A single blonde eyebrow rose on Janelle’s forehead as she slowly looked me up and down. “You’re serious? You really don’t know why?”
I swallowed again. “Yeah. I’ve done nothing to deserve this.”
She laughed and then cocked her hip. “Honey, you can play the innocent card all you want, but we both know you’ve been conniving since the day you realized Zane Rees was within reach. I’ve been watching you.”
I guffawed and shook my head at her. She had no idea what she was talking about.
“You thought you were so smooth,” she said with a hiss, stepping closer, “but I saw you set your sights on him from the beginning. I can only hope I saved him before it was too late.”
“Save him? Save him from what?”
Fire burned in her eyes. “From you! Girls like you always know how to get their claws in deep. It was a good thing your phone was still unlocked when I offered to hold all of your stuff yesterday at the soccer game. It gave me front row access to your deception. And now the whole world knows it, too.”
Closing my eyes against the sight of her, I raked desperately through my hair. Was she for real? It sounded like she was accusing me of going after Zane Rees for my own gain. She had no idea.
“You know, that’s pretty rich, coming from a girl who tried to do the same thing,” I said, opening my eyes to glare at her.
Harsh lines appeared around her mouth. “Who told you that?”
“Zane did.” I gestured with my hand. “And believe it or not, I wasn’t after him because of his position. I liked him for him. And he liked me. But thanks to you, that’s over.”
She pointed at the flyer on the wall. “Maybe he liked you with all of those layers of makeup, but I can promise, he wouldn’t have liked what was underneath. You think you’re so superior, but you’re as fake as the girls in Hollywood. I did what I had to do to protect him.”
I stared unblinking at her as my heart pulsed with sadness. Janelle really had no idea. Zane did like me for me. He’d proven it over and over again. She was just too wrapped up in her own world to see it. It wasn’t worth fighting over. She’d never see the truth. And to be honest, part of me felt kind of sad for her. If she thought what she was doing was right, her moral compass had gone far off base.
“I think you should go,” I said, my lower lip trembling. I wasn’t going to be able to hold it together much longer. Not with the school bell ringing and the entirety of Rock Valley High piling through those doors in a matter of minutes. Pretty soon, all of my dirty secrets were going to be on display.
“Gladly.” Her heels clicked as she walked toward me with a superior smile. She paused beside me and tilted her head toward the fliers. “You know, that’s a good look for you. If you want to make those duck lips permanent, I have the name of a plastic surgeon in LA.”
My quivering lips somehow formed a smile as I met her head-on with a proud expression. “No thanks. I already like the way I am.”
With a disbelieving quirk of her lips, she continued on toward the exit in the rear. Only two seconds after she walked through the doors, the first of the high school students started streaming through the front door. Not ready to face that level of scrutiny, I headed back the way I came and found a side exit. The rain had stopped, throwing a deceptively cheery picture of a bright sun on the horizon and a rainbow stretching overhead.
I needed to be somewhere safe. Somewhere no one would judge me. My mom was out of town this weekend for a PR event in New York, so the next best place was my dad’s. Hopefully he didn’t already hate me. I broke into a run, as fast as my flip flops would carry me, and headed toward home.
It didn’t matter that the rain had stopped. My tears would do a good enough job of washing away all of my makeup.
Chapter Twenty
I stared at the computer screen through blurred eyes. After a full day of falling in and out of sleep underneath my covers and watching dramas on my TV, I had half hoped that the nightmare of today would just fade away. I was wrong.
Oh, so very wrong.
My story in the tabloids had gone viral. Everyone at school was talking about it online. Rock Valley Biz had posted about it on Instagram. They’d snapped a screenshot of the tabloid article with a caption about my secret relationship with Zane. It hurt to see him in that picture, kissing my cheek so innocently, without a clue that everything would be blowing up in our faces so soon. I skimmed over the comments. Most of them were simply curious about Zane and me, but some of them were one-hundred percent nasty. They accused me of using Zane. Of just wanting attention.
They were wrong.
I wanted to write back to each and every one of them, exclaiming my innocence. I wanted to tell them that if I could, I’d take back everything that had happened during the past three weeks. That I would keep a hundred-yard distance from Zane, if that was what it took to undo the damage. I could only imagine what his dad was saying right then. How he was convincing Zane that I’d done this all because I just wanted fame for my future career. The thought made my eyes burn with tears and I abandoned my computer to go sink back into my bed.
“Mija, where are you?” Dad’s voice came from down the hallway.
I gritted my teeth, preparing myself for the disappointment I’d see in his eyes the moment he walked in. “Here, Dad.”
His tie was disheveled and his top buttons of his shirt undone when he strolled into my room. He took one look at me, with my hair sticking up in weird places and my mascara a stained mess on my cheeks, and closed the distance between us to sit on the edge of my bed and pull me into a hug.
I wanted to beg his forgiveness, but instead, I found myself sobbing onto his silk tie. He patted my back for several minutes, until every cry had wrenched itself from my body. And when I was finally done, I looked up at him with guilt swarming in my gut.
“I’m so sorry. For everything.”
He nodded solemnly and ran a hand over my head. “I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when my boss dropped that magazine on my desk. What happened?”
A desperate hiccup escaped my lips. “That awful Janelle girl got them from my phone and sent them in to hurt us. We didn’t mean for anything to happen. We just fell for each other, even though we knew it could never happen between us.”
A muscle along his jaw twitched. Fire burned in his eyes. “She stole them?”
“Yeah, when I was at work.”
“And she made up the interview with the magazine?”
“Every word.” I dabbed at the corners of my eyes. “I never would’ve done that to Zane. To you. I’m going to make it up to you though. I’ll call every law office in the state to find you a new job. A better job. It’s not your fault your daughter is a selfish jerk. You shouldn’t have to be fired.”
He grabbed my wrists and pulled them gently down. “Woah, what are you talking about, chica? I didn’t lose my job.”
Hope sprang alive inside of me for the first time all day. “You didn’t? I thought for sure they’d can you.”
He chuckled and ran a hand over the stubble that had started to come in. “Nah, Mr. Terrance loves me too much to let me go. He’s grooming me to take over when he retires. I’m not sure he’s willing to throw that all away on some gossip rag. Don’t you worry about me, Lexi. I just wanted to be sure you’re okay. What that girl did wasn’t right.”
I buried my face again in his chest, fresh tears springing to my eyes. It was such a relief to know that at least I hadn’t cost my dad his job. Maybe I’d ruined my future in makeup. Maybe I’d cost Zane his career. But at least one thing hadn’t gone wrong. I’d take it, even as misery still threatened to pull me down.
“I’m okay, Dad,” I said, blinking away the tears as I smiled up at him. “Even if I’ve ruined almost everything, at least I didn’t ruin your job.”
“Oh, sweetie.” He swiped his thumb under my eye, drying some of the wetness. “You didn’t ruin everything. You’re only sixteen. You’ve got loads and loads of years ahea
d of you to make even bigger mistakes. Believe me. This one will seem small in comparison.”
Somehow, his horrible attempt to make me feel better forced a laugh out of me. Dad had never been great in the girly moping and sobbing territory. That was Mom’s territory. But since she was out of town, I was thankful for what I had. Throwing my arms around his neck, I squeezed in thanks.
“You’re the best, Dad.”
“No, I’m not.” He squeezed me back. “But I try, and that’s what matters. Remember that. No matter what, always try your best. That way, you’ll never have any regrets.”
I nodded in understanding as the sound of the front doorbell rang through the house. Dad was just about to get up from my bed when we heard it burst open. Footsteps clattered down the hall and a few seconds later, Charlotte and Beth appeared at my door, both wearing concerned expressions.
“Oh, sorry, Mr. B,” Charlotte said when her eyes landed on my dad. Her cheeks reddened. “We were worried about Lexi. Sorry about busting in.”
He chuckled and rose to his feet. “No need to apologize. No one ever needs to say sorry for looking after one of my girls. I’m glad you ladies are here. Lexi could use the distraction. I’ll leave you to it.”
With a last warm smile directed my way, he left. I sat hunched over in my bed, as still as a statue. I couldn’t look at Beth, standing in my doorway in her black t-shirt with a baseball cap hiding her curls. I knew what she must’ve been thinking. That I’d messed it up, just like she’d warned. She’d been totally right.
“If you want to say I told you so, go ahead. I won’t stop you.” I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling the tears well up again. I’d cried so much in the past few hours, I was surprised I had any liquid left inside of me. “I deserve it.”
“Lexi, I’m so sorry,” Beth said, her voice full of emotion.
The amount of sorrow in her voice had me looking up at her in shock. What was she apologizing for? I was the one who’d fought back against her. Even after I’d asked her to help me stay away from Zane. She should’ve been gloating.
“You’re not going to say it?” I asked, trembling.
“No, of course not. We’re here for you. We’ll always be here for you.”
In a matter of seconds, both girls joined me on the bed and wrapped me up on both sides in a tight hug. This time, I didn’t cry. There really were no more tears left inside of me. Instead, I laughed and hugged them both as tight as I could.
“How bad is it at school?” I asked. Surely, by now, everyone knew my secrets. It was going to be like walking naked onto a land mine field tomorrow.
“We trashed all of the fliers,” Charlotte said, nodding firmly. “It didn’t take long. There was a lot of talk about you and Zane, but I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that much tomorrow.”
My gaze darted between hers and Beth’s. “Why’s that?”
“Because one of the freshmen accidentally plowed through the fence surrounding the stadium with her car.”
I gaped at her, wondering how someone could’ve done that. “Was she okay?”
Beth giggled. “She was fine, but the fence is mangled. Everyone is calling her the Fence Strangler now. It’s funny. So your stuff will already be old news by tomorrow, trust me.”
Relief rolled through me. At least there was one good thing about high school drama, there was always something new to take up the front page headlines. If only I could’ve been so sure that Zane’s career would bounce back as much as my reputation at Rock Valley High.
“I’m so sorry the way I talked to you,” I said, reaching for Beth’s hands. “I was awful. I didn’t mean any of it. You were just trying to help.”
She shook her head and smiled sadly at me. “No, you were right. When it comes to boys, I’m a coward. I can’t even tell the one I like who I am. I had no right to judge you. It’s clear that you and Zane really like each other.”
I smiled through watery eyes at her. “Well, then, after I figure out how to fix this mess, we’re just going to have to figure out a way to help you tell that boy, whoever he is.”
She laughed, throwing her head up. “Yeah, that’s a problem for another day. Let’s focus on this one for now.”
“Agreed.” Charlotte reached across to grab both of our hands. “How can we help, Lexi?”
My brain whirled and Dad’s sage words came back to me. No matter what, always try your best. That way, you’ll never have any regrets. I didn’t want to have any regrets about this moment of my life. And I also didn’t want to hide from it. I’d take it all on the nose, whatever life wanted to hit me with. I’d take it standing up, like a woman. And I’d do it with my two best friends beside me.
“I don’t suppose you girls feel interested in starting a movement?” I asked, arching my eyebrows. “Something for all the girls at our school who’ve been victimized by mean girls like Janelle?”
Charlotte rubbed her hands together and grinned. “Always. Anything for a cause. Let’s do it, baby.”
My gaze shifted to Beth and she nodded in anticipation. “Anything you need, I’m there.”
I smiled gratefully. These were my girls. Even when I’d messed up everything, they had my back.
“First things first, let’s get out a message to the Rock Valley Biz Instagram account,” I said, interlocking my fingers and stretching them in front of me. Excitement began to pulse through my veins. “I’ve got a plan, but it’ll require more of us. And they’ve got the reach. If they agree to join in, my plan just might work.”
We huddled around my computer, pulling up my account. And even as I typed out a message, hope blossomed in my chest. Maybe I couldn’t fix everything that I’d broken today, but this was a start.
And maybe, someday, Zane would forgive me.
Chapter Twenty-One
A gentle breeze sailed over Rock Valley, teasing at my loose waves I’d let fall around my face this morning. I stood facing the sleepy movie set, staring at the workers just starting to arrive. School didn’t start for another hour, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that a certain someone was scheduled to shoot a scene this morning on the soccer fields and that we were here to greet her when she showed up.
“Do you think the others will show?” I asked, turning toward Beth.
She smiled at me, her eyes crinkling with warmth. “I know they will, Lex. Just you wait and see.”
“It’s a big step. I’d understand it if people chicken out.”
“They won’t.” Charlotte grabbed my hand on the other side and held it tight. “We’re in this together. Just have some patience.”
I tried not to let my nerves get to me, but it wasn’t often that I stood bare-faced in front of the school during a weekday, with not a stitch of makeup on. A couple weeks ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of pulling off a feat. But my time with Zane had changed me. My worth didn’t just lie in how well I could hide my scars and blemishes. I was so much more than that. Just as every girl at Rock Valley was more than her ability to work a powder brush or lip liner. I knew that, now. And I wasn’t going to feel ashamed of myself anymore.
“They’re here.” Beth squeezed my hand. She pointed down the walkway. “I see them. They’re here for you.”
I craned my neck to see and gasped. It wasn’t just one or two supporters who’d rallied to my pleas for help yesterday. Dozens upon dozens of girls walked toward us, each of them as bare-faced and bold as me and my friends. I smiled so hard, I thought my cheeks would break. There were girls from the cheerleading squad, the band, the basketball team, the book club. Girls from every social circle on campus.
They were beautiful.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming,” I said loudly as they slowed to a stop in front of me. Tears of gratitude clogged my throat. “I can’t tell you what this means to me.”
“We all saw what happened to you yesterday.” A small sophomore with jet black hair that fell just to the top of her shoulders stepped forward from the crowd. I was pretty su
re her name was Charlie and she’d just returned to school this year after a battle with cancer. “We don’t like bullies,” she continued, her eyes flashing with emotion. “And we don’t accept the narrative that you have to wear makeup to be beautiful. You’re beautiful just the way you are—whether you choose to wear makeup is up to you.”
Her words had my chin quivering as I tried to keep it together. I honestly couldn’t believe all of these ladies had shown up today for me. It was more than I ever could’ve asked for—or believed. It was amazing. I made a promise to myself right then and there to always come through for the girls in my life, no matter their need.
There was a commotion at the back of the crowd. A shrill and familiar voice reached my ears before I spotted its owner elbowing and pushing her way toward the front. Janelle carried a white Coach purse tucked close to her denim shirt and leggings. She blinked at me in surprise as she finally broke free from the crowd and then her surprise turned into a snarl.
“What is this?” she demanded, her large eyes taking in my scarred and red face. “Didn’t you get enough embarrassment yesterday? Didn’t you finally realize you’re not meant for this world?”
“Maybe not, but I did learn something.” I kept my cool gaze trained on hers and unblinking. She wasn’t going to rattle me, no matter what. I had all the encouragement I needed from the girls surrounding us. “I learned that I’m tougher than I realized. And no one gets to shame me for something I’m not ashamed of.”
I lifted my chin higher and tucked my hair behind my ears on both sides. I wanted to be sure Janelle got a good, up and close look at my face. She didn’t get to tell me where my worth came from.
Janelle’s nasty smile faltered as her gaze flicked from my face to the girls around us. It seemed that, for the first time, she had realized what these other girls were doing here. They met her stare head-on, each one proudly lifting their bare faces to show her they weren’t afraid of her. Janelle’s shoulders wilted a bit as she took it all in, but the next second, the snarl was back and she came toward me with her finger jabbing at my chest.
Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High Book 5) Page 16