“I’m talking about the fact that you’re a tramp with little to no self-esteem.” I heard a deafening buzz in my ears. Then one of the bathroom doors flung open, and Amelia came out of it. I almost fainted out of fear.
“I was peeing. And your snivelly, gossipy voice interrupted my business,” she announced, shooting Taylor an icy glare. “You still don’t get that you’re worthless here.”
Taylor glared at her disdainfully. “We’ll see,” she hissed, before leaving without even acknowledging me.
Amelia’s eyes cut through the air like two daggers.
“What the hell was that bitch talking about?” she asked.
“They were just insinuations. I didn’t do anything.”
“Ari, listen to me, and listen to me good. If I find out that you’ve even remotely thought of cheating on my brother—”
“What . . . what are you . . . ?” I stuttered, confused.
“I’ll show you what it’s like to go from being the most loved girl in school to the most hated in one second flat.”
“You’re always exaggerating,” I told her, despite not having the guts to look her in the eyes.
“Not if you do anything bad to Brian. I will never speak to you again, do you understand? You won’t have any friends at all.”
“I’d never cheat on Brian.”
A lump formed in my throat. I’d just lied to my best friend.
“Oh, you wouldn’t?”
“Look, that time at Tiffany’s party was just—”
“You’re running out of time to put this thing to bed, Ari. My brother wants to be with you. Make sure you’re up for the task. If there’s something you need to make clear to that asshole James, you have until tonight to do it.”
I nodded, petrified, then ran off like a bolt of lightning. It was officially the most terrifying day I’d had since I’d set foot in this school. It suddenly seemed like all my lies were catching up to me. After finishing my assignment, I headed to gym class. My vision started to get blurry, indicating that I was starting to get sleepy. I needed to sleep.
I was plastering Brian’s posters on the walls when the guys started to leave in groups from the locker room.
Nobody talked. The air seemed tense.
“Brian?”
He passed by me, glowering.
“I just put these up, and—”
He waved at me, nothing else. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
I didn’t know what had happened, but it seemed like his day wasn’t going any better than mine.
The gym emptied out. Not a trace of James.
I approached the locker room and went in cautiously.
James stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his hips
“James, I was thinking—”
He cut me off immediately, pressing his index finger to my lips. “Shh, hold on. Let me guess.”
“James—”
