Hush Money by Susan Bischoff

while
Marco droned on with details so I could practice for my new career
as a felon. And the thing was, it never crossed my mind to walk
away knowing that Joss would be hurt. Because that was my fault
too. I never should have forgotten what Marco knew about her dad,
and I never should have let him know that I was interested in her.
The thing with her dad—that was probably why she tried so hard not
to let anyone notice her. And after all those years of her walking
on eggshells, I decide I just have to start talking to her,
and manage to shove her right in front of the wolf.
    All I could do now was stand up and stay
between them.

Chapter 10

    Joss

    I figured Kat’s party to be at about
two-third’s swing. This was a completely arbitrary judgment as this
was my first party since I was five. I was going by the fact that
everyone seemed to be there, music was pumping out of the speakers
out on the deck, people were talking in small groups, and it was
mostly girls inside, in the family room, pretending they weren’t
watching most of the guys, who were outside, on the deck that
opened off of it.
    Then Marco came in with his crew and headed
for the buffet of snacks Kat and I had spent the afternoon working
on. Kat and I had been standing at the table for a bit, while Kat
displayed some rabid perfectionist tendencies I wasn’t aware she
had. But of course I should have guessed. After she and her friends
had strong-armed me into a mini-makeover and ridiculous clothes,
she had kept me in her hip-pocket so far this evening, making sure
I didn’t revert to form, she said. She was fussing over neatly
folded napkins that were obviously destined to go unused when
Heather nudged her and inclined her head toward the door. The girls
immediately went on alert, and so did I. They turned as one,
preparing to strike, while I casually began to back away from them,
heading for the corner I’d been longing for.
    As if my heart weren’t pounding hard enough,
from the people, the noise, from knowing something was about to
happen, Dylan’s glance caught mine, and he smiled at me. I tried
not to glance down at myself, at the scoop-neck top they’d made me
wear that hugged me all over, and the sparkly little pendant that
said hey, we got some cleavage over here! Most people
probably wouldn’t consider it low cut at all, but this was probably
the most clavicle I had ever displayed. I crossed my arms over my
chest, realized that probably made the cleavage thing worse,
uncrossed them, and shifted uncomfortably in Kat’s girl-shoes.
    “Marco,” Kat said, grabbing a cup of soda
from the table behind her. “I’m really glad you could come to my
party.”
    He looked suspicious as she exchanged his
empty cup for the full one. This was further proof, in my opinion,
that Marco wasn’t as stupid as Kat thought he was. “Know your
enemy.” My dad’s words went through my head. I had tried one
last time to talk Kat out of whatever it was they had planned, but
she wasn’t hearing it. She was convinced that a Psych 101 textbook
put everyone into their neat little boxes. But how could it? I
wondered what Psych 101 had to say about minds that could cause
temporary blindness, move objects, start fires.
    “Well thanks. That’s really nice of you.
Although I hope you’re not thinking that this changes anything
between us. If you know what I’m saying.”
    “What are you guys talking about?” Jeff
asked.
    “About how Kat wants me, but I told her it
wouldn’t work between us. Isn’t that right, Kat?”
    “You’re hilarious.” To give her credit, Kat
seemed perfectly comfortable sparring with Marco, even though more
of the other kids were sensing something was going on that was
worth paying attention to. “I think you and I got off on the wrong
foot. I mean, there’s so much we don’t know about each other. Like,
for example, I didn’t know that it’s just you and your dad at
home.”
    All conversation stopped. Outside, the music
was as