I let out a humorless laugh. “What are you talking about? I was just giving you what you wanted.”
A growl seemed to rumble from somewhere deep in his chest. “You think I wanted you to give our entire school a performance like that?”
“Didn’t you?” I asked. “You put up posters all over school calling me a stripper, then had your girlfriend put on all the right music. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
He didn’t reply, and his silence made me uneasy in a way his words never could. His eyes had turned a shade of blue so dark they looked like the sea in the midst of a wild and tempestuous storm. He was brimming with irritation, and I wanted to push him over the edge. I was so angry with him that I thirsted for the friction that always burned between us in a way I’d never experienced before. My anger needed an outlet, and I wanted him to fight back.
“Or are you just upset that I managed to turn your prank around?” I continued. “That instead of jeering at me, the whole school was cheering for me.”
“You think you impressed them?” he scoffed. “You only embarrassed yourself further.”
My stomach tightened as his words delivered another blow against me, but they also made me confused. He sounded annoyed that I’d embarrassed myself, but I thought that was what he wanted. “If I was so busy embarrassing myself, why did you stop me?”
Chase swallowed and refused to meet my gaze. His eyes darted away so quickly that I knew my question had caught him off guard. It only made me want hear his answer even more though.
“Well?” I prompted.
He opened his mouth to reply, but the words were barely out of his mouth when he was interrupted.
“Ally Lockwood?”
I slowly tore my gaze away from Chase and found Miss Wilkes marching toward us. Her eyes were stern, and her lips formed a thin line of disapproval. Given that she was walking from the cafeteria, it was probably too much to hope she’d missed my performance. I swallowed down a thick lump of apprehension that had lodged in my throat.
“Yes?” I replied, a sense of dread swirling in my gut.
“That was very inappropriate behavior, Ally. You need to report to the principal’s office.”
My heart plummeted, and I struggled to keep my concern from showing on my face. “Like, right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
I nodded. “Okay, I’ll go straight there.”
“Make sure that you do.” She turned and headed back toward the cafeteria, her heels tapping loudly against the hardwood floors.
I waited until she was gone before I let out the breath I’d been holding. I couldn’t believe I had to go see the principal. I’d never been called to his office before, and the thought of getting in trouble with him terrified me.
I couldn’t let Chase witness that fear though, so I squared my shoulders and shot him one last scowl.
“Ally…” He actually had the gall to look sorry for me, but he was the last person I wanted pity from. “Do you want me to come see the principal with you? That wasn’t your fault in there.”
I scoffed and shook my head. “I don’t need your help, Chase. And next time, don’t get your little girlfriend to do your dirty work for you.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he grunted back, but I had already turned to walk away. I refused to give him the satisfaction of having the last word.
12
Chase
I stared after Ally’s retreating figure, barely keeping myself together. My body was vibrating with pent-up energy, and I felt the intense and desperate need to punch something. I couldn’t believe she actually thought I’d taken that picture, let alone put those posters up. It shouldn’t have surprised me though. Ally always leaped to the wrong conclusion, and she couldn’t help but believe the worst in me.
It was like she wanted to drive me crazy, and her performance in the cafeteria hadn’t helped either. I probably shouldn’t have cared, but seeing her dance up there had made my chest grow tight with concern. I didn’t like the way guys were staring at her as she danced, and since Shane wasn’t around, I was the only one who could put a stop to it.
I was still staring after Ally as Jenna walked out of the cafeteria. Her lips curved up in a grin, and she was practically floating as she walked over to me.
“What was that in there?” I barked at her.
The sly smile quickly dropped from her lips, and she wrapped her arms across her chest as her eyes darted back toward the safety of the cafeteria. She seemed surprised by my reaction, and the smug look on her face had mostly disappeared.
She eventually schooled her features once again and her carefree expression returned as she wound a long strand of hair around her finger. “What was what in there?”
“You know perfectly well I’m asking you about that song you put on.”
Jenna frowned as she stared back at me. “You’re upset about the prank I pulled on Ally?”
My lips tensed as I considered my reply. It was understandable that Jenna would be confused by my response, and she wasn’t the only one questioning why I was so angry. The prank shouldn’t have bothered me, but considering the emotion that was boiling up inside me, it clearly had. It was something I didn’t even want to admit to myself though, let alone Jenna.
“I thought it would make you happy.”
Her words stole a breath from me, and I had to wonder if I’d heard her correctly. How could Jenna possibly think this would make me happy? Had the conflict between Ally and I really gotten so bad that Jenna thought I’d enjoy seeing her embarrassed in front of the whole school?
“Why on earth would you think that?”
Jenna shrugged. “You’re always complaining about her, and with all those stripper posters going around, I thought you’d find it funny.”
“Do I look like I’m laughing?”
“No.” She pouted like my seriousness was a personal affront to her.
“Although, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve been so grumpy since school started this year.”
“I’m not grumpy.”
“Well, you are,” she said. “And worrying about little Ally Lockwood isn’t helping. Don’t you think you should be focusing a little less on her and a little more on girls who actually care about you?”
She lifted a hand and went to trace it across my chest, but I grabbed it to stop her. “You know we’re over,” I said.
Jenna shrugged and stepped back. “Your loss. Maybe I’ll see if that new guy Luke wants to play with me.”
“You do that.”
A flicker of hurt flashed across her eyes, but it only lasted for a second. Jenna’s heart had never been in our relationship. I was more of a prize she could parade around on her arm rather than an actual boyfriend. I had no idea why she was still after me. It was probably because I ended things with her and she wasn’t used to being told no. I’d seen her dancing pretty closely with some guy at the club on Saturday night, so I wasn’t exactly concerned that she was struggling to move on.
She turned away without another word and walked off. I didn’t like being so hard on her, but I hoped she was starting to understand we wouldn’t be getting back together again. I also hoped my outburst meant she wouldn’t be pulling any other stunts like the prank she’d just played on Ally.
“Why do you look like your puppy just died?” I turned to find Shane walking toward me. A light sheen of sweat coated his forehead from his workout, and he was staring at me with concern in his eyes.
I grimaced at his question. Shane knew about the posters and had spent the morning tearing most of them down. He’d missed Ally’s display at lunch though, and I really didn’t want to be the bearer of more bad news.
“You might want to sit down…”
Shane didn’t move. “What’s wrong?”
I let out a hard breath before I tried to explain what had just happened. My best friend had always been so relaxed, but he looked more tense than I’d ever seen him as I spoke. His face was pale, and hi
s eyes were tired—his sister was slowly but surely turning him into an old man.
“What do you mean she danced like a stripper?” he asked.
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Please don’t make me explain again.” It was bad enough that Ally’s dance was playing over and over in my mind on repeat. She’d looked incredible when she’d stepped onto the table, but her bravery had really taken my breath away. Ally had never been afraid to speak her mind with me, but in public, she always faded into the background. Taking a stand like she had in the cafeteria was completely unexpected, and as much as it annoyed me, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Something was different about her this year, and I kept trying to piece together what exactly had changed over the summer. I’d spent the last three years avoiding Ally like the plague, but ever since I’d moved in with her, I couldn’t seem to get her off my mind.
Thankfully, Shane didn’t ask me to repeat myself. “Is Ally okay?” he asked instead.
I was hesitant to respond. I was worried that one more piece of bad news might just break my friend. I couldn’t really avoid telling him about the principal, but he didn’t need to hear that I’d seen a flash of fear in Ally’s eyes when she’d been summoned there. I also didn’t particularly want to recount how pissed she’d been with me either. Ally wasn’t even close to being okay right now, but I thought it best if I kept my considerations on her mental state to myself.
“She was called to the principal’s office,” I said, hoping that was answer enough.
Shane swore. “I’m guessing he’ll probably call Dad.”
I frowned at how concerned Shane was. “I’m sure it will be fine.”
“It will be if I can convince the principal not to call Dad,” Shane replied. “I really don’t want him to flip out and spend the rest of the year breathing down our necks worse than he already does.”
“Is Ally getting in trouble really going to affect you?”
Shane shrugged. “It’s a risk I’m not willing to take. I better go to the office and see if I can help.” He started to leave but paused just a few steps away and turned to me once more. “Do you know who put those posters up?”
“No, but you worry about your dad and Ally. I’ll find out who’s behind this.”
Shane nodded and breathed a sigh of relief like I’d helped lift a heavy burden off his shoulders. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
I waved his comment away. Shane didn’t owe me anything. If anything, it was the other way around. “Do you really think you can convince the principal not to call your dad?”
“Are you kidding? That guy loves me.” He grinned before he took off at a jog down the corridor. “I’ll see you at home tonight,” he called over his shoulder.
“Yeah, I’ll see you then.”
I waited until Shane was around the corner before I got out my phone and sent a message to Jordan. I’d been trying to find out who started the Ally rumor without raising too much attention, but I didn’t have time for subtlety anymore.
Who put up the posters about Ally? I wrote.
I knew there was no way he’d done it, but if anyone at school knew who was behind the posters, it would be Jordan. He was friends with practically everyone and was always the first to hear the latest gossip. It would be a big surprise if he didn’t know who was behind the biggest scandal of the school year so far.
His reply to my message came almost immediately. Declan.
My mouth became dry as I read the name, and my whole body started to pulse with anger as I recalled the way he’d eyed Ally on Saturday night like she was a piece of meat.
Why? I punched the message right back to him, my fingers smashing against the screen with such pressure it was a miracle I didn’t crack it.
I overheard him complaining that she was a tease on Saturday night. He was joking that she didn’t put out because she’s used to getting paid for it.
My hand curled tightly around the phone as I read the message over again, and I took deep breaths in and out as I tried to rein in my anger. Ally had been right. It was my fault the posters went up. I’d told Declan she didn’t want to dance with him, and he was lashing out at her because of it. I might not have taken the picture or placed them on the walls, but I was the reason Declan thought Ally was a tease. I was to blame for the posters, and I hated myself for causing her so much pain.
I slammed a fist into the nearest locker, welcoming the burning agony that flared across my knuckles. I couldn’t take back what I did on Saturday night, but I knew I had to set things right.
Declan needed to pay for what he’d done to Ally, and I was going to make sure the little weasel never tried anything like it again.
13
Ally
Principal Miller gave me detention after school for my “unbecoming behavior” in the cafeteria. He didn’t want to hear that the other students had been harassing me, and he completely disregarded how upset I was about the horrible posters that had papered the walls of the school. He actually had the nerve to tell me that since there was no way to prove who was behind the prank that there was every chance I had put them up myself to get attention—just like I’d done in the cafeteria.
His accusation stole the breath from my lungs. The man was a pig, and if he told me about adhering to the school’s decorum policy one more time, I was going to blurt something out that would probably get me expelled.
The meeting only got worse when he picked up the phone to call my dad. I already knew Dad was going to lose his mind when he found out what I’d done, and I had no idea how I’d face him when I got home. I’d probably be grounded for the rest of eternity.
Thankfully, Shane burst into the office before Principal Miller started dialing. The principal’s stern frown completely disappeared when he saw my brother. And somehow, the planned phone call to my dad seemed to disappear too. The two of them launched into talking about Fairview’s next football game, and I sat there watching like an unwanted afterthought.
I hated that my brother had to come to my rescue, but when Shane started explaining my situation, Principal Miller actually listened. When I’d tried to do the same, all he’d seemed to hear was white noise, and the disparity between how he treated us couldn’t have been more unfair. Shane told the principal exactly the same things as me, and the sudden concern that appeared in Principal Miller’s eyes would have made me laugh if it wasn’t so prejudiced.
The principal even promised to look into who was behind such a “horrible act of bullying,” but I really wasn’t holding my breath. Principal Miller was all about focusing on the things that made our school look good, like my brother, and bringing light to any scandalous bullying probably wasn’t the kind of news he wanted getting back to parents.
Unfortunately, the posters didn’t change the fact I’d broken the decorum policy, so even Shane’s magical powers of persuasion over the principal couldn’t get me out of detention. It sucked, but I was just grateful my dad hadn’t become involved. He was the last person I wanted to hear about any of this, and even though it annoyed me that Shane butted in, I was really grateful for his help.
When I finally got out of school for the day, the parking lot was pretty much empty. Even Shane was done with football practice, and our car was nowhere to be seen. I had a long string of missed calls and text messages from Tessa. I knew she’d come back to school and pick me up in a heartbeat, but I figured the walk home would do me some good.
I was still so angry with Chase and furious with all the other kids who had been so cruel to me. Somehow, I’d been the one to end up in detention despite the fact I’d been the victim of so much ridicule. I hadn’t deserved it one bit, but Principal Miller seemed more interested in handing out punishments than investigating crimes.
I jumped as a car horn sounded loudly and turned as a white sedan pulled up next to me. The passenger window opened, and I saw Luke smiling at me. It was the first time I’d really seen him since his first day as the new kid at Fairview H
igh, and his expression was just as friendly as I remembered
“Need a ride?” he asked.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder as I considered his question. “Please tell me that’s not some kind of stripper pickup line. I’d hate to disappoint you, but I don’t actually take my clothes off for money.”
Luke blanched as he shook his head. “No, Ally, I swear I was just offering to drive you home. Whoever put those posters up is an asshole.”
He looked so shocked and appalled that I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m kidding,” I reassured him. “Judging by your face though, maybe it’s too soon to laugh about my rumored new career. But, yeah, I’d actually love a ride.”
Luke gave a shaky laugh. “You looked so serious,” he said, pressing his hand against his chest as though I’d almost given him a heart attack. “You’re almost as good an actor as you are a dancer.”
He winked at me as I opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. Luke’s car was clean and smelled like peppermint, and the radio was humming softly in the background. It was a nice change from the car I shared with Shane, which I had to air out every weekend because he always left his used football gear inside it.
“Where do you live?” Luke asked.
I fastened my seat belt before I looked up at him. “About a five-minute drive away. I’ll give you directions,” I said, pointing ahead.
“That was some performance you gave at lunch.” He glanced at me as he put the car into gear and started to pull away.
I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, I was pretty pissed off. I probably shouldn’t have risen to the bait, but I refuse to be walked all over. There was no perfect way to handle the situation. If I had run away crying, it would only have fueled the rumors. If I had lost it at everyone I would have looked like an angry bitch. I chose door number three.”
“I think you did the right thing,” Luke said with a smile. “You looked like you were having fun up there, and no one is talking about the posters anymore—just about how great a dancer you are. You laughed in the face of the rumors rather than let them tear you down. You’re quite something, Ally Lockwood.”
I Hate You More Page 11