Jasper yelled some more, which Call thought was uncalled for. There was no indication that Havoc was going to hurt him. Havoc knew Jasper. He was just sitting on Jasper, his tongue hanging out, looking thoughtful.

“Get … him … off … me,” Jasper said through his teeth.

Call sighed and whistled. “Come on, Havoc,” he said. As Havoc sprang off Jasper and went over to Call to get praise and ear rubs, Jasper got to his feet, ostentatiously dusting off his sweater.

“Okay, Jasper,” said Tamara. “Spill. Why are you here?”

“Or just leave,” Aaron said coldly, getting to his feet. “That would be okay, too.”

Tamara’s eyebrows went up. Call’s mouth had dropped opened a little. Aaron just didn’t talk to people like that. Aaron didn’t usually look at people the way Aaron was looking at Jasper, either: like he was going to punch him square in the face.

Call found himself with an overwhelming desire for popcorn.

Jasper seemed uncomfortable. “I wanted to apologize.”

Aaron didn’t say anything.

“I know you think that I started the rumor,” Jasper went on. “I mean, not that it was a rumor exactly, about your dad. It’s true.”

Aaron looked, if possible, more menacing. “It was a secret,” he said. “And you knew that.”

“Yes.” Jasper had the grace to look ashamed.

“And the rest of it is lies,” said Aaron flatly. “I’d never hurt Call. He’s my best friend. He’s my counterweight.”

“I know,” Jasper said, to Call’s surprise. “And I didn’t tell anyone you would. I really didn’t! I told Celia the part about your dad, yes, and I shouldn’t have done that. I’m really, really sorry. It’s just that everyone was talking about you and I got caught up in it. But I didn’t say any of the rest of it.”

“So do you think I’m the spy?” Aaron asked.

Call remembered Jasper’s words in the Refectory: Aaron told you two different stories about his past. That’s pretty suspicious. We have no idea where he came from, or who his family really is. He just shows up out of nowhere and then, boom! Makar.

Jasper looked over at Call. He was probably remembering them, too.

“I don’t think so,” Jasper answered. “I wondered, after the rumors got started. But the only person I ever told that I thought you might be is Call.”

Aaron turned a stricken look on Call, before turning back to Jasper. “You don’t think so?”

“No,” Jasper said. “You’re not the spy, okay? I don’t believe you’re the spy, and I am sorry for telling Celia about your dad. And for what it’s worth, she’s sorry, too. She never thought things would get so out of hand. She only told two people, and she swore them to secrecy, but then it spread.”

Aaron sighed and the fight went out of him. “I guess it’s okay. You really didn’t start the rumor about me being out to get Call?”

Jasper pulled himself up in a weirdly formal manner and placed one hand over his heart. “I swear it on the deWinter family name.”

Call snorted and received a very enjoyable glare from Jasper. Things felt almost normal.

“Oh, no,” Tamara said. “If you want things to be okay, you have to do something for Aaron. And Celia has to help.”

“What’s that?” Jasper looked at Tamara worriedly, which was pretty much always a good idea but was an especially good idea now, when she was staring at him with a glimmer in her eye.

“Celia’s on the rumor circuit,” Tamara said. “Find out if there could be another Makar at the school, or anywhere. Someone operating in secret. And see if there’s anyone Drew talked to a lot, okay?”

“And find out who did start the rumor,” Call put in.

Jasper nodded, holding his hands up to ward away their being mad at him. “Done.”

“Good. Apology accepted.” Aaron flopped down on the couch. “You’ve got bigger problems than us anyway. Gwenda was here because she wants to move out of your rooms.”

“Because of me?” Jasper said. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Maybe she’s not a big fan of romance,” Tamara said with a sly smile.

Jasper took a seat next to Aaron without being invited. “She’s just jealous because she doesn’t have a boyfriend like me. I am a great boyfriend. I know exactly how to keep a girl happy.”

Tamara rolled her eyes. Call was glad she didn’t find this convincing. After Celia’s defection, he wasn’t sure what impressed girls.

“As a proof of how sincerely I am sorry, I could give you some of my best romantic tips,” Jasper offered.

Call, who’d been about to perch on one of the arms of the sofa, started laughing so hard that he fell. He hit his bad leg against the floor — which hurt — but not enough to keep him from howling with mirth.

Tamara was smiling, but clearly trying not to. Her lips kept twitching up and down at the corners.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked, leaning over to help Call up.

“Yes!” Call managed to say before he started laughing again. He dropped onto the couch on Aaron’s other side, still wheezing. “Fine! I’m fine!”

“Number one,” Jasper said, with a frown at Call, who clearly didn’t appreciate the wisdom that was about to be dispensed, “when you talk to a girl, you have to look her right in the eye. And you can’t blink. That’s very important.”

“Doesn’t that mean your eyes start watering?” Aaron asked.

“Not if you do it right,” Jasper replied significantly. Call wondered what that meant. Were you supposed to develop a second eyelid, like a lizard?

“Okay, so tip one is that you stare right at a girl,” said Call. “If you like her.”

“Tip two,” Jasper went on, “is to nod at everything she says, and laugh a lot.”

“Laugh at her?” said Tamara dubiously.

“Like she’s hilarious,” said Jasper. “Girls like to think they’re charming you. Tip three: Smolder at her.”

“Smolder?” Aaron echoed in disbelief. “What’s that, exactly?”

Jasper straightened up, tossing his hair back. He lowered his eyelashes and stared directly at the three of them, his mouth turned down in a grim scowl.