Bobbi read the message off of the stone dome: "'Round One Over,' it says." the message faded out, and a new one replaced it, and Bobbie kept reading. "'Cheaters: Someone gave a secret to a person already in the know.'" The letters faded again. "'Solution: Now that someone is no longer in the know herself.'"
As the message faded, Bobbi, Lisa, and Jesse looked straight at me. Then I realized that my command had something to do with secrets. But I couldn't remember what. I didn't have any secrets, did I? I mean, there was my crush on Avi, but that wasn't really a secret. Maybe it was my secret from my parents, who thought I was at computer camp. That would be bad, but I somehow didn't think that's what it was, based on the looks I was getting.
Finally, Jesse pointed her finger at me and practically shouted, "You're a boy?"
That made me laugh. "You're joking, right?"
"Jesse Bartholomew Dailey," Jesse seethed. I didn't understand.
"Is that your full name?" I asked. "That is a boy's name. That's so weird."
"No, Jen," she spat my name, "that was your name. We traded on my last turn. You are a boy."
Now I was genuinely confused. I stood up from my chair, "No I'm not. I've been a girl all my life." I squeezed my chest for emphasis, "Boys don't have boobs, remember?" I was a bit concerned at how close Jesse had hit to Bobbi's secret, but calling me a boy? I needed to clear this up right then. "I've spent the last six months crushing on Avi, remember?"
"No," Lisa said, looking a bit embarrassed, "That was me. We traded crushed on my turn, remember?"
I did remember, but that didn't sound right. If it was, though, it meant that Lisa knew I had a crush on Bobbi, and that meant she knew Bobbi was really a guy. I decided to try a bluff, "Then who did I have a crush on? Bobbi? I'm not a lesbian, you know." That shut Lisa up.
But not Jesse. She was about to launch into another crazy tirade when Amy grabbed her shoulder and said, "Carajo, Jesse! I have no idea what's going on, but just settle down. All of you. Let me go take my turn."
Jesse was still fuming, but she was doing it silently now. I still had no idea what she was talking about, but I sat back down and looked at the dome.
"Start Round 2," it said.
