Page 94 of Better Than Revenge

“Maybe they’re staring at me,” Max said, waving. The girl he waved to gave me sad eyes, like she felt sorry for me.

“What was that?” I asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Yeah, that was weird. And you have nothing on your face.”

“Do you think everyone found out I’m trying out tomorrow? That it got leaked?”

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

I saw Deja and Lee at our table in the courtyard across the way before I could hear them. They were huddled over, sharing a phone screen. Deja looked up at me, as if sensing I was there, then back at the phone.

Has she seen this?I could see the question on Lee’s lips even though I couldn’t hear the words.

Deja’s eyes were back on me again.I don’t think so,her lips said.

A wave of panic went through me, my walk slowing to a crawl.

“What’s wrong?” Max asked, matching my pace.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see if I had gotten whatever mysterious message they were looking at, but I didn’t have any notifications waiting.

Deja’s shoulders rose and fell, worry etching lines in her face. Max, obviously sensing something now too, cursed under his breath.

“Hey,” I said when I reached the table.

“I have to show you something,” she said.

I swallowed, sinking onto the metal bench attached to thetable. “Is it bad? Maybe we should wait until after my tryouts tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe,” she said. Her eyes flitted to the phone, then back to me.

“Finley, it won’t keep that long,” Lee said. “You’ll find out. Everyone knows.”

“Idon’t know,” Max said.

“You will.”

“Where did Theo go?” I asked, looking around, feeling the need for his steadiness right now.

Deja’s jaw tightened.

“He went to find you,” Lee said. “He must’ve missed you on the walk.”

“Okay,” I said. “Show me.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“What is it?”

“A video.”

“A video?”

She nodded and handed me the phone without asking me if I was sure again. And even though I wasn’t, I flipped the phone sideways and pushed play.

The video started in a familiar backyard. It took me a minute to realize it was Theo’s. Someone was recording a pickup football game. Just several guys informally passing, catching, and running with the ball. It was obviously a no-contact-type game. When the runner was touched, he stopped. Almost like flag football minus the flags. The recording went on for less than a minute when thecamera focused on something in the distance. It zoomed closer and closer until I saw that something was me. Standing on Theo’s back porch with Deja, Max, and Lee.