm when she finds out we're hanging out together. She'll think I'm feeding you all these secrets. She won't think we're planning anything big. She's got too big an ego to think we have the power to dethrone her."

I giggle at the remark as I gather my things and Mallory dashes off to get her things for her next class.

💀

When the final bell rings, I scramble from class as fast I can with my tender knee. I dump everything into my backpack and find Mallory waiting next to my white BMW, leaning into her red Impreza. She looks like she always has with bedazzled jeans, sleek white tennis shoes, pink crop tee, and black hair sprawling down to her shoulder blades.

"Ready?" Mallory straightens up, placing hands on her hips.

"Where are we going?"

"My house. You can follow," Mallory moves to her driver's side, "I live close to Zane's place. The little subdivision below the hill."

"I know the one," I get into my car.

It's a quick drive from school. Mallory's place isn't much bigger than the house I grew up in. There are a few extra sitting rooms and even a little library. We settle at a dark wooden table in the space and spread out homework like that's what we are here for.

"I have this idea," Mallory digs out a pink notebook, "you said you want Bailey to hurt."

"Yes."

"You have an in with him because of the essay. You'll get lots of time with him."

"Okay," I'm not sure if I like where this is going.

"It won't be about fishing for secrets. I have all the dish I need on Cassie. I probably know more than she realizes," Mallory smirks at the thought, "but for Bailey... Once we break them up, we'll have to break his heart."

I frown, "how the hell will we do that? You said he doesn't really care for Cassie."

"Right. She's got something over his head. I don't know if we can figure it out or not, but there's got to be something that will end their agreement. However, once we do that, he'll be open and free for a new girl. He'll be ready to move on immediately."

"So... I figure out who he likes?" I can only hope that's all she wants from me.

"Nope," she giggles, "I already told you he has a weird obsession with you. I think he actually likes you, but you're an outcast. That makes you off limits, but if we make you irresistible, desirable... Not just by him but all the guys at school then he'll give in."

"Uh... Look, I don't really think... I don't know about that," I wave my hands at her, "I'm not all that great with faking anything. The guy pisses me off."

"Don't pretend like you weren't totally falling for him before Cassie got in the middle of it," Mallory cocks an eyebrow, "you were swooning. He was crushing, so I know you were."

"The guy just wanted to break me," I snap defensively, "and he almost did."

"Nah, he just made you feel stupid," Mallory shakes her head.

"Look, Mallory. I'm all for getting back at them and making sure they never reign again, but I don't want to be the one responsible for all of it. That's a lot on my shoulders."

"You can handle it. I'll help you." She's asking a lot of me.

"I don't even know if I can trust you. Until recently, you were her best friend."

Mallory rolls her eyes, "I was never her friend. I was just a pawn in her game."

"What the hell did she do to you?"

"It doesn't matter..."

"It does matter. If you want me to help you, then I need to know. You already know what they do to me. They make it public. I need to know what she did to you. Tell me why I can trust you."

"Look, she... Dumped me, okay? She threatened to out my family."

"Out them?"

Mallory glances around and huffs, "my parents lost their money. We're selling the house and moving to... A less wealthy part of town. It's humiliating."

She thinks that's humiliating?

"You may not understand it, but my parents have a standing in this town. We have a reputation and no one can know. I told Cassie because I still trusted her and she used it against me when I didn't want to... God, she wanted to seduce Bailey and offer us both to him. She thought it might be his thing or something. I said no and she dumped me. She said if I told anyone about it, she would out me."

"So, your secrets are safe," I point out, "I'm the one who is putting everything on the line and putting in all the work."

"But now you know why I want to get her. I want everyone to know what she is."

"Everyone does know what she is, but they're all afraid of her," I drum my fingers on the table top.

"She doesn't expect me to do anything because I need to keep this a secret, but once we move out in March... Everyone will know anyway. Then I can spill her fucking secret. People might know they aren't fucking, but they don't know all the things she has done to try and entice him and he always turned her down."

"Why wouldn't he want to sleep with her?"

"He doesn't care for her. She's blackmailing him into being with her," Mallory shrugs, "he's popular and a Ghost Rider. That gives her a lot of control at the school. Everyone fears the Ghost Riders."

"Because they are four tough guys."

"They are," Mallory agrees simply, flipping open the pink notebook, "but if we can figure out what she has on him, we can use it to take them both down. That's two elites, Max. The two you want gone. We're starting with them and then you'll help me get the rest, right?"

I roll my eyes, "let's just see if we can even take Cassie and Bailey down."

"We're going to hurt Bailey," Mallory grins, she points to the notebook page, "and you are going to be the girl who does it."

I glance down at the page, "you want me to date him?"

She can't be serious!

"You have an in. You'll get to work with him and we already know he likes you. We just have to convince him that you're worth the risk."

"God... This is going to be a lot of work," I take the notebook and scan the details, "I just want to survive and graduate."

"He told her your business and now everyone knows. He betrayed your trust," Mallory reminds me harshly.

I groan, "right. Alright. So, this is the plan?" I stare at the page, "you want me to become this girl?"

"He wants a tomboy that isn't afraid to get dirty or show some skin. He likes a girl who speaks her mind and fights back," Mallory nods, pointing out some of her writing, "and... You're already a tomboy, but we have to get you to show some more skin. And you like to talk back to him and sometimes you speak back with Cassie. You'll have to prove that you aren't a wimp. He likes a girl who can fight."

This girl she is talking about sounds a lot like me, but I haven't been her since freshman year.

"How do you know what he likes?"

"I've spent a lot of time with him and Cassie. She is the last thing he wants," Mallory shrugs, taking the notebook and scrolling down a few more notes.

"So, how do we prove I am what he's looking for? And not be obvious about it?"

"He'll think you hate him, but he also likes that about you. It will draw him to you like a moth to a flame. Just keep arguing with him and fighting him. But we'll have to show the boys at school that you're hot, too. You won't be an outcast if you're seen with me. I might not be at the top anymore, but I still have some standing," Mallory is more excited about this than me.

"I have to walk around all confident, showing skin, flirting with guys, and continuing to hate Bailey?"

I can do that.

I hope.