Rumor Central

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  Chapter 38

  I slammed my locker shut and nearly dropped the book I had just grabbed. Bryce was standing right next to my locker. He looked me dead in the eyes and didn’t even try to glance away. I wanted to vanish, but I couldn’t. I wanted my skin to crawl at the sight of him, even wanted to want to throw up in my mouth, but none of that happened. Instead, my heart started to beat all fast, like it might leap out of my chest at any moment.

  I was more than mad at myself, and my heart, for the way they had betrayed me. We were all supposed to hate Bryce. Like, ugh-the-sight-of-your-face-makes-my-eyes-burn hate, but instead, I felt the stupid goose bumps that rose up all over my skin and my stomach churned like crazy.

  Butterflies?

  Really?

  How could I still feel like all love at first sight after what he had done to me?

  Relief finally washed over me when his teammate, Jason ran up to us.

  “Hey, bro,” Jason said, interrupting Bryce’s stare-down. I don’t know if he was trying to send me some kind of stupid message with his eyes, but I wasn’t having it.

  Jason was nowhere near as hot as Bryce, but I instantly decided he’d have to do. That was the only time Bryce finally pulled his sleazy gaze away from me. It wasn’t that his eyes were no longer dreamy, but when he’d decided to hook up with Sheridan everything about Bryce had suddenly become gross and instead of being the man of my dreams, he starred in my daily nightmares.

  “Jas, what’s clack-a-lackin’?” Bryce said.

  He made me so sick with the corniness. I used to love when he tried to be cool; of course that was all a part of what had made me think he was the love of my life. But that was back in the day. This was a new day. I knew how I could make Bryce pay.

  “Jason!” I cooed. “What’s up, handsome?”

  He looked surprised, and I was glad. I knew Bryce was extremely jealous and I wanted desperately to make him explode.

  “Umm, hey, Maya,” Jason stammered. He looked confused. I couldn’t tell if he was surprised at my tone, or if he was trying to decide if he was going to break this whole ‘silent treatment’ these busters were giving me at school. It didn’t matter. I was just trying to get to Bryce. And I had his attention; now I just needed his heart in a vise grip, so I could squeeze tightly. “Dang, boy,” I said, admiring his biceps.

  I could sense the rage that Bryce tried to hide. If Bryce was a cartoon character, smoke would have been coming from his ears right now. His eyes had always given him away. When we were together, we’d joked about how his expressions, his eyes, and his face were always a dead giveaway to what he thought.

  “Whoa, what are you wearing?” I purposely leaned in and sniffed Jason’s neck. I pulled back and smiled at him.

  “Dial soap,” Jason replied.

  What an idiot!

  “Dial?” I leaned in again. “Hmm, well it must mix really well with your body’s scent, ’cause you smell real good, all manly like,” I teased.

  That fool actually grinned like he’d just won a new title. When I reached up and squeezed Jason’s bicep again, Bryce looked like he wanted to pounce. His eyes literally followed as my hand moved up Jason’s arm. I prayed that would be on instant replay in Bryce’s head all night. Why should I be the only one who tossed and turned at night?

  “You been working out?” I asked.

  “Welllll,” Jason dragged. He glanced between Bryce and me before he continued. “Coach does have me on this special workout plan, you know, since all these schools have been heavily recruiting me to come play football for them. Gotta do what I can to stay fine.”

  I wanted to puke.

  “Well . . . whatever you’re doing, you need to keep it up. I see a huge improvement,” I said.

  “Really?” The shock in Jason’s voice was almost laugh-out-loud funny, but I held it together. I caught a glimpse of Bryce out the side of my eye and cheered on the inside. He was beyond furious.

  “Really, Maya?” Bryce slowly said.

  I allowed my eyes to roll up and down Bryce’s body; then I frowned, and turned my attention back to Jason. I moved away from Bryce and was now all up in Jason’s personal space.

  “So, with you looking and smelling all good, I think I’m, like, really feeling you,” I said.

  Jason’s eyes grew so big, I thought they might pop out of their sockets. I wasn’t sure whose were the biggest though, because Bryce shook his head like he was trying to adjust his ears to what he heard.

  Instead of responding, Jason pointed at me, then back at his chest like a preschooler. I loved it!

  “That’s right,” I said.

  Both of their attentions locked on me. Bryce was all up in our conversation like I was talking to him instead of Jason. He made me so sick, I wanted to ask him where my former BFF and his new bottom-barrel chick was, but I remained focused.

  “I wanted to kinda ask you something, and you don’t have to say yes right now. I’m sure you probably got plans already,” I began.

  I dug into my Michael Kors bag and grabbed a set of tickets. I was gonna give them away during a student body rally, but I decided this was as good a time as any to start making new friends.

  When their eyes fixed on the Nicki Minaj tickets and backstage passes, both of their mouths dropped open.

  “Are those what I think they are?”

  “Only if you think they are Nicki Minaj concert tickets and backstage passes,” I said.

  “Ah.” Jason scratched above his eye, and shifted his weight to his left side. He suddenly seemed nervous, like he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. “Are you really giving those to me?”

  “If you want them. Nicki is also having a private party.”

  “Do I get to go with you?” he asked excitedly.

  Bryce frowned and cleared his throat.

  “What, man? You’re with Sheridan now,” Jason said, like he really could understand why Bryce would have a problem.

  My stomach turned flips. I guess all was fair in love and war. So, if Bryce wanted to go there, two could play that game.

  “That’s messed up,” Bryce mumbled.

  Jason didn’t seem fazed as he smiled at me. “So what time am I picking you up?”

  “How about I have the limo come get you?”

  “Oh, we’re rollin’ like that?” Jason smiled like he’d just won the lottery or something. “So, let me get them digits,” Jason said, “so I can call you before then. Matter of fact, why don’t you roll to this football party with me tonight?”

  I wanted to tell him to get a freakin’ grammar book, but I needed to see this plan through.

  Jason looked back at Bryce.“You don’t mind me bringing her to our party tonight, huh? I mean, since you’ll be there with your new chick, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

  Our party? Oh, I was definitely going now.

  Bryce huffed in disgust, then walked off.

  “Yeah, you gotta excuse him,” Jason said. “But he’s probably kicking himself cuz everybody’s talking about what a fool he was to let you go.”

  Really? With all the hate I was getting, I would’ve thought the opposite. But then again, they could front all they wanted. At the end of day, I should’ve known all the haters simply wished they had my life. Shoot, if I wasn’t me, I’d hate me, too.

  I really wasn’t looking forward to hanging out with Jason, but since I wanted to make Bryce sick, I had to do what I had to do.

  I rattled off my phone number and prayed that I could make it through the evening with Jason without throwing up.

  Chapter 39

  No one needed a break like I did. Maybe hanging with Jason wasn’t going to be so bad, after all. He’d wanted to come pick me up for the party, but since I don’t do Toyota Camrys (what he drove), I told him I’d just meet him there. I almost backed out until I got a text from Sheridan. She said Bryce told her about me coming and if I was smart, I’d stay home. I definitely wasn’t going to let her punk me, but if I had any thought of st
aying home, once Kennedi saw that text, that thought went out the window.

  “No, this trick didn’t,” said Kennedi when I filled her in on what happened. She’d come up from Orlando for the weekend for her cousin’s wedding, but she’d ended up hanging out with me.

  “Whatever, you know I’m not messed up about Sheridan.”

  “No, I know you’re not about let her scare you,” Kennedi said, getting up and heading to my closet. “Gimme fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

  I laughed because I knew with Kennedi, that fifteen was definitely going to be thirty. Normally, I wouldn’t be messed up about some high school party, especially since I was rolling with real celebrities now, but my desire to stick it to Bryce was enough to make me want to be there in full effect. And full effect I was. I was wearing a Maxima one-shoulder short jumper. It cut high enough on my thighs to make any guy drool and it was low enough not to be slutty. Kennedi was looking just as fierce in a fire red tank top and sequined shorts. We were both more than ready to let our hair down and hang out.

  When I turned my car onto the street there was no doubt I was in the right place. Trucks and cars lined both sides, which made the street even more narrow.

  By the time I drove to the end of the street and turned the corner, there was not a single spot in sight.

  “Okay, I can’t believe they don’t have valet,” Kennedi griped.

  I ignored her as I pulled into someone’s driveway and turned around. The best I could do was go back to the entrance of the subdivision and try to look for a spot back there.

  “At least this means the party is tight,” I said.

  “You’re right about that. I miss this in Orlando. Those busters throw some whack parties.”

  “Well, I just want to have a good time,” I said.

  “And don’t forget, stick it to Bryce in the process,” she laughed. Nearly thirty minutes and two and a half blocks later, I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I had been earlier. I finally found a spot I squeezed my car into and we began the trek up to the house. Along the way, people were outside. Some were drinking, and a couple was arguing. I wasn’t trying to get all up in their business, but I hated when couples fought in public. We passed them up and came up on a few people who hung around the backs of two pickup trucks. It was like they were having their own party.

  None of those faces looked familiar to me, so I walked until I arrived at the front lawn of the house party. Two girls were there dancing with each other and a small crowd of guys had formed around them.

  The guys yelled all kinds of stuff at them, and they kept moving and touching all over each other.

  “Freaks,” Kennedi muttered as we squeezed past the crowd of rowdy guys and moved our way up the walkway.

  The closer we got to the front door, the louder and harder the music pumped. It was a wild scene. People were all over the place, in the lawn, in the garage, and hanging out of cars in the middle of the street. I knew the neighbors in this upscale neighborhood were having a fit and it was probably only a matter of time before the cops showed up and shut this joint down.

  There was no point in trying to knock or ring a doorbell at the front door. The music was so loud, it seemed to rattle the house.

  I eased the door open in case someone was on the other side. A rainbow of colored lights danced around the packed room. Bodies were sandwiched against each other in the middle of the massive living room, and other people lounged on chairs and couches or stood and held up the walls. Nearly everyone in the room had either red plastic cups or beer bottles in hand as they swayed or moved to the ear-thumping music.

  “I know doggone well this isn’t Kennedi Harrell?”

  We both turned to the voice coming up from behind us and were shocked to see Kennedi’s ex, Sean. Sean was the only guy that could make Kennedi weak at the knees. He went to a different school on the other side of town, so I never saw him, but I knew for a fact that Kennedi never got him out of her system.

  “What’s up, Sean?” she asked.

  “I can’t believe you were in town and didn’t call me.”

  She shrugged. “Just came down today to hang out with my girl.”

  He finally noticed me and said, “What’s up, Maya?”

  “Nothing much.”

  Her barely gave me time to finish before he turned back to Kennedi. “Can I holla at you outside?”

  Kennedi looked over at me. I know she wanted to go so I just said, “It’s cool, I’ll just see you inside.”

  She looked relieved as Sean took her hand and led her away.

  I walked inside, where I nudged this girl, Cecily, and was about to lean in to ask her a question when she jumped back and frowned at me.

  “Hey, I just wanted to know if you’d seen Jason,” I said.

  She rolled her eyes at me and the girl next to her did the same. Then they both frowned at me like I had offensive body odor. Whatever.

  Maybe it was because I was sober in a room full of people who had been drinking, popping pills, and who knew what else, but suddenly as I passed people and made eye contact I began to feel strange.

  Had she rolled her eyes at me, too?

  Was he looking at me like I’d stolen something?

  As I passed, some people even turned their backs on me.

  By the time I made it into the kitchen, it was obvious that stupid silent treatment had carried over to this party.

  “Charles, where’s . . .”

  I didn’t get to finish my question before he lit into me.

  “Why are you even here, man?” he asked. His boys stood behind him, nodding in agreement. “Haven’t you heard, snitches get stitches?”

  Really?

  “She’s meeting Jason,” someone said. “I just heard him tell someone that he’s only giving her the time of day so he can meet Nicki Minaj.”

  I was stunned. Jason was a scholarship student so he was lucky I was even giving him the time of day. I looked around at the blank faces that stared back at me.

  Suddenly, my tongue felt like it had instantly doubled in size. I couldn’t get it to move and form words that made sense. I looked around the packed kitchen, and noticed even the people huddled near the keg stopped to look at me.

  I looked around the room and everyone looked at me like I was worse than the dirt beneath their sneakers.

  That was bad, but what was even worse was who stumbled into the kitchen and stopped suddenly at the sight of me. Evian, Shay, and Sheridan exchanged glances. “Somebody should’ve told me this party was open to riffraff,” Shay said, staring me up and down.

  I couldn’t believe Shay’s hood behind was talking about me of all people being riffraff.

  “What’s she doing here?” Evian said.

  Was she me?

  I swallowed the massive dry lump in my throat and backed away from the group with the keg.

  “Whatever!” I said. I thought of darting out of there, but I wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction.

  I dug into a trash can and pulled out a can of coke. I shrugged as every eye in the room watched my every move. If they thought staring at me was going to do something I had news for them.

  After I grabbed the soda, I found a paper towel, wiped it dry, then snatched a handful of popcorn and eased past Sheridan, Evian, Shay, and Bryce.

  Who needed all those idiots anyway?

  I eased my way out to the backyard, where once again, the moment my presence was noticed, everyone stopped whatever they had been doing.

  I sighed and rolled my eyes.

  “Heeeeey, Maya, whasup?” Jason said, making his way through the crowd and over to me. He stumbled and caught some girl’s arm to keep himself from falling.

  “My bad,” he laughed, trying to stand up.

  I couldn’t believe this fool was sloppy drunk already. He’d known I was coming—you’d think he’d try to stay sober until I got there.

  “Come here, girl,” he said, grabbing for me. “Gimme a kish.”

&n
bsp; Ewwww. He was slurring his words. I stepped aside and this time, he actually fell to the floor. I looked up and saw Bryce and Sheridan standing against the door staring at us. How was I supposed to make Bryce jealous when this idiot Jason was stupid drunk?

  “Ooooh, baby, youuuu. You got what I want,” Jason started singing from the floor.

  Several people were laughing like that was really funny. I was so utterly disgusted.

  Shay eased up on the side of me. “Yeah, I can see how Bryce would be sick over you kicking it with him. He’s a class act.” Everyone around Bryce burst out laughing.

  “Whatever,” I said, turning to leave out of the kitchen. As soon as I spun around, someone actually pushed me and I ended up falling—right on top of Jason. The room erupted in laughter. I had never been more embarrassed in my life, especially when Jason grabbed me and started trying to kiss me right there on the floor.

  I managed to pull myself up, while everyone continued laughing. I no longer cared who said what. I just knew that I needed to get out of there and get out now! I went to find Kennedi and tell her this party was definitely over!

  Chapter 40

  I was really and truly fed up. The people at school hated me. The administration hated me. Everyone was talking about suing me. And worst of all, some idiot was terrorizing me via email and text. Throw in that disaster of a party last night and this had turned into more than I’d bargained for.

  That’s why I was standing in Tamara’s office with the difficult decision that had kept me up, tossing and turning all night long. I just couldn’t do this anymore.

  “So, what’s going on? You got some more juicy gossip for us?” Tamara asked.

  I sighed. “No, I’m all gossiped out.”

  She lost her smile as I continued. I didn’t sit because I just wanted to get this over with. “Tamara, you know I love this job. I love what I do. But I can’t do this. Someone is stalking me.” I decided against telling her how all the hate was really getting to me. I knew that wouldn’t move her. But maybe she’d listen if I told her I was in danger.