Page 17 of I Kissed Shara Wheeler
This is Shara. Of course it’s Shara. You already know that.
I had to leave. I promise it’ll make sense soon.
I’m sorry I haven’t told any of you how I really feel about you. I’m still not sure how. This is the only way I could think of.
XOXO
Shara
P.S. Chloe, the next card is for you. It’s somewhere you go almost every day. Until then, you’re keeping your vows, and I’m hiding in the brakes.
“What is this?” Rory asks. “This—this doesn’t explain anything.”
“A clue,” Smith says. “The postscript is another clue.”
“How do you know?”
“Because this is what Shara does,” he says. “It’s like… little hints. She can’t just let you in. You have to figure out your way there.”
“So, she wants us to find her?”
“I think so. It sounds like Chloe has to do it.”
“Chloe?”
“Chloe, do you know what it means?”
Chloe can hear their voices overlapping, struggling to get her attention, but she can barely make out the words through the ringing in her ears, growing louder and louder the more she imagines Shara sitting at her dainty little vanity and typing out her smug little email and knowing she could get Chloe to read it. That she could lay out all the pretty pieces of a puzzle and have the three of them fighting over who would get to put it together first.
Of course. Of course Shara gave her this instead of an explanation. Of course Shara cast herself as the main character of her own personal John Green novel. And now the rest of them are supposed to be happy getting shuffled around like stupid little chess pieces, because Shara kissed them, and it’s her board.
The problem is, Shara counted on Chloe being like Smith and Rory and everyone else at Willowgrove, waiting for her to notice them and magically make them interesting or smart or cool. Chloe knows better. She’s kissed Shara Wheeler, and it changed absolutely nothing.
She pushes away from the desk and storms out, ignoring Smith’s confused shout after her.
She’s going to beat Shara at her own game. And then she’s going to destroy her for it.
FROM THE BURN PILE
WILLOWGROVE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY CODE OF CONDUCT
Issued to: Chloe Green
First page of manual torn out and replaced with a sheet of loose-leaf paper covered in handwriting
1. All students must be capital-S Saved.
2. If not capital-S Saved, you must accept responsibility for any and all smear campaigns against your character, probably led by Emma Grace Baker (i.e., “I heard Chloe Green isn’t Saved, I’m praying for her.”).
3. No student may smoke, drink, dance, or have sex, which means half the students are smoking, drinking, dancing, having sex, and lying about it. Pills are fine. If you’re on the football team, just ask Emma Grace’s dad to write you a prescription.
4. Technically, since dancing is Sinful and Horny (same thing), there is no Willowgrove Christian Academy Homecoming Dance or Willowgrove Christian Academy Prom. There is, however, a prom hosted by a group of Willowgrove parents and unaffiliated with the school, which everyone attends at an off-site location.
5. Love God first, love Shara Wheeler second.
4
DAYS SINCE SHARA WHEELER LEFT: 4
