Rinn didn’t realize that she cared quite so much about a girl who was so rude to her, but that was life. Fall in love with boys from afar and treat mortal enemies like friends. Just a regular day for Rinn here.

But Eli was a difficult creature to keep on topic. “Is that a handprint on your face?”

Rinn backed up. Shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. Not really.”

Eli raised an eyebrow. “Which is it?”

Rinn blinked. Why couldn’t she behave normally when she needed to tell a white lie? It wasn’t even a huge lie. She needed to be able to cover herself for like ten seconds and her body was in absolute revolt. “I don’t think so.”

“Why wouldn’t you know if it was a handprint?”

“Do you see any mirrors up here?” Rinn attempted to deflect.

But, of course, that’s when Eli pointed to the mirrored surface hanging in the middle of the bank vault full of books.

Of course Old Mr. Hunt had put a freaking mirror in here.

Rinn looked into the mirror. It was a flash of an image, then she looked away. She didn’t really want to register what she’d seen. “A handprint.”

And Eli, who seemed most of the time like the most impulsive boy on the planet, just stood there like he had all the time in the world. “Any explanation for how a red mark the size of a hand got on your face?”

Rinn crossed her arms, fighting the shame flushing through her. “Yes. There sure is.”

“Are you going to share with the class, Ms. Olivera?” Nobody could mock the tone of an authority figure like Eli.

“No.” Rinn did her best to steady her breath. “Are you going to go find Daniella?”

“How did you get that handprint on your face, Rinn Olivera?”

It was a leading question, and Rinn, heaven help her, fell right into the trap. “It wasn’t her fault.”

Eli stared for a minute. He looked, well, mad. It was odd. He wasn’t a particularly large boy. But he seemed larger suddenly. Puffed out. Barely in control and not in an impish or fun-loving sort of way. “What the hell did you say to her?”

“I’m not sure. I think Harvey came onto her. And I wanted to know if she was okay. And she lost it, Eli. She lost it at me.”

“She lost it at you for no other reason? Are you sure you didn’t say something? Daniella doesn’t fly off the handle for no reason.” That tensed threat wound its way through Eli’s voice.