stuff? It’s not like you need it.”
Caroline snapped at her, “We didn’t steal anything. Do you see any stolen electronics?”
“No,” Ellie said sheepishly.
“Exactly.” Then under her breath I think she said, “Idiot.” What kind of person calls her friend an idiot?
Gordo said, “The police will figure this all out. Don’t worry your pretty little fashionable heads about it.”
I forced a smile. I hoped Gordo was right, because the videos and photos that Sebastian had would surely put Caroline and me at the scene of the crime during the crime .
• • •
From the train station we walked a few blocks to meet Liam, who was supposedly picking us up after we’d all met for breakfast following the sleepover at Ellie’s. On the ride I clicked an e-mail to my mom and dad. My mom had probably scrubbed every surface of the house worrying about me.
Approaching the manor house, I was again reminded of how big and fabulous it was. Ivy and moss crept everywhere.
We planted ourselves in her kitchen while Caroline got her iPad. “I cannot believe Sebastian has the nerve toblackmail me. He is more of a weasel than I thought. Just thinking about him makes me feel all icky.” She rubbed her arms.
Liam brought us an assortment of juices and baby-size muffins. Yay, Liam! I was starving, so I popped one into my mouth whole. I saw Sam look at me, and I thought he was going to call the Hungry Police, but he didn’t. The next muffin I took, I broke and ate in smaller pieces.
Mrs. Littleton stepped into the kitchen. “Oh, hi there, gang. Jordan, I got an early text from your mama. She was a wee bit angry when she got your message that said all y’all have done is shop and have a pillow party.”
“Pillow party?” Caroline asked, confused.
“You call it a sleepover, but we used to call that a pillow party in my sorority days,” Mrs. Littleton said.
I thought for sure that Ellie was going to blow our cover story. She fiddled with the lace table runner. “The pillow party was very . . . pillowy. We had a pillow fight and a pillow pile and um . . . ah . . . uh . . . We made a fortress out of blankets and pillows.”
I was officially impressed. I doubted that Ellie with a y would have thought so fast on her feet. The fortress was an especially good detail.
“Really? A fort?” Mrs. Littleton asked.
“Yup,” Ellie said. “That was J.J.’s idea. ApparentlyAmericans like to build stuff with blankets and pillows.”
“J.J.’s?” Mrs. Littleton looked at me to make sure I was J.J. I nodded. “Cute,” she said.
Caroline said, “This was after we spent a positively perfect day at Daphne’s.”
Mrs. Littleton said, “Did you hear the news that there was a break-in last night? The telly said there had been some mischief and a theft—jewelry, I think.”
“Electronics,” Ellie corrected her.
Caroline said, “J.J. got some nice additions to her wardrobe. I mean, look at her. Better, eh?”
“I did think there was something different about ya. I thought it was just the blond streak in your hair. Do you think your mama is going to be okay with that?”
“Oh, yes,” I lied. “She is totally into exploring new fashion.” I really hated lying. “I don’t know when you saw her last, but she has become quite a collector of shoes, like Jimmy Choos. Ha! That rhymes.” (Last night I’d learned that Jimmy Choos were a really hot brand.)
“A bore,” Ellie said.
“What?” I asked. “What did you say?”
“We call someone who collects lots of shoes a shoe bore .”
“Okay. Right. Well, that’s what she is,” I lied again. “A bore from a shoe store. Ha!” I did it again.
Mrs. Littleton said, “Well, it sounds like y’all havehad great fun. But your mama was peeved that you were shopping instead of working on your school assignment.”
Caroline mumbled something like, “Heaven forbid we take a break from studies over school vacation.”
“She was?” I
Caroline snapped at her, “We didn’t steal anything. Do you see any stolen electronics?”
“No,” Ellie said sheepishly.
“Exactly.” Then under her breath I think she said, “Idiot.” What kind of person calls her friend an idiot?
Gordo said, “The police will figure this all out. Don’t worry your pretty little fashionable heads about it.”
I forced a smile. I hoped Gordo was right, because the videos and photos that Sebastian had would surely put Caroline and me at the scene of the crime during the crime .
• • •
From the train station we walked a few blocks to meet Liam, who was supposedly picking us up after we’d all met for breakfast following the sleepover at Ellie’s. On the ride I clicked an e-mail to my mom and dad. My mom had probably scrubbed every surface of the house worrying about me.
Approaching the manor house, I was again reminded of how big and fabulous it was. Ivy and moss crept everywhere.
We planted ourselves in her kitchen while Caroline got her iPad. “I cannot believe Sebastian has the nerve toblackmail me. He is more of a weasel than I thought. Just thinking about him makes me feel all icky.” She rubbed her arms.
Liam brought us an assortment of juices and baby-size muffins. Yay, Liam! I was starving, so I popped one into my mouth whole. I saw Sam look at me, and I thought he was going to call the Hungry Police, but he didn’t. The next muffin I took, I broke and ate in smaller pieces.
Mrs. Littleton stepped into the kitchen. “Oh, hi there, gang. Jordan, I got an early text from your mama. She was a wee bit angry when she got your message that said all y’all have done is shop and have a pillow party.”
“Pillow party?” Caroline asked, confused.
“You call it a sleepover, but we used to call that a pillow party in my sorority days,” Mrs. Littleton said.
I thought for sure that Ellie was going to blow our cover story. She fiddled with the lace table runner. “The pillow party was very . . . pillowy. We had a pillow fight and a pillow pile and um . . . ah . . . uh . . . We made a fortress out of blankets and pillows.”
I was officially impressed. I doubted that Ellie with a y would have thought so fast on her feet. The fortress was an especially good detail.
“Really? A fort?” Mrs. Littleton asked.
“Yup,” Ellie said. “That was J.J.’s idea. ApparentlyAmericans like to build stuff with blankets and pillows.”
“J.J.’s?” Mrs. Littleton looked at me to make sure I was J.J. I nodded. “Cute,” she said.
Caroline said, “This was after we spent a positively perfect day at Daphne’s.”
Mrs. Littleton said, “Did you hear the news that there was a break-in last night? The telly said there had been some mischief and a theft—jewelry, I think.”
“Electronics,” Ellie corrected her.
Caroline said, “J.J. got some nice additions to her wardrobe. I mean, look at her. Better, eh?”
“I did think there was something different about ya. I thought it was just the blond streak in your hair. Do you think your mama is going to be okay with that?”
“Oh, yes,” I lied. “She is totally into exploring new fashion.” I really hated lying. “I don’t know when you saw her last, but she has become quite a collector of shoes, like Jimmy Choos. Ha! That rhymes.” (Last night I’d learned that Jimmy Choos were a really hot brand.)
“A bore,” Ellie said.
“What?” I asked. “What did you say?”
“We call someone who collects lots of shoes a shoe bore .”
“Okay. Right. Well, that’s what she is,” I lied again. “A bore from a shoe store. Ha!” I did it again.
Mrs. Littleton said, “Well, it sounds like y’all havehad great fun. But your mama was peeved that you were shopping instead of working on your school assignment.”
Caroline mumbled something like, “Heaven forbid we take a break from studies over school vacation.”
“She was?” I
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