Molly glanced around my body with a smile that soon dropped. I twisted to face Storm, who was coming out of the bathroom.
I turned off my bitch switch. And for the first time in my life, I felt a strong urge to hug Storm Summers. Her award for the Most Uptight Woman of the Year was in bits.
She lookedwretched, at least her face did. It was blotchy and red, and she had been crying. Although, as usual, her hair was still perfect and fell across her shoulders, shimmering like a dark chocolate waterfall.
Molly shot up off the bed, dropping her phone and moving past me, concern etched into every line on her face. I just stood there open-mouthed as the two girls embraced.
“What’s wrong?” Molly asked earnestly. “Did something happen?” the too-trusting English girl added.
This caused Storm to start crying again, and I moved to stand next to them, quelling the urge to join in with the questions, which didn’t feel right. Instead, I placed an awkward hand on the weeping girl's back and patted it.
Molly did that usualshh, it’s going to be OKthing, and I lowered my hand.
Eventually, Storm drew back, her mascara-stained face looking back and forth between us. A tightness gripped my chest. There was a nice girl inside me somewhere, one who didn’t want to see anyone suffering.
“Sorry. Shit, I’m so embarrassed,” Storm sniffed, walking around us towards her bed. When she got there, she plopped down onto the mattress, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
I found it typical that most people looked like shit when they were upset, but Storm was still a pretty crier—a beautiful mess.
“Fuck,” she said again.
Molly walked over, dropping to her knees and taking the other girl’s hand. I followed but remained standing like a spare part.
“What’s happened? Is it Reed?”
Storm took a deep breath and started to calm herself. After a beat, she shook her head. “No, it’s not Reed.”
“Then what’s upset you? You can talk to us,” Molly began, and then added with a glance in my direction. “Can’t she?”
I read her sharp look and released a puff of air, stuttering, “Err, yeah. Of course.”
The good in me broke through the surface, and I went to join Molly, knowing that this girl needed us. I had never seen Storm so shaken before; the girl was usually as tough as steel. Maybe her dog died or something.
“If I tell you. You can’t tell anyone else?”
“OK. Of course. You know you can trust us,” Molly replied, squeezing Storm’s hand. I instantly nodded as Storm looked at me with an untrusting expression.
“Can I?”
Pursing my lips, I dropped onto the bed beside her. I couldn’t bring myself to kneel at Storm Summer’s feet, for obvious reasons. My grudge was always there under the surface, and I wondered if I’d ever get over it. But Stormcouldtrust me. I was many things, but I didn’t gossip about people behind their backs.
“Yes. You can trust me, Storm.”
“Really? Even though you still hate my guts,” the other girl sniffed. Thankfully, she’d calmed down and was no longer on the verge of a panic attack.
I clenched my jaw, resenting the fact that she didn’t trust me when that should have been the other way around. Storm had been the snake in the grass at school, not me. But I knew I needed to pick my battles, and now wasn’t the time. “Yes. Really. Anything you say won’t be repeated outside of this room. I may have poor fashion sense and be difficult and awkward, but I’m trustworthy.” I silently added,with gossip anyway, not your personal items. “And I don’t hate your guts.” As I said those last few words, I realized they were the truth.
I didn’t hate her. I hated everything she had that I didn’t.
And then Storm dropped her bombshell.
“If word of this were to get out, it could ruin Daddy’s career.”
“OK.” Molly and I exchanged a look.
Taking a deep breath, Storm blurted. “My father had an affair.” Her words sucked the oxygen from the room. You could hear a pin drop.
I swallowedeverythingI had been about to say.
