The Lies We Tell

Chapter 16

Mom was pacing when I opened the door. She stopped and glared at me when I stepped in. "Just where have you been?" she said, nearly shouting.

"I was at the park." I dropped my bag in a chair and went into the kitchen, looking for a snack. This was probably going to take a while.

"Why were you at the park?" she asked, her eyes following me around the room.

"Because I wasn't at school." I sighed and turned to her. "Mom, can we do this later? I want to go wash my face." It felt like my makeup had hardened on my skin. What was left of it, that is.

Mom frowned at me. "No. We're going to do this now. Why did you skip school? That's not like you at all."

I leaned on the counter, my snack search no longer important. Where should I even begin? After a long moment of debating my answer, I settled on, "I didn't want to be there when the school's football star got disciplined." I took a step towards my bag, but my mother grabbed my arm.

"Hold it right there. Why would that matter to you? Is he your boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? You don't tell me anything anymore."

I didn't say it, but I hadn't been telling her anything for a very long time. She was just noticing it? "Because I turned him into the principal for sexually harassing me last year when I was his tutor."

Her arm dropped and her face changed from barely hidden anger to shock. "Oh, honey." She put her arms around me and hugged me. At first, I didn't react. It was a sudden change that shocked me. But after a second, I put my arms around her and squeezed hard. This was what I'd been missing. This was what I needed. "I don't know why you didn't tell me, but something like that ever happens again, tell me. Okay?" I nodded.

I know that I got away from the situation last year pretty much without a scratch. It didn't turn into anything physical. I was pretty shaken and scared, but it could have been so much worse. But, even though I knew this, it didn't make me feel much better.

---

Monday morning, I psyched myself up before getting out of my car. I was taking Chad seriously. Courtney wasn't someone who would let things go. Not that easily, anyway.

When I finally got out of my car, I checked myself one last time in the mirror. Head held high, my shoulders back. Looking confident. I hoped, anyway.

I walked across the lot, people looking my way. The stares didn't start until I walked inside. The looks weren't surprising. Nor was the atmosphere of hostility. What was surprising was finding Courtney and them waiting at my locker.

"Oh, look," Courtney said, faking surprise at seeing me. She knew where she was. "Evie's here."

"Hi, Courtney," I said, opening my locker. As soon as I opened the door, one of the jocks with her slammed his shut. "Hey!" I let my confident expression slip for a moment, and Courtney saw her chance.

"It's your fault, you know. Jared's not going to be able to go to college now." I looked at her. She had her arms crossed, a superior look on her face. "He was going to get a scholarship, you know. But that's gone. And now so is his football career. He was promising. He likely could have made it into the NFL. Being suspended in senior year? That's all over. Thanks to you."

"He should have thought of that before he pinned me to my car." I reached for my locker again, but the jock slammed his hand against it, covering the lock. "Let me into my locker," I said, my teeth clenched.

"No," Courtney said. "You're lying to me." I turned to her. "Tell me the truth. You're just jealous, aren't you?"

"Of what? You?" I turned and pointed at Ryan. "You can keep your toy. I don't want it." I turned to my locker again. "Move," I said firmly. The jock glared at me. I was tempted to glare back, but I refrained.

"Lexi," Courtney said behind me. "Why do you think she's lying?"

"I don't think she's lying. Remember Val? She complained about him, too."

Courtney sighed. "Corey," she said to the jock in front of my locker. "Why do you think she's lying?"

He smirked at me. "I think she wants Jared and can't have him."

I was fairly certain I heard Courtney's eyes roll. "Let her in the locker," she said. Corey reluctantly lowered his arm and took a step back. "Oh, and Evie?" I turned to look at her. "It's not over. Not even close." I watched them walk away with a shiver. As it turns out, Jared wasn't the only human that scared me.

---

When I went to lunch, I expected Courtney to be waiting for me.

She didn't disappoint.

I saw her watching the doors from the popular table and wanted to walk right back out. I really would have done it, except Courtney beat me to it. "Evelyn!" she shouted. The entire room went silent. "How does it feel to take away someone's whole future?"

Ignoring her, I got in line for food. The kids ahead of me made their way down the line. I reached the first person serving and they didn't move. We stared at each other for a long moment.

"It won't work," Courtney taunted behind me. "They're big fans of the team."

Frustrated, I left my tray where it sat and bypassed the line. I grabbed an apple from the end and walked to my corner table. "They still have a job to do," I said, glaring at the lunch people as I sat.

"Traitors don't deserve service," Corey called out.

I bit into my apple and stared out the window, resigned to my fate. There was some scuffling nearby and then Chad and two others were sitting at my table. Whispers started rippling through the room and Courtney's face was priceless. "What are you doing?" I asked Chad.

He smiled at me. "You looked like you needed a friend."