Sandy glanced aside. "Well... I do a little something here and there... and I get a little money..."
Still maintaining a cheerful expression, Connie asked, "Hey, would you do something for me if I paid you?"
The offer of money had Sandy's attention. "What do you want me to do?"
Then Connie's smile faded a little. "I only want to hire someone who's capable. Are you good?"
"Oh yes, I am. I've done things before. I can do what you want me to."
The corner of Connie's mouth curled upward. "Really?" She stroked the butterfly hairpin in her hair. "Someone took this from me yesterday. She was good. I didn't even see her do it. Then she planted it in the bottom of my handbag. It was really funny. I was searching all over the school for it and it was in my handbag the whole time." The redhead laughed.
Sandy looked down. "That wasn't me."
"Oh..." Connie's expression drooped with disappointment.
Sandy looked up again. "But I did dump that water on you!"
(Silly girl. Some things should not be boasted about.)
Connie's eyes sparkled. "That time after school yesterday, when I was talking with Annie?"
Sandy nodded enthusiastically.
"Oh, that was a good one," Connie praised her, "I was screaming. It was really cold. Being wet on a cold day, very bad. Took me ages to wash my hair after that. It was funny." She forced a laugh. "I'm sure you saw it."
Sandy was elated that Connie had praised her. "No. I ran after I dropped the water on you."
"Oh, you're good," Connie complimented her, "Other people would stay around and risk getting caught just to gloat. You're good enough to get away."
"Yeah, I also spread that glue under your desk," Sandy boasted.
Connie's eyes widened. Then her smile came back. "Really?" She waved a hand lightly. "That was funny. The glue stained my skirt. I had to walk around holding my handbag over it the whole day. That was good work."
"Thanks." Sandy smiled.
Connie rested her chin between her knuckles. "Anything else?" she prompted.
Sandy shrugged. "That's it."
"What about the time you spilled hot chocolate on me?"
Sandy's eyes grew. "Oh, that was truly an accident. I'm so sorry."
Connie chuckled. "Don't worry about it. It's in the past." She thought for a moment. "But I don't normally see you buying a drink."
"Oh, yeah. I usually can't afford it."
The redhead looked into Sandy's brown eyes. "Did you get money for the drink from someone that time? Annie perhaps?"
"Yeah," Sandy admitted.
"Did Annie pay you to do both the other things to me?" Connie asked quietly.
"Yeah." Then Sandy noticed Connie's serious expression. Her heart started beating faster again.
Connie kept that expression on her face for a couple of seconds. Then she broke into a grin. "Relax. It was just business, right? You were just doing what you were paid to do."
Sandy sighed in relief. "Yeah, it was just business."
"So..." Connie closed her hands around her cup. "Are you ready to do something for me? I'll pay."
"Do what?"
Connie's expression darkened. "I want you to do something to Annie."
Sandy blinked. "I... How much will you pay?"
Connie stated a sum that was less than what Annie had paid her for the last job.
"But I can't..." Sandy said. She thought of the money she had received from Annie. She could not risk losing the chance to get more of that.
Connie put on her most charming smile. "Can't you do it? For me?"
Well, Sandy really wanted to. Not just for the money but also for the popular girl. But her goal of earning more money from Annie won out in the end. "I can't," she repeated, "I'm sorry."
Connie looked down. "Well, I can't pay as much as Annie." She took a deep breath. Then she looked back up. "Tell you what, when you decide you'd like to do something for me, come see me." She reached out and touched Sandy's hand. "Okay?" She smiled again.
Sandy smiled back. "Okay."
***
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