Page 64 of The Other Side
23
Whatever was going on between Chance and me was evolving into something else entirely. There were some moments where it felt natural and I was eager to explore the way he constantly sent my heart soaring. But other times, it gave me so much anxiety, fearing opening up to someone after having been betrayed and rejected over and over again by those that I trusted.
If he broke the trust we had built—if he broke my heart…I would not recover.
Thankfully, after the heavy discussion of the crosses we had born as teenagers, splitting both of us right open for the other to examine and dissect, we turned our attention to our next mission: obtaining Daniel’s laptop password.
On the Thursday before Thanksgiving break, the perfect opportunity presented itself.
Jolene had left school early for the day, for a dentist appointment. It was imperative that she wasn’t in the office, as she would easily spot Chance, and it could not only expose ourtenuous alliance, but then we’d have to reveal everything to her, which could put her at great risk.
In the days preceding our second heist, Chance and I strategized on how best to distract Milton to give Chance enough time to poke around on his computer to find the student laptop passwords.
“Can you wear the leggings you wore when we broke into the headmaster’s office?” Chance asked seriously. “Those will easily distract him—they did a number on me.”
“Be serious.” I shoved him playfully.
“I am!” He threw his hands up, feigning innocence.
“They’re not work appropriate,” I argued. “There’s a no leggings rule in the Montgomery dress code.”
“There are a lot of ridiculous rules in the dress code. Interestingly, most of them apply only to women,” Chance observed.
I snorted a laugh. “I wouldn’t expect any less from Montgomery Prep.”
“What about a low-cut shirt?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Can you unbutton like one or two more buttons than usual?”
“Why don’t I just show up in nothing but a bra?” I suggested sarcastically.
“That would definitely work.” Chance grinned.
I huffed, hating that we had to resort to overt sexuality to get what we needed…but we really did need that password. “Fine.”
Chance’s eyebrows raised in shock. “Just a bra then?”
“No! The button thing,” I snarled.
He nodded his head in understanding. “You know you’ll have to bend over so he can see down your shirt, right?”
The thought made me queasy. “I’ll do what I need to do to give you as much time as possible.”
“I’m only sorry I’ll be missing your acting debut.”
I pursed my lips into a flat line, unamused by his flirting that evening.
Taking a deep breath, I set my laptop on Jolene’s empty desk, unfastened two buttons—Chance insisted it had to be two—and set off down the hall to enact the plan that he and I had devised.
“Milton?” I asked sweetly, leaning against the doorframe.
Milton started at my appearance, closing a window on his computer before I could take a step in to see what he had been looking at.
“Uhh—hi, Violet.” He straightened his mustard-colored shirt, then righted his thin-framed glasses on his nose. “Did you need help with something?”
“Urgently.” I sounded breathless; the effect was unintentional, but worked like a charm.
