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a question, so that made it double-not-gossip.
    “She was,” Kelsey said, pursing her lips until they made an almost straight line. “Until she told Aiden I like him.”
    Treading carefully, I started, “Sometimes best friends do things to help each other. We really just want to help.”
    “She knew I didn’t want her to say anything,” Kelsey said angrily. “I feel like it’s a betrayal.” She shook her head, as if shaking the whole thing off. “Anyway, I want to know what’s going on up there. You know everything.”
    I knew everything. A gigantic lump suddenly formed in my throat. She was counting on me to deliver information, but I couldn’t, not without betraying my own best friend. After what Kelsey had just said, how could I take that chance? If I even said one thing, I ran the risk of Vi saying the same thing about me. She betrayed me. I trusted her.
    Best friends keep secrets. They trust each other. Even if it was in the best interest of that best friend, the other best friend should never break that bond, no matter what.That was how Kelsey felt about it, and that was how Vi felt about it too. I was starting to understand why Vi was so mad.
    So I simply told her, “I’ll see if I can find out.”
    Yes, it was a cop-out. It was what I had to say without breaking my promise to Vi. I practically sprinted back to my seat, where Sydney had now plopped down in my place next to Vi.
    “What if you put the bed over here?” I heard Syd ask as I passed the two of them. Their heads were bent over Vi’s sketch pad, and I felt a twinge of envy. Just minutes ago Sydney and Jessica had their heads bent together like that, gossiping, and now Sydney was doing the same thing with Vi, only not to gossip. Without gossip, I wasn’t sure I really had anything to talk about.
    I paused next to Jessica’s seat as that thought hit me. Was that exactly Vi’s point?
    “Sit,” Jessica commanded.
    I looked down and realized she’d probably been looking up at me for a couple of seconds. The bus hit a bump and I had to grab on to the back of the seat to keep from falling over. I sat down next to Jessica.
    “Where did you go?” Jessica asked.
    That question threw me for a second. How did sheknow I’d gone anywhere? I heard Sydney laugh behind me and remembered she’d taken my seat.
    “Kelsey wanted to know what was going on up here,” I said quietly. I didn’t want Vi to hear. Not that I had anything to hide. I just didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.
    “What did you tell her?” Jessica asked. She whispered too. She probably thought we were trying to keep Sarah and Trevor from hearing. Emma was sitting across from us too.
    “Nothing,” I answered with a shrug. “I don’t know what’s going on. Don’t care.”
    That last part may have sounded rude, but I knew if I didn’t add it, Jessica would proceed to tell me everything she’d observed. Which was gossip. Vi would overhear her telling me all that, and our friendship would be over.
    It didn’t matter. Jessica wasn’t listening.
    “They’re fighting,” Jessica whispered. “Look.”
    I looked. I shouldn’t have, because that was participating in the gossip. Sure enough, Sarah and Trevor weren’t all cuddled together like they normally were. I could see the tension in the air between them. It was creepy.
    Here’s what I wanted to say: OMG. What happened? I want to hear every single detail of everything you saw. Does Emma know? Is that why she keeps looking nervously back at Kelsey? Because you know if Trevor and Sarah break up, that gives Aiden a chance, which will really make Kelsey mad.
    Here’s what I said: “That’s too bad. What did you bring for lunch?”
    Jessica gave me that look. It matched what Sydney had said last night. Who are you and what have you done with Maddie? I knew what was coming, so I braced myself for her next words.
    “You’re being weird.”
    Those weren’t the exact words I’d expected, but they weren’t a surprise,