Scandals, Rumors, Lies

by Jessica Burkhart

  “Agreed,” we all said, nodding.

  “How are things with Jacob?” Heather asked.

  She’d been the one who’d pushed us together—admittedly, by extreme means—over fall break. Heather had e-mailed Jacob all during break, pretending she was me. But it had been the push I’d unknowingly needed. After break, I’d met him in the courtyard and we decided we’d never had a shot at a real relationship. We had too much history to throw away everything now that we were both single—and unable to stay away from each other.

  “We’ve been IMing, texting, and talking a lot,” I said. “I think … he’s going to ask me on a date soon.”

  “Omigosh!” Alison said, clapping. “It’s about time. We’ve been back to school two weeks, so he better ask you on a date.”

  “Ben and I are catching a movie tonight,” Julia said. “We’ve been together forever and it’s the first chance we’ve had time to go out since we got back to school.”

  Heather nodded. “Things have been crazy. Troy and I …”

  Heather stopped for a second, trailing off.

  “What’s going on with you and Troy?” Brit asked. Her tone was gentle, not pressing.

  I’d filled her in on how I’d managed to convince Heather to talk to Troy—her long-time crush—during fall break. Heather rarely let her front down, the act of being an alpha clique leader, but I’d seen her vulnerable side during fall break. She was afraid of rejection from guys she really liked, even though she went after (and got) almost every boy on campus.

  “Troy and I are taking things slow,” Heather said. “We texted earlier and we’re going to groom our horses together tomorrow after lessons.”

  “That sounds perf,” Alison said. “You’ll be super-comfortable in the stable. It’s the place you’ve seen each other the most before you even started like-liking each other.”

  “That does sound great,” I said. “The weather’s supposed to be nice, so maybe tie the horses up near one of the pastures and get away from everyone.”

  Heather took a bite of chicken. “That’s not, like, a horrible idea.”

  For the rest of dinner, the Trio, Brit, and I talked about boys, riding, and classes. Our easy chatter and laughter made me forget to be on the lookout for Paige and Callie.

  INTO THE RABBIT HOLE

  ON MONDAY MORNING, I SAT DOWN IN MR. Davidson’s English class. His advanced class was one of my favorites—only ten students were in the class. Paige was one of them. I thought back to the moment we’d found out we’d been accepted to the accelerated English class. Not allowing myself to pause, I walked through the door and sat in my usual seat among the comfy chairs arranged in a circle. No one else was in the classroom yet.

  I opened my silver, sparkly notebook and dated a fresh piece of paper for notes. We were starting a new book today— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I opened my copy, and flipped through the pages. A total bookworm, I’d been wanting to read this forever.

  The classroom door opened and I looked up, seeing Paige enter. Our eyes met and I was sure her smile mirrored mine. Paige sat across from me, opening her leather messenger bag. She pulled out her book, notebook, and a pen.

  “Hi.” My voice, though soft, sounded as if it came out through a cheerleader’s megaphone.

  “Hey,” Paige said. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, one of her nervous telltales.

  A sadness passed between us—we were still so close that I could feel it. And just like every other class we’d had together since I’d moved out of Winchester Hall, Paige and I sat in silence until the classroom filled. Alison, one of the last students to arrive, took a chair two seats down from me and smiled at me, obviously trying to show empathy for my situation with Paige.

  “Morning everyone,” Mr. Davidson said, taking his seat. He had a dog-eared copy of Alice filled with sticky notes in his hand and a clipboard with stapled handouts.

  We all greeted him back.

  “I’d like you all to pass around these sheets for Alice,” Mr. Davidson said, handing them to Vanessa Ortiz. She handed them to the next person and we passed them around. “This is your syllabus for our latest read. You’ll find some quiz dates, essay topics and due dates, and the first homework assignment.”

  “You said ‘some quiz dates’,” a guy name Aaron said.

  Mr. Davidson nodded, pulling glasses down from his dark blond hair. “Meaning there will still be pop quizzes.”

  There was a collective groan in the class, causing Mr. Davidson to smile. “C’mon, guys,” he said. “There will only be a few—promise.”

  I flipped through the syllabus, trying not to freak myself out over the workload. This was an advanced class, and I’d come in knowing it would require a lot of time, but the syllabus for the time we were spending on Alice was L-O-N-G. At least it’s a book you’re superinterested in.

  “Let’s talk briefly about the plot,” Mr. Davidson said. “Has anyone read the book, or watched the Disney movie? What do you know about it?”

  Alison raised her hand, and Mr. Davidson nodded at her. “I’ve only seen the movie. A girl falls down a well, meets a crazy guy—the Mad Hatter—and tries not to have her head chopped off by the Queen of Hearts.”

  I nodded, raising my hand. “I watched the movie a while ago. I remember the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar.”

  “I’m glad not all of you are familiar with the movie,” Mr. Davidson said. “We’re going to hold a screening of it after we finish the book. It will be part of your final assignment—to compare and contrast the two.” He looked at Alison and me. “Both of you will find that the book and movie are quite different.”

  And that was one reason why Mr. Davidson was one of my fave teachers. Watching Alice after reading was something to look forward to after a grueling schedule while reading and writing.

  I walked across campus, shifting my heavy Steve Madden (hello, Macy’s sale!) shoulder bag from one arm to the next. The rest of my classes had been fine, but I was so ready for lunch. My phone buzzed in my backpack. I unzipped the pocket, pulling out my new BlackBerry. I’d managed to convince my parents to let me upgrade my ancient phone last week so I could BlackBerry Message with the Trio, Brit, and my other friends from school.

  I opened BBM and found a message waiting from Jacob.

  Want to sit together at lunch? Something to ask you.

  I typed back. Sure! See you at the caf. :)

  I switched to my convo with Brit. Sitting w/Jacob @ lunch. He’s going to ask me something!

  I watched my phone as I walked, seeing Brit type back.

  He’s totally gonna ask you on a date.

  I reread her message three times before responding.

  I really, REALLY don’t know. But hopefully … will BBM u after.

  Brit typed back the thumbs-up emoticon.

  I put my phone back in my bag, trying not to let my knees wobble as I entered the cafeteria. Turning my head, I looked for Jacob. We saw each at the same time and looking at him made me smile the way I did when I looked only at him.

  His brown hair contrasted with his eyes—making the green look almost emerald. I weaved through the other students, not even hearing the chatter as I made my way to him.

  “Hey,” we said simultaneously.

  I giggled, and then groaned silently for sounding like a silly, boy-crazed girl. I was more than into trying again with Jacob and I couldn’t stop thinking about him, but riding was still my top priority. As Jacob and I tried out our new relationship, I’d have to find a balance between my fave guys—Jacob and Charm. At least Charm, my Thoroughbred-Belgian gelding, liked Jacob.

  “So you have something to ask me, huh?” I said, unable to stop myself from blurting it out.

  Jacob smiled. “Oh, just something. Let’s grab food and find a quiet table.”

  I could barely stand it. I wanted to know right now what he wanted to ask me. What if it wasn’t what I thought at all? Maybe it had nothing to do with a date. It could be something dum
b. Maybe he was going to ask me if I had to carry eight lip glosses in my bag at all times. Or maybe he was going to ask me if I could tutor him in English—his weakest subject.

  Racing through the lunch line, I put Thai food on my tray in a kind of sloppy mess. Green curry with chicken, sticky rice, and a nectarine for dessert. I grabbed chopsticks, something I was still mastering, from the bin and waited for Jacob. He’d picked red curry, basil fried rice, and egg rolls. Jacob nabbed a bowl of chocolate pudding and we both put Diet Cokes on our trays.

  “How about that table?” Jacob asked. He jerked his chin in the direction of a table for two in the back corner by the window.

  “Perfect.”

  I forced myself to keep pace with Jacob and not race ahead of him, even though I wanted to snag our table, slam down my tray and beg him to tell me what he wanted to ask me.

  But that’s sooo desperate, I told myself. You can wait. Just chill.

  The time it took us to walk across the cafeteria seemed to take forever, but within seconds, we were seated on the caf chairs. I twisted off the cap of my Diet Coke and Jacob did the same. Sipping it, I waited for him to say something first. Under the table, my foot jiggled.

  “How’s everything so far today?” Jacob asked.

  Arrrgh! So he wasn’t going to ask me right this second!

  “Good,” I said. “We’re reading a book I’m excited about in English and I’m glad it’s lunchtime. And I’m ready for classes to be over soon and to go riding.”

  Jacob took a bite of steaming hot curry. “Same about wanting classes to be over. Math was brutal today. But it’s okay—the day’s more than half over and Mondays are always long.”

  “Sorry about math. Yeah, Mondays suck, but you’re right. We are almost done for the day.”

  Jacob popped a cherry tomato into his mouth and I forced myself to eat a bite of rice. Green curry was my new fave Thai food, but I wasn’t interested in the food. All I wanted was for Jacob to tell me what he’d BBMed me about.

  Jacob put down his fork, and took a looong sip of his Diet Coke. “Not hungry?” he asked, gesturing at my plate.

  “No, I’m hungry, I just—” I stopped when I caught the teasing tone in his voice.

  Jacob gave me a teasing smile. “I know you, Sash.”

  I blushed. “Okay, I might be a tiny bit curious about what you said. Just a little.”

  Jacob reached across the table, outstretching his hand palm up. I placed my hand in his and his larger fingers closed over mine. I was glad I’d showered this morning and slathered my rein-roughed hands with Origins lotion. The fresh grapefruit scent made me happy every time I wore it. Now I took a breath, trying to slow my breathing.

  “I wanted to wait a couple of weeks until we both got used to school before I asked you this,” Jacob said. “But things have settled down with classes and, well, everything. Sasha, do you have plans for Wednesday?”

  “No! Nope! Nothing!” Omigod! Shut up! I screamed at myself. I didn’t have to answer him so quickly.

  Jacob squeezed my hand, laughing. “I’m glad. I was hoping you’d be free so that we could go out. On our first date.”

  A date with Jacob was something I’d been dreaming about from the day I’d first seen him at Canterwood, except for when I’d been with Eric, my ex-boyfriend.

  “I’d really, really like to go out with you on Wednesday.” I squeezed his hand, warmth passing between our hands.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?” Jacob asked.

  “Perfect,” I said, my voice a little high.

  We let go of each other’s hands and went back to our lunches. I scanned the room, looking for Brit, and I saw her sitting with the Trio. A BBM convo with Brit about my talk Jacob wasn’t even necessary. With one look at me, she knew. Brit grinned and immediately turned to Heather, covering her mouth with her hands to whisper to the Trio what had just happened. And one by one, the Trio—even Julia—smiled at me. There was an extra ounce of sparkle in Heather’s eyes—she understood more than anyone about The Jacob Thing.

  After lunch, Jacob and I agreed to IM later and I stared after him when he walked away.

  Within seconds, Brit was at my side. “Oh my God,” she said. “Tell me everything.”

  I didn’t even pause for a second. “Jacob said he’d been waiting for the right time for things to settle down and things finally felt good. He asked if I had any plans for Wednesday and, like a crazy rambling person, I said no three times.”

  Brit laughed. “Well, you were just making sure that he understood that you were free.”

  I covered my face with my hands. “He definitely knows for sure. I was sure a dork!”

  Brit and I left the caf and she shook her head. “You were just excited. I would have acted the same way—trust me.”

  The smile I’d had all though lunch faltered a little when I couldn’t help but think about one person.

  Paige. Sure, she’d been the one who’d told the whole truth about Jacob kissing me at my birthday party to Callie, but she would have been the first one I’d told about the date before I moved out. And now, my space was occupied by Geena—Paige’s close friend from cooking class. I was torn between feeling a strange sense of loss and one of happiness that Paige wasn’t alone in my former room. I couldn’t be a hypocrite—I did have Brit. Plus, Paige deserved and needed to have someone there.

  I just couldn’t even comprehend what had gone through Paige’s mind when she and Callie had talked.

  “What’s wrong?” Brit asked. “You look sad.”

  “Just thinking about Paige,” I said. “I mean, we used to be best friends. I don’t know anything that’s going on in her life and that seems so weird.”

  We kept walking toward Orchard, keeping a steady pace since we had a riding lesson in a while.

  “I had a messy split with my old best friend,” Brit said. She shifted her backpack, getting out the keys to our room.

  “What happened?”

  “We were BFFs for years and she was always super supportive of my riding. She wasn’t into sports, but she got that I loved horses and wanted to spend time at the stable riding and being around horses.”

  I stepped around a clump of leaves that had blown onto the sidewalk. “What happened? I mean, you totally don’t have to talk about it, if it’s uncomfortable.”

  Brit half smiled. “No, it’s okay. It happened a couple of years ago and I still miss her, but it might make you feel better about Paige.”

  Brit opened the door to Orchard and we stepped inside the busy hallway. Everyone was getting back from classes now. A lot of doors were open so friends could walk back and forth from each other’s rooms and gossip about the day.

  Brit and I walked to our room and she unlocked the door. We tossed our heavy bags on the floor and kicked off our shoes.

  “So, my old best friend, Karlie, got interested in boys and started hanging out with this really popular girl, Justine, at our school. Karlie and I were never popular, but after Justine wanted to be her friend, Karlie almost acted as if we’d never met before.”

  “Omigod,” I said. I pulled fawn-colored breeches, a pair of brown paddock boots, and a long-sleeve shirt from my closet. “That’s horrible. I get the whole sudden-interest-in-boys thing, I really do, but there’s no excuse for dropping your best friend.”

  Brit pulled a V-neck, sky blue shirt over her head. “I know. She just stopped texting or calling. We used to have sleepovers every weekend and tell each other everything. Then, she just got bored with my riding schedule.”

  “Did you guys ever talk about it?” I asked.

  “She wouldn’t even talk to me about it at school,” Brit said. “I finally called her cell one night and she answered. She said I was just too busy for her, which wasn’t true, and that Justine was a really great girl.” Brit shook her head. “She left out the fact that Justine was the meanest girl in our grade.”

  “Ohhh no,” I said, lacing up a paddock boot.

  “Y
up.” Brit shut her closet door harder than usual. “I know Paige didn’t do that, but I remember what it felt like not to hear her ringtone anymore or spend nights at her house or know silly things like if her little sister was being bratty.”

  “That’s how I feel,” I said. “I’m happy Paige has Geena—I really, really am. But I can’t stop wondering how things are with her. Like, what’s going on with Ryan? Their relationship is so new. Is he still being a good guy to her? And what about her grades? And her parents? And …” I took a breath, pausing during my rambling.

  “And what?” Brit’s tone was soft. She combed her long hair into a low ponytail that would fit under her helmet.

  I reached for my Rosebud strawberry lip balm. “And, I don’t know, does she miss me?”

  Brit walked over, touching my shoulder. “I’m sure she does, Sasha. Thing will settle down, you’ll see. It’s just going to take time, but things will work out. In the meantime, you’ve got a lot to keep you busy and so does she.”

  I finished tying my other boot and got off our chair. “Thanks, Brit. That made me feel a lot better. I know we’ll talk when we’re both ready.”

  I brushed back my own hair, then grabbed my phone. “Shall we?”

  “Let’s.”

  Brit and I smiled at each other, leaving our room for the stables. There was no one I wanted to see more than Charm right now. Just thinking about his sweet face and giant brown eyes made me feel like I could get through anything.

  BEYOND MAJOR

  BRIT AND I GOT TO THE STABLE WITH PLENTY OF time to spare before our lesson. Lateness was one of the many things Mr. Conner didn’t tolerate. He kicked out riders who weren’t in the arena on time and it was something that terrified me even now.

  Brit and I walked to the tack room, tossing around ideas about what we’d be doing in class.

  “I so hope it’s dressage,” Brit said. “But I need to work on jumping, too.”