Ava has problems trusting her boyfriend, Sam, to keep his dick in his pants. Not only that, she’s always been wary of the fact that Sam and I hooked up during freshman year, way before they started dating. I told her it was meaningless, but I know me bringing up Sam will eat away at her. I might even text him, knowing she’ll be checking his phone all day now. It’s not nice, but she tried to make me look desperate in front of everyone. So it’s only fair.
“Hey, Jamie.” I reach his locker as he turns around, revealing Belle behind him. They’re holding hands.
“Hey, Chi.”
My eyes linger on her. Her beauty is like a punch to the gut. I’ve seen her in some of my classes before, but never reallylookedat her…
I blink, crossing her out and ignoring the fact that she’s here, with him.
“Why do people think I got rejected by you?” I throw in a playfulsmile, letting everyone listening in around us know I don’t care and that I definitely wasn’t rejected byanyone.
Jamie looks a bit confused, but I’m hoping he reads my mind through the best-friend telepathy channel and plays along. He’s good at burying secrets, so what’s one more to add to the pile?
“That anonymous texter, Aces, they… said you were,” Belle answers.
Aces? The person who sent those messages about Devon and Scotty?
I stare at Belle again—blond hair held back by a blue headband that coordinates with our uniform, clear bright skin, pink lips. I hate how perfect she is, and how she’s apparently the One.
“Oh… well, it’s a lie—isn’t it, Jamie?”
“Yeah,” Jamie confirms, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
“I’m sure it’s just some lowlifes making up stories,” Belle adds with a smile. I mentally roll my eyes at her. I don’t need her input.
I wonder who this anonymous person—or people—is, sending messages to everyone. If they’re smart, they won’t say anything else about me.
“Hi, Chi,” a girl says, holding out a tall Starbucks cup. “Here’s your cinnamon latte.” It’s the sophomore from yesterday again.
“Thank you, Miranda,” I say, bringing the drink up to my lips. She opens her mouth, then closes it like a fish. I almost feel bad for not letting her know that all of this—the kissing up, getting me coffee before school—is worthless. If you want to be known, you have to claw your own way up, not get people cold lattes every morning.
But who am I to turn down a cup of coffee? Especially after the stressful morning I’ve had.
The sophomore leaves just as the first warning bell sounds. Jamieleans in and kisses Belle. I look away; even if it makes me look like Idolike him, I don’t care.
“I’ll see you later?” Jamie says to Belle.
“See you,” she says softly, before leaving his side.
I force a smile, nudging him. “Someone’s in like.”
“I’m so much in like!” he shouts. I shush him, and he zips his mouth but grins.
“Let’s go to class,boy in like.”
I’ve always been great at playing the role of best friend: I pull on my clothes; I give him a smile; I leave his bedroom, his house; and I come to school the next day and pretend with him. That was always my role. The best friend who pretends.
But this year, I will get everything I want, and Belle will soon be a thing of the past. I just need a chance to show Jamie how wrong she is for him.
I take my phone out and scroll down my list of contacts, landing on Sam. I tap out a message, something about his new haircut suiting him.
Within seconds, I get a response.
With a grin, I walk through the hallway with my head held high.
Like I said, I always get my way.
“Sweet-and-sour licorice or sugar mushrooms?” Jamie asks, holding up the two packets.
