Chapter THIRTY-NINE
J u l i e t t e
Ispend the next two days mostly in bed. The only time I got out of bed was when I had to go into school to take my biology exam. I expected it to be harder than it was, or maybe I was too upset to even focus on how hard it was. I answered every question though, and maybe I’m cocky but I know I’ve done a very good job. Adaline hasn’t even come to visit me, she messaged me a few times, but I ignored them. She’s been blowing up my phone asking me about how my exam went too. I’ve just been moping in bed for the last two days, although I asked Kai to check on Adaline to make sure she wasn’t still sick and thankfully, she isn’t anymore. She even finished her final English exam. I bet she stayed up and studied all night for it.
She must have a migraine or maybe a concussion. Because why is she not at my house? Does she not realize that when I walked away from her, I wanted her to run after me? To take me in her arms and tell me that she is capable of loving me, even if not today maybe one day? Alas, this isn’t a movie though, is it?
Or maybe it is, considering the doorbell just rang. Finally, she has come to her senses. I run out of my bedroom, but before I open the door, I fix my hair, wishing so badly that I wasn’t dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and black t shirt because that’s not at all attractive.
When I open the door my eyebrows automatically furrow. “Stacey?”
Stacey Johnson. In front of my door, her uniform still on and her demeanour utterly cocky. She barges past me, leaving me disoriented for a moment. I close the door behind her and turn around. I haven’t seen her in months, I was told she was finishing the school year off from home.
I narrow my eyes and tilt my head to the side. “Are you okay? Did you hit your head?” Before she can answer I speak again. “Because what makes you think you can barge into my home?”
“Oh, God forbid I barge into your house,” she pouts mockingly, “at least, I didn’t break your hand.”
For the absolute love of God. When is everyone gonna get over the hand thing?
“Get over it, it looks fairly healed to me.” I gesture to her hand that isn’t in a cast anymore. “Now, get out of my house.”
“How rude.” She mocks, tutting. “I only came over to tell you how nice it was to see you.”
“What are you talking about? When did I see you?” I question, confused and irritated.
My entire mood is even more deflated than it already was. I really thought it would be Adaline at the door.
“0h, you know. When you came to the museum with Adaline.”
My breath gets caught in my throat at her words and her assured manner. Oh, my God.No!I can’t control the shock on my face. I know this because Stacey sends a wicked smile my way.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I deflect, trying to control the tremor in my words.
“You pride yourself on being such a good captain, but you didn’t even know that I volunteer at the museum?” She laughs maliciously. “Oh well, I guess it worked out in my favour considering you didn’t seem to be that coy—the masks were ridiculous too, I could spot you from a mile away, Juliette.”
“You’re g—getting me confused with someone else, I wasn’t there,” I stammer out, hating how weak I sound right now, but I can’t help it.
She walks closer to me and I feel the walls caving in the more she laughs. “Yeah, you see I had a feeling you would say that …” she pulls out her phone, “which is why I’ve been sort of keeping an eye on you for the last month. Wanna see?”
She doesn’t give me a chance to reply because she begins scrolling. The pictures blind me with fury and anxiety. It’s everything; pictures of us at the art museum, at Miss Kim’s, walking through the park in her neighbourhood, we’re kissing and holding hands and doing everything else normal people do, but we’re not normal, are we?
“You’ve been stalking me?” I grit the words out in disbelief.
She scoffs. “Stalking? Don’t be ridiculous, I was just collecting some information.”
“Information? For what?”
She shrugs. “Blackmail.”
I scoff breathlessly. Oh my God, this girl truly is insane with that little glint in her eye, her confident stature, and the venomous smile that’s taking over her face. The scariest thing of all is that she reminds me of myself and that’s bad, because that means she’s not bluffing, not even for a second.
So, it’s now or never. I can stand here and let this fear strangle me until I eventually turn into my father, until I eventually hurt everyone around me because of it or I can be better.
“Do you think I care? Tell everyone I’m gay, I don’t give a fuck.”I choose better. I choose anything over her.
“Really?” She asks, furrowing her eyebrows, but suddenly her gaze turns more dangerous. “You won’t even care if I show everyone this?”
My gaze is zeroed back onto her phone as a video begins playing. It’s filmed at a weird angle, as if she’s filming upwards from the floor and then I see it—it’s me, pressing Adaline up against the cubicle door. Bile rises up my throat and my whole body freezes. It’s a sex tape. This is a sex tape of me and Adaline when we were at the museum.
