Beth tore open a carton of juice. “Now what?”
I opened a ketchup packet. “It’s probably that fire safety thing. We were talking about it in journalism yesterday because someone’s going to cover it for the school paper.”
Beth snorted. “Like anyone’s going to stay calm no matter what they tell us to do. I hate to say it but if there’s a fire then it’s going to be everyone for themselves.”
“Scary.” I shuddered.
“Maybe not everyone for themselves.” Daniel gave me a smile that sent my heart into hard palpitations. “I’d save you, Poppy.”
“Me, too,” Beth said.
“Well, I’d certainly save both of you, too.” Touched, I blinked. Then my gaze drifted to the It table and I absently said, “I wonder where Amber and everyone are.”
Oh, magnificent. Had I said that aloud?
Beth gawked at me. “Wait, you didn’t hear?”
“Hear what?” I dipped my corn dog in ketchup, swirled it around, and glanced at Daniel. He looked as confused as I felt.
Beth shook her head. “Amber found out that Jake cheated on her with Trish.”
My eyes bulged. Then I remembered that Daniel’s dad had bolted after he had had an affair with another woman. I opened my mouth and snapped it closed, hoping it would go right over his head. “We shouldn’t bring stuff like that up right now.”
Daniel’s hand covered mine. His fingers were strong and warm and tingles spread up my hand and through my arm. “It’s okay. I’m learning to live with it. I just wish my mom could.”
“I wish my mom could learn to live with my dad having left us, too.” There it was. Another bond between us and a real one. Our moms were both handling something so hard. It wasn’t fair and it sure wasn’t fun but somehow our shared understanding comforted me.
The bell sounded, signaling the end of our lunch period. We gathered our trash and then headed toward the gym for the special assembly. With my friends beside me and the truth about Trish being the one who Jake had cheated with—not me—the weight I’d been carrying about wanting to switch schools suddenly felt a little lighter.
After all, now that the rumor had been put to rest, what more could Trish do to me?
Chapter Fifteen
http://www.dearaubrey.com
Dear Aubrey,
I used to be friends with a certain group of kids at school, but now I’m friends with another group as well. Is it okay to be friends with people from both groups even though they are so very different? Honestly, some of them don’t get along. How can I maintain all of the friendships without ruffling any feathers?
Signed,
Clique Confused
Dear Clique Confused,
Are you happy with your new friends? That’s all that matters, really. If you’re happy, then there’s no reason why you can’t be friends with people from different groups. People are individuals and should be valued as such. They aren’t ever just one thing, no matter how easy it is to lump a handful into this category or that one.
If any of your friends from either group don’t think that’s okay, then maybe they aren’t worth spending time with. Life’s short, we should enjoy it.
Stay real,
Aubrey
HYPOTHESIS: Teens tend to form cliques.
PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENT: Get teens to choose friends based on an individual’s personality, not a clique “type.”
CONCLUSION: High school is hard enough without having to choose one friend over another.
As it turned out, I was right about the special assembly. The entire student body gathered in the gym while the principal and the local fire chief discussed a new safety program. Luckily, I wasn’t covering this assembly for the San Felipe Scoop so I could just enjoy the practical safety information without having to take notes.
When the assembly ended, it was right before school normally let out so we were dismissed a bit early, which rocked. I reached for my bag and spotted Daniel getting up on the bleachers across from me. He’d sat with the basketball players, including Jake Taylor. Apparently Daniel didn’t hold anything against Jake for kissing me. But then maybe that’s because Daniel only thought of me as a friend now. That last thought was slightly depressing.
I stepped down from the bleachers, my feet hitting the wooden gym floor. My gaze locked with Daniel’s and he made a “wait” gesture with one finger. I paused, but Beth continued across the floor and started talking with Amber.
Just then I saw Trish step off the bleachers and onto the floor. She raced toward the center of the room to the podium someone had set up for the event. Trish grabbed the microphone and tapped a finger against it. A loud thump echoed from the speakers.
Someone yelled, “The mic’s still on!”
Trish stood there, microphone in hand, and a giant smile on her face. “I know it’s still on. Thank you. Before everyone leaves I have an announcement to make. You’re going to love it too.”
Kids who had been exiting stopped and turned around. Clusters of groups stopped talking and watched Trish up on stage. What was she doing?
The smile she flashed held nothing but spiteful glee. A horrifying chill rolled up my spine. I crumpled into my seat as my stomach clenched. This couldn’t be good. I searched for the nearest exit, wondering if I could make it past the hordes of kids stopped in front of each exit as they waited to hear what Trish Benson had to say. No go. I was stuck.
“It’s been an eventful day and it’s about to get more interesting. Does anyone here read the Dear Aubrey teen advice column? Don’t be shy, just give a shout out if you do.”
Cheers and applause exploded throughout the gym. Part of me felt proud that my advice column was important to so many. The other part knew that Trish was only gearing up. My gaze shot to Daniel, who watched Trish with a wrinkled brow. Then I looked at Beth, who was standing next to Amber. Both of them were staring at Trish.
“Well, guess what? I used to be a Dear Aubrey fan, too. I thought she had to be someone special to dish out advice on all subjects like friendships, dating, and parties.” Her voice dropped low on that last word and her gaze somehow landed on me. Her dark eyes pierced mine. “But I was tricked, just like all of you were.”
Nausea bubbled up in my throat. I was going to be sick.
“It turns out the joke’s on us. You see, Aubrey isn’t someone worthy or someone to be revered. Because I know who Aubrey is . . .”
A hush fell across the room.
“I’m here to tell all of you that the Dear Aubrey column is run by our own resident geek, who—by the way—knows absolutely nothing about real life. I mean how could she? She’s never been to a party, never had a boyfriend, and is nothing like us. Isn’t that right Poppy-corn Pinkleton?”
That horrible nickname echoed across the gym and my face went numb. I felt every ounce of blood drain out from under my skin. My whole body jerked like someone had hit me with a huge electrical charge. Every face turned toward mine. My eyes itched and watered. The whispers turned to mutters. Beth stared right at me, her expression shocked. “Is that true?” she mouthed.
I closed my eyes. I had no choice. I stood up and walked, stiff-legged and shaken, across the gym floor to the podium where Trish stood. She shoved the microphone at my face. “Say something, Aubrey. You owe everyone here a good explanation.”
My eyes scanned the bottom of the bleachers where I’d last seen Daniel. His green eyes locked with mine and his eyes seemed to say something to me. But I couldn’t tell what. Still, his expression comforted me enough to say four words.
“My name is Poppy,” I said, firmly into the microphone.
Hushed voices sounded throughout the room. “Is this some kind of joke?” “What does that mean?” “Is she really Aubrey?”
“Tell the truth, Poppy-corn. The student body has a right to know.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ms. P and the principal step toward the floor but I shook my head. Ms. P held the principal’s arm and stopped
.
“I am telling the truth.” I swallowed a lump of fear and sickness. “My name’s Poppy. Not Poppy-corn and not Aubrey. Why do you have to keep trying to bully me like this?”
“I’m not bullying you. I’m reporting about what is happening at school. I know you’re Aubrey so just admit it. Right here, right now. Or, are you scared?” She shoved the microphone back at my face.
Murmurs broke out in the stands. Nobody moved.
Suddenly, I grabbed the microphone, and stepped back. My fingers curled around the metal device in a tight fist. I could feel the hard press of my nails against my palm.
“You want the truth? I’ll give you the truth.” My hand shook as I spoke and I was pretty sure my voice was shaking too. But I was going to speak my mind once and for all. “The truth is that Dear Aubrey is an anonymous teen advice column. Out of respect for the column and its author, I will neither confirm nor deny if I’m Aubrey.”
Silence ensued.
I went on. “If I answered Trish’s question, then I’d be dishonoring the column, everyone who’s posted for advice, anyone who has read the column, and Aubrey herself. And I’m not going to do that no matter how hard you try to make me.”
Trish’s face went dark. Any second now she’d start laying out the evidence. The weight in my stomach went from a heavy rock to a two-ton stone.
Just then Daniel made his way across the floor. He came and stood beside me as I stared at him in disbelief.
“Show some respect for the Dear Aubrey column, Trish.” His voice bellowed into the microphone, then he put an arm around me. “Come on, Poppy. You don’t have to play this game with her.” He tugged at me.
I took a step right along with him.
Beth rushed toward us and took the microphone from me. “Leave her alone, Trish! You’re just mad at Aubrey because she didn’t want to go to your party, and you know what? I regret ever wanting to go either. I thought you were someone different, someone fun, who would never try and humiliate another person.”
Amber walked toward me then. My heart sank. Was she going to join Trish’s plight and call me Poppy-corn again? Just because I wore glasses and had a 4.2 GPA. Well, assuming Mr. Santiago could be reckoned with. But Amber stood next to Beth and took the microphone. “Leave her alone, Trish. You’ve done enough harm to me and everyone else.”
Trish glared at Amber. “Now you’re siding with her? We hate her!”
“You’re the one who betrayed me. Not Poppy. I know you started that rumor about her and you almost had me convinced. That is, until I found a note from you on a history quiz of mine that Jake had, uh, borrowed. You hooked up with him while we were dating. How could you do that to me?”
“What note?” Trish stuttered.
“Poppy’s a good person and a good friend.” Mason joined us and took Amber’s hand. “You owe her, Aubrey, and everyone else here a big apology.”
“But Poppy is Aubrey!” she shouted.
Laughter echoed throughout the gym, along with comments like, “Right” and “Sure” and “Like we’d believe anything you have to say.”
More people started shouting out. The principal looked totally flummoxed. I understood that because it was just how I felt, too. I had no idea how it had happened, but suddenly Trish Benson, the popular It girl, was on the wrong side of things and I wasn’t. Go figure.
Daniel took my hand and we walked out of the gym. Plenty of people walked with us. Not everyone, of course not, but a whole lot of people.
Tears stung my eyes. “Thank you, guys.”
“For what?’ Daniel asked.
Beth smiled. “Trish asked for the truth. So we gave it to her.”
Was that true? I considered everything that was said and it hit me that it had all been true.
Amber stepped toward me. “Can I talk to you for a minute, Poppy?”
For a moment, I felt nervous. I looked around at the others, and then nodded. Daniel let go of my hand but the warmth of his fingers lingered on mine, a phantom heat that gave me courage as Amber and I walked toward a courtyard table and sat down.
Amber smoothed her pretty skirt over her knees. She looked across the courtyard and toward the grouped buildings with the classrooms. She let out a sigh. “I don’t know if you’re Aubrey or not. I also don’t really care. I do know you didn’t hook up with Jake. He cheated on me with Trish and I should’ve known by how she always defended him. You know?”
“You’re being too hard on yourself,” I blurted. I pressed my lips together. Had I really just told the It girl exactly what I thought?
She turned her head. “I thought he was someone totally different from who he really is.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I can relate to that.”
“Whether you’re Aubrey or not, I want you to know something.” Her bright blue eyes held a sheen of tears. “Aubrey was there for me when I needed her. She was the first real friend I ever had. Now I have Beth. I also have Mason.”
“You do.” My stomach tightened at the mention of my two best friends. But then I remembered the advice I’d given Clique Confused on Dear Aubrey. What kind of friend would I be to try to keep Beth and Mason all to myself? Not a very good one. I smiled to myself.
“Poppy?” Amber tugged at the hem of her skirt. “I started that whole Poppy-corn thing in elementary school, didn’t I?”
I nodded. “Yes, you did.”
Amber’s hands fell into her lap. “I know it’s a little late to say I’m sorry, but I am. I thought it was funny, but now I realize it wasn’t funny at all.”
“It’s never too late to say you’re sorry. Your apology is accepted. It was a stupid nickname but I shouldn’t have let it hurt me so much. I know who I am.” I did know who I was, too. Maybe it was time I let my friends know the real me.
Amber leaned a little closer. “Trish will probably never stop saying you’re Aubrey. She tends to glom onto things and not let them go.”
“That’s who she is, not who I am.” I sighed, as a light breeze stirred my ponytail and I adjusted my glasses. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Guilt hit me hard then. I had hurt people. I’d hurt Trish, whether I liked to admit it or not. I’d hurt Beth by accusing her of not being my friend. I’d hurt my mom, too. Maybe it was impossible to get through life without hurting people even when it wasn’t on purpose. I had some apologizing of my own to do.
I looked over at Beth. She stood talking to Mason and my heart gave a big squeeze. She really liked him but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. Just like there was nothing I could do about how Daniel felt about me.
Amber stood up. “I have to go to the office now. There’s something I’ve been putting off and now I’m going to do it.”
I stood up, too. “I’m confused . . .”
“Jake sent me this weeks ago.” She pulled out her cell phone, tapped on the screen, and handed it to me.
I looked down at her phone and at the video that was playing. “I’m messing up his car good,” Jake announced in the video and then he proceeded to spray whipped cream all over Mason’s car in the parking lot. Then he added toilet paper and finished off with writing ‘Go Back To Your Four-Eyed Dating Pool’ across the windshield in chocolate syrup. He had filmed the whole thing!
“Oh wow.” It was the only thing I could think of to say. Then I remembered the whipped cream on Daniel’s shirt. But he hadn’t been in the video at all. Just Jake and his selfie stick. “Um, was there another video with someone helping Jake trash Mason’s car?”
Amber shook her head. “Jake did this one solo. Mason told me how upset he was when he saw what had been done to his car. You know what’s sweet, though? Daniel Baker saw the vandalism and helped Mason clean his car. That Daniel’s a real nice guy, too.”
“Yes, he is.” Chills vibrated through me. So that was the reason Daniel had whipped cream on his shirt that day. He’d been helping Mason clean the whipped cream off and got some on his shirt. It had never made sense that Daniel w
ould mess up Mason’s car, but I couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten the white cream on his shirt. Now I knew.
“Can I ask a favor, Poppy? Would you go with me to the office? You and Beth? I could use a little support. Mason told me not to do it if I wasn’t up for it. But it’s hard to turn someone in who I once cared about even though I know it’s the right thing to do.”
“Yes, I’ll go with you.” I searched her face. More guilt set in as I thought about how it would feel to be betrayed by the guy who’s supposed to love you.
I didn’t know how deeply it had hurt my mom to lose my dad when they divorced. I would never know because I only experienced what it felt like to be the daughter. Even though I felt my mom was too hard on me, now I knew she was just trying to do the right thing. She wanted to make sure I’d be able to support myself well so that I wouldn’t struggle financially like how she was struggling to provide for Stephen and me.
I called for Beth, who came over. “Will you go to the office with Amber and me?”
Beth shifted her purse to her other shoulder. “Are you guys turning Trish in? I already think she’s in big trouble. The principal didn’t look happy when she pulled that stunt in the gym.” Beth’s brows crinkled as Amber showed her the video. Then she said, “Count me in.”
My heart ached for Beth all over again. She liked Mason and was ready to defend him even if he wasn’t her boyfriend. Just like Daniel wasn’t my boyfriend. Sigh. I glanced at Daniel, feeling relieved I’d found out the reason behind the whipped cream on his shirt. When he smiled at me, my heart lifted. Yes, we were friends. But I still felt more for him than he knew.
I headed to the office with Amber and Beth, unable to believe the afternoon’s events. Just like Clique Confused, Amber, Beth, and I were breaking down the barriers between so-called groups. It girls, geeks, or whatever the label, we were forming friendships. And it felt good knowing they accepted me for exactly who I was. Not Poppy-corn Pinkleton. Not Aubrey, either. I was just me, just Poppy. And I was good enough.
The Crush Dilemma (Dear Aubrey Book 1) Page 18