So I learned to keep most of it to myself rather than risk more I-told-you-so’s from her. And of course I never told her the rest of the story, the fireworks and the surge of satisfaction I experienced when I saw that look of genuine fear on Cameron’s face. It felt like a secret, and Melody would never understand. I could just hear the panic in her voice: But that’s illegal.

• • •

The call came late Friday night. I was surprised when I saw her name lighting up the screen of my phone. “Hey,” I said, my heart skipping a beat.

“So here’s the plan,” Elise said without preamble. “Can you get some peanut butter and go to the address I just texted you?”

“What?” I looked at my phone and saw her message. “Why?”

“You’ll see.”

I didn’t hesitate, grabbing the peanut butter out of the cupboard and jogging to my car, easing it out of the driveway with the headlights off to avoid waking anyone up. I had no idea what I was doing or why. I wasn’t really sure if she’d even be there when I arrived, but I had to find out. Whatever it was, I knew it’d be fun and thrilling, a hammer to break the monotony of school, sleep, repeat.

I pulled in behind a white Camry parked up the street from the address Elise sent. She and a few others stood by the car in dark clothes, huddling over something.

“Hey,” I said as I walked up to them, my heart racing.

“Remy!” Elise gasped, and enveloped me in a tight hug like we were the best of friends. We hadn’t talked much lately, so I was surprised, but I was also secretly thrilled to see her so excited by my arrival. Even though we weren’t best friends, it felt like we could be someday. “Did you bring the PB?” she asked once we separated.

Nodding, I held up the jar. “I wasn’t sure how much you needed. If you want, I can go get some more,” I said, ready to do anything for her.

“No, this is perfect,” she said with a big smile that lit up her eyes before turning to introduce me to Julie, Mark, and Jae. I knew of them, but I’d never exchanged more than two words with Julie or Mark, and Jae was a junior, so we’d never even had a class together. “Lance’s home with the flu. Thanks for helping us out—I knew you’d come,” she said like I’d saved the day.

“Of course,” I said, a little dizzy with anticipation. “What are we doing?” Then I noticed the thing they’d all been hovering over, a small box Julie held gingerly. When everyone quieted down, I could hear light scratching and tiny squeaks. “Is that—”

“Mice?” Elise finished for me. “Yes, and that’s what we need the peanut butter for.”

I looked at her in confusion.

“I told them what we’d done to Cameron,” she said, and I felt surprisingly hurt. I thought it was our secret, I thought that night belonged only to us. “Jae just found out his girlfriend, Dana, was sleeping with his best friend.”