“Don’t call me that!” I hiss, but he’s already turning away, his long legs disappearing behind a row of parked cars.
I take a deep breath and square my shoulders. I can do this. Just another day of high school. Easy-peasy.
The moment I approach the school gate, I spot Paige in a huddle with her cheerleader minions, seemingly giving out orders. Her blonde hair shines in the morning sun. Too bad her personality isn’t as warm and bright. She turns, eyes locking directly with mine, and a slow, predatory smile spreads across her face.
I avert my gaze and scan desperately for a friendly face. Then I spot Stephanie sitting alone on a bench to the side of the main entrance.
Chapter 9
Irush to Stephanie’s side, still a little shaken from this morning’s bathroom . . . event. I spill everything as soon as I’m within earshot.
Stephanie’s eyes widen as she says, “And now you’re even walking to school together? You’re like a married couple.”
“Yeah, I tried to get ahead, but he’s got extra-long strides.”
She bites her lower lip, looking somewhere between amused and awestruck. “So, what happened?”
“Nothing! I told him we can’t be seen together, and he . . . well, he didn’t understand. He always smirks, like he’s enjoying tormenting me.”
“Chrissy, please, you’re turning this into something it’s not.” A chuckle escapes her lips as she nudges my shoulder on our way to the lockers. “At the rate you’re going, the entire school will know about you two by lunchtime.”
“That’s not funny.”
Just then, Ian finds us, his expression sheepish. “Hey, Chrissy . . . umm . . . sorry about the spilled milk and all.”
I wave a dismissive hand, though a chill races down my spine at the reminder of that disaster. The humiliation still feels like a fresh wound. “It’s fine, really. It wasn’t your fault.” My voice sounds steadier than I feel about it, which is something at least.
“How is your sweater?” he asks.
“As good as new. With my mom’s help, I got the stains out.”
Ian’s face eases a bit, but Stephanie’s eyes turn to slits as she stares him down. “You were frolicking with the enemy.”
He turns red, the flush creeping all the way to his ears. “I was not! I was unaware she was—“
“Oh, please.” Stephanie cuts him off with a scoff. “Your eyes had shining stars in them when she called you cute. You practically melted into a puddle at her feet while she plotted Chrissy’s humiliation.”
Watching two of my best friends argue makes my chest tighten. Between Stephanie’s righteous indignation and Ian’s obvious shame, I’m caught in an emotional crossfire that’s making my palms sweat.
He sighs, shoulders slumping as he leans against the lockers. “I get it. I was wrong about her, okay?” Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Ian runs a hand through his already disheveled hair. “I should’ve known better. There’s no way someone like Paige would be interested in me unless it was for amusement.”
My heart goes out to him at the defeat in his voice. Ian has always struggled with confidence around girls—the ones he pines for, at least.
“If you hadn’t been so easily charmed by her fake sweetness, maybe you would’ve stood up for your friend.” Stephanie’s jaw clenches so tight I can see the muscle working beneath her skin.
“How was I supposed to know? It’s not like I deliberately crashed into her.” Ian’s voice rises, then immediately drops as curious glances turn our way. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. “Look, I feel terrible, okay? I’ve barely slept. I keep replaying everything in my head, trying to figure out when I should’ve realized what was happening.”
He turns to me, his eyes wide and pleading. “I’m so sorry for getting you involved, Chrissy. This is all my fault.”
There is misery in his eyes as he stares at his shoes, scuffing one against the linoleum floor.
We can’t carry on like this. If these two keep fighting, Paige wins twice. First by humiliating me, and second by driving a wedge between my friends.
Stepping between them, I place a hand on Stephanie’s arm. “Steph, come on. Ian didn’t know what Paige was up to. None of us did.” I turn to Ian, offering a smile that I hope conveys that I’m over it. “And you need to stop beating yourself up. Paige is a master manipulator. She’s had years of practice making people feel exactly what she wants them to feel.”
Stephanie’s lips press into a thin line, her fingers drumming against her bicep in that anxious rhythm she always falls into when she’s trying not to explode. “He should’ve been more careful. He knows how they treat you—howshetreats everyone who isn’t in her precious circle.”
“She’s right,” Ian says, shoulders hunched around his ears. “I was stupid. I just thought . . . maybe she actually liked me.”
