TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 19

At school Monday, Meg headed to her locker with her head down and her steps heavy. She hadn’t talked to Bailey since Saturday. She thought about calling her…until she saw Bailey’s latest blog.

"Um. Hey, Meg."

She jerked, found Bailey standing beside her. Meg opened her mouth but couldn't squeeze any sound out. She fiddled with the lock, her fingers cold and stiff, and finally managed to get it open.

"I shouldn’t have asked Ryder to text you."

Tears stung the back of her eyes and Meg only stared. "You asked him?"

“I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she replied automatically.

And then wondered why. It wasn't okay. It wasn't the least bit okay. They were friends. Friends were supposed to talk to each other, not hide and avoid and forget and abandon. Meg stuffed her jacket inside her locker and grabbed a text book without even looking at the title. She slammed the locker and Bailey jumped.

"If it’s not okay, you should say so.” Bailey shifted her weight to one side. “I just thought if you guys talked, you'd believe me."

Meg fell back against the locker, let her eyes slip shut. "Bailey, I do believe you. I just want to know he's the real deal."

"Oh, Meg. He is. He really is." She smiled and wrapped her arms around her middle.

“Bay,” Meg looked around, made sure no one could hear. “What about Simon? I mean, one day you’re all hung up over him and the next, it’s Ryder. This isn’t a video game where you get to keep pressing reset.”

Bailey jerked and Meg knew she’d hit a nerve.

"I know that, Meg. I still miss Simon. But Ryder’s so smart. And we have a lot in common."

"Besides your video games?"

Her smile froze and then brightened. "He grew up on a ranch. We spent hours talking about horses."

Bailey loved horses and had wanted one for as long as Meg could remember. She’d taken Meg out east to a public stable to ride but it hadn't gone well. Bailey's horse was a gentle mare. Meg's was Satan. So, Bailey rode alone and Meg watched from the safety of the bleachers that circled the ring.

"Um… Bay?" Alarm bells pealed in her head. "Does he know where you ride?"

"Sure. I told him.”

"So he could have been there, watching you, but you wouldn't even know it, would you?"

"Meg, he —"

Why didn't this frighten her? "He could have been there, Bay. Watching you."

"Oh my God, Meg!" She shouted. "Just stop it. I haven’t been to the stable since I met him. He didn’t follow me. He didn’t stalk me. This is exactly why I hid him.”

"Bailey, I know how you get with guys. I'm trying to make sure —"

"God, do you even hear yourself? The only thing you're making sure of is that I never find love, like you." Her eyes got hard. "I don’t want to be like you! Why don’t you get that?"

Bailey’s words tore through her gut like a bullet. Meg flinched and gasped, unable to catch her breath. She pressed her hands to her stomach, unable to remember grabbing the textbook clutched in them, and sucked in air. She forced her feet to move. She couldn't see anything… anything except the furious disapproval in Bailey's eyes.

Away. Meg had to just move away. It was all that mattered. One step. Two. Stumbling into lockers, Meg walked and then ran to the exit, shoved the door open, gasping in great gulps of the chill that clung to the spring air.