Perfect Revenge Read Free

now.”
    I can’t believe this is happening. It must be some sort of nightmare. I give my hair a tug to see if I can feel it. I don’t know why that’s supposed to change nightmares, but I’ve heard of people doing stuff like that.
    â€œSo yeah,” Haley says, “I’ve gotta go. We’re all going to the mall.”
    â€œBut,” I splutter, “you don’t even know what happened! Rachel gave me that answer key. She said it was a gift. I thought it was a note.”
    â€œThat’s pathetic, girl. She isn’t even in your class. You know, you’ve been really mean to Rachel. She’s not a complete loser. And you telling everyone about her lopsided boobs to get her away from Kyle—was that even true?”
    â€œI told you, she showed me! In grade six. She has to stuff one side of her bra to even out. And I’m not the one who wrote it on the bathroom walls or told Josh! You—”
    She cuts me off. “Yeah, I so believed you. It’s not like she could prove it wrong, is it? Not unless she wants to go around flashing everyone. And now you’re trying to pin your cheating on her too? Get real!” And Haley hangs up.
    I stare at the phone. I throw the phone. If Rachel was here right now, I’d throw her too. Or something. My head feels like it’s on fire, my stomach too. In fact, my entire body is burning. Bit by bit, the extent of damage caused by Rachel’s little gift starts to sink in. I’m in trouble at school. My parents are going to be furious. My friends have ditched me. My crush hates me.
    I’ve never felt so much anger. Rachel is going to pay for this! And then I collapse on the lawn and start sobbing, just wailing like I’ve never wailed before.
    I do that for a while, long enough to feel like a blob of melted jelly. I start hiccupping, and that makes me cry more. There’s nothing left of me but hopeless pain and rage. And then I hear a voice. It occurs to me that I’ve been hearing it for a while.
    It says, “Hey. Are you hurt? You need help?”
    I lift my head and look around. There’s the back door, the patio, the fence. I hear it again.
    â€œIt’s Lizzie, right? Are you okay?”
    There’s a tree by the fence, and the voice is coming from there. From the tree. That’s it, for sure I’ve lost my mind now too. I moan and lie back on the grass.
    â€œI’m coming over, okay?”
    I sit up again and stare at the tree. It’s coming over? Part of me knows I better get out of there, fast, but my body refusesto move. My brain is saying, “go,” but my body’s just not getting it.
    Sure enough, the tree starts rustling, and I think I’m going to faint now, just check out, when a long skinny leg emerges from the leaves. That leg is followed by another. Both legs are clad in striped socks. Seriously, red-and-black-striped socks.
    The legs dangle for a moment and then an entire body drops to the ground. There is nothing else for me to do but scream. I close my eyes, throw back my head and howl.

chapter four
    â€œHey! Whoa! Wow, you’re really messed up, huh?”
    The voice sounds human. It even sounds friendly. I crack open an eye, and there’s a girl standing over me.
    â€œShould I call an ambulance?” she asks.
    â€œAn ambulance?” I croak.
    â€œYeah. You don’t look like you’re bleeding or broken or anything, but your face is all red and swollen. Do you have allergies? Did you eat something bad?”Her face is puckered with concern, but I recognize her.
    I mutter, “You’re that new kid from next door.”
    â€œYup. I’m Stella.” She tilts her head to one side and smiles. The sunlight flashes off her braces and practically blinds me. She adds, “You’re Lizzie, right?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œSo, what’s wrong?” she asks.
    I sit up and squint at her. “Have you been spying