“We both did something so, so stupid, Lauren. I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel right now. You can hate me if you want—you deserve to. Don’t blame—”
“Don’t you dare say not to blame Taylor,” I interrupted. “He did this too. Not just you. I can and am blaming him. He wasn’t innocent in any of this.”
I quieted, trying to make sense of everything I’d just heard. Nothing made sense, though. This wasn’t Brielle. My best friend from home would never do something like this to me. Neither would my ex-boyfriend.
A memory popped into my brain. “Wait. Wait. So what was that interaction between you guys in the parking lot on Family Day?”
Brielle looked at her lap for a few seconds. “Every word was a lie. It was a cover story that I made up on the fly. I actually went looking for Taylor, not my phone, and all he wanted to do was stay away from me and keep our pact intact. He saw me go right up to you and assumed I was about to tell you the truth. That’s why he came after me.”
Images of that day flashed in front of me. Taylor’s angry face. Brielle shouting at him.
“I went over to him, and I guess I was hurt because he was ignoring me. It was the first time I’d seen him since we’d broken up. I wasn’t going to go back on my word and tell you or try to get back together with him. I just wanted to say hi. But he was all freaked out, and I stressed out too.”
“You are an amazing liar,” I said. “Congratulations. I bought your entire story that day. Every word. You should get together with Khloe and start taking acting classes.”
I shook my head. This was the reason Taylor and Brielle hadn’t been in the same room once since she’d gotten here. There had been so much going on that I hadn’t had time to even address it. Every time a thought of saying something had started to form in my brain, something else happened. That was life at Canterwood.
“Do you know that I planned to talk to Taylor about how I thought he treated you that day?” I asked. “I would have looked so stupid! I was going to tell him that he couldn’t speak to you like that and he needed to forgive you for the answering-machine mess. I was on your side. That was so dumb of me.”
“You’re not dumb. Please don’t say that. I don’t even know how to begin to apologize. I’m so beyond sorry, Lauren.”
I wasn’t up for this. Brielle knew better than to try to apologize right now for something of this magnitude.
I swiped my mug off the coffee table and stood. Without looking at Brielle, I dumped out my remaining tea, tossed the tea bag in the trash can, and walked out of the common room without a word.
BFF BETRAYAL
I FLUNG MY BEDROOM DOOR open, slammed it shut so hard that it rattled the photos on our wall, and dashed for my bed. Facedown, I fell into my pillow and the sobs racked my body.
“Lauren! Lauren! Omigod!” Khloe, whom I hadn’t even seen in my haze, put a hand on my back. “Shhh. Lauren, it’s okay. Whatever just happened, it’s going to be all right. You and I will figure it out together.” Khloe talked in a soothing tone over my pillow-muffled sobs. “There’s nothing we can’t get through. I promise, I’m here for you, sweetie.”
Khloe stayed sitting on the edge of my bed and rubbed my back while I cried. With my eyes squeezed shut, all I could see were images of Taylor and Brielle together.
At his house.
At the movies.
At Yates.
Holding hands.
Smiling at each other with affection.
Kissing.
I pushed the images away, starting to hiccup. I couldn’t breathe. It was too much. I’d never been betrayed like this before. Not by two people that I’d thought up until a few hours ago had cared about me.
“Can you sit up?” Khloe said quietly. “I’ll get you a glass of water to help with the hiccups.”
I let out a few more sobs and sat up. Khloe, still dressed in riding clothes, hurried to the mini-fridge to get me a bottle of water. She uncapped it, handing it to me.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice raspy.
“Of course, LT.” Khloe sat beside me again, quiet and not pressing me to talk.
That was one of the things I loved about her. Khloe had a larger-than-life personality that was going to take her straight to Broadway. But she also knew just when to take the BAM! I’M KHLOE!! down and be a calming presence.
I wiped my eyes and nose with the tissues Khloe had brought onto the bed. I stopped crying and drank some water. Then tears started again, and I leaned onto Khloe’s shoulder. She kept an arm around me, not saying a word.
I don’t know how long we were like that. Just when I was sure I’d run out of tears, a fresh wave would hit and I’d be a snotty mess again. It had been a long while since my last crying spell now, and I didn’t think I had another tear in me. My eyes felt dried up and my face tight.
I lifted my head from Khloe’s shoulder and looked at her. She’d held me through all of this without an explanation. She deserved to know what was going on.
“Khloe,” I said. “You were right.”
She tilted her head. “About what?”
This part was harder. “Clare was right.”
Khloe squeezed my shoulders. “Oh, Laur. Oh, no. I’m here to talk if you want, but please don’t feel pressured.”
“I don’t,” I said. “I really don’t have any tears left.” I barely recognized my own voice. It was emotionless.
“Okay.” Khloe nodded. “I’m here.”
“I didn’t tell you because I swore that I was right, and I wanted to get my answers and then go to you and Clare. I met Brielle in the common room after our riding lesson. That’s where I was before I came here.” I took a shaky breath. “It’s bad. Way worse than I could have ever imagined.”
Anger flared pink in Khloe’s cheeks. “Lauren, you know me. Just say the word and I’ll go have a nice little ‘talk’ with Brielle.”
I shook my head, closing my eyes. “None of us are talking to her. Khloe, she had a boyfriend at the end of summer. A boyfriend she didn’t tell me about.”
“What?” Khloe pursed her lips. “Why wouldn’t she tell you? She’s one of your best friends.”
“I thought she was. Actually, I thought two people were. Her boyfriend? Taylor.”
Khloe covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were round like an owl’s, and she stared at me. “No. Way. No. Way. Why? Why would she do that to you?”
I shrugged. “She said she, Taylor, and Ana started hanging as a group, Ana had to miss a group date, and she and Taylor went together. Then magic. Less Ana, more the two of them.”
“Taylor never hinted anything to you about this, right?” Khloe asked. “I mean, he wants you back!”
I laughed darkly. “Yep. He never said a word. Not one. He and Brielle made a ‘pact’ not to tell me, to spare my feelings. So lame. I’ll tell you this long story later, but Brielle even lied to my face that day when she got in a screaming match with Taylor.”
“Oh God.” Khloe rubbed her forehead with her hand. “Since you just came from talking to Brielle, you obviously haven’t talked to Taylor. What are you going to do about him?”
I picked up the mound of crumpled tissues around me. Getting up, I squeezed them hard in my fists before tossing them in our trash can.
“I’m going to wash my face and go find him. Right now. He’s been walking around campus with this secret, and he’s done. I’m sure Brielle already texted him, but I want to get to him before he has a chance to concoct some kind of apology in his head.”
Khloe watched me as I turned on the hot water and smeared Neutrogena over my face.
“You sure you’re okay, really okay, to talk to him?” she asked. “What you went through with Brielle was pretty traumatic, Laur. Do you want me to go with you or something?”
I rinsed my face and patted it with a hand towel. “You really are the best, Khlo. Thank you, but this is something I have to do on my own.”
My phone beeped, and Khloe held it toward me
.
“Can you check it?” I asked. “I don’t want to see a message from Brielle right now.”
Khloe nodded, opening my BBM. “It’s from Drew,” she said. “He said, ‘I’m ready to go to the media center now. Do you have an ETA? Can’t wait to see you!’ ”
“Oh, shoot,” I said. I took the phone from Khloe and sat back down next to her. “Drew asked me if I wanted to meet in the media center. He had to meet his swim coach, and I was planning on having what I thought would be a silly conversation with Brielle. Drew and I were going to do homework, then watch a movie.”
“Maybe you should go meet him,” Khloe said. “I could do a little light makeup, and your outfit is great.”
I considered her suggestion. “I can’t,” I finally said. “I have to get this thing over with Taylor. If I see Drew, I’ll be in a bad mood about it, and I don’t want to drag Taylor baggage into our relationship.”
“That makes sense,” Khloe said.
I typed a message to Taylor first.
Lauren:
You free? Can we meet in the courtyard ASAP?
My urgency got his attention. Plus, we hadn’t spoken in a while.
Taylor:
Yeah, just finished homework. I can b there in 5. Cool?
Lauren:
C u there.
Then I exited out of his name and went to Drew’s.
Lauren:
Drew, I am SO sorry. I had 2 sit down & talk 2 Brielle. Things didn’t go well, to put it lightly. I’m in an awful mood & now have 2 take care of something else.
I sent the message, knowing he was waiting for me.
Drew:
I’m sorry, Laur. Can I do anything?
Lauren:
You’re sweet. I wish. Unfor, I have 2 do this myself.
Drew:
Totally understand. We’ll take a rain check, OK?
Lauren:
You’re the best. I promise, I’ll explain everything 2 u when it’s over. Things r just a mess right now.
Drew:
I’m giving u a giant hug from my dorm room. I’ll b thinking abt u, Laur. Call, come over, BBM, whatever if u need me. I’m here 4 u.
Lauren:
I know u r. That’s why I like u so much. Talk soon.
A lump formed in my throat. I knew my instinct would be to run to Drew after my conversation with Taylor. But I couldn’t. Drew and Taylor had enough bad blood between them, and I couldn’t add fuel to the fire. I had to wait until I was calm to tell Drew. Plus, I had Lex, Clare, and my other friends to rally around me.
I got up, stuck my phone in my pocket, and looked at Khloe.
She hadn’t moved from my bed. KK stared at me with a soft expression. “Going?” she asked.
“Going.”
Khloe stood, wrapping her arms around me in the tightest hug. “Take him down, LT. Do what you have to do.”
Nodding, I slipped into my coat and cast a final look at her. “I will. The lies end today.”
TRUTH TIME, TAYLOR
TAYLOR WAS ALREADY WAITING FOR me when I reached the courtyard. He was on his BlackBerry, but he looked up when my sneakers crunched a leaf on the sidewalk.
He smiled. “Hey, LT,” he called.
I didn’t answer.
As I walked toward him, I realized I couldn’t tell anything was wrong. If I said nothing, if Brielle didn’t tell him, Taylor and I could go on like this. With him giving me giant smiles, us running into each other in the hallways, me resisting fixing his collar, or noticing that he was wearing a new pair of jeans. Not noticing him in a boyfriend way, but a friend way. A close friend way. My “close” friend was just an illusion. Taylor wasn’t that at all.
My chest swelled with anger the closer I got. Any sadness I’d felt seconds ago was gone. He had lied to me, and I wanted to know why.
“Hey,” I said, my tone short.
His green eyes, the ones I’d fallen for when we’d started dating, darted across my face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You’ve been crying.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I said, staring at him with my jaw set.
Taylor’s lips parted a little. “Talk to me. Something happened. I’m sure I can help.”
I didn’t answer. I stood, my feet rooted to the cobblestones. A cluster of laughing students passed behind me and I waited until they were down the sidewalk before opening my mouth.
“Actually, Taylor, you can’t help.”
I let the sentence hang in the air.
“You’re the reason why I’m upset. The reason why I spent the past couple of hours crying. You. So thanks for your offer of ‘help,’ but I’ll pass.”
His head jerked back. “What are you talking about? Lauren, I didn’t do—”
I couldn’t hold it in for another second.
“Stop lying to me!” I screamed.
Taylor stepped back. Birds flew out of nearby trees, and I wondered if a teacher was going to come looking for the source of the scream. I was too angry to care.
“Lying to you about what?” Taylor asked. His face was red, and he adjusted his gray beanie, pulling it tighter over his ears.
“Taylor Frost, I swear, if you make me tell you and you don’t come clean, I’m never speaking to you again.” I paused, my chest heaving. “You. Know. What. You. Did.”
The red in his face slipped away. I was barely able to look at him as he stared into my eyes, not blinking or moving.
“Please,” I said. It took everything I had to speak. My body already felt as though I’d run the New York City Marathon after my talk with Bri. Now I just wanted to crumple up in a ball. “If you care about me like you claim to, if you care even a little, just tell me.”
“I dated Brielle this summer.”
Taylor didn’t hesitate. The words came out of his mouth, and by the look in his eyes and the twist of his mouth, I knew he hated himself right now. He had said the words, though, and the truth about our sort of lopsided dating triangle was out in the open.
“Thank you,” I said. My voice was void of emotion. “That’s all I wanted to hear.”
I spun away from him, ignoring his calls after me.
TWO FRIENDS GONE
I HUNCHED AGAINST THE COLD as I walked to Hawthorne. I didn’t need to stick around and hear Taylor’s excuses about why he had dated my best friend. The simple truth from both of them was what I wanted. Now that I had it, there was no reason for me to be friends with either of them again.
Back in my room, I slid off my shoes and plopped into my desk chair. Khloe was at her desk, lamp on, doing homework. She put down her purple pen and spun her chair to face me.
“Um, did Taylor ditch you?” she asked. “That was awfully fast. Unless you’ve already disposed of his body and came back for my help concealing any and all evidence to save you from a life in an ugly orange jumpsuit behind bars.”
I had to smile. Khloe was really trying to make me feel better.
“He’s still breathing,” I said. “He didn’t bail. I asked him for the straight-up truth, and he gave it to me. One sentence was all I needed to hear. After that, I left.”
“I don’t know how you did that, but I’m proud of you,” Khloe said, spinning her chair in a circle. “I would have pushed him into the fountain—still might on your behalf—or yelled at him until midnight.”
I took my books from my bag and lined them up on my desk. “Believe me, it’s not that I didn’t want to do those things. I screamed at him a little before he would tell me. But I’m exhausted. There’s no reason to ever talk to Taylor or Brielle again.”
I opened my laptop and moved the wireless mouse to wake up the computer.
“You’re totally done, huh?” Khloe asked.
“Forever and totally done.”
“Good for you, Lauren. We’re going to get you through this. I didn’t text or call anyone while you were gone. I figured it’s your business to tell people, and you can do that when you’re ready.”
&nb
sp; “I have someone to talk to, and then I’ll do homework to distract me,” I said.
I pulled up instant messenger and logged on.
“Who are you talking to?” Khloe asked.
An icon was lit up, and the message “available” was next to her name.
“Ana,” I said.
Khloe’s eyes widened as she brought the tip of her pen to her mouth. “Oh, no. I forgot all about Ana. Do you think she . . . knew?”
“I don’t know anything for sure anymore.” I shook my head. “Everything I thought about two of the people closest to me was wrong. I’m not just going to assume Ana didn’t know. I have to ask.”
My palm sweated on the mouse. I hovered above Ana’s icon. Ana wouldn’t lie to me. I was either about to lose another best friend or keep one, all with one simple question.
Before I could chicken out, I double-clicked on Ana’s name.
LaurBell:
Hi, Ana.
AnaArtiste:
Laur! Hey! I’m so glad ur online! *does a dorky excited dance in her seat*
LaurBell:
Yeah, I had some time and I wanted to talk 2 u.
AnaArtiste:
*scrambles 2 stay upright* I almost fell off my chair. You have time? Whoa. Did the Canterwood science lab explode or did all of your teachers get the flu or something? U never have free time.
LaurBell:
Sci bldg is still standing last time I checked. And I have hmwk, but I really needed to talk to you.
AnaArtiste:
*makes worried face* Is something wrong?
I took a deep breath and wished a cup of Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer tea would appear in front of me.
“Laur?”
I looked over my shoulder at Khloe. “Yeah?”
“I know you’re super stressed right now. I can’t do anything, but if you want, I could make you a cup of tea.”
“Khloe Kinsella, I think we’re psychically linked. I just thought about tea. That would be amazing. Thank you so much.”
Khloe stood. “At your service, mademoiselle. What kind would you like?”
I told Khloe the tea I was craving, and she slipped out of the room. I turned back to my screen.
Famous Page 6