by Sherri Renee
“So you’re breaking up with me?” My brows drew together as I tried to ensure I understood what was happening.
“For someone so smart you’re actually pretty dumb.” George laughed, finding his own words hilarious. “Yes, Kristen,” he said slowly. “I am breaking up with you. Got it?”
I was so relieved I didn’t even care he was acting like a jerk. Misty still looked scared, and I had the weirdest desire to give her my blessing, but I didn’t want to tick George off. My only thought was “I’m free!”
“Got it,” I said, I gave Misty what I hoped was a friendly smile. I honestly didn’t blame her for anything although I knew she was aware George and I were a couple. I laid all the blame squarely at George’s feet.
I started to walk away then stopped. “Does this mean I’m out of whatever’s going on tonight?”
George paled and licked his lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let’s get out of here.” He and Misty left me standing alone in the gym with my thoughts in a jumbled pile. My relief was short-lived, and I was tense again and filled with nervous energy. Something didn’t feel right about the entire situation.
Chapter 31
I made it to first class on autopilot. It wasn’t until I sat down that I realized I didn’t have any books with me. I’d been so intent on trying to figure out what was going on with George I’d forgotten to stop at my locker. A look at the clock told me I didn’t have time to go get them either. Great.
Hopefully, Mr. Thicke took it easy on us today like I knew most of the teachers planned to do. The game tonight was a huge deal. And with prom tomorrow there was so much excitement in the air it was tangible. Today it would be hard to keep the students in their seats much less expect us to actually learn anything.
That was probably why big games like this were usually on a Saturday. I don’t know if it was an oversight or if the prom planning committee had no faith this year’s team would make it to state, but they’d booked our venue for tomorrow. The day state was originally scheduled. Due to a large non-refundable deposit, someone somewhere had pulled enough strings to move the game to tonight.
The room buzzed with excited chatter as it started to fill up. George came in. I watched until he sat down, but he didn’t even look my direction. It wasn’t that it hurt my feelings or anything. It just felt weird that he’d gone from not being able to live without me to not knowing I existed.
Michelle scurried in right before the bell rang. She dropped her books on her desk and plopped in her seat, immediately spinning to face me. “Hey!” she said breathlessly.
I squinted at her. Her face was flushed and her smile was so wide it had to hurt. I didn’t think I was wrong in guessing she and Danny had spent some time together before class.
“You’re lipstick’s smeared,” I pointed out.
She swiped a finger under her lips.
“I’ll bet Danny’s lipstick is smeared too.” I crossed my arms and eyed her bright pink lips with a serious expression. “I hope that’s a good shade for him.”
“Stop.” She shoved my arm with a laugh. “Cotton Candy Pink is perfect with his skin tone.”
I laughed with her. “I guess things are going good with you two?”
“Yeah,” she nodded, her smile turning soft and mushy. “I’ve really fallen for him. He’s so quiet and mature on the outside. When you get to know him though, there’s this whole other side. All fun and sweet.”
Mr. Thicke closed the door with a bang. “Contrary to popular belief we will be learning something in this class today. Turn to page one hundred, thirty-two.”
Half the class let out a collective groan including me. Crud.
“Can I borrow some paper and a pencil?” I whispered to Michelle. She handed them back to me and gave my empty desk a questioning look, wondering where my book and stuff was.
“I’ll tell you everything later,” I promised. Mr. Thicke took the class period as a personal challenge to see if he could teach more than ever in one period. I was so busy taking notes I didn’t even think about George until class ended. As soon as the bell rang, though, George was all I could think about.
I waited for Michelle to stuff her things in her book bag and walked out with her prepared to update her with the latest episode in what I was tempted to label “My Very Strange Life.” Before I could say a single word, Danny appeared and Michelle disappeared into his letter jacket as he wrapped his arms around her.
“I missed you,” he said.
She stood on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss. “I missed you too.”
“Ugh,” I groaned, holding my jaw. “You guys are so sweet you’re giving me cavities.”
“Har har,” Michelle said, but she did disengage herself from Danny’s arms and settled with holding his hand.
“Hi, Danny.” I leaned around Michelle and smiled at him.
He looked away from Michelle long enough to tell me “hi” before his eyes went right back to her.
“Are you excited about the game tonight?” I expected some football talk about how bad they were going to beat the other team. What I didn’t expect was for his whole demeanor to change.
His face hardened. He tore his eyes from Michelle to stare straight ahead. “Yeah, I guess,” he said. “I’m ready for it to all be over. Other than the fact that I met Michelle here, I wish I hadn’t transferred to this school.”
I remembered hearing he’d transferred just to play football here. I didn’t know what to say to that and looked to Michelle for help.
She kept her voice real low, and whispered, “The steroid thing.”
Danny shot her a dark look.
“It’s alright. She knows. She knew before I did.”
“George,” he said with a nod, making the connection. He shrugged. “I don’t do that stuff, and let’s just say there’s been a lot of pressure on the few of us who’ve said no.”
“So it’s true.” I wasn’t completely surprised, but it was still hard to wrap my head around. I was glad to hear Danny say he wasn’t involved in that stuff though. The last thing I wanted was for my best friend to be in love with someone as messed up as George had become.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I’m almost positive this is pretty new. It’s too bad you had to get caught up in it.” And I was sorry. I was sorry about a lot of things and ready to put them all behind me.
Green, white, and blue streamers decorated every hall. Balloons floated from random lockers. The students were challenged with dressing in school colors based on their grade. Seniors had to pull off a combination of green, white, and blue. Juniors wore green. Sophomores blue. And the poor freshmen were stuck with the boring color white. As we all mingled together in the halls it looked pretty awesome.
After Mr. Thicke’s class, the rest of the day was filled with cupcakes and “study periods.” It was hard not to feel my spirits lift with all the excitement swirling through the halls. I kept an eye out for Matt. I couldn't wait to tell him George and I were finally, officially, over. I thought about texting him but decided I’d rather tell him in person.
I still couldn’t believe he’d come over to keep me company last night. It made me all warm and mushy feeling inside just thinking about it. No one had ever snuck through my window. Especially not a boy. I knew my parents wouldn’t feel the same if they ever found out about it, but to me, it was the most romantic thing ever.
A plate of cupcakes sat on my English teacher’s desk. I picked one with deep green frosting and took a tiny bite. It was pretty good, and I was hungry. I was too nervous to eat breakfast before school, but my stomach felt better now.
I still looked forward to talking to Laurie to find out why she’d said I was in danger. I figured whatever it was didn’t matter anymore since George and I weren’t together, but I still had a perverse curiosity about it.
I didn’t see Laurie until the pep rally, and even then she came flying in just before the first cheer, jogging to her spot with a smile on her face tha
t didn’t touch her eyes. Unlike last week, this time we made it through all the routines without a hitch. I almost stumbled once when I noticed George glaring at Laurie, but thankfully, all our hours of practice kept my feet in step even as my mind wandered for a second.
Laurie’s smile never faltered, but I noticed her hands shaking. My own smile dropped. Why was she so nervous? I scanned the bleachers, searching for a reason for her fear, but didn’t notice anything out of place. I planned to pull her aside after the pep rally so we could talk, but while I helped roll up banners, she disappeared.
A crack of thunder rolled through the gym. I jumped and a couple of girls screamed before giggling. Mostly there were groans as we considered the possibility that it could rain tonight. The cold was bad enough. Standing in icy rain would be miserable.
“Ready to go?” Michelle dropped an armful of pom poms in the basket, before brushing off her hands.
“Did you talk to Laurie today? Is she coming over to get ready?”
Michelle shrugged and looked around. “Where’d she go anyway? It’s not like her to skip out on the work.”
I sucked my lips in, fresh nerves taking root in my stomach. It was like I knew something was wrong but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. I tried to shake the creepy feeling off. “Are you riding with me?”
“Yeah, Danny brought me to school this morning.
I grabbed what I needed and opened my purse to get my keys. A crumpled scrap of yellow paper fell out. I frowned at it. I didn’t remember putting any trash in my purse. I picked it up and smoothed it out. I heard Michelle gasp as she read the note over my shoulder, but I didn’t make a sound. I felt petrified.
Keep your boy in line or you’ll pay the price. The words were printed in a messy scrawl, but I, unfortunately, had no trouble reading them.
“Maybe they don’t know you and George broke up,” Michelle said.
That made sense. I’d only told Michelle about the break-up. I didn’t know who George told.
“I’ve got to let Laurie know we’re not together anymore. She’ll be able to relay the message.” I hoped she’d show up at my house before the game so I could talk to her.
“What do you think they mean?” Michelle looked at the note. “Keep him in line how?”
A nervous chill shot down my spine. My eyes anxiously darted around the almost empty gym. “Let’s get out of here.” I grabbed Michelle’s arm and strode towards the side door where I’d parked. As soon as we were in the car I locked the doors and looked around.
Michelle peered around too. “What’s going on?”
I shook my head and tried to insert the key in the ignition with trembling fingers. “I got the weirdest feeling. Like someone’s watching us.” I finally got the key in and started the car. It wasn’t raining yet, but the sky was thick with heavy clouds. I drove out of the parking lot with one eye on the rearview mirror. I didn’t see anyone, but I couldn’t shake the chill I’d felt.
I’d told Michelle I thought someone was watching us, but that wasn’t completely true. I was almost positive whoever it was had been focused completely on me.
Chapter 32
My mom had snacks ready for us when we got home. As good as everything looked, I didn’t think I’d be able to eat a bite. My short moment of relief from earlier today was gone and along with it my appetite. I smiled and thanked her, but kept looking out the window, hoping to see Laurie drive up.
She needed to know George and I were over so she could tell her people I wasn’t involved in this anymore. I had no control of George and didn’t know what keeping him in line meant even if I did.
Michelle swung the door open for the girls when they came over. Jules, Kara, and Megan came in together talking about our chances for rain tonight. Laurie didn’t come at all. Mom came into the kitchen to check on us while we snacked and visited.
“These chicken strips are delicious, Mrs. McDonald.” Kara tapped her toes against the chair rung, swirling a strip in sauce before taking a bite.
“I’m so glad. Are you all ready for the big game?”
“For it to be over,” I muttered, frowning at the smorgasbord Mom had prepared for us. Michelle jabbed me in the side with her elbow.
“What dear?” Mom asked with a curious smile, adding a plate of peanut butter cookies to the table.
“Nothing.” I picked up a chicken strip and took a bite so she wouldn’t notice my nervousness and try to find out what was wrong. I chewed hard but almost couldn’t swallow over the lump of nerves in my throat.
“Okay then.” She swept a smile over all of us. “I’ll be in the office. Let me know if you need anything.”
As soon as she was out of hearing range, Jules and Kara both rounded on me with wide-eyed looks. “Are you okay? You look really pale.”
Tapping the chicken strip against my plate, I deflected their questions with one of my own. “Why didn’t Laurie come over?”
Jules looked around like she just realized Laurie wasn’t there. “I don’t know. I didn’t see much of her today.” Her forehead creased as she thought about it.
“She seemed out of it all day,” Megan added, tossing her short hair back off her face. “I don’t know what’s up with her.”
I rubbed my brow and checked my phone again, hoping for a text from her even though I hadn’t heard a beep. Nothing.
“I heard something at school today,” Kara said looking at me from the corner of her eye. “I’m sure it’s just a rumor.” She hesitated and bunched her lips to the side like she might not continue.
“What?” Michelle gave her a curious look.
“Well, someone said you and George broke up and he’s dating Misty Holly now.” She trilled a nervous laugh but watched me intently, waiting for my reaction. “Pretty silly, right?”
“Not silly at all,” I said calmly while my stomach roiled. “We broke up this morning.” I wasn’t upset that George and I were finally through, but I could imagine the rumors floating around. The fact that they were probably all true would make me look foolish. I didn’t care too much how I looked at the moment, but it was still embarrassing.
“But prom’s tomorrow,” Jules squealed as if we weren’t all fully aware of the fact. “Who are you going to go with?”
“I’m not going.” I actually hadn’t decided any such thing until now, but the words released a huge weight from me. Missing the prom was probably the best thing I could do.
“Oh, Kristen.” Kara jumped out of her chair with a pained look and came over to hug me. “You can’t miss prom. I just know you’ll be voted queen. You can hang with me and Bobby. It’ll be fun!”
I hugged her back. It was a sweet offer but not how I wanted to spend my senior prom. “That’s really nice of you, but I think it’ll be nice to chill tomorrow. I’ve had a lot going on lately.”
I caught Michelle looking at me. She didn’t say anything in front of the other girls, but I knew she’d try to talk me into going to prom. The more I thought about it, the surer I was that I really didn’t want to go. It was liberating to be able to think about the prom without the huge pressure of trying to win the crown swamping me. I felt a little sorry for myself that I’d wasted so many months focusing on it.
I stood up and took my plate to the sink. “If you guys are done, let’s head upstairs and start on our makeup.”
Walking into my bedroom the first thing I saw was my perfect white prom dress hanging front and center in the closet. I hurried over and pushed the door closed, hoping no one else had seen it. That would just bring the subject of prom back up. Just because I was over the idea of prom queen didn’t mean I wasn’t a little sad about missing the big dance. I didn’t want to dwell on it right now, though.
“Where do you think Laurie is?” Kara asked, picking up my earlier question. She smoothed her red hair in the mirror then leaned close and rubbed a finger under her eye to clean off some smudged makeup. “She ran off after the pep rally without even helping clean up.”
My ear
s pricked up as the conversation swirled with the possibilities of where Laurie might be. Amidst the talking and laughing the subject drifted to Kara’s latest date with Bobby. Above the giggles, a familiar noise snatched my attention.
That was Matt’s music thumping from his car outside. I nibbled my lip. “Hey, guys.” I interrupted Kara’s story and four heads turned to look curiously at me. “I’ve got to go do something real quick. Help yourself to whatever you need.” I pointed to my makeup bag on the dresser. “I’ll be right back.”
Michelle gave me a warning glance, but I ignored it and darted out of the room. I needed to talk to Matt. Just for a minute. I ran out the front door, skidding to a stop on the covered porch. It was pouring. Without an umbrella, I’d look like a drowned rat before I made it to Matt’s house and I really didn’t have time to redo my hair before the game.
Just then Matt got out of the car and started jogging through the rain towards his house. He caught sight of me and changed direction, quickly bounding up the steps and stopping in front of me.
He shook his head and droplets of water flew everywhere. Including all over me. “Hey!” I held up my hands defensively and laughed.
“Sorry.” He grinned, sounding anything but sorry, and stepped closer.
“I probably won’t melt,” I said as he moved in. I lost myself in his warm brown eyes. “I don’t know if you heard,” I couldn’t wait to share the news, “but George broke up with me today.” My heart beat fast. For some reason, I felt nervous telling him.
His smile widened, and I relaxed. “I might have heard a rumor or two.” He moved even closer. I closed my eyes as his chilly lips met mine before quickly heating from the kiss. Finally, I thought. We could date like normal people and put all the drama behind us.
Just then a car screeched to a stop in front of my house. I jerked away from Matt to see what was going on, and there was George’s white pickup, the front tire halfway up the curb. He rolled down the window and sneered.
