The Lie (Kings of Linwood Academy 2)

“You can’t fucking threaten me!” she hisses. “You shouldn’t even be here! I’ll get campus security to kick your ass out!”

“Fine.” I glance behind me at the guys. “But these four will still be here. Do you really think they can’t make your life a living hell? They’ll make sure every kid in this place knows what we know.”

Her perfect face contorts in a sneer, and she shakes her head. “You don’t know—”

“I know my tests aren’t the only scores you faked,” I say softly. Then I shake my head, allowing a smirk to tilt my lips. “You know, I didn’t even know Miss Teen Connecticut was a thing. Much less something people would actually stoop to cheating to win. What was the matter? Did your talent not wow the judges?”

She stiffens, and I can hear her breath catch. She doesn’t answer my question, which is fine since it was rhetorical anyway. In fact, she doesn’t say anything. Her jaw is hanging slightly open and her cheeks are flushed.

Honestly, Trent had way more damaging secrets about Savannah than this. But I have a pretty strong feeling this will be the one that does the trick.

Little miss perfect head cheerleader doesn’t want anyone at Linwood to know her Miss Connecticut crown was stolen.

“It’s your choice,” I offer. “You can either come tell Mr. Osterhaut what you did, or I can tell all those little freshmen who idolize you so much that you’re a fake queen. Do you really hate me that much? To make that worth it?”

She stays completely frozen for a long moment, but even before she speaks, I can tell I’ve won. Her expression gets angrier and angrier, and that tells me everything I need to know. She’s pissed as shit because she has no choice.

“Fine.” She hurls the word like she’s trying to stab me with it.

“Good.”

I grin in triumph, and only now that I’ve won does my heart start to beat faster, the adrenaline of the moment catching up to me. I turn and head in the direction of the admin offices, with the guys behind me and Savannah walking stiffly by my side. Mr. Arndt passes us in the hall, and his brows furrow as he catches sight of me.

Shit. Good thing we’ve already got Savannah in tow, or I’d get kicked off campus before I had a chance to nab her. I have no doubt he’ll be reporting this to the principal, but luckily, that’s just the man I want to see.

When we reach the offices, the guys wait outside as I go in with Savannah. Mr. Osterhaut’s secretary looks a little taken aback by the sight of us—maybe because I look like I’m escorting a prisoner or something. Savannah fidgets anxiously, seeming like she might make a break for it any moment. But before she can, Mrs. Wheland tells us the principal will see us.

I march her inside his office, a room that’s become way too familiar to me over the past few months, and we stop in front of Mr. Osterhaut’s desk. His gaze bounces from the redheaded cheerleader to me.

“Harlow, I thought I made it clear that—”

“Savannah has something she wants to tell you,” I blurt, shoving her forward a little.

His gaze flickers back to her, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

“I—” She breaks off, like she can’t physically force herself to say the words.

“Yes?”

Savannah shoots a glance at me over her shoulder, and I give her a warning look. You tell the principal, or I tell the whole student body you’re a cheater and a liar.

“I… was the one who swapped out Harlow’s tests. In her Business and Economics class, and in Calculus too.”

Mr. Osterhaut’s eyes widen in surprise at her confession. “You did?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It was… just a prank.”

He tilts his head as a disapproving look crosses his face. “Ms. Harris, that’s more than a prank. That’s a very serious offense.”

I’ve heard this speech before, and I’m so fucking glad it’s not directed at me this time I could jump for joy. Victory blazes in my chest, but it’s dampened quickly as Savannah begins to cry. And not like I did when I got expelled, but a theatrical, chest-heaving, voice-quavering kind of cry.

“I… I know. I’m so sorry!”

She presses a hand to her chest, somehow managing to tug her top—which was already pushing the boundaries of the student dress code—a little lower. Her chest rises and falls as she sobs, stepping closer to the desk.