B006K5TA1E EBOK (21 page)

Mac turns to me. “Newshound was kind of weak, but you pulled it together with the
Tribune
article.”

Mariah steps forward, unable to contain herself another second. “Excuse me, but this waste of oxygen was only fixing what she screwed up in the first place.”

“Excuse me,” another voice echoes. “I don’t like your tone, Maria. Or your attire.”

It’s Principal Alvarez, and she’s giving Mariah’s micromini, fishnets, and skimpy tank top a disapproving once-over.

“We’re not on school property,” Mariah says.

“Quite right,” Mrs. Alvarez concedes. “If you want to look like that on your own time, I suppose it’s your right.”

“Exactly,” Mariah says. “Since you’re here, Mrs. A., I want to say that I feel my leadership in the fund-raising hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.”

Mrs. Alvarez plays along. “No?”

“Dunfield students would never have supported the idiot challenge without me.”

“The idiot challenge?”

Mariah shrugs. “Idiot, illiterate… it’s the same thing.”

Mrs. Alvarez purses her lips. “I see. Well, I didn’t actually see you doing much to promote the cause, Maria. As far as I could tell, you mainly promoted yourself. That’s not my idea of what leadership is all about.” She turns to Mac. “Mr. Landis, on the other hand, did offer leadership to the male students, and that’s why I’ve decided to give the boys an extra three days off at spring break.”

Mariah puts her hand on her bare hip. “You can’t be serious.”

“I generally am, Maria. I promised to reward the team that impressed me, and the gentlemen did. The same can’t be said for the ladies.” Mrs. Alvarez’s lip curls over the last word, and she eyes Mariah’s belly ring. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Mariah gives the one-fingered salute to Mrs. A.’s back as she leaves. “See if I thank Buzzkill when I win the YouTube award. My video was top-rated this week.”

“I haven’t seen it,” I say. “But I heard it was killing in the comedy category. Are you branching out, Mariah?”

“Comedy?” She gives me a sharp look. “You’re lying, Coconut.”

Joey looks at his new buddy. “Landis, could you ask your girl not to call my girl ‘Coconut’ anymore?”

Mac shakes his head and pulls Joey away to join the basketball team. “We were over a long time ago, Carella.”

Mariah screeches after Mac, “Excuse me?
I
decide when we’re over.” He doesn’t respond, so she adds, “We’re over. Do you hear me?” Still no response. She turns to the Understudies and says, “Let’s go. I saw some reporters earlier.”

Understudy One shakes her head. “We’ll catch up with you later.”

Mariah snaps her fingers and gestures to them to heel. “Now.”

“Sorry, we’re hanging with Lu,” Understudy Two says.

Mariah’s eyes jump from one Understudy to the other. Beneath the sparkly bronzer, her face is blotching. “You’re choosing the Coconut over
me
?”

Understudy One shrugs. “She knows Solana G.”

Glancing at Mariah’s leg warmers, Understudy Two titters. “Besides, the dancing thing is getting old.”

Mariah draws back her arm to swing, but the Dispatcher materializes and restrains her. He looks at me and says, “Is she bothering you?”

“Only for the past ten years,” I say.

He yanks her backward. “It sounds like someone needs etiquette lessons.”

Mariah puts up a fight, so the Dispatcher picks her up and carries her to the door. “Do you know who I am?” she screams. “I was on
The Right Moves
.”

“And thus Persephone returned to rule the underworld,” Izzy says gleefully.

I smile, remembering the class in which I imagined staging a revolt against Mariah and Mac. What seemed so farfetched in September has nearly come to pass.

The battle raged for days, and when the dust finally cleared, the Dancers and the Jocks surrendered to the Mighty Trio. Peace descended on the newly christened Newshound High, and an era of serenity began, as the Goddess of Uniqueness, Luisa, ruled the heavens alongside Joey, God of the Good Guys, and Izzy and Rachel, whose goddess powers continued to grow daily.

With Mariah and her followers banished, Luisa freed Mac and his boys from perpetual basketball and allowed them to wander freely, trusting them to remember their loyalties.

And so it is that everyone lives in perfect harmony at Newshound High.

Meanwhile, demons and spirits revolt in the underworld over Hades’ decision to welcome Mariah into their realm. The bounty on her head is so high that—

Rachel snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Wake up. Solana’s on in five minutes.” I head back to my seat, only to find Mac Landis loitering beside it.

“Do you mind if I sit down?” he asks, motioning to Joey’s empty seat.

“Yeah, I do,” I say. “That seat’s taken.”

“Don’t be like that, Lu. I’m willing to let bygones be bygones if you are. We should go back to the planetarium sometime.”

I stare up at him in disbelief. “You
can’t
be asking me out. You just shook my boyfriend’s hand.”

“Carella’s a good guy,” Mac says. “But all’s fair in love and war, right?”

Joey slides around Mac and into his seat. “Nice try, Landis. But the seat beside Lu Perez is going to be taken for a long time.”

They grin at each other, and I watch them, baffled. Something tells me Joey and I will also have plenty to write about for a long time.

As Solana takes the stage, Mac disappears and Joey’s arm settles around me. Resting my head on his shoulder, I smile. I may not understand guys, but I intend to enjoy trying.