The box he holds up is similar to the one they were obsessed with at the beach house, and I’m assuming it’s the one they were playing at Mason’s house. I guess since we got to the bottom of their behavior, they’ve been okay with playing normally.

“Psh, I doubt it, even Charlotte beat you last time,” Julian teases, making the twins’ faces turn red.

“That doesn’t count! Noah was distracting us last time!” They defend themselves, earning laughs from Noah and Charlotte.

“Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Noah says.

They argue back and forth about whether throwing chocolate chip cookie pieces is considered cheating, while Annalisa fidgets in her seat, clearly about to burst from holding in her anger all day.

As always, Aiden notices. “Hey, boys, why don’t you go upstairs and practice playing, and Noah and Julian will come up and kick your butts later?”

“They will not!” Jason and Jackson huff at the same time, but head to the stairs anyway, strategizing between themselves about how they can win and what snacks they need to hide from Noah.

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Annalisa asks, “Who punched Kaitlyn in the face for me after I left?”

Oh boy. We all look around at each other.

“Anna, you know we can’t just do that,” Julian reminds her.

“Okay, you guys no.” Her sharp eyes land on me and Charlotte. “But Amelia? Charlotte?”

I make eye contact with Charlotte’s wide ones. Even with Charlotte’s newfound confidence, I can’t see her punching someone. And I’m trying to get through senior year as normally as possible. Punching the already bruised daughter of the principal doesn’t really fit into that plan.

“Anna . . .” I start.

She crosses her arms in a huff of annoyance. “Fine. Still would’ve been nice. I just wish if I was going to go down for it, I would’ve at least done it.”

“Who do you think did?” Noah asks her.

“This is a calculated move orchestrated by her and Ryan. They’re trying to get back at me for what they think my brother did to Ryan’s dad. All that Wacko Anna White bullshit? They planned this. Are you sure it’s not just makeup?”

I mean, she’s not wrong. It is convenient that Kaitlyn spent all that time making sure everyone knew Annalisa was threatening her “for no reason,” but I know it’s not makeup. Would Kaitlyn allow herself to get beaten up just to get Annalisa expelled? Especially when she doesn’t really have a direct problem with Annalisa? She only hates her because one, she hates everyone. And two, her boyfriend hates Annalisa. But is that enough reason to subject herself to a black eye and everything else?

“It’s not makeup,” I reassure everyone. “I talked to her earlier today to ask why she would lie and could tell her injuries were real.”

“Sure, Kaitlyn’s crazy, but I don’t think she’s crazy enough to throw herself down a set of stairs just to get you expelled.” Mason voices exactly what I was thinking.