“I know he and you had a deal. I know he broke it. I also know that’s unlike him. But that’s further proof I was correct when I told you that he’s into you. I can’t say anymore—I have to stay out of it—but I want you to know, not only do I genuinely like you, but—”
“I’m true to my word. Our little tiff is over. Just don’t fuck with me or my crew.” I step forward, and she steps with me, blocking me.
“I do fake boyfriends—I’ve done a lot of them actually—but I’ve never done fake friends.”
“Then don’t be one.” I walk past her.
She walks beside me and whispers, “I’m not. Aside from Tobias, I’ve never had someone push back when I’ve lashed out to keep them away.”
“I’m really not in the mood right now,” I say as we turn the corner and see Harrison, Kai, and Miles all standing together in a semi-circle around Tobias, who is leaning against a locker, expression unreadable … of course.
“Why can’t there be another way around those assholes?” Gabrielle mumbles, and I almost laugh to myself, because it was my thought exactly.
The good thing is that they don’t seem to see us. Not one looks back from the obviously heated discussion, so when we walk by and Tobias averts his gaze, I flip him off, knowing damn well he sees me.
“Truth, he’s not—”
“I have no idea who you’re even talking about. To me, he’s nobody.”
Throughout the day, I avoid them all, but I know they’re all talking about me. A picture was taken of the back of Gabrielle and me as we walked down the hall this morning with the caption, “Best Asses At Seashore,” hashtag this or that. I’m not going to lie; the hate for my ass is dwindling day by day.
Apparently, someone broke the rules at the fight. Videos of his fall and rise were posted, not one of them showed Tobias tapping out, though. Pretty fucking telling on who runs the show now.
During AP Chemistry, Alexa was talking about the fight and how awesome it was. How fucked up is it that I didn’t even know that half my classmates were apparently there? I’ll answer that.
Pretty fucked up.
The latest Sound notification comes in while I’m at my locker, getting my shit together to catch a ride with Patrick. I open it up and shake my head.
“It’s Sound official.” I hear from behind me and slam my locker.
“Not in the mood.” I turn and walk toward the doors.
“There are a million ways I could get you there,” Harrison calls from behind me, and I just keep walking.
“Only one that she wouldn’t have to fake it, on a good day.” I hear Gabrielle heckle him and almost laugh.
She catches up to me, and I smirk at her.
“He talks too much. It’s a complete turnoff.”
Once out the door, she says, “See you tomorrow.”
I wave.
The entire week is much the same, and I’m pretty damn sure I found the magic position of popularity. Be an aloof, surface bitch, never let them see inside, and keep your circle small enough that everyone wants to join but very few can.
By Friday, I’ve turned Harrison’s request for a “proper date” down enough times that I’m hopeful he doesn’t ask again. Part of me wants to just dive in, knowing full well he’s not what I want, not at all, but the boyfriend experience is one we all want the thrill of … riding. My preference would have been Tobias, but no matter how strong that feeling still is, he’s the worst kind of boy there is.
I have kept up my side of the broken promise, because that’s who I am and fuck him. I’ve heard rumors, aka Alexa told me what she’s heard. Apparently, Justice has been secretly tormenting Tobias, but neither have mentioned it, so I take it for what it is—gossip. And if it’s true, well, it’s somehow kept them from calling a rematch, and I would rather be ignorant to whatever else is going on. So, maybe I’ll play along with Harrison for the thrill of it, but right now, after the week I’ve had—no, make that two weeks—I just want to take a nap.
I open the door to Patrick’s Jeep and slide in.
“Don’t make any plans for tonight.”
“I have a date.”
“T, seriously? You don’t even like him.”
“It’s with my bed.”
He laughs as he throws the Jeep in drive. “Good. Take a power nap. Then you, JT, and I are gonna see how the other side of the area lives.”
“The bay side?” I yawn and pull my feet up, hugging my knees and resting my head.
“The other side.” He winks.
“What about Brisa and Tris? Max and Amias?”
“Just us soon-to-be seniors.”
“I could use a weekend off from the social circus.”
“You can.” He hits the gas and peels out of the parking lot. “Starting tomorrow.”
“So pissed he made other plans,” Patrick grumbles as he pulls onto a tree-lined dirt road.
“He’s probably sleeping, like I should be.”
“Pretty cool your parents are finally chill about shit, though,” he says as we bounce over the ruts in the road.
“Took until junior year. I’m seriously going to remember this when I become a mom. Wade my kids into the water, one tiny toe at a time, instead of tossing them in and hoping they can swim.”
Laughing, he nails the gas. “What’s the fun in that?”
I grab the dashboard. “You asshole.”
When we pull up toward a clearing, beyond the borders of the trees surrounding us, a beautiful lake comes into view. The sun is nearly set beyond them, but its beauty is still not lost in the near darkness. That thought—beauty in the darkness—will never be the same.
Patrick slows to a stop then leans toward the dash. “Lake Sarco, but they call it Crystal Lake. I can see why now.”
“You promised, if I hated it, we could leave.”
He looks over at me and nods. “But seriously, look at this place.” He sits back, hits the gas lightly and inches us into the clearing. With the view unobstructed, I see a huge bonfire and about a dozen Jeeps, trucks and a van.
“Who’s here?”
“The blenders.” He hits the gas, smiling.
“The what?”
“The ones that blend in. The ones who have money and don’t flaunt it like the cheesedicks at Seashore. The ones who are here on scholarship. The ones who are chill, T.”
“So, stoners.”
“Some of them, yeah. Chillest crew outside of you.”
Now I get the little trip. “So, your not-crush Savvy is here?”
“Don’t you dare plant a seed that’s never gonna bloom, T. She’s tits, but it ain’t happening.”
“Ain’t happening now or ever?”
“T, don’t.”
I put my hands in the air. “Okay, okay.”
After he parks by an old Volkswagen van, he hops out.
“Tricks!” a bunch of them cheer.
“Side crew!” he yells back. “Brought my girl Truth with me.”
“Hey, Truth.” They all wave.