Between Lies Read online

  I spent the rest of the period trying to come up with a plausible excuse for not sitting with them. The only one I could think of was going to the nurse under the pretense of being more hurt than I was. And that would only end with Ms. Katy calling my parents, a move that would definitely not go over well. I finally decided to just tell the truth. I waited impatiently for the bell to ring. I wanted to do it fast, like ripping off a Band-Aid. I gripped my bag, poised to move the instant class was dismissed. But when the buzzer went off the room emptied fast. Kitty, to my dismay, was one of the first out the door.

  Crap!

  I hurried into the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but there were too many people to wade through. With no other option than to find her in the cafeteria and explain my position, I followed the crowd making their way toward the biggest social event of the day. Kids laughed and chattered around me and I wished I could be as carefree as they were. Half grumbling to myself, I walked into the lunchroom.

  It was large, with windows along one wall. The lunch line was on one end, trash and recycling bins on the other. I stood at the top of a small set of stairs and scanned the room. A moment later, I caught sight of Angie. True to her word, she was sitting right in the middle of all the students, looking like a queen holding court. Nauseous at the thought of joining her as the center of attention, I turned around, searching for a quiet bathroom to hide out in.

  “Hey, Sadie! Where are you going?” Becca’s cheerful smile froze me in place.

  “Oh hi, Becca. I was just… um… I thought… I thought I felt something fall out of my bag…” I stopped, completely aware of how ridiculous I sounded. She bent over to search the ground and I sighed at how gullible she was.

  “I don’t see anything. You must have imagined it. C’mon, Angie is waiting for us.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me down the stairs. Trina was just sitting down when we arrived, carrying a lunch tray with what looked like overcooked meatloaf on it.

  “Eww, what is that?” Becca asked her, unzipping a bright pink-and-black-plaid lunch box as she spoke. “Why don’t you bring your lunch? They are always serving something nasty.” She pulled out a baggie full of raw carrots and offered it around the table. Trina didn’t say anything, but I noticed she did take a carrot.

  Angie cleared her throat. “Sadie, ignore them. It’s an argument they have every day. I’m glad you made it. How’s your morning been so far?”

  “It’s been okay.”

  “Well, I heard about your tumble. How embarrassing. But don’t worry. Nobody will make fun of you if I have anything to say about it.” She winked at me, but all it did was stir up butterflies in my stomach. I had hoped my fall wouldn’t be a topic of conversation, but apparently, that was wishful thinking.

  I decided to go with it. “Oh, it’s not that embarrassing. I just like to make an entrance is all.” And I winked back. A look of surprise and something like annoyance flashed across her face, but she quickly hid it.

  “Oh, good,” she said, “that makes me happy.” But she didn’t sound happy at all. My suspicion grew, but before I could probe her about it, I heard a super sweet voice behind me.

  “Well, Sadie, there you are! We’ve been looking for you. I thought my invitation was clear?”

  Oh no.

  Angie’s eyes narrowed, Becca stopped chomping on her carrots, and Trina looked mildly interested.

  I swiveled in my seat and came face-to-face with Kitty. “Hi, Kitty. Yeah, I was trying to catch you after class, but you shot out of there like a cannon. I wanted to explain.”

  Kitty’s sweetness switched off. Her green eyes glittered like emeralds and she stood with hands on her hips, her smile still in place, but now it held a hint of meanness. Instead of answering me, she turned to Angie.

  “Neat little trick, Ang,” she drawled. “You must be feeling pressured to have acted so quickly.”

  “Look who’s talking, Kit,” Angie spat back. “You had the same idea.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only wanted to make our newest addition here at Jefferson High feel welcome.” Kitty’s voice was brittle, and despite myself, I flinched.

  “That’s crap and you know it.”

  “Oh really? How many votes do you have? And how many more do you think you’ll need? I know what you’re doing.”

  Their raised voices were starting to catch the attention of the tables nearby. Everyone had stopped eating and was watching Kitty and Angie’s exchange with interest. I was completely confused, though, I knew somehow, I was at the center of it.

  Angie grew more and more furious. “You don’t need to worry about how many votes I have. If I were you, I’d worry about yourself.”

  Kitty stepped closer to the table, her hands now clenched into fists. “Are you threatening me?” Her voice was nearing a screech, and I wondered how I had ever thought she looked sweet. This was a vicious girl.

  “You can take it however you want.” Angie was yelling now and everyone’s heads swiveled back and forth as the two exchanged verbal blows.

  “Sadie is mine,” Kitty hollered before launching herself at Angie.

  I sat there in shock. What the hell is happening?

  When I saw a chunk of hair go flying, I stood up, ready to flee. Someone took my elbow, and Cam’s voice murmured in my ear. “Looks like you started a riot. C’mon, let’s get out of here.” For once, I was thankful for his possessiveness. At least he wasn’t throwing shade and pulling hair over me. Yet. I let him pull me away from the fight. Nobody seemed to notice. They were too interested in watching the drama unfold before their eyes.

  “Yeah, get me outta here.”

  Cam’s eyes darkened, and he herded me up the stairs and out of the cafeteria. We didn’t stop until we were in a small outdoor courtyard that was half-covered by an awning. The other half was shaded by trees. A few picnic tables were scattered about.

  I took a deep breath. “What in the ever-loving hell was that about?”

  Cam took out a cigarette and lit it. “It looks like you’ve become a prize between the two “pretty girl” clubs in the school.”

  “A prize? What kind of prize?”

  “You tell me. What were they shrieking about?” His dark eyes watched me with an intensity I wasn’t used to. When he didn’t let up, a warm flush crept up my neck. I tried not to think about it.

  “I don’t know. It didn’t make much sense. But they did keep mentioning votes.”

  Understanding dawned on his face. “Ah. Homecoming. They’re trying to leverage you for Homecoming queen votes.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything to me. What is a Homecoming queen?”

  He took a deep drag on the cigarette and blew smoke in the air. It wafted around us, overwhelming my sensitive nose with its stench. “Wow, Homeschool. You have been out of the loop your whole life.”

  “Would you stop calling me that? And put out that disgusting thing. It’ll kill you. Not to mention, it smells.”

  “Stop calling you Homeschool?”

  I glared at him but he simply looked at me with a faint smile and took another puff. The smugness written all over his face sparked a brief desire within me to slap him, but I squelched it. Finally, he ground out the offensive thing and flicked it into a nearby trash can.

  “As you wish… Sadie.” I huffed out a breath, annoyed at the way he always seemed to be mocking me and irritated that I owed him for getting me out of the mob scene inside. “So, what are you going to do about them?” He nodded his head in the direction of the cafeteria.

  Panic at the fight I’d inadvertently caused and exhaustion from the general chaos of the morning threatened to overwhelm me. For the first time, I noticed thirst burning my throat and all at once, I’d had enough. Vein shadows slithered across my hands and I knew if I didn’t get away from him quickly, I’d have an eyewitness to my true nature.

  “I gotta go.” I fought to keep my composure. “I just… I gotta go.”

  He didn’t try to
stop me as I hurried back inside. I had about ten minutes left before my next class began, so I searched for a bathroom where I could escape for a few minutes. Finding one by the library, I ducked inside and locked myself in the farthest stall from the door. I fumbled in my bag, found my pill bottle, and swallowed three capsules. As my thirst began to lessen, I sagged against the wall, all my bravery and bravado shattered.

  Chapter Three

  As soon as Molly knocked on our front door, I yanked her inside.

  “Hurry. My room. Now!”

  “Whoa, what’s the rush, Sade? I don’t have to be at school for another hour.”

  “Just get upstairs.”

  I pushed her up the steps and into my room, slamming the door behind me. My closest friend, Molly Churchill, flopped onto the bed and crossed her ankles. “Okay, I’m upstairs. What’s this all about? How was your first day?”

  “How was my first day?How was my first day?” I paced back and forth in front of her. “I’ll tell you how my first day went. I started a gang fight. I am in the middle of a rivalry!”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me!”

  “Yes, I heard you, but you can’t be serious.”

  I stopped and stared at her. “Oh, I’m serious. Literal punches were thrown. Or, at least, hair was pulled.”

  Molly’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not joking.”

  “Hello! No, I’m not joking. Cam had to rescue me and do not get me started on him.” The memory of his smug face floated through my mind and I gritted my teeth.

  “Cam?”

  “A guy.” I waved my hand. “We can talk about him later. Molly, this is big. What am I going to do?” I watched as several expressions crossed her face. Doubt, suspicion, and finally, amusement. I gritted my teeth harder. Of course she would think this was funny.

  “Okay, start from the beginning. Tell me what happened.” I heard her struggle to keep the smile out of her voice, which only irritated me further. I frowned a warning at her, but she simply stared back at me with a wide-eyed look of innocence.

  I sighed and starting from my meeting Cam, recounted the entire day’s events, ending with the tardy slip I’d collected from my fifth period PE teacher because I was late finding the gym.

  When I stopped talking, Molly pursed her lips. “Wow. I can’t. I mean, you’ve got a real knack for finding trouble.”

  “That is not helpful. I need helpful!”

  “Well, what do you want me to say? I have no idea what you’re supposed to do. I don’t go around starting fights.” She gave me a sly look. “But I would like to know more about this Cam.”

  I rolled my eyes. “There is literally nothing to say.”

  “Uh-huh. And that’s what you say when there is everything to say.”

  It was a standoff. I glared at her and she just sat there, stubbornly refusing to back down.

  “Fine!” I threw my hands up in the air. “He’s a guy with a bad attitude. And he’s slightly not bad looking.”

  “Slightly not bad looking,” she repeated. Her lip quirked. “That’s also your standard way of saying he’s crazy attractive and you don’t like that you think that.”

  “Would you drop it? I’m with Kade, remember?” I sat down next to her. “It’s only been one day and I’ve already managed to have an epic case of déjà vu.” I sighed. “What am I going to do?”

  “Look, doll. There’s not much else you can do than get some sleep, get up, and face tomorrow. You can’t sit in your bedroom for the rest of your very long life. Your parents wouldn’t allow it and you would hate it, too. So, put on your big girl underwear and face tomorrow like a queen.”

  “Like a queen,” I repeated.

  “Yes! You’re the interesting new girl at school who everyone apparently wants to get their hooks into. Use it to your advantage. You have the control. Pick and choose who you want to hang out with and make it seem like you’re rejecting the rest. You’ve been on the other side of that scenario for so long, you should get to play with it now. Have some fun.”

  I thought about the idea and couldn’t debate it had its merits. It would be kind of fun to pick who I spent time with rather than wait for whoever had the nerve to befriend me. The more I thought about it, the more I perked up.

  “I like it. I do. This is a good plan.” I threw my arms around her in a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you! I knew you would have the answer.”

  She untangled herself from my embrace. “You’re welcome. Though, you could have called Kade and probably gotten the same answer.” She gave me a sideways glance. “Any reason why— ”

  “Stop right there. You keep hinting around about Kade and I drifting apart. Is there something I don’t know?” I couldn’t keep a drop of panic out of my voice.

  She sighed. “No, it’s nothing like that.”

  “Then what is it?” I sat down next to her on the bed.

  “Look, Sade, you are in the prime of your life… well, you know what I mean. Do you honestly want to get tied down to one person, no matter how gorgeously perfect he is, forever? You can play the field in this area, too.”

  “I don’t want to play the field, Molly. I love Kade. He loves me. We’re great together. So, stop trying to make an issue out of something that doesn’t exist.”

  “We’re sixteen. Do you honestly think we know what love is yet?”

  I gave her a long look until she finally shrugged in defeat. “Okay, okay. Are you feeling better now?”

  I thought about it. “Yes. I do feel better. Thank you, Mo.” It was a nickname I’d given her a long time ago and she rarely let me use it.

  She made a face but didn’t say anything. But I saw something in her eyes that made me stop.

  “What’s going on with you? Is school going the same?” I paused. “And don’t think of brushing me off. I can see it.”

  “What? How?” Pausing to collect herself, I saw something like uncertainty and a flash of pain on her face. “I don’t know why I act surprised. You’ve always been able to read me.”

  “Yeah, and right now I’m reading that something serious is going on. Tell me.”

  “Oh, Sadie, it’s stupid. I know it’s stupid. Here I am, a strong, independent woman.” She drew herself up into a straight posture, and indeed, she looked as independent as I knew her to be. “But there’s this guy. And some other people.” She stopped and my momma bear instinct kicked in.

  “What’s going on, Molly. Spill it. All of it.”

  It looked like she was going to refuse, but then she crumpled. “Do you remember that guy I was flirting with earlier this year? Jacob Wells?” I remembered he’d been in her Persuasion class and I nodded. She went on. “Well, we’ve been seeing each other and it was getting pretty serious. We…” I took her hand and squeezed it, somehow knowing what was coming. “He said he loved me and I thought he meant it, and we… well, you know.” I did know. They’d been intimate. “And the next few days afterward were great. He was attentive and loving and I thought, ‘Hey, this might be the guy.’”

  “But…” I prompted.

  “That weekend, he didn’t call or text and wasn’t responding to my texts. I started to worry a little.” She looked at with me a glaze of tears in her eyes and suddenly I understood her comment about sixteen-year-olds in love.

  “What happened,” I whispered, squeezing her hand harder.

  She heaved a deep sigh. “When I got to school Monday, everyone knew about us. I mean, everyone. But the worst person was Jill.” I sucked in a breath, anger building inside me. “Ever since you left, she’s sort of been using me as her verbal punching bag. I think it’s because we’re best friends, and since you’re not there for her to bully, I’m the next best thing.” Now rage was boiling in my gut. How dare she! “But until Jacob turned into a jerk, I was able to handle her. I’m me and she’s… Jill. A known mean girl. We’ve had our battles and I won them because I wasn’t going to let the girl who ganged up on you, and the one who basically terrorizes t
he school, get to me.”

  “But she did.”

  She turned on the bed until she was facing me. “Sade, I don’t know how you did it. And I feel awful I wasn’t around to help you through it.” The corners of her mouth looked like the frowny face emoji on my phone. “I’m so mad at myself. We should never have drifted apart like we did, and it was my fault. I was so caught up in trying to morph into who my parents wanted me to be, and it felt good to be surrounded by others on the same path.” She gripped my hand hard. “But that is no excuse for basically abandoning you those few months.”

  “Molly, I’ve already forgiven you for that. Please, let’s not dwell on it. We’re back on track. We’re together again.” I smiled at her, a genuine smile that radiated from my heart.

  “Thank you.” Her voice was quiet. “Just, thank you.” She took a deep breath. “Anyway, Jacob left a hole inside me. A really weak spot, and Jill knew… knows just how to target that weakness. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if it was only her, but she’s got that stupid posse that jumps to do her bidding. And, there are others at the school… some I thought were friends… who have turned on me. I may as well be wearing a scarlet A on my clothes,” she finished glumly.

  I didn’t know what to say. But I knew what I wanted to do, and that was kick all their butts in a severe way. I struggled to get my temper under control before I said anything. “Mo, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I know what it feels like. I know it so well. This sucks. I want to hurt all of them for you. Especially Jacob and Jill. What the hell is wrong with those two!”

  “Hey, I didn’t tell you any of this to upset you. I’ve needed to talk to someone about it, and when you asked… I just wanted to be able to tell my friend.”

  “Girl, I got you. Don’t apologize for telling me anything, ever. We have to have each other’s backs. And I won’t say or do anything if you don’t want me to.” A thought struck me. “Does Kade know any of this is going on?” I watched as shutters seemed to come down over her eyes. My stomach roiled in reaction. “Molly. Does Kade know?”