“Fay hired someone to handle it all for us since we’re on the road. Fingers crossed.” Nodding, she looks up at me nervously. “Anyway, how are you feeling?”
I’m assuming she’s talking about me getting off my anxiety medication. “I’ve seen worse days.” I shrug, grabbing anotherglass from a waiter and casually sipping on champagne. “I still feel like I’m going to die when I’m onstage, but other than that, I’m doing okay.”
Eyes glistening with emotion, she squeezes my shoulder. “I’m proud of you—you know that?”
The soft spot in my chest for Amelia is throbbing. “Same for you, kiddo. For a while, I thought we’d be doomed forever.”
Buzzing in my pocket catches my attention. When I fish my phone out, my throat closes when I read what’s on my screen.
Sweet Cheeks
I need you to come back.
Sweet Cheeks
Please.
FORTY-EIGHT
LILY
I’m convinced my life is a joke.
The day that I was born, a curse must have been placed upon me to feel this immense type of lows and hardly any highs.
It’s like I’m stuck in the middle of a storm in the ocean. I’m being pulled into the shore, and oxygen relieves my lungs, but then I’m thrown back into the dark depths, and my air is cut short.
I pace back and forth, making myself almost fall to the floor from dizziness. The room tilts. Someone grasps my arm and pulls me down on the bed.
“Call Fay and Elijah after.” Trinity’s close, sitting right beside me, holding me in her arms, but her voice sounds so far away. Like I’m underwater and she’s talking to me above the shore.
Am I drowning?
Maybe this is all a dream.
Confidential
Dear Ms. Papas,
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to formally inform you that your teaching contract will not proceed for this upcoming academic year.
This decision follows a thorough review and multiple discussions with district leadership over recent content associated with your online presence. The nature of this very public content raises concerns and goes against the ethical standards expected from our educators. Every staff member of our school is held to a high standard, both in and out of the classroom. While we acknowledge that private lives exist outside of school hours, actions that publicly compromise the integrity or reputation of our institution cannot be overlooked.
This outcome is not one I take lightly. The material in question has unfortunately undermined the trust placed in you as an educator.
Thank you for your understanding, and I wish you all the best.
Thumbs going crazy, I send an SOS message to Elijah, but my phone is ripped away from my fingers a second later. Grasping the empty air, my fingernails dig half-moons in my palms. This pain feels good; at least I’m controlling it.
My head continues to angle downward as Fay’s voice rings out.
“Oh my goodness, what is happening?!” she rushes out, frantic footsteps coming closer and closer until I can see the toes of her expensive red leather heels. “Why is she crying? Is she shaking?”
“Yes. She just got some very upsetting news.” Trinity’s thumb lazily brushes my back. “Her phone is lying on the bed. If you grab it, you’ll understand why.”
The bed dips, and not a moment later do I hear a small gasp leave her throat.
“What bitches. How could they do this to you? All of this because of some silly rumors?”
