Pretty Little Devils Part 11

"Tell me what you think." He pulled out a stack of printer paper. "They're my posters for Isotope."

There was the sketch Matty had drawn, Charlie's contact information, and above it all a single line-REWARD: $100.

"A hundred dollars?" she said.

He shrugged. "I figure the kid is good for a loan."

"That is so nice of you," she said sincerely.

He put his finger to his lips. "Don't need to spread it around, remember. School gossip can get so out of hand."

"No kidding," she said.

They got their food. Matty walked Hazel toward the PLDs' table.

"You coming to the game tomorrow night?" he asked.

Hazel brightened. She set her tray at her place and opened her mouth to respond, but Sylvia beat her to it.

"The PLDs go to all the games," she said, smiling. "We always sit together."

Hazel shrugged. "I'll be there, then."

"Cool," Matty said. "I'll look for you in the stands. I'm sure you'll be easy to spot." He looked directly into Hazel's eyes, and she worked overtime not to blush.

"We are hard to miss," Sylvia cut in again.

"Well, then," he said with a suppressed grin, "guess I'll catch you later." He gave a final wave before making his way over to the guys' table.

Hazel settled into her seat. "He's sweet," she said with a sigh.

"I guess. But here's something really sweet," Sylvia replied. She placed a cell phone with a neon purple cover plate on Hazel's lunch tray.

"Oh my G.o.d," Hazel murmured. "Thank you."

Sylvia took the phone from Hazel's hands. "You're welcome, but it's not a gift per se. Let me run you through the functions. First, here's your ring."

She pressed a b.u.t.ton and Alicia Keys's "Karma" trilled.

"Sylvia, that's the ring I wanted!" Ellen moaned.

Sylvia shook her head. "It's easily acquired. You can download it. Now, I programmed in all our numbers. I'm one, Megan's two, Carolyn's three, and Ellen is last but certainly not least at four." She smiled at Ellen. "Oh, and be sure to give our little El the name of your salon."

Ellen dragged her fingers through her bangs, clearly embarra.s.sed. "I'll be right back," she said, slipping off to the bathroom.

Sylvia continued. "I'll just deduct your share of the sitting money until it's paid for. Now, this is your cell phone number. But please don't give it out to just anyone."

Hazel frowned. "Um, Sylvia, if I have to pay for the phone, shouldn't I be able to give the number to anyone I-"

But Sylvia wasn't listening. "Be sure to keep it on vibrate during school; otherwise it will be confiscated. You can send texts. It has a browser and games." She handed Hazel the phone back. "Welcome to the twenty-first century, ma pet.i.te."

"You guys! You guys! Oh my G.o.d!" Ellen stage-whispered as she ran back to the table. "Jilly Delgado is having a total freak-out in the bathroom."

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Jilly is such a drama queen. What's the crisis this time?"

"She's having a complete breakdown. Kathy Wilc.o.x and Cara Dugan are trying to get her to pull it together," Ellen explained. "Something happened to her horse."

"Spirit?" Hazel asked with concern. The others gave her a look.

"I rode him once, when I was a little kid," Hazel explained. "Jilly has had that horse, like, forever."

"Did they say what happened?" Megan asked.

"No. Jilly was totally hysterical." Ellen glanced left and right. "She is obsessed with that horse. Like, unhealthily obsessed. Did you know that she's even got a picture of him in her locker?"

"Well, that's kind of freaky," Sylvia muttered, taking a bite of her salad. "I wonder what could have happened to him."

CHAPTER FIVE.

Hazel decided to go to school early and wander down to the football field.

Sylvia had told Hazel that perhaps Matty needed a push, and with homecoming just a few weeks away, the time for pushing was now.

Matty had mentioned that the team had practice before first period. Maybe she'd be able to talk to him-to show him she'd been feeling the exact same way he had for the last few weeks.

But the field was empty, the freshly mown gra.s.s sparkling with dew.

Hazel waited, but no one showed. A little crestfallen, she went to her locker. She turned a corner-and found Matty in his letter jacket and jeans. He was standing at her locker door, trying to tape a green carnation to the front of it.

"What's this?" Hazel asked. "Special delivery?"

"Uh, hey. Morning," he said, turning at the sound of her voice. He flashed a quick smile as she glanced at the carnation. "This was supposed to be a surprise."

"So surprise me," Hazel said.

"We get these on game days," he explained. "From the cheerleaders. I thought...well, here." He held it out to her.

"Thank you." She took it and gave him a hug, lingering in his arms a second more than usual.

"I went to the field to see if you were having practice," she said.

"You did?" He smiled and shifted his feet nervously. He seemed to be searching for something else to say.

Hazel turned toward her locker.

"Wait." He put his hand on her shoulder and drew her closer.

Hazel looked up at him and he planted a soft kiss on her lips.

He pulled back and gave a nervous smile.

"How about another?" she whispered. He closed his eyes and kissed her again. She felt like she could melt right into him.

Oh my gosh, Hazel thought happily. I can't believe this is happening. Right here-with Matty Vardeman!

"Hazel," Matty murmured when he pulled away, "I think you're really awesome."

"Thanks." Hazel blushed.

"I wanted to know. Would you, uh, go out with me?"

Hazel wanted to shriek with joy. Instead, she looked at her feet for a moment.

There were footsteps in the hall. A locker banged open. People were drifting in to start the day.

Reluctantly she pulled back. "Cla.s.s," she said.

"Is that a yes?"

Hazel nodded.

He grinned at her, his eyes crinkling, his quirky-handsome mouth pulled up in that lazy half smile. "Just one more." He leaned in and kissed her again as the bell rang.

"I see a lot of tardies in my future," he complained happily.

"We can't have that," she replied. She wrapped her hand around his, giving it a final squeeze. "You should go."

"I know." He sighed. "I don't want to."

"I know," she replied, and they both chuckled.

"Okay. I'm going," he said.

He kissed her cheek, then he turned and walked away, looking so good in his jeans and jacket.

He turned back and grinned at her. "See you later?"

"Scram!" she joked.

Then finally he did.

Hazel drifted through her cla.s.ses that morning, unable to focus on anything. Every time she closed her eyes, she could feel Matty kissing her.

She glided along, smiling a secret smile. No one knew what she was thinking about. Who she was thinking about.

Matty Vardeman. Hazel Vardeman. It was silly to think about. But it definitely sounded nice.

School was a tangled mess of information, exercises, and quizzes, but all she wanted was to revel in everything that had happened: her induction into the PLDs, Matty. If this was what selling your soul to the Devils got you, she was glad that she'd signed on the dotted line.

Matty met her at the lunch bell and they kissed some more before strolling across the quad to the cafeteria. The sky was clear; it was the kind of warm, sunny day people paid to live in Southern California for.

The other four PLDs were already at their table.

"You all always sit together. Maybe sometime it could be just us?" Matty asked as he and Hazel drew near, hand in hand.

"That would be nice."

She smiled, then wondered if that was some kind of official no-no. No one, not even Sylvia, sat elsewhere at lunch. Maybe it was one of the PLD rules.

They reached the table. Matty said, "h.e.l.lo, ladies."

"Hi," Sylvia said sharply, not looking at him. Her gaze was fastened on Ellen. There was tension in her voice. This was not the time for leisurely chat.

"Um, later," Hazel said quietly. She squeezed Matty's hand.

"Okay." He paused a moment, then bent down to kiss her.

Loud smooching sounds came from the jock table. Matty smiled, then strolled over to his friends. Stephan hit him on the shoulder. Josh and Brandon touched fists with him.

It was official. Matty had made sure everyone knew that he and Hazel were an item. Nothing could bring Hazel down now.

"Heads up. Someone's in a mood," Megan drawled as Hazel took her seat. She gestured with her head at Ellen, who did not look up.

"Megan," Sylvia reproved, sitting back in her chair. "I told you, it's all good." She smiled directly at Hazel. "How are you?"

"Great." She held out her carnation. "Look."

"Ah. The cheerleaders give them to the guys. It's all very symbolic, I'm sure."

Hazel put it down on the table. "It is."

"Oh, Hazel. That's so sweet," Ellen gushed.

Hazel smiled her thanks.

"Well, it's Friday," Sylvia announced.

"Game day," Hazel concurred.

"And...?" Sylvia turned her head. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and Hazel realized what she was getting at: Sylvia was wearing the trademark PLD purple scrunchie. The four girls wore them every Friday. Another tradition upheld since middle school. They all had them on, even Ellen, although she'd had to hold back her hair with some clips to manage it.