The Lies We Tell

Chapter 17

While I was thankful for Chad and his two friends, John and Julia, I still didn't want to show up to school. After sitting with me, Chad had started texting Lexi and I was able to leave after school without any trouble. But now, the next morning, I was scared of what I was going to be walking into.

A deep breath wasn't enough to prepare me for finding Courtney, Ryan, Lexi, and two guys from the football team in front of my locker. Courtney crossed her arms. "If it isn't our resident traitor. I wanted to ask you - why do you hate Jared so bad? He didn't do anything to you."

I squeezed past her to get to my locker, but Corey and his friend stepped in front of me. "Let me through, guys," I said.

"You forgot please," the friend said.

"Please let me get to my locker."

Corey narrowed his eyes. "Not good enough."

"Come on. I said please."

"You should beg for us," Corey's friend said.

I hitched my bag higher on my shoulder and turned to Courtney. "You really don't think you're going a bit far?" I asked.

"A bit far?" She walked up to me. "A bit far is taking someone's career away from them. And for what? A guy you can't have? Am I really going a bit far?" She stared into my eyes for a moment before taking a step back. "You know, you may have a point. You're pathetic. You really aren't worth any of this. But you know what? I'm a good friend. I can't just sit around and watch as my friend gets his entire future taken away."

"He should have thought of that. After all, what else should he have expected when he pinned me to my car and threatened me?" I walked past a stunned Courtney towards my homeroom. I could always come back later and grab my stuff.

---

I was on my way past the cafeteria when I bumped into Chad. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Somewhere that's not there," I said.

"You don't want to sit with us?"

I shook my head. "It's not that. You know you're getting involved with what's going on by sitting with me, right?"

Chad smiled. "They're not going to come for me. Or my friends, for that matter."

"What do you mean?" I furrowed my brow.

He put his arm around my shoulders and led me to the cafeteria doors. "Lexi and I are together. She's not going to allow it." He opened the doors as he dropped his arm and motioned for me to go ahead.

I set foot in the room and, again, conversation stopped. Everyone began whispering. I started to go to the lunch line but Chad stopped me. "What?"

"I'll get you something," he said quietly. "Just go have a seat, okay?"

I nodded and began walking to my usual table. Halfway there someone behind me began arguing. I looked in the direction of the sound. Lexi and Courtney. I wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but we all saw Lexi hold up a hand and Courtney's mouth snap shut. Lexi said something else before walking away. 

I resumed heading to my table, surprised that someone took the seat next to me. I was even more so when I looked up and found Lexi. "Um," I said, sliding down the bench.

She grabbed my arm. "You don't have to move," she said. "I won't bite." She glanced over her shoulder. "Unlike some people. Ugh." She rolled her eyes. "I'm so sick of her thinking she can treat people however she wants to! Jared was only suspended. He wasn't expelled. So he's not going to get a scholarship. So what? He can still go to college and play there. There's nothing in writing that says he can't." She threw up her hands.

Chad sat a tray in front of me, making me jump. "You okay, Lexi?"

She nodded and pat the spot next to her. "I'm fine. Just fed up." Chad sat where she wanted him to and glanced at her. "Can I have some? I left my food over there and I'm not going back."

"Want some of mine, too?" I offered.

She glanced at what I had. "Sure. Thanks." She gave me a genuine smile.

Why was someone that was apparently nice hanging out with someone like Courtney? I didn't get it. But Chad had never been anything less than nice, so in a way it wasn't surprising. "You're so cute together," I said quietly, watching them divvy up his tray.

Lexi grinned at me. "Thanks. I've always thought so." I was almost jealous of how Chad was looking at her. He was obviously very much in love, and so was she. Their shoulders touched and every time their fingers brushed - which was often and probably on purpose - they glanced at each other. It was like watching their daily interactions. Though, for all I knew, it probably was. She might end up over at his house every day, or him over at hers.

As I thought about it, I remembered just how much of a stranger Chad was. I didn't really know much of anything about him. Lexi was even more of an unknown. "Lexi," I said. She looked at me. "Why are you suddenly being nice to me? You've never even spoken to me before."

Lexi's face got serious and she turned to me. "Evelyn, you're really nice. You never make a fuss, and you never do anything out of line. The only person who doesn't like you is Courtney, and the only reason she doesn't is because you're popular, too. You may not have noticed, but everyone here is salivating over her drama. The lunch people are only on her side because she slipped a few bills to them. Everyone in school - well, except for the football team - they're all on your side. It's driving her nuts."

I thought about that for a moment. The only people causing any trouble for me was Courtney and the people hanging around her. "You're right. They haven't done me anything."

"See? She just has it in for you right now. I don't like anything she's done, if I'm honest. Sending Ryan to chase you was going way too far."

I felt my heart stop for a moment. "She did what?"

Lexi's eyes widened. "She had Ryan chase you to try to ruin your rep. She wanted it to look like you were after her man and then expose you for it in front of everyone."

"So Ryan didn't mean-" I cut myself off. "Of course not. Never mind. What else did she do?"

Lexi flapped her hand. "A lot, but it doesn't matter." She swallowed. "If you want to get back at her, I don't blame you. I kind of want to myself sometimes. Or, at the very least, make her see that she can't treat people any way she wants and get away with it."

I had to admit it. Getting back at her, teaching her a lesson, was very tempting. I turned to Lexi. "What would you suggest?"

"First, let her think she won. Best way would be to wait for graduation. You're the valedictorian, right?"

"Possibly."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No 'possibly' about it. Evelyn, you have a 5.0 GPA. The next closest to you is 4.3. You've got that in the bag. Now, being valedictorian means you give the big speech. Here's my idea."