Half the crew people either hadn’t come to school today or were hungover. Half couldn’t see where they walking. The bags under their eyes were like dumbbells, and a couple guys got jostled, then just went at it in the hallway. If Mr. N. was smart, he’d let ’em all sleep during detention.

Taz, on the other hand, had an extra bounce in her step.

She shook her head. “No.” She moved her books to her other side, combing through her hair with her free hand. “Half the girls were there.”

“Speaking of the girls—” I started toward my locker, but two got in the way. I braked, an irritated sound slipping out.

They looked up, a smart-ass retort ready, but it died when they saw me. One squeaked and the other put her head down and put on a burst of speed, darting out of my way.

Taz grinned, leaning against her locker as I opened mine. “That never gets old.” She adjusted her books in her arms. “And okay. I have to ask you for a favor.”

I grabbed my notepad and book, then shut the locker. “I don’t do favors.”

Her eyes cast to the ceiling. “I know that’s not completely true. You’d step in front of a bullet for my brother, so this isn’t that big a favor.”

“He’s crew.” Those weren’t favors.

I waited for a reaction from her. Sometimes she’d get all pissed at the reminder that Cross was crew or Cross was more special than her. I never knew for certain when it might happen, but she usually got all pissy right about now. If she’d join the crew, she’d have equal footing to him. Well. Not really. Cross was more important than everyone, but Taz would’ve moved up above Jordan and Zellman. Easily.

Her anger never came.

And that told me I was going to hate whatever this favor was.

“You know on Monday when I told you I hadn’t joined the cheerleading squad…” She leaned forward, her eyes widening.

I didn’t say anything. I waited.

“Okay.” She blinked a few times, shaking her head. “Dramatic pause aside, instead of joining them, I actually got them to join a committee with me. It’s the new thing we’re doing with Ms. Bagirianni. She’s our supervisor.”

Nope.

No way.

I knew what she was going to ask. I heard the excitement in her voice, and it wasn’t going to sway me.

“I’m not going to be a part of anything The Badger’s doing.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s The Badger. The fact that you’re willing to spend time with her alarms me. Greatly.”

“Oh, come on. She’s not that bad.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “You’ve never been analyzed by her, that you know of.”

She opened her mouth, then stopped. “Are you serious? You won’t help me because the school counselor is involved?”

I snorted. “Do you not know me? Like, at all? Do you not know your brother?” He and the rest of our crew shared the same sentiment about The Badger.

She looked so frustrated, a pout forming on her face.

I patted her on the arm. “The answer to that is like you asking me if I’m crew. A big fat duh, yes. It’s like cosmic karma. It’s a rule in the universe. If The Badger is involved, I am not. Plain and simple, unless it’s mandatory or court-ordered.”

“That’s—” Her mouth fell open again. “That’s insane! I need your help. Really.”

“Let me put it another way. The Badger is the police. I’m a criminal. The two don’t mix. Ever.”

I started for class, but Taz fell in step next to me. She adjusted her books again, then once more. I was tempted to grab them and hold them for her. She was making me antsy with all the adjusting going on.

“I really need your help,” she said again. “We’re doing a charity event, and we need to go around town to get sponsors. Half the businesses here are connected to crews. They won’t sponsor us unless a crew person asks them.”

I snorted. “As it should be.”

I veered toward my classroom, but Taz picked up her pace. She got in front of me, holding her books up like a shield. “Stop. Please. Talk to me for a second.”

People were filling in behind her, casting us curious looks.

Jordan was heading our way too, towering over everyone, and his gaze locked on mine. His eyebrows moved together, and he began to slow down.

“You’re crew royalty,” Taz pleaded. “And this event is a big deal to me. This charity is a big deal to me. If you come on board, Sunday and Monica—they’ll shut up. I can feel how they think I’m a joke and I can’t get it done. I’ll get it done with your help.” She softened her tone. “Please, Bren. You’d be helping me so much with this one thing.”

This one thing wasn’t going to be just one thing. I could feel it. It meant a meeting, which meant more meetings, and then more meetings. One afternoon would be dragged out to thirty, and she wasn’t listening when I said it was like someone asking a criminal to socialize with a cop.

Shit would go down, and not for the good.

“I’m actually doing you a favor by saying no.”

Jordan had stopped behind Taz. All three of us were now in the way in the middle of the hall, but no one said a word. There was enough room to go around, but not comfortably. A few people squeaked through on the other side of Jordan. Most went around on the far side, and a few cast us dirty looks. When they saw me watching them, they changed their tune. We weren’t being fully considerate here, but this was a standoff.

“You’ll do anything for my brother. Help me with this. Please.”

I glanced up to Jordan, and he laughed silently, his shoulders going up and down.

“What do you think?” I asked him.

Taz whirled around, saw him laughing, and smacked his arm. “If I wanted your help, Pitts, I would’ve asked. You have no input here.”

He rolled his eyes and smacked her hand away gently. “Bren will do whatever she wants. She asked me as a distraction.”

He pointed to me, and to prove his point, I stepped backward into the classroom. I flashed Taz an apologetic smile. “I really am doing you a favor. You’ll thank me later.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t say anything. It looked like she wanted to, but Jordan moved around her. As the bell rang, he turned around and slowly closed the door in her face. He shook his finger, still watching her through the window like he was tsking her.

She made a motion, and he began laughing again.

Dropping into the seat next to me, he pointed toward the door. “What was that about?”

I dropped my books on the table and leaned back. “She wants me to scare the other girls away.”

His grin widened. “Why’d you say no to that?”

I smiled back, but the teacher had walked into the classroom, so we stopped talking.

The two football players in front of us turned around to talk to Jordan before class officially started, and two girls on his left began flirting with him.

I zoned out until I felt a soft punch on my arm.

“What?” I rubbed where he had hit.

Jordan was looking at me, and so were the football players. The two girls were pouting, but Jordan had his back to them, so they were effectively cut out of the conversation.

He rolled his eyes at me. “I didn’t hurt you, but where were you last night?” He pointed a pen at me, then stuck it in his mouth and began chewing on it.

I frowned at him. This wasn’t normal Jordan, but the two football players were listening. He was asking for their benefit.

He knew I’d had dinner with my brother, then stayed home, but I only said, “I did my own thing last night.”

He gave me the slightest of winks.

That told me all I needed to know. One of the guys had asked him to ask me. He’d decided to play along instead of telling them it was none of their business.

“You missed an epic party.” One of the guys leaned forward, his hand resting on the table just a few feet from my books.

I looked at it, then to Jordan, and he shrugged again.

“I’ll catch the next one.”

“Yeah. You better.” His friend decided to join in. He was nodding and smiling. “It was awesome. Best party of the year.” He and his buddy grinned at each other. “For now.”

“Yeah,” one of the guys grunted.

I shot Jordan a look.

He had covered his mouth. He kept silently laughing as the teacher stood to start the lesson. The two guys turned around, but I punched Jordan in the arm.

A girl gasped.

I knew people were watching.