ANYTHING BUT ENEMIES

41. lying unprovoked

The man has created a remix of our pieces.

I thought it was bad enough when he'd just plagiarized Dane's, but when I start hearing bits and pieces of the poem I'd written weaved in, I know he must be out of his mind.

The room seems to explode in applause when he finishes reading, but I only hear the sound of the blood roaring through my veins even louder.

My hands grip the sides of my chair so hard my knuckles turn white, breath coming out shortly in disbelief.

And when Nick steps off the stage after butchering the two deeply personal poems, he's holding back a grin.

A goddamn grin.

As we finish running through everyone else's pieces, the world tries vainly to tip itself back onto its axis. Frances steps back up to congratulate us all for sharing, for all the hard work we've put in, etcetera, etcetera, but even that is no match for the red I'm still seeing.

"We'll take some time now to let the judges decide on what piece spoke to them the most—feel free to stretch, go on a walk, get some water. We should be back to regularly scheduled programming in about ten minutes."

I'm out of my chair in a second, storming past both Dane and Nick to try to retreat to the safety of the bathroom. Before I can even make it halfway down the hallway, though, a hand closes around my wrist, tugging me back.

"Cleodora, we need to talk."

"No, you know, I need some time to think about what the fuck just happened."

I feel naked, exposed in the worst way. Words that I'd written for my eyes only coming from the mouth of someone without the authority to use them—or at least someone I never wanted to have the authority to use them.

"And you think I don't? This concerns both of us."

"I can't—he's—he stole your notebook." It all clicks for me at once, voice lowering to a whisper as Dane holds my wrists. "Holy shit, you were right."

He gives me an I-told-you-so look, shaking his head. "Do you think he did it to piss us off?"

"Why would he care that much about pissing us off?"

"We don't exactly have the best relationship as I'm sure you're aware."

"Did you say anything to him?"

"No, I mean we don't talk outside of workshop."

"So what then? Did he just think he wouldn't get caught?"

"I mean what proof do we have?"

"Hello, your notebook?"

"And you want me to show people my notebook?"

"You showed it to me," I point out.

"That's different."

"Why, because half of the shit in there is about me? That makes it even worse."

"Look, okay, let's not be irrational here. What if we just confront him?"

"Confront him? God, what are you, Dane, a kindergarten teacher?"

"No—but—"

"What exactly do you hope to accomplish by confronting him? He comes clean, and everything is solved? No, we should take this to the administration, to Frances. He stole from us."

"Okay, fine. If that's what you want then I'll just make a fool of myself."

"You do that on your own everyday. What's the big deal?"