by Chris Cannon
“She can’t be…I’m sure she’s messing with us,” I said.
His arm slid from my waist.
“It can’t be true…right?” Okay that was a knee-jerk reaction. Of course it could be true.
“Maybe it’s not true for you.” Brittney’s voice came from behind me. Bryce and I turned to face her. For someone who thought she was pregnant, she looked quite pleased with herself. “It could be true for me, couldn’t it Bryce?”
“Is it true?” His tone was cold, flat, dead.
She pointed at what he held in his hand. “The card speaks for itself.”
I’d had enough. “If you were knocked up, I doubt you’d advertise it to the whole school. Even if it’s true, I’m sure Bryce would want a paternity test, given your reputation.”
The whack-job in question managed to look offended. She took a breathy sigh. “Bryce are you going to let your ex-girlfriend talk to the mother of your child that way?”
I expected Bryce to join in the Brittney bashing. Instead, he pulled out his cell. “I’m calling my family’s lawyer. He’ll set up a pregnancy test for you after school today. We’ll have both sets of our parents there as witnesses.”
Brittney paled. “There’s no need to do that. I already took a test.”
Bryce ignored her, turned his back, and started talking. Brittney lunged for him, yanking his arm down, so the phone moved away from his mouth. “Stop.”
“Why would you want me to stop?”
“I…This is personal, between you and me.” She turned on the sex appeal, leaning in and pressing against him. “We’ll figure this out together.”
“If this is personal, why did you tape the card to my locker where everyone could see it?”
Brittney looked less sure of herself. She crumpled. “I knew you wouldn’t talk to me. I thought this was the only way you’d listen.”
“I’m listening. The entire school is listening and talking about this. Word will get back to my father and yours. Did you think about that?”
“We’ll tell them it’s a joke.”
“She keeps digging that hole deeper and deeper, doesn’t she?” Jane said from beside me. I wanted to believe Brittney was lying, so I nodded.
“You have thirty seconds to tell me the truth before I call my lawyer back.” Bryce’s face was devoid of any emotion. The dead look in his eyes combined with his arctic tone would’ve convinced anyone he meant business.
“What is going on here?” Principal Evans shouted as he made his way toward us.
“This is where the shit hits the fan,” I muttered to Jane.
Bryce held the card and made no move to put it away.
“Why is the entire school talking about you this morning, Brittney?” Principal Evans came to a halt between Brittney and Bryce.
“I have no idea.” Brittney played the dumb blonde well, but Principal Evans didn’t seem to buy it.
He turned to Bryce. “Can you explain what’s going on here?”
“I think someone played a prank on me.” He kept his eyes locked on Brittney.
Brittney pointed at the card Bryce held. “Someone stuck that on Bryce’s locker. I don’t know why they’d say I was pregnant. We aren’t dating any more. It would make more sense to sign Haley’s name to the card, not mine.”
She did not just drag me into this. “You need some serious help.”
Principal Evan’s looked back and forth between Brittney and I. “Do either of you girls need to speak to the nurse or the counselor?”
I guess that was principal-speak for, “Are you pregnant?”
“No,” I shouted.
Brittney shook her head.
I wanted to punch her.
“So we’re clear,” Bryce said. “No one here is pregnant. Right, Brittney?”
“Right.” She tried a sweet smile. “It was a mean prank.”
Principal Evans ran his hand over his bald head. “I’m not sure what the school’s responsibility is in this. I think both of you girls better come with me.”
“What? Why?” I looked to Bryce, but he was no help.
“We’re going to call your parents and let them know about this prank. If they’re concerned, they can take you to a doctor for a pregnancy test.”
I was dead. “You can’t do that.” I pointed at the card. “It’s not my name on the card. Bryce and I came in and found this. We were both surprised. Jane and Nathan were here before us. They showed it to us. Brittney did this and if you call my parents my mom will never let me out of the house again.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s unavoidable.” Principal Evans gestured down the hall. “Let’s go.”
No. No. No. “This is sexist. Why are you only punishing the girls? Why doesn’t Bryce have to call his parents?”
And now Bryce looked at me like I’d stabbed him in the back. I guess I had. Sort of. I expected him to call his lawyer and convince the principal not to call my parents. Why wasn’t he helping?
“Fine. All three of you, come along.”
As I walked down the hall to certain doom, I heard Jane call out, “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your brothers.”
Chapter Sixteen
Haley
Apparently right to privacy doesn’t exist in high school. Principal Evans and the school nurse listened in as Brittney spoke to her parents. The girl managed to whip up a few tears while she spoke to her parents on the phone. Can you say psycho?
Bryce sat stewing next to me while we waited our turn on the phone. I tried to touch his arm, but he jerked away.
Principal Evans dialed my home number and handed the phone to me. Please let my dad answer. Please. Please. Please.
“Hello?”
And my life was over. “Mom? Something weird happened at school today. Someone stuck a Happy Father’s Day card on Bryce’s locker claiming his ex-girlfriend was pregnant. His ex claims it could be me. Which it can’t. Unless the rules of biology have changed and you can get pregnant from kissing someone. But the principal is making me call you, anyway.”
I tensed, waiting for the tirade. My mother burst into tears, sobbing like someone died, kind of tears. “Mom? What’s wrong? Mom?”
I heard my dad’s voice in the background. He grabbed the phone. “Haley, what’s going on?”
I repeated my tirade and ended with, “Why is mom crying?” A cold sweat broke out on my forehead while I waited for him to answer.
“It’s complicated.” My dad sighed like he was a million years old. “Are you telling me there’s no way you can be pregnant?”
“No chance at all. None. Zero. Zip.” Brittney snickered, so I discreetly flipped her off. I could hear my mom crying in the background. “Are you sure Mom’s okay?”
“She will be, but it would be best if you didn’t come home right now. See if you can go over to Jane’s after school. Maybe plan on staying the night.”
Bam. Right in the gut. I doubled over clutching my stomach. “I can’t come home?” Tears filled my eyes. “But I told you, I’m not—”
“This isn’t about you, Haley. It’s about your mom. She needs time…to work through some things. I’ll call you later and let you know what’s going on.”
He hung up. I stared stupidly at the phone like it might have the answers to why my mom was acting so strange.
“Haley?” A warm hand touched my shoulder. At least Bryce, even if he was still angry, cared enough to worry about me.
“I didn’t do anything,” was the only thing I could think to say, and then I burst into tears.
Bryce pulled me against his chest and rubbed his arm up and down my back. I inhaled his warm, spicy scent and tried to think rationally. My dad didn’t say I couldn’t come home ever. He needed some time to help my mom work through whatever the hell her issues were. I sucked in a breath and held it, then let it out slowly. After a few more deep breaths, I turned the waterworks off.
“Sorry about that.” I glanced up at Bryce.
“What happened?”
/> “My mom freaked and my dad said…” I took a deep breath and blew it out. “He said I shouldn’t come home until he can calm her down.”
Brittney chuckled. I went rigid in Bryce’s arms and then turned to face her. I wanted to smack the smug expression off her face. The fact that Principal Evans stood behind her didn’t matter.
Bryce must have known what I was thinking, because he held me tighter. “Good job, Brittney. You managed to cause problems for Haley and I, and you started a fight with her parents. Are you happy now?”
“No. I won’t be happy until we’re back together again.”
“That sounds like an admission of guilt. I think I’ve figured out what happened here.” Principal Evans looked at me and then at Bryce. “You’re both free to go. Make sure you pick up a late pass on your way out.”
I leaned my head against Bryce’s chest. “I’m sorry about saying you should call your parents, too. I thought maybe he wouldn’t make us call if you argued with him.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be fine.”
“Thanks.”
The office door banged open. Matt and Charlie stormed in with murder in their eyes. Bryce’s muscles tensed, like he was preparing to fight.
“Stop,” I shouted. “Brittney did this. I’m not pregnant.”
The counselor stood. “Shouldn’t you boys be in—”
“Why are you crying?” Charlie cracked his knuckles while Matt looked like he was trying to figure out a way to get around me.
In as few words as possible, I told them about calling home and Dad banning me from the house. “That’s why I’m crying. Bryce is the good guy in this story.”
Some of the tension drained from the room.
“What the heck is going on with Mom?” Matt asked.
“I still don’t have a clue.”
“I guess we’ll crash at a friend’s house tonight, too,” Charlie added.
“You all need to go to class,” the counselor stated, in an, I’m-a-grownup-and-you-will-listen-to-me voice.
I grabbed Bryce’s hand and tugged him toward the door, which led to the secretary.
Two late passes later, we walked toward my first class. “People like Brittney are the reason hit men exist,” I muttered.
“I think you’re right.” Bryce stopped a few feet shy of my classroom door. “See you at lunch.”
I didn’t want to let go of him, not knowing how he felt. “Are we good?”
“As good as we can be.” He dropped my hand and headed down the hall. His words did not reassure me.
Chapter Seventeen
Haley
From the moment I stepped into class, people pointed and whispered. So far, this whole blackmail-plan to date Bryce to restore my reputation had completely backfired. People were talking about me more in the time I’d been with him than they had for the entire time I’d been in school. Truth be told, I didn’t like to think about the blackmail.
Did Bryce still think of us as fake? The way he had hugged me when I cried showed he cared. Then again, any decent guy would help a girl who was crying. He’d said the kiss last night was real. But what did that mean? Real for the next few weeks until our deal was over or for real type real with no time limit?
I did my best to pay attention in the rest of my morning classes. But my brain kept tossing out questions. What problems did my mom have to work through? What did her issues have to do with me? When would Brittney get her comeuppance for all the crap she pulled? Could I bury her body with the backhoe and get away with it? By lunchtime I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. It felt like there was a cinder block floating above me and at any moment the laws of gravity would come into play and send it crashing down onto my head.
Jane steered me toward the cafeteria with one hand on my arm. “This sucks, but it’s not a big deal. Your dad didn’t say you couldn’t come home ever. It’s you spending the night at my house on a weeknight rather than the weekend. We’ll watch movies and eat pizza. It’ll be fun.”
“Sure.” I tugged the cafeteria door open and the spicy scent of Mexican food drifted out. I must be crazy because it didn’t smell half bad.
I did my best to ignore the gawkers as we walked to our table. “If I climbed up on a table and announced I’m still eligible to be a nun, do you think that would end the pregnancy rumors?”
“Maybe if you turned it into a song and tap-danced, too.”
I laughed. Jane was the best friend ever.
Nathan and Bryce were in a heated debate when we joined them.
“What’s up?” I pulled out my standard turkey sandwich and chips.
“Nathan thinks we should fix Brittney up with someone to keep her occupied and away from us.” Bryce opened his soda. “Who do I dislike that deserves to spend time with Brittney? Maybe one of your brothers?”
“Not funny.”
Jane unpacked four cookies and passed them out. “Today we have oatmeal raisin chocolate chip.”
Bryce pushed his cookie toward me. “Today is your lucky day. I don’t like raisins.”
I doubted the lucky part, but accepted the offer. “Thanks. Have people been pointing and whispering at you all day?”
He looked up at the ceiling. “Worse. Someone must’ve texted someone who told a parent who told my Dad both you and Brittney are pregnant.”
I choked on my cookie, inhaling crumbs, which set off a coughing fit. Jane whacked me on the back, which always seemed like a stupid move to me. It hurt and it didn’t do anything for the cookie crumbs lodged in my lungs. By the time I caught my breath, my eyes were watering like I was crying.
When I spoke my voice sounded like a frog. “Warn me before you say something like that. You nearly killed me.”
“Sorry.” Bryce reached across the table and placed his hand on top of mine. “Don’t eat anything till I’m finished. You can imagine how thrilled my father was to hear the rumor he had two grandchildren on the way. I’m surprised he didn’t have an aneurysm.”
“Did he text you?” Nathan asked.
“No. He called and had me pulled from class. I had to listen to him rant for five minutes about what a disappointment I was before I could explain the truth.”
“Did he apologize?” Not that there was much hope of that, from what I’d heard.
“No. He told me to find a way to counteract the rumors. I have no idea how he expects me to do that.” He took a drink of his soda.
“You could tell everyone you’re gay,” Jane said.
Bryce choked on his soda, going into a coughing fit nearly as impressive as my own. I managed not to laugh…barely.
Once Bryce recovered, he glared at Jane. “Same rule applies to you. If you’re going to say something ridiculous, give people a heads-up.”
“It was just a thought.” Jane opened her soda and took a drink. “Besides the alternative lifestyle option, what does your dad expect you to say to counteract the rumors?”
“I have no idea.” He picked up his burger. “Please hold all suggestions until after I’ve eaten.”
My turkey sandwich looked cold and limp. “Is it me or does the Mexican food smell good today?”
Jane sniffed. “Doesn’t smell half bad. Want me to go up in line with you?”
I was a big girl. I could do this by myself. “No problem. I’ll be back in a minute.”
The line for food was short, considering most everyone had gone through. There were three girls in front of me giggling and whispering. Since they’d been doing that before I joined the line, I chose to believe they weren’t talking about me. Two guys in front of them checked them out and then their eyes moved to me. I swear their gaze traveled down to my stomach. Rather than acknowledge them, I pretended to be lost in my own thoughts. Not hard to fake at this point.
The spicy scent of salsa and jalapeños made my stomach growl. I reached the point where I could pick a plate of nachos or a dish of tamales. I decided on the nachos, thinking there wasn’t much the cafeteria could do
to screw up liquid cheese.
“Eating for two?” a snide female voice asked.
Without looking up, I said, “Nope. Just me.”
“Right. Why else would Bryce be with someone like you?”
I turned to the girl behind me. Did I know her? No. Funny, but I actually considered her question. Why would Bryce want to be with me? “Let’s see. I think he likes me because I’m funny, I’m smart, and I save dogs.”
The girl stared at me like I’d told her the cafeteria was serving squid. Feeling good about my answer, I paid for my selection and headed back to the table.
“What happened up there?” Bryce asked.
“She snarked at me. I snarked back. No big deal.” Wait a minute. “Do you know her?”
“Not really.”
What did that mean? Not that it mattered at the moment. I concentrated on not dripping nacho cheese on my shirt.
Jane waved her hand in front of my face. I jerked and splattered a glob of dayglow orange cheese onto my jeans. Fabulous. I dabbed at the cheese and glared at Jane.
“Sorry, I asked what movie you wanted to watch tonight, but you didn’t answer.”
I gave my jeans up as a lost cause. “I want something with lots of explosions, and I’ll need to borrow some clothes.”
“We’ll wash your jeans tonight and you can borrow a shirt.”
“Thanks.” I went back to eating in silence. My tablemates carried on a conversation while I zoned out. A napkin shot out under my chin, catching a string of cheese.
“If you’re going to eat those, you should wear a bib.” Bryce thrust the napkin at me.
“You’re a regular knight in shining armor, aren’t you?”
His eyebrows came together in way I knew meant no good. I hurried to cut off his meltdown. “That wasn’t an insult, I was serious. You step in whenever there’s a problem. Makes you nice to have around.”
Nathan snickered which ticked me off. “What’s your problem?”
He cleared his throat and managed to look sheepish. “Nice isn’t a word I associate with Bryce. Although…they do rhyme.”
I reached across the table and laid my hand on top of Bryce’s. “He saved a dog during a thunderstorm, which means he’s a good person.”
