by A. R. Perry
“And then nothing.” I bite down on my lower lip to keep from smiling. Something I can’t rein in since getting dropped off last night.
My mom was all over me about breaking curfew and not telling her where I was, but the moment she saw the look on my face, she dragged me into the kitchen, made some lavender tea and made me spill.
So, I did. About everything, including my original plan. To say it upset her would be an understatement. Disappointed was the word she used. Which is way worse than parents coming out and saying they’re mad. But by the end of the conversation, I won her over. Well, after I promised I would tell Carter the whole truth.
I swore her to secrecy. Just until I figure out if Carter wants to break the news of us to his parents. But who knows how long she’ll be able to keep her mouth shut.
“There’s that look again.” Blythe pokes my cheek as I stop in front of my locker. “You look like you’ve rolled around in a playpen full of puppies. You can’t keep that stupid grin off your face. Oh, my God!” She smacks a hand over her mouth. “Did you guys hook up?”
“What? No!” I tug her closer by the sleeve of her bomber jacket. “We made out a little, okay? Nothing else happened. But….it was amazing. Just…ugh.” I let my head rest on the locker next to mine. “I sound so stupid and girly and out of it but I can’t describe the amazingness of kissing him.”
Blythe’s eyes widen and she shakes her head. “You got it bad. But I’m assuming since it ended on a happy note he wasn’t too upset about the whole lying and using him?”
I cringe, sinking farther into the locker. “I didn’t tell him.”
“Piper!” She smacks my arm. “How do you think he’s gonna react now after last night?”
“I know. I know!” I throw my hands up, letting them fall with a smack against my thighs. “We kept getting interrupted. I figure I can tell him tonight. We’re supposed to grab something to eat after practice, before his shift at the bakery.”
“Tell who what tonight?” Claire saddles up next to me, bumping her hip into mine.
I shoot Blythe a what the heck look. After putting so much effort into avoiding us, now here Claire is, acting as if nothing ever happened.
“Wow. You’re alive.” Blythe adjusts the strap on her shoulder. She’s fidgeting, which means she’s trying to hold in the word vomit bubbling under the surface. Claire is talking to us again, and she doesn’t want to spook her.
“I’ve been MIA. School’s been crazy and…”
“And what?” Blythe asks, scooting out of the way when a girl motions to the locker she’s blocking.
“Nothing. Do you guys maybe want to do a girls’ night tonight? I’ll bring the junk and those Korean face masks my mom hoards. It’s been forever.”
“Are you actually going show up?” Blythe smirks, but irritation simmers under the surface.
I’m in the same boat as Blythe. How can Claire just show up acting as if she hasn’t been blowing us off? Then again, I haven’t been the best friend. And I’m about to do the same thing to her.
“I can’t. I have plans after school.”
“Yeah. Plans.” Blythe makes kissing noises, running her hands up and down her sides in a crude display.
“Shut up!” I whack her in the arm, making her giggle. “I might be able to catch the tail end. Five sound good?”
Claire glances from Blythe’s shit-eating grin to me, her face falling. “Are you still after Nash? Blythe said you called it off.”
I glare at my friend, who shrugs. “What? She asked.”
Flustered, I run a hand through my hair. I didn’t plan on getting to this in the middle of the hall with a bunch of prying ears. “Um…I did. But—”
“Now she’s hooking up with Carter,” Blythe jumps in.
“Dude!” I whirl on her, before glancing around the hall making sure no one else heard. Carter and I haven’t discussed how we want to handle school and the gossip mill. I don’t want word getting out if he isn’t ready.
“Are we keeping secrets from each other now?” Her eyes flick to Claire for a brief second before setting on me. But there was something in her face, something that makes me uneasy.
“No. I just want to make sure Carter and I are on the same page before announcing it to the world. We didn’t have time for a full-on conversation.”
“No time like the present” Blythe points behind me.
When I turn around, Carter is walking toward us, his eyes locked on mine with a matching grin on his face. I can’t help it. It’s automatic when I see him.
“Hey.” I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear when he stops in front of me. I don’t know why I feel so shy, but my cheeks are burning.
“Hey.” He leans down and plants a soft kiss on my lips.
Well, I guess that answers the question about if he wants to go public at school. Several heads twist our way and I’m pretty sure a couple of mouths fell open in shock.
“Sit with me at lunch today?”
Claire lets out a huff at my side before stomping off down the hallway. I make a move to follow her, to find out what the heck is up lately, but Blythe waves me off.
“I got it.” Without another word, but with a wink and what I can only describe as an air-hump, she leaves Carter and me alone.
“So, what do you think?” His hand trails across my jaw, making it hard to focus.“About sitting with me.” His lips tip up as if he’s aware of what his touch is doing to me.
“I think I’ll sit with the girls today.”
“Come on. I want to spend as much time with my girlfriend as possible.” He threads his fingers through mine, lifting them to his chest. “Plus, I had a crappy end to my night last night. I didn’t do a good enough job sneaking into my house.”
His words tug at my heart, but still, I need to figure out what’s going on with Claire. I’ve been a terrible friend, but that ends today. “I wish I could. Tomorrow, though.”
He relents with a sigh. “Okay, fine. But can I walk you to class?”
I pretend to think about it, giggling when he narrows his eyes. “I guess.”
“Don’t sound too excited about it.” Leaning in, he brushes his lips against mine. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re using me for my body.”
“Perceptive.”
His fingers sink into my ribs, making me screech and pull away. Our antics draw a few more eyes, but I don’t care. Being with Carter, even with people watching, makes me the happiest I’ve been in a long while.
He’s about to come at me again, an evil glint in his eye, when someone behind him makes a disgusted noise.
“Seriously?” The nasal and too familiar voice asks.
Carter and I turn at the same time. Cristy is blocking the hallway with a hand on her hip, staring at us as if we smell bad or something.
“Cristy.” Carter wraps a protective arm over my shoulders, pulling me to his side. “Is there something we can help you with?”
“Yeah, you can explain what the hell is going on here.”
“Well…” His eyes flick to mine for the briefest of seconds. “I was enjoying a good morning with my girlfriend.”
I gasp, not expecting him to lay it all out there that simply to his ex who is still obviously hung up on him. Cristy’s jaw clenches and her whole face turns red.
“Girlfriend?” She spits out the word as if it makes her ill to even say it.
“Yes. My girlfriend. And now we got to head to class.”
He bends down to pick up my backpack. I must have dropped it when he was messing with me, but I was too distracted to notice. Cristy stands there fuming as we walk by. I swear she growls when I get too close, but I keep my face pointed straight ahead, not daring to glance over my shoulder in case she tries to scratch out my eyes with those ridiculous pointed nails of hers.
“That went…terribly,” I say when we’re almost to my class.
“It had to be done. She’s been desperate to get me back. This way she’ll have all
morning to cool off before lunch.”
Yeah. That’s likely.
What will happen is she’ll spend all morning plotting the many ways to murder me and hide the body.
“You sure I can’t convince you to sit with me?” We stop next to the door for my first class.
“After that? Not a shot in hell.”
He laughs, fingering a strand of my hair. “Fair enough. I’ll meet you at your class though. We can at least walk together.” With a boop on the nose and a wink, he turns and heads down the hall toward his class.
Right as I’m stepping inside the door, I catch the evil glare Cristy is sending my way as she passes.
So maybe it will take her longer than a day to cool off.
By the time lunch rolls around, I’m about to jump out of my skin. Cristy passed me in the halls a handful of times and now I can’t decide what’s worse—her anger or this new giddy feeling I sense wafting off her when she smirks at me.
I’ve also had to deal with everyone wanting all the juicy details of my new relationship with Carter. Kids I’ve never even spoken to have approached me between classes. Between second and third periods, I even hid in the bathroom stall until the late bell because I needed a break.
And now I have to go to lunch, where I’m sure even more people will want the deets. Blythe will be all too happy to spill.
Carter is waiting in the hallway when I finally drag my butt out of the class. I’d been hoping to let the masses make their way inside so I wouldn’t have to deal with as many confusing looks.
Carter and I aren’t the typical couple around here, but they all need to find a life and get over it.
“Took you long enough.” Carter tugs me to him by the hem of my shirt. “Was starting to think you wanted to ditch me.”
“Ditch school, yes. Ditch you, never.” I plant a quick kiss on his cheek before turning down the hall. “I’ve got at least a thousand questions about us. Word travels fast around here when it has to do with His Highness Carter Jackson.”
“You couldn’t sound less excited if you tried.”
“I am. I just…” I let out a frustrated breath. This is stupid. I wanted to be popular. I wanted to show John how wrong he was when he dumped me, but now that I’ve gotten it, I’m uneasy. “Guess this is what I get for wanting to be part of the popular crowd.”
“Wow, okay.” Carter takes a step backward, raking a hand through his hair. “It kinda seems like you’re regretting this.”
“No. God. Ugh.” I shake out my limbs. “Cristy has me on edge is all. Was she ever violent?”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Actually, yeah. One time she slashed this chick’s tires after a girl got a little handsy at a party.”
“Comforting.”
“She won’t mess with you.” Draping an arm over my shoulder, he leads me to the cafeteria.
We make it only a few steps before a loud bang in the janitor closet has us pausing.
“What the hell was that?” I ask.
“Raccoon?” He shrugs and pulls me forward again.
“Must be a big raccoon.” We start to walk away when I hear moaning. The human kind. My eyebrows jump as I turn to him. “Is someone hooking up in there?”
He pulls a face, scratching at his jaw. “I’ve heard rumors of people doing that.”
“Rumors, huh?” Bumping him with my hip, I focus on the door. “How mad would they be if we interrupted their little tryst?”
“If it was you and me in there I’d be pissed.” Warm lips press into my neck, and I bat him away.
“We should go before they come out and see us standing here like two creepers.” Right as the words are out of my mouth, the door flies open, almost knocking me to the ground.
Carter catches me, but I barely feel his hands on my shoulders. My eyes are glued to one of my best friends in the entire world as she tries to smooth out her crazy hair. Time stops. My mouth drops open. Claire’s eyes find me and widen the second John steps out from behind her and nibbles on her neck.
There’s a weird gurgling noise that draws his attention. That’s when I realize it’s me. I’m the one making that horrible noise because I just caught my friend coming out of a dark closet with my ex.
“Piper. Hey.” Claire’s gaze flies from me to Carter and back again. “What are you doing out here?”
Well, I could ask her the same thing—demand she explain why the hell they were in a closet together. But that answer is obvious, judging from the disarray of her clothing. Everything makes sense now. Her avoiding me. The way she took John’s side after the breakup when it was obvious I still had feelings for him. How she’s never been on board with my whole revenge plan.
Scoffing, I turn away and rush down the hallway toward the cafeteria. She won’t get into it with me there. Never a fan of being the center of attention, she’ll wait to get me alone. Or when it’s just me and Blythe.
Blythe.
I stop in my tracks, and Claire almost runs into me. I hadn’t even realized she was following. Her hand lands on my arm, and I immediately tear myself out of her grasp.
Did Blythe know, too? Is that why she never made a big deal about Claire being MIA for weeks? She even ran after Claire today. Were they both just sitting around laughing at me and my sad attempt to get back at a boy who clearly never cared about me?
“How long?” I ask, avoiding the heated stare of Carter, who stopped a few away from us, watching with concern.
“Not long. I swear nothing happened until you broke up.”
A humorless laugh leaves me. “You just so happen to hook up with my ex out of the blue right after we break up? That’s convenient.”
“Don’t take this out on her.” John rests a supportive hand on Claire’s shoulder. “We were over. She did nothing wrong.”
“Nothing wrong?” I muse more to myself than anyone else. The gall of this guy. “Broken up or not, she should have talked to me before running around with you behind my back. Who does that?”
“Who lies and uses people to get popular?” he spits back and Claire winces, shrinking in on herself.
“What?” The word is almost a growl. There’s no way she ran right to him and blabbed about my plan.
“You heard me. You’re not a pillar of morality. You tried to get at me though Nash and when that didn’t work you used someone else. Tell me, how far were you willing to take this, huh? I figured after your first few failed attempts when it was clear that I didn't care you’d get over yourself and move on, but now you’re telling people you’re dating Carter. It’s pathetic.”
Carter sucks in a sharp breath and my eyes jerk toward him. His jaw tenses, and he’s standing stock-still, watching all this unfold in the most horrendous way possible. The way John is laying it all out there sounds so much worse than it is.
“Carter—” I take a step toward him but falter when his face goes stony.
“So, this was just a game to get your ex back?” Venom drips from his words, making my insides quiver.
“It’s not like that.”
“Then how is it, Piper?”
My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. There’s no way to fix this where I don’t come off as an evil jerk. I should have told him last night. I shouldn’t have let this whole relationship proceed until he knew the truth.
“That’s what I thought.” He turns from me and stalks toward the front doors.
When I try to follow him, Claire grips my arm and tugs. “Let him go,” she whispers.
I rip my arm from hers. “Don’t talk to me. Ever again.”
With my terrible words to a person I’ve been friends with forever hanging in the air, I chase after Carter, jogging to keep up with his long strides.
“Wait!” I yell when he’s almost to the door.
He whirls on me, every muscle tense and ready to strike. “You lied, Piper. This whole time it was about getting back at your ex.”
“No. I mean at first yes, but then I changed my mind.”
&n
bsp; “Changed your mind…”
“I-I tried to tell you the truth. But you kept interrupting me and then yesterday happened and I chickened out. Please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you. I never thought you and I would ever—”
Carter lets out a hollow laugh, tilting his face toward the fluorescent light above us. “Wow. I must be the best actor in the world.”
My heart skips painfully in my chest. “What are you talking about?”
“I got you what you wanted. Public, even. I bet you can have your pick of popular groups now when this thing spreads like wildfire.” He takes a step away, jamming his hands into his hair. “Tell them you dumped me. It will win you extra brownie points. You might even snag Nash.”
“Carter.” I reach out for him, but he shakes his head and evades my touch. “Please just listen to me,” I beg.
“Don’t worry about me, Piper. I’m fine. This was just an old friend doing a solid for a girl his parents force him to spend time with. But now that this is over, we can go back to pretending the other doesn’t exist.” With a derisive snort, he leaves me alone as tears well in my eyes, blurring my vision.
I don’t believe a word he’s said, but it would make the most sense. A guy like Carter was never going to fall for a girl like me.
I don’t know how long I stand here, but eventually a hand rubs soft circles on my back.
“Hey.” Blythe pulls me into a hug and even though I should be mad and grilling her about what she knew about John and Claire, I don’t.
Hugging her tight, I sob. The wet, snorting, hiccupping type of cry that leaves me exhausted and desperate to close my eyes and sleep for a week.
I’ve slowly been falling for Carter for weeks and now it’s all ruined.
“Let me take you home,” she whispers when it’s clear finishing out the day is not going to happen.
I allow her to lead me to her car and put me in the passenger seat. I’m on autopilot at this point. My body is moving somehow and breathing like normal, but I’m not making any conscious effort.
“It will be okay,” she says as she pulls out onto the main road.
She says the words with such conviction, but she can’t possibly believe them. In one afternoon I’ve ruined a friendship and lost a guy I could see myself falling for.