Piper: I heard u and Luna talking on Beck’s deck the other night about how she feels like she has to steal because her parents are so mean. She really needs to be more careful when she tells her sob story.

Me: U better not do anything to her, Piper, or I swear to God I’ll end you.

Piper: Like u could. U know as well as I do that I have everyone at the school so damn afraid of me they’ll do whatever I tell them to. So, if I tell them to break Luna apart, they’ll do it because they’ll be too afraid to go against everyone else. And I think the store owners would love to hear about the sweet, little, church girl who’s been ripping them off, too.

My heart thrashes in my chest as I sink onto my bed and grip the living daylights out of my phone. “Fuck. This is all my fault.” Piper wouldn’t be going after Luna if she wasn’t pissed off at me.

Me: What do u want?

Piper: U know what I want, Grey. I’ve spelled it out for you enough.

I flex my fingers, trying to control my temper.

Me: So, if I take you to the dance, u will leave Luna alone?

Piper: U have my word.

Me: Ur word means jack shit.

Piper: Guess you’ll just have to trust me that this time I’m being honest. Oh, and I expect u to wear a pale pink tie and cummerbund just like we talk about.

Me: I still don’t get why u r doing this. If u were screwing around with Logan, then clearly u never really cared about me.

Piper: I’m doing this because I can and because u broke up with me. I hate when I don’t get my way, but worse, I hate when people think they’re better than me when they’re not. U were never a good boyfriend, but I stuck it out with you because you were hot and popular. I should’ve been the one to break up with you.

Rage waves through me, and I chuck the phone across the room.

“Goddammit!” I get up and pace the room. “What the hell am I going to do?”

Deep down, I know exactly what I’ll end up doing. I’ll take Piper to the dance because suffering through one night with her is worth protecting Luna from months of torture.

I tell Piper I’ll take her to the dance the next morning, and she agrees to keep Luna out of this stupid battle going on between the two of us. The worst part is still ahead of me, though, because I have to inform Luna that not only does the most vindictive person in our high school know her secret, but I’m going to take her to the dance.

It feels like sophomore year all over again as I head for the grassy area in front of the school where Luna and her friends hang out during the mornings and afternoons.

Luna texted me a few minutes ago, saying she’d be there. I wanted to reply that I couldn’t wait to see her, but I felt too nervous and guilty. My guilt only grows when she smiles at me.

“I was starting to wonder if you got my message,” she says, looking happy to see me.

I stop just short of her, drinking her in. She’s wearing a pair of red shorts and a black tank top that matches her boots. The outfit shows off her long legs and the freckles on her shoulders, freckles which I kissed the other night.

I finally drag my eyes off her, but then instantly shift my weight when I notice the gazes of Willow, Ari, and Wynter scrutinizing me.

“I did. I was going to text you back, but I was driving,” I tell Luna.

“Oh.” Luna pats the spot next to her, and I drop my bag onto the ground then pause before I sit down.

“Mind if I sit with you guys?” I ask the three of them.

Wynter trades a questioning look with Willow who casts a curious glance at Ari.

Ari shrugs, like why are you guys looking at me? “Sure. The more the merrier.”

I sit down behind Luna and slide a leg on each side of her, earning a look of approval from Wynter. I play with Luna’s hair, tangling my fingers through it as she and her friends talk about what they’re going to do at lunch.

“I can leave campus,” Luna says to Wynter, relaxing back against my chest, “but I need to be careful that no one sees me.”

Wynter slides her legs out from under her to stretch them out in the sunlight peeking through the tree branches above our head. “I can’t wait until you don’t have to hide anymore.”

“Me, either,” Luna agrees. “It’s going to be soon, too.”

Wynter smiles then turns to Willow and starts telling her that she should move in with them, too.

I circle my arms around her and put my lips beside Luna’s ear. “Soon, huh?”

She bobs her head up and down. “I got the job at the diner. I start this weekend, which gives me the entire week to finish helping Benny shred his crazy amount of papers before I start my new job.”

“How do your parents feel about that?”

“They don’t know yet, and with what happened over the weekend, I’m not going to tell them.”

I trace circles on her shoulder. “What happened exactly?”

She tips up her chin, meeting my gaze. “They told me they were shipping me off to an all girls’ boarding school.”

“What?”

“It’s not going to happen. They’re sending me away in a couple of weeks, which gives me a couple of weeks to get everything set up to move out.” She anxiously chews on her lip. “I’m scared, though, that they’ll somehow find out what I’m doing before I get out.”

“You could always just come stay with me until you’re ready to move in with Wynter,” I offer, pulling her more tightly against me.

She laughs a little. “While I appreciate the offer, I don’t think you’re ready to handle me twenty four seven, and I’d never want to impose on your family like that.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing. My mom would probably be happy that I was helping you out. She’s actually the one who encouraged me to give you that long-ass apology I gave you the other night.”

“You talk to your mom about me?”

“I talk to her about a lot of stuff, including you. She wants to meet you sometime.”

“I’d really like that,” she says with a trace of nerves. “I just hope she likes me.”

“How could she not?” I brush my finger down the brim of her nose.

“I don’t know. If you told her everything about me, she might not.”

“She understands people make mistakes. She has me as a son, doesn’t she?” Sighing, I move my arms from around her and scoot back. “I really need to talk to you about something? But not here in the open.” I stand up and offer her my hand. “Walk with me to my car?”

Nodding, she places her hand in mine, and I lift her to her feet. Right as we’re about to walk off, though, all hell breaks loose.

It starts when Beck joins the circle, sitting down between Wynter and Willow. “Hello, my lovely comrades? What a fine day we’re having. Don’t you all agree?”

“Beck, are you high already?” Luna hisses under her breath, glaring at him.

He presses his hand to his chest, feigning hurt. “Luna, I’m insulted that you’d think, just because I’m happy, I’d have to be high.” He drapes an arm around Willow’s shoulder, grinning. “The only thing I’m high on is life.”

Wynter snorts a laugh, while Willow seems like a skittish animal, ready to flee. “You’re so high,” Wynter says to Beck.

Beck shoots Wynter the nastiest look I’ve ever seen, but the look fades as Willow ducks out from Beck’s arm, grabs her stuff, and jumps to her feet.

“I have to go.” She dashes toward the school.

“What was that about?” Wynter mutters, watching her friend practically run away from their circle.

Beck stares after her. “I think I fucked up,” he says then stands up and runs after Willow.

“I knew them dancing like that was going to cause drama,” Ari mumbles, shaking his head.

“They’ll get over it. They always do,” Luna tries to reassure him, but I can feel the tension in her fingers as she turns to me. “Ready?”