TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 34

Trust was fragile, Bailey thought when she tossed Meg’s cell phone on her bed. She didn’t want to believe Ryder and she didn’t want to doubt Meg — not after everything that had just happened. But there it was — proof right on Meg’s phone. She’d contacted Ryder just like he’d said she did after she told her — promised her — she would stop interfering.

“Excuse me?” Meg said in that oh-no-you-didn’t tone she’d perfected back in second grade but Bailey wasn’t backing down. Not this time.

"Ryder says you emailed him."

Meg's jaw clenched. "Yeah. So?"

"So, I told you to stay away from him." Bailey stood up, glaring.

Meg shook her head. "I want to know why he's telling you lies."

Lies! Bailey rolled her eyes. We’re back to the Ryder’s a liar song. "You're putting him in the middle and he doesn't want that. Why can't you just stay out of it? I know what I'm doing."

Meg shot out a hip and snorted. "You never know what you’re doing. Remember Mr. Milner? You could have gotten him fired.”

Bailey’s face went hot and she shot up a hand. It was so— so Meg to bring up the past. “That’s not fair!”

“Fair? I don’t give a crap about fair. I just don’t want him to make a fool out of you, embarrass you, hurt you.”

Meg’s words only made Bailey madder. It was her life, not Meg’s. Honestly, she was like a prison guard. "Megan, I really like this guy. He's incredible. He's smart, he likes gaming and is helping me build my video game.”

“Oh, please!” Meg flung out her hands. “You’ll never build that game and you know it. It’s just another scheme to get guys to like you.”

“It is not! I like video games. I’m going to build it and sell it no matter what you say!”

“No, Bailey, you won’t. You’ll just get some guy to build it for you. You tried Simon, then Chase and now Ryder. You’re just using him.”

“No. No, that’s not true. I like him, Meg. I really like him. I don't want you to ruin that like you— " Bailey suddenly clamped her teeth together and turned away.

Meg flinched. "Like I what, Bailey. What were you gonna say? Like I always do? Is that it? You blame me for all your breakups?" She sank to her bed, blinking back tears.

"Meg, I just want you to mind your own business! I told you to back off. I told you I really like this guy. What is your freaking problem?"

"I don't trust him."

"I DON'T CARE!" She shrieked and stood for a moment, blue eyes hot and wide. "Look, I'm telling you for the last time. Back off or we can't be friends anymore."

Meg gasped. "You—you don't mean that."

"Oh, yeah, I do." Bailey said with an emphatic head nod. "I'm sick of this, Meg. It's my life and if Ryder's a mistake, I want to make it! I don't keep shoving your mistakes in your face."

"What mistakes?"

Oh, my God, are you really this clueless? "Chase! The way you keep treating him is sick, Meg! But do I constantly remind you of that? No."

"Yes, you do."

"I do not! All I do is treat him like the friend he's always been. You want me to cut him out of my life so you don't have to deal with your feelings for him and that's just mean, Meg, so I won't do it. I know that pisses you off, but I don't tell you every second of every day that you're making a colossal mistake even though you are and wish you'd stop doing that to me."

"Wait. What?"

"Oooo, shut up, Meg! Just shut up and stay out of my life. I'm going home. I hope your hand feels better." She stomped downstairs and out the door before Meg could close her gaping mouth.

Back at her grandparents house, Bailey looked for her mother, but Nicole was out on another date. Gramps was home but she couldn’t talk about girl stuff with him. He took it too hard and always threatened to get his shotgun if anyone hurt her. He didn’t even have a shotgun. She’d told him that once and he’d said, “For you, baby girl, I’ll get one.” Gran wasn’t home either. Ooo, she thought as she pounded up the stairs to her room, time to make more friends.

She considered a video game but wasn’t in the mood to play by the rules. She flopped on her bed, opened her cell and tapped out a quick text to Ryder.

You there? I need you.

Ryder did not reply. Tears threatened but she wasn’t ready to sob into her pillow. She logged into Facebook and skimmed her timeline. Her hands curled into fists and her face crumbled. A brand new post on her wall asked:

What do all these guys have in common? Simon Kane, Chase Gallagher, Ryder West, Jordan Clark, Tanner Hayes, Jonathan Pritchard, Elliot Nielson, and Mr. Milner - GO!

What little she’d eaten earlier bubbled in her belly and she gulped to make sure it stayed down. She pressed a fist to her mouth. Jonathan Pritchard wrote, No comment ;). Jordan posted o.o! A girl in her English class said, They’re all hotties! Another girl asked, Oh, Bailey, how did you get an A from Mr. Milner?

It wasn’t the Likes the wall post was collecting and it wasn’t even the comments even though they all pretty much implied she was the school’s biggest slut. No, what hurt the most… what drove the knife through her back was that Meg was the one who posted it.