Chapter Seven

The Wounds Only A Girl Can Inflict

Miss Ungermeyer eyed Malcolm closely. "Wilkerson," she began. "Come to my office. NOW."

The whole cafeteria was quiet. It seemed even the seniors were scared of the Ungermeyer. They cast looks of pity as Malcolm passed by them.

Once Miss Ungermeyer and Malcolm were out of sight, Kate went into her mean mode. "I know you all know you shouldn't mess with what Malcolm is doing," she began, her tone snooty and threatening. "Cause you all know what's in store for you." She looked at Claire's posse, who were avoiding her glare. They were, after all, powerless without Claire. "ME."

With that Kate walked in a huff, followed quickly by Tawny, Louis, and Twitty.

* * * *

"What do you take me for, huh, Wilkerson?" Miss Ungermeyer said in a demeaning tone as she spoke to him in her office. "Stupid? Is that what you think I am?"

Malcolm broke into a sweat. Gordo sure wasn't joking when he said Miss Ungermeyer shouldn't be the person one should mess with. "No, of course not, Miss Ungermeyer."

"I'll cut out to the chase," Miss Ungermeyer said, her face relaxing somewhat. "You cannot do a David Gordon on me, Wilkerson. No. No Uh. No." she said, clicking her fingers as she bobbed her head from left to right. "I know your type. You're the pathetic friend desperately in love with friend, who's totally oblivious to that fact."

Malcolm shivered. Miss Ungermeyer surely was scary.

"Besides," she said. "One look at those wounds and I knew it wasn't you. You're not a girl, Wilkerson, and believe me, I know a girl-inflicted wound when I see one. Seeing your small frame, it's not you, it was someone else." She looked at Malcolm directly in the eye. "Am I right?"

Malcolm freezed.

Just outside the principal's office, Kate and Louis were listening to Miss Ungermeyer and Malcolm's conversation.

"He's busted," Louis said. "He'll totally not know what to say. We have to cover up for him."

Quickly, Kate thought of a plan. "Quick, Louis, push me to the door."

In an instant, the door opened at the two of them sprawled to the floor. "Hi, Miss Ungermeyer," Kate said weakly.

"What'd you want Sanders?"

"See, Malcolm here… he likes me. And –" Kate paused. "He's covering up for me. I'm the one who did it, Miss Ungermeyer," Kate said. "I was jealous of Claire. We're both popular but she's the school queen, and I'm not." Kate looked at Malcolm and Louis, who both had questioning looks on their faces. "And I know exactly why."

She pushed the two boys out of the door. "LOSERS! I should have never turned my back on my posse. MY posse, not Claire's posse. Now, go away you freaks!" she closed the principal's door behind her.

"Interesting, Sanders. You do know what this means, do you?"

"Suspension?" Kate asked but in a voice which indicated she was answering her own question.

Miss Ungermeyer folded her arms across her chest. "Smart Sanders. Now grab the phone and call your parents."

* * *

Malcolm felt his heart thud.

"Hello?" The voice on the other line said.

"Uh, Kate. Malcolm here."

"Duh," she said. "I have Caller ID. So, what's up?"

Malcolm gulped. "So you're not mad at us, Louis and me, and Louis, me and Tawny, and Louis, me and Twitty, and,"

Kate laughed. "You're speaking fast, and you're just babbling." She sighed. "Of course I'm not mad at you guys, Malcolm. I just had to say that."

Malcolm felt relieved. "Oh great. You're a great actress."

"Sure," Kate said. "Oh, call waiting. It's Lizzie, Daphne's over at her house. Call me later?"

"Okay," Malcolm replied.

* * *

"My gosh," Daphne said the minute Kate finished explaining everythingthing. "I could never let you do that. I mean, I appreciate your action and all, but seriously, it IS my fault."

Kate sighed. "Daphne. Trust me on this. I have never fully repaid Lizzie for the things I've done against her. This is an act of kindness rarely seen of me," she said. "Let me take the blame."

"I don't know, Kate," Daphne said. "I really don't know."

"Trust me," Kate said.

Lizzie had to interject. "Daphne, I think Kate's right. You can't risk letting your dad down again."

Daphne sighed. "Are you really up for this, Kate?"

"Duh."

"So," Lizzie said. "What did your mom say?"

Kate laughed. "Lizzie," she began. "Don't act like you don't know my mom. She doesn't care. She just signed some papers and told me not to do it again."

Lizzie wasn't sure, but she felt there was a hint of sorrow in Kate's tone. "So Daphne," Kate said. "This is so not a big deal for me. Two weeks of not going to school? That's kid stuff. Besides, I need time to pamper myself. I haven't had a decent mani in a few weeks."

Lizzie laughed. She could imagine Kate as they talked – she's probably combing her hair, a habit she never outgrew.

"Daphne, not to be rude," Tawny said as she approached Lizzie and Daphne, who had just gotten off the speaker phone talking from Kate. "But I kinda read one of your e-mails, because I thought it was mine."

"No big," Daphne said. She had become much better since her outburst during lunch that morning. She was still crying, but she knew she had to be strong and compose herself if she wanted her Dad to let her go back to London. "Who's the email from?"

Tawny, as usual expressionless, said, "I thought it was spam. Anyways, it's a message dated just today.. from," Tawny scanned her memory bank. "RoyalPrince99."

Daphne's eyes widened and she fell into the couch. Literally.

"My gosh, are you okay?" Lizzie asked.

Matt, who was just about to go up to his room, looked at his sister frantically. "Do I have to call Mom and Dad?" he asked, staring at Daphne, who was spaced-out. Tawny was behind her trying to get her back to normal.

"Uh, not yet, Matt. I'll let you know," Lizzie said. She herself was starting to panic. Daphne looked like she had seen a ghost.

After a few seconds of Daphne smiling and crying, at the same time and one reaction after the other, began to speak. "Are you sure it said RoyalMotorPrince99?"

"Yes," Tawny said. Then it her. "My God," Her expression still stale, she said.. "It's not … No.. is it Ian?"

Lizzie gasped.

"Yes," Daphne said. Regaining her composure, she headed straight to Lizzie's room, Tawny and Lizzie right behind her.

"I knew something's up. I just knew it," Daphne said as she scrambled in front of Lizzie's computer.

Tawny looked quizzically at Lizzie. What was going on?

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