'No,' I said, yanking my backpack shut. 'I was asking Patch about tonight's reading. I couldn't remember which pages Coach assigned.'
Vee said, 'The assignment's on the board, same as always. As if you haven't already read it.'
Patch laughed, seemingly sharing a private joke with himself. Not for the first time, I wished I knew what he was thinking. Because sometimes I was positive these private jokes had everything to do with me. 'Anything else, Nora?' he said.
'No,' I said. 'See you tomorrow.'
'Looking forward to it.' He winked. Actually winked.
After Patch was out of earshot, Vee gripped my arm. 'Good news. Cipriano. That's his last name. I saw it on Coach's class roster.'
'And that's something to smile about because…?'
'Everybody knows students are required to register prescription drugs with the nurse's office.' She tugged at the front pocket of my backpack, where I kept my iron pills. 'Likewise, everybody knows the nurse's office is conveniently located inside the front office, where, as it happens, student files are also kept.'
Eyes aglow, Vee locked her arm in mine and pulled me toward the door. 'Time to do some real sleuthing.'
Chapter 5
'Can I help you?'
I forced myself to smile at the front office secretary, hoping I didn't look as dishonest as I felt. 'I have a prescription I take daily at school, and my friend-'
My voice caught on the word, and I wondered if after today I would ever feel like calling Vee my friend again.
'-my friend informed me that I'm supposed to register it with the nurse. Do you know if that's correct?' I couldn't believe I was standing here, intending to do something illegal. As of late, I was exhibiting a lot of uncharacteristic behavior. First I'd followed Patch to a disreputable arcade late at night. Now I was on the verge of snooping in his student file. What was the matter with me? No-what was the matter with Patch, that when it came to him, I couldn't seem to stop exercising bad judgment?
'Oh, yes,' the secretary said solemnly. 'All drugs need to be registered. Nurse's office is back through there, third door on the left, across from student records.' She gestured into the hallway behind her. 'If the nurse isn't there, you can take a seat on the cot inside her office. She should be back any minute.'
I fabricated another smile. I'd really hoped it wouldn't be this easy.
Heading down the hall, I stopped several times to check over my shoulder. Nobody came up behind me. The phone out in the front office was ringing, but it sounded a world apart from the dim corridor where I stood. I was all alone, free to do as I pleased.
I came to a stop at the third door on the left. I sucked in a breath and knocked, but it was obvious from the darkened window that the room was empty. I pushed on the door. It moved with reluctance, creaking open on a compact room with scuffed white tiles. I stood in the entrance a moment, almost wishing the nurse would appear so I'd have no choice but to register my iron pills and leave. A quick glance across the hall revealed a door with a window marked STUDENT RECORDS. It too was dark.
I focused my attention on a nagging thought at the back of my mind. Patch claimed that he hadn't gone to school last year. I was pretty sure he was lying, but if he wasn't, would he even have a student record? He'd have a home address at the very least, I reasoned. And an immunization card, and last semester's grades. Still. Possible suspension seemed like a large price to pay for a peek at Patch's immunization card.
I leaned one shoulder against the wall and checked my watch. Vee had told me to wait for her signal. She said it would be obvious.
Great.
The phone in the front office rang again, and the secretary picked up.
Chewing my lip, I stole a second glimpse at the door labeled STUDENT RECORDS. There was a good chance it was locked. Student files were probably considered high security. It didn't matter what kind of diversion Vee created; if the door was locked, I wasn't getting in.
I shifted my backpack to the opposite shoulder. Another minute ticked down. I told myself maybe I should leave…
On the other hand, what if Vee was right and he was stalking me? As his bio partner, regular contact with him could place me in danger. I had a responsibility to protect myself… didn't I?
If the door was unlocked and the files were alphabetized, I would have no trouble locating Patch's quickly. Add another few seconds to skim his file for red flags, and I could probably be in and out of the room in under a minute. Which was so brief it might not feel like I'd entered at all.
Things had grown unusually quiet out in the front office. Suddenly Vee rounded the corner. She edged down the wall toward me, walking in a crouch, dragging her hands along the wall, stealing surreptitious glances over her shoulder. It was the kind of walk spies adopted in old movies.
'Everything is under control,' she whispered.
'What happened to the secretary?'
'She had to leave the office for a minute.'
'Had to? You didn't incapacitate her, did you?'
'Not this time.'
Thank goodness for small mercies.
'I called in a bomb threat from the pay phone outside,' Vee said. 'The secretary dialed the police, then ran off to find the principal.'
'Vee!'
She tapped her wrist. 'Clock's ticking. We don't want to be in here when the cops arrive.'
Tell me about it.
Vee and I sized up the door to student records.
'Move over,' Vee said, giving me her hip.
She drew her sleeve down over her fist and drilled it into the window. Nothing happened.
'That was just for practice,' she said. She drew back for another punch and I grabbed her arm.
'It might be unlocked.' I turned the knob and the door swung open.
'That wasn't near as much fun,' said Vee.
A matter of opinion.
'You go in,' Vee instructed. 'I'm going to keep surveillance. If all goes well, we'll rendezvous in an hour. Meet me at the Mexican restaurant on the corner of Drake and Beech.' She crouch-walked back down the hall.
I was left standing half in, half out of the narrow room lined wall-to-wall with filing cabinets. Before my conscience talked me out of it, I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, pressing my back against it.
With a deep breath I slouched off my backpack and hurried forward, dragging my finger along the faces of the cabinets. I found the drawer marked car-cuv. With one tug the drawer rattled open. The tabs on the files were labeled by hand, and I wondered if Coldwater High was the last school in the country not computerized.
My eyes brushed over the name 'Cipriano.'
I wrenched the file from the crammed drawer. I held it in my hands a moment, trying to convince myself there was nothing too wrong with what I was about to do. So what if there was private information inside? As Patch's biology partner, I had a right to know these things.
Outside, voices filled the hall.
I fumbled the file open and immediately flinched. It didn't make any sense.
The voices advanced.
I shoved the file randomly inside the drawer and gave it a push, sending it rattling back into the cabinet. As I turned, I froze. On the other side of the window, the principal stopped midstride, his gaze latching onto me.
Whatever he'd been saying to the group, which probably consisted of every major player on the school's
