“The same one where the cheerleader knocks out the new girl with a brick and leaves her in a locked crawl space.”

“I am not a cheerleader.” She spat the word with such venom, you’d think I’d called her a slut. “I was going to let you out after dinner, but Prince Not-So-Charming got to you first.” She slid from the bed. “I liked Simon, but no guy is worth humiliating myself over. You want someone to blame? Check the mirror. You’re the one who stirred things up. You and your ghosts. You got Liz sent away, got Derek in trouble, got me in trouble.”

“You got you in trouble. I didn’t do anything.”

“Of course you didn’t.”

She stepped closer. Her skin looked yellow, and purple underscored her brown eyes. “I’ve got a sister just like you, Chloe. She’s the cheerleader, the cute little blonde, bats her eyelashes and everyone comes running. Just like you at Lyle House, with Simon tripping over himself to help you. Even Derek rushed to your rescue—”

“I didn’t—”

“Do anything. That’s the point. You can’t do anything. You’re a silly, useless Barbie, just like my sister. I’m smarter, tougher, more popular. But does that matter? No.” She towered a head above me, staring down. “All anyone cares about is the helpless little blonde. But being helpless only works when there’s someone around to save you.”

She lifted her hands. Sparks leaped from her fingers. When I fell back, she grinned.

“Why don’t you call Derek to help you now, Chloe? Or your little ghost friends?” Tori advanced, the sparks swirling into a ball of blue light between her raised hands. She whipped her hands down. I dove. The ball shot over my shoulder, hit the wall, and exploded into a shower of sparks that singed my cheek.

I got to my feet, backing toward the door. Tori raised her hands and swung them down, and an invisible force knocked me over again. The room shook, every piece of furniture rocking and chattering. Even Tori looked surprised.