Page 125 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
Both Logan’s and my head whip to her at the exact same time.
But Nicole is staring atme. Just like I knew she would.
“What are you talking about?”
She waves her phone in my face. “This one that just went up about me proves it.”
Logan’s brow furrows, and he discreetly pulls out his own phone, blinking down at the screen. A small group forms around us including my friends, Reid, Josh, Amaya, Coach Rousseau, and my mom.
Principal West storms over seething. “Can we not haveoneevent go smoothly this weekend?”
But Nicole doesn’t seem to notice or care about the disruption she’s causing. She looks around at the group and straightens her shoulders. “All that stuff you said about not humiliating me was total crap.”
“We all know you’re the one behind the posts, Clara, just admit it,” Amaya says, backing Nicole. “You’re bitter about what happened at the assembly even though you deserved it, and you’re always following us around with your camera.”
Even though I saw her rage texts and I had suspected her of being capable of the Legacy Lore posts all weekend, my mouth still drops open in genuine shock. In all my interviews with Amaya, every time we talked, she was kind to me. I didn’t realize her being a good actress meant she was being so fake to my face.
Delaney and I exchange a look when she briefly glances up from her phone.
“You literally just saw why I follow you all around with a camera,” I shoot back.
Principal West is rubbing his temples as Nicole appeals to him. “She’s lying. Clara is the one doing this.” She gestures around the room to everyone holding their phones. “Trying to get us to lose our scholarships and ruineverything.”
Logan’s eyes widen a touch. But I see something else, too. Irritation. He doesn’t like that I’m getting the credit.
“Why would she do that?” West asks, exasperated.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I goad.
“Revenge,” Nicole spits out first. She stares at the camera slung over my shoulder, thinking I have proof of her confession, in addition to the Legacy Lore post everyone has now read. Backed into a corner, she says, “I knew you’d try to get me back for showing that video at last year’s assembly.”
Nicole’s accusation—and admission—carries across the entire lodge.
Reid reaches for my hand and squeezes. I stare at it a beat, wondering if it’s friendly, protective, or means what I want more than anything in the world for it to mean.
My mom turns to Principal West, speaking for the first time. “She’ll be disqualified, right?”
West holds up his hands as if telling her to slow down.
“Don’t try to placate me, Ryan. It’s only fair,” Mom insists. “Nicole just admitted to sabotaging Clara, and based on the terms and standards weallhave had to accept over the years, it’s only right that she should lose her spot as a Legacy, too.”
“If I lose my scholarship so should Reid, since they filmed me talking about it without me knowing. It’s the exact same thing,” Nicole says with a triumphant jut of her chin.
I slide her a cold gaze. “But I wasn’t recording.”
Nicole blinks. “What?” She looks at Reid. “No, but you said—”
“Did we?” he asks, shoving his other hand in his pocket. “I don’t remember saying that.”
“Not my style,” I say honestly. “You brought this all on yourself.”
A longoooooooooripples through the group as Nicole’s mouth opens, then closes. Even Coach Rousseau looks like he wishes he had popcorn.
Reid and I exchange a glance. I wasn’t about to compromise his scholarship with this plan, but I quickly realized that she only needed tothinkI was going to reveal all of this for her to tell on herself.
Seeing her shock now knowing I bested her is how I imagine Reid felt when he slugged Josh earlier today. The deepest satisfaction.
Principal West looks around, catching eyes with severaldisgruntled-looking members of the committee. “Ms. Kelly, I’m afraid we’ll have to review this. I’m incredibly disappointed in you willfully taking an opportunity away from another student.”
