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even after all these years. It didn’t take much to make Zoey spiral back to that horrible night when Alison had betrayed her—and Zoey’s whole world had fallen apart.
    The sleepover was lousy from the get-go…mother-chaperoned party games, unchaperoned truth or dare, lots of whispering between Alison and Kelly—never with Zoey. There were the usual unexplained giggles. And whispers. But Zoey was never in on the joke, which could only mean one thing: She was the joke.
    Then the phone rang.
    â€œKelly, sweetie, it’s for one of your friends.” Phoebe Reeves’ voice crackled over the intercomin the huge family room the six girls had taken over and covered with sleeping bags, magazines, and snack foods.
    Kelly grabbed the extension. “You rang?” she said rudely. She sounded vaguely annoyed that her party had been interrupted. They’d been talking about boys, and Kelly was just about to tell her anxious followers who her latest lucky crush was so that they could all like him, too.
    â€œFor you.” Kelly handed the phone to Zoey abruptly. Out of the corner of her eye Zoey saw Alison look at the ceiling. “Next time hire an assistant,” Kelly hissed. Zoey’s face flamed and she took the cordless into the bathroom and closed the door behind her to shut out the laughter of the other girls.
    â€œHello?” she said.
    â€œZoey?” Tom’s voice sounded funny, like he had been punched in the stomach. Zoey suddenly felt like she’d been punched, too. “It’s Mom,” he said.
    It was all he had to say. A few minutes later Zoey was changed back into her street clothes and cramming her sleeping bag into its sack.
    â€œSo, you’re just going to leave?” Kelly asked, incredulous. Nobody left her parties before they were over. Nobody. Ever. Even if they were the butt of the joke. But that was not why Zoey was leaving.
    â€œI have to go,” Zoey said quietly. She looked at Alison, who, until that night, she had thought of as her best friend. She wished she could tell her what was wrong—what was going on. But she couldn’t. She could not say it. Not here. Not now.
    Alison didn’t even meet her gaze. Instead she looked at her cousin and sing-songed, “Zoey has to run home to Mommy!” The other girls cracked up.
    All Zoey could do was flee in horror. She grabbed her stuff, fighting back tears. They had no idea. And that just made it worse.
    Running out of the house, she heard Kelly’s mother, Phoebe, call after her. Zoey ignored her and kept running. The gate on the driveway was closed, but it didn’t stop her. Zoey heaved her bags over it and climbed up after them.
    The sound of a locker slamming right next to her jolted Zoey out of her head. She took a deepbreath to clear the memory and stood up straight. She’d thought the party was bad. What had happened after that was a hundred times worse. Zoey had vowed that night that she would never be the fool again.
    She tried hard to forget, but would not forgive. In fact, if she had anything to say about it, her former best friend Alison was going to find out what it felt like to have her life destroyed. Zoey hid a wry smile behind her hand. From the look of things around here, Alison’s demise had already begun. The news of Helen Rose’s arrest was everywhere. It was clear that Chad was not stepping up to catch Alison’s fall, and Kelly hadn’t helped a soul in her life. Alison Rose was standing on the edge of a cliff just waiting for a little push. And Zoey planned to be the one to shove her.

Chapter Nine
    Even in a good week Alison hated Mondays, and this was nowhere close to being a good week. She had prepared herself for the worst. Her earbuds were in and she was listening to a playlist she had put together—the soundtrack for a happier life—so she would not have to hear any whispers in the hall. On her feet she wore her favorite red