She was making me feel even worse. “Melissa, you’re not good at pep talks.”
“Hey! I really think that! It’s better to be a virgin than to do it with a guy who doesn’t deserve it at all.”
“Oh. Did that happen to you?”
Sorrow flashed across her face, and I wanted to know what had happened to her. “Kinda. But that’s a story for another time. Anyway, I’m sure Mateo doesn’t care whether a girl is virgin or not. He’s one of the good guys, and I think you can trust him. He won’t trick you or something like that. Talking about tricks, what was that about your fake account?”
I’d been hoping she would drop that subject, but I had no such luck. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything over a coffee later, okay?”
JESSICA, MELISSA, AND I went to Starbucks at a recently opened shopping mall. Jessica was cool with me inviting Melissa, and I was glad they got off to a good start.
“So, the fake account?” Melissa probed.
With a sigh, I fidgeted with my hands. It wasn’t easy to admit to someone who was so confident and easy-going that I was a bullying target. She’d probably never been bullied in her life.
“My classmates don’t particularly like me. Some of them are very bad and like to bully, offline or online.”
“That’s awful. Why didn’t you report this?”
I glanced sideways. “I went to the police once. It didn’t end well.” I told them about Josh’s punch and the outcome. “As for those social accounts, I reported them several times, but it was pointless because new accounts keep popping up. Nobody can prevent those things from happening because even if you stop one person, there are always other people.”
“That’s true, but something should be done about that anyway. Although, I do witness the same things in my school, so I know it can be impossible to stop it. I’m trying, actually, to stop those bullies from hurting some of the victims, but I can’t always be there to protect them.”
“Wow,” Jessica said, admiration clear in her tone. “You’re amazing. To be so brave and able to defend those who need help... You’re a great person.”
Melissa made a face. “Not so much. My brother is one of those bullies, and since I can’t talk him out of that, the least I can do is repair the damage.”
“How come your brother and you are so different?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know. As I told you, my mother spoiled him. He always gets what he wants, but it’s never enough for him. A few years ago, he met some new people, and he started spending much more time out. At that time, he turned to drugs and got worse, becoming way more aggressive.”
“Is it true that he’s hanging with some people from our school?”
“Yes. I saw a few of them several times, but I don’t know them that well.”
“Believe it or not, I heard Blake, Hayden, Josh, and Masen are involved in some strange activities,” Jessica said.
“Like a gang?” I asked her, and she nodded.
There was an old rumor that Hayden and his friends were in a gang, but I never paid much attention to it since it was never proven. I knew Hayden and Blake visited shady places, and sometimes I could even hear them talking about some matches and races in Hayden’s yard, but I didn’t know what that was all about. So, when Mateo mentioned that some of Enfield’s students were a part of some gang-like group, he made me question whether that rumor was true after all.
“I heard some girls in the restroom talking about the fights between Hayden and some older guys,” Jessica said. “It seems they’re fighting somewhere and placing bets on those matches.”
“Steven also fights in those matches, and I hate it. He comes home bruised almost every weekend.”
“Have they ever been busted?” I asked.
“Not that I heard of.” Melissa clasped her hands excitedly. “Anyway, Steven is throwing a party next Friday night, and you’re more than welcome to come.” She sounded sincerely excited.
“Are you sure it’s okay to invite us? Your brother doesn’t know us.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “That’s not a problem at all. There are always so many people at Steven’s parties, and many of them don’t even know him. Besides, you’re my friends. Come on, it will be fun. There will be booze, cute guys, and music.”
“How about your parents?”
“They will be away for the weekend because they’re going to our cabin in the mountains. They do that from time to time, and Steven never misses the opportunity to fill our empty house with loads of guests and alcohol.”
I looked at Jessica, wondering what she was thinking. It sounded exciting and fun, and since Melissa was from Somers, I didn’t have to worry about my classmates. It would be nice to be among people who didn’t see me as a complete loser, for a change.
It already felt unreal.
“I’d like to come. How about you, Jessica?”
“I’d like that too.”
“Great! Then, it’s settled! Now all I have to do is invite Mateo.”
My heart jumped at Melissa’s words. Was she serious? “Wait, what?”
She giggled. “What? I have to invite him too! It will be a perfect chance for you two to get together.”
What was she now? A matchmaker? No, I wasn’t ready to hook up with Mateo. I didn’t actually think I would be ready any time soon, not that I wanted it.
“Please, Melissa, don’t do that. I don’t think it’s a good idea to—”
“Hush,” she interrupted me. “You don’t have to be with him if you don’t want, silly, but if it happens, it happens. You two look cute together, I must say.”
“No way.”
“No, seriously. It was so sweet when he confessed to you.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Wait? Someone confessed to you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It happened this morning. And it’s not that important...”
“Not important?” Melissa squealed. “How is that not important when one of the popular guys in Rawenwood High says he likes you?”
“One of the popular guys?” Jessica inquired. “Who is he?”
I glanced back and forth between them, the headache knocking at my door. This wasn’t going to be easy to explain...
Chapter 20
“M ATEO SOUNDS LIKE A nice guy,” Jessica said, driving me home.
It was incredible how fast time passed with Jessica and Melissa. I hadn’t felt so relaxed and happy in quite a long time, and it was like I’d found one of the missing pieces of my life’s puzzle. An overpowering joy had found its way to me, breathing life to a permanent smile.
I felt like I finally belonged somewhere, which was a long-lost feeling because only Kayden had helped me feel this good about myself.
“He’s nice, but I don’t know what to do about him.”
“Why?”
Mateo was cute and all, but my deeply ingrained mistrust didn’t allow me to believe he was attracted to me. Even if he was, I had no idea about guys. He was popular and experienced, and I was no one. He was way out of my league.