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door.
    “Don’t you want to take the rest of your brownies?”
    “That’s okay. You can give them to your class if you want.”
    “I don’t know if that will send the right message about nutrition, but I’m sure the students won’t object.” She laughs and gives me a little wave. “Come back anytime.”
    I wave back and head out the door, ready to face things again.
    Though the one thing I’m absolutely not ready for is the sight of Steve Mueller— the Steve Mueller—leaning against my locker.

Chapter 10
    When Steve Mueller sees me coming toward him, he stands up straight and runs his hand through his spiky hair. Steve Mueller is looking at me! Steve Mueller is smiling at me!
    “You’re Rachel, right?”
    Steve Mueller is talking to me! I nod and bite my bottom lip to keep down a hysterical giggle.
    “Listen, I wanted to ask you something.” He waves me over as if he has a secret to tell me. I float toward him, my feet numb, as if my brain needs extra blood to process what’s happening. “So,” he says in a low voice, “Briana was telling me you’ve been cleaning her house.”
    Oh, holy eggplant. Is Marisol right? Is Steve really just a jerk, and he’s here to make fun of me too? What if he heard about my hallway wipeout?
    His eyebrows go up. “Is that right?”
    I nod again, my head moving in slow motion. Why does my whole body seem to slow down whenever there’s a cute guy around?
    “So listen,” Steve goes on. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor. See, Briana’s been acting kind of weird lately. I’m not saying she’s cheating on me or anything, but…” He shrugs his perfect shoulders. “Anyway, I thought maybe you could keep an eye out when you’re at her place and let me know if you find anything.”
    I blink back at him. The thought of anyone cheating on Steve Mueller is insane. He’s the hottest guy in school! Those sparkling eyes. That strong chin. And those dimples!
    “Well, what do you think?” he says.
    Wait. Is he really asking me to spy on Briana? If he thinks she might be cheating on him, shouldn’t he just talk to her?
    “Hello? Anyone in there?” Steve laughs, but I can tell he’s getting impatient.
    “Um. Er,” I articulately reply. “Maybe?”
    “Okay, you’re right.” He holds his hands up in defeat and takes a step closer, his blue-smelling cologne washing over me. “You’re wondering what’s in it for you.” He pulls a twenty-dollar bill out of his pocket. “How about I give you this now, and when you have some info for me, I’ll give you twenty more. Deal?”
    I stare at the bill like it’s made out of gold. It took me all day to earn that much on Saturday, and here Steve Mueller is giving it to me for nothing. Okay, for spying. But if Briana really is cheating on him, then doesn’t he have a right to know?
    “Well?”
    “Um.” I know I shouldn’t agree to this. It’s wrong. Even though Briana is evil. Even though Mom will murder me if she finds out I spent some of my college money. I’m not the kind of girl who spies on people.
    But when I open my mouth to say so, a long squeaking sound comes out instead.
    “All right!” says Steve. “Thanks for helping me out.” He slips the bill into my hand, and I almost faint at the feel of his warm skin on mine. Then he flashes a bright smile, dimples and all. “I’ll see you around.”
    My heart melts and starts oozing down the insides of my chest like chocolate sauce. Wait, did I just agree to spy on Briana Riley? And, more importantly, does that mean there’s a chance Steve Mueller might actually talk to me again?

Chapter 11
    That night I spend almost an hour rearranging my bookshelves to get them back to normal. Mom snuck into my bedroom while I was watching a cooking show and put all my books in alphabetical order. If Dad doesn’t come home soon, I’m afraid she’ll start trying to alphabetize my clothes next.
    As I finish putting the last of my cookbooks on one shelf, my cell