Katlyn Duncan - Six Little Secrets

Teddy’s palms dampened as his trembling hands opened the book wider. A hole was cut in the middle of the pages, just big enough for a stack of cash to fit inside. He cringed at the idea of someone purposefully cutting the pages. Especially since this was his book.

He dropped the note, and it fluttered to the floor.

Q picked it up and read it aloud. Everyone peered over Teddy’s shoulder to take a look at the cash.

‘Is that your money?’ Jackie asked. Her eyes were wide saucers.

Teddy closed the book and held it against him. ‘No.’

He had the urge to protect the book and the money inside. He knew the money wasn’t his. It couldn’t be. There was no way anyone could have access to his account. He used the savings account his grandmother had opened for him when he was a kid to store everything he earned. Even if this person knew how much he had, the bills in the book were probably fake.

He wanted to check the money and count it, but not with his classmates ogling the cash. They already knew too much.

‘So, he wants you to destroy that money?’ Cece asked.

‘Where did you get all that, anyway?’ Q asked.

‘This isn’t real,’ Teddy said. ‘Someone is messing with me.’ He opened the book again and picked up the top bill, a crisp hundred-dollar note. He held it up to the light and saw the security thread in the paper. This bill wasn’t counterfeit.

Teddy’s grip on the book tightened.

Q lifted a lighter from his pocket and held it out. ‘If it’s not real then you shouldn’t have any trouble destroying it as the note said.’

‘This is stupid.’ Teddy snatched the note from Q and headed back toward the table. He tucked the note into the book and closed it.

‘What are you doing?’ Zoe asked.

‘What does it look like?’ Teddy said. ‘I’m going to finish this chain and then get ahead in my reading for next week.’ At least then he’d have more time to stay out tonight if he completed his work early. He started for the table.

‘You’re not going to destroy that money?’ Jackie asked.

‘Why should I?’ Teddy asked. It was real, and it was a thousand dollars. He wanted to stash it away in his account, just as he did with every other spare hundred he earned.

‘Are you sure?’ Q asked.

Teddy glared at Q. ‘I’m sure.’

‘You have, like, eight minutes left,’ Jackie said.

‘Then in eight minutes you’ll see I’m right,’ Teddy said. He wished everyone would get off his back. He hated that they knew about his money. It was the only thing he had to himself.

‘Let me see the cash,’ Q said.

‘What?’ Teddy asked. ‘No way.’

Q lunged for the book, and Teddy snatched it away.

‘Stop,’ Teddy said.

‘If this is a prank then you shouldn’t be worried about anything,’ Q said. ‘Unless you know more than you’re letting on.’

‘Guys, enough,’ Holly said.

Q’s eyes narrowed. ‘You said it wasn’t real. Prove it.’

Teddy sat down and placed the book on the table.

Big mistake .

Q was quicker and grabbed the book.

Teddy launched up from his chair. He wasn’t sure what Q was going to do, but he wouldn’t risk it. ‘Give that back.’

‘Who the hell is Bert?’ Q asked, looking at the inside cover of the book.

Teddy’s heart plummeted. It was his copy.

‘My mom got it at a book sale,’ Teddy said, not wanting to delve into his personal history with the novel.

Q wasn’t going to listen. Teddy reached for the book and grabbed the back half.

‘Stop,’ Teddy warned.

‘What’s the big deal?’ Q held on and pulled back.

Teddy pulled harder and felt the book strain under the pressure. Then the spine split in half, leaving a part of the book in each of their hands.

‘Dude,’ Q said.

‘Give it back,’ Teddy said quietly, trying to control his breathing. Heat crept up his body.

Q smiled sheepishly and handed his half of the book.

‘Nice going, loser,’ Jackie said to Q.

It was bad enough that someone had broken into Teddy’s house to get the book, now it was wrecked. A prankster and Q ruined a part of his past.

Teddy sat down, and everyone else did the same. The room was silent for several moments. He placed the torn halves of the novel together, shoved the book in his bag, and immediately went back to the paper chain.

He was hyper-aware of everyone in the room.

Zoe sifted through the pile of paper in front of her. She probably still clung onto the idea that there were more red slips.

He couldn’t care less if there were more. He wanted the timer to tick down so they could see that all of this was some sick joke. Or else for the person to reveal himself. He bet it was his cousin. Declan always messed with him when he could. And taking Teddy’s money would be the ultimate prank for Declan. Teddy caught him numerous times snooping in his room. That’s probably how he knew Carrie was his favorite book.

Teddy sat back in his chair and started to believe that it had been Declan. Logistically, Teddy wasn’t sure how his cousin knew about the bank account, but he was the only other person who knew how much Teddy made on a weekly basis.

If he didn’t hide it away, his junkie cousin would probably have stolen all of the saved-up cash. There was no way Teddy would let Declan get one grubby finger on the money.

As everyone started stapling the chain again, Teddy noticed all of them glancing at the clock when they thought no one was looking.

Instead of staring at the clock, he started working too.

‘One minute left,’ Jackie said, breaking the silence.

Did this girl always have to be the center of attention?

Teddy looked up at the clock as the second hand made its rotation around the face. When the minute was up, he looked down at his bag and then gave a pointed glance to Jackie.

‘See, I told—’ Teddy’s words were swallowed up by a faint sound.

He held his breath, hoping that he didn’t hear it again.

The alert tone from his phone made his throat clench. Even from inside the librarian’s office, he recognized the sound. When he was out of school for the day or home on the weekends he always kept his phone on the highest ringer in case he was needed.

‘No,’ he said, standing up.

‘What is it?’ Zoe asked.

His chair toppled to the ground behind him as he leaped up and started for the office.

‘What’s going on here?’ Mr. Curtis’s voice boomed across the room.

Teddy whirled around and locked eyes with his teacher. Of course, he had to come back just when he needed to get to his phone.

‘I asked you a question,’ Mr. Curtis said, his eyebrows drawn together.

‘I, uh—’ Teddy mumbled. His mind raced for an excuse, but all he could think about was the alert on his phone. The one that sounded after he deposited or withdrew from his bank account. It wasn’t a coincidence that it went off the moment his time was up. He needed to see the balance of his account right this second.

But with Mr. Curtis in the room, Teddy knew that wasn’t going to happen.

‘I’m stretching my legs,’ Teddy said weakly, giving the first excuse that came to mind. ‘I have a cramp.’

Mr. Curtis narrowed his eyes, then glanced at the rest of the group. ‘Get back to your seat.’

‘Did you hear that announcement?’ Jackie asked Mr. Curtis.

‘What announcement?’ Mr. Curtis asked, eyeing the group.

‘It’s nothing,’ Teddy said, dropping back into his chair.

His heart pounded, and his armpits dampened. The hope that Mr. Curtis had caught the person in charge of the ‘game’ disappeared in that instant. Explaining what happened to Mr. Curtis wouldn’t get his book or money back.