Rated by Melissa Grey

Author:Melissa Grey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Headmaster Wood’s lecture echoed in Tamsin’s mind, even with the weirdness of the tarot card crowding out most of her other thoughts. She’d been so distracted by both events, she’d nearly brushed her teeth with zit cream that morning. That she had actually woken up early enough to get to school on time—before the morning assembly, even—might have also contributed to her wandering thoughts. But it was morning, and school was in session, and she was actually, seriously, legitimately considering attending her classes. Most of them anyway.

Her smartwatch buzzed as she reached her locker. It felt like it had been buzzing all morning. She bit back a curse, glancing down at her wrist.

Her rating had slid again. Precipitously. And for no reason Tamsin could discern. She was trying to be good. Honestly. But the number kept falling and falling, the device buzzing on her nightstand even in the middle of the night. And she had no idea why.

Tamsin had barely opened her locker before it was slammed shut again. She yanked her hand out of the way before it could meet an unfortunate end.

“What the—?”

“Why did you put this in my notebook?”

Tamsin turned to see a very angry Hana waving a folded note in her face. A torn sticker marked the place where it had been held closed. Her hair was mussed in a way that seemed unusual for the normally so put together Hana Sakamoto. Her ponytail was slightly askew. Shadows smudged the skin under her eyes, making her look more tired than a seventeen-year-old had any right to look. She had a heavy duffel bag slung over her shoulder, in addition to her backpack. Skates, most likely.

“You look terrible,” Tamsin said. “Also, hi. Also, why are you angrily wielding a piece of paper at me?”

Hana waved the note with renewed fervor. “You put this creepy note in my notebook!”

“What are you talking about?”

“This!” Hana thrust the note into Tamsin’s face, a hair’s breadth away from her nose. “I’m talking about this.”

Tamsin placed a hand on Hana’s wrist and gently—but insistently—pushed the other girl’s arm down. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The bell rang. They both jumped. Tamsin hadn’t even noticed the halls around them emptying. The moments just before the bell were usually a cacophony of frenzied footsteps, as students rushed to their classes, lest their ratings reflect their tardiness.

“Ugh,” Tamsin said. “Class.”

Hana frowned. “I thought you didn’t go to class.”

Tamsin shrugged. Her book bag was a lot heavier now that she was putting actual books in it. “I’m turning over a new leaf.”

And just like that, the indignant steam that had powered Hana up to that point vacated her body. She deflated, in slow motion. “So … you didn’t put this in my notebook?”

“No,” Tamsin said. “I told you, I didn’t read your diary.”

“It’s not a diary,” Hana said defensively.

“Okay, whatever, I didn’t read your not-a-diary.”

A vibration against her wrist summoned a swear to Tamsin’s lips. Hana’s device must have buzzed as well because she glared down at her wrist with what looked like betrayal.

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