“Yeah,” Teagan answers. “I finally listened to her and we worked out our issues.”
I smile at her, glad that she is back to normal. I need something normal in my life.
“So, you finally believe I’m not in love with her?” Sander asks. He’s being sarcastic. Honestly, I don’t think he much cares for Teagan simply because he’s only seen a negative side to her. Once he gets to know her, I think he will like her, too.
“I don’t know about all that,” she says. “But I don’t think she’s in love with you.”
Sander laughs, looking at me. “You hear that, Phoenix. Apparently I’m in love with you.”
That makes me laugh, too.
I mean... come on... Sander Soto... in love with me? That’s just so ridiculous.
“Did you guys hear there is going to be an assembly after school today?” Bryce asks.
“What’s the assembly about?” Teagan asks.
“I think it’s about Phoenix, if the rumor mill is correct,” he says, looking at me. “Why are we having an assembly about you?”
“How should I know?” I ask. “I mean, this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“A few people tried to post that video of you online, but they were blocked somehow,” Emma says. “I know you said you were a hacker, but I didn’t realize you could do all that.”
I just shrug, pretending like I did do it, because that would be easier than coming up with another excuse.
I look at Sander. “Did you hear anything about a school assembly about me?”
“Actually, I did,” he says.
I stand up from the table. “I’ll see you guys at the assembly.”
Who cares that there are still thirty minutes before my next class. I need to know what’s going on and I need to know now. Apparently Sander knows what’s going on and I’m a little pissed that he hasn’t told me.
I walk double time to the door that leads outside. There are still a few people giving me curious looks because of the fiasco that happened yesterday, but that is the least of my worries.
“What is going on?” I ask, turning around as soon as I’m out the door.
“We thought it was best if the students at this school knew your situation,” Sander says.
“What are you going to tell them?” I ask. “No, don’t tell them. It’s my life. I should be able to choose. And I don’t want them to know anything.”
“They’re not going to know much,” Sander says. “The only thing that will be said is that any pictures or videos of you can’t be posted online. I think the dean is going to tell them you’re in the Witness Protection Program or some crap. Nobody is going to know why. And he’s going to tell them if they try to post any pictures of videos of you that they face expulsion.”
“Okay,” I say, letting out a breath.
That isn’t so bad.
“And what am I supposed to tell my friends when they ask questions?” I ask.
“You tell them that you can’t say anything,” Sander says. “Tell them that if anything gets out, it would not only put you in danger, but everybody in the entire school. That’s it. You can’t tell anybody. It’s enough that your boyfriend knows. I don’t like him knowing. Or that other boy. They’re both too impulsive.”
“Brooks is impulsive, yes. But not Estaine,” I say.
“Estaine punched Brooks in the face yesterday,” Sander says. “Estaine is impulsive. And you have known the kid for a month. You can’t tell me that you really know him after that short amount of time.”
Okay, so I technically can’t argue with that. He’s right.
“No, I guess I can’t,” I say.
“And you’re friends with Teagan again,” Sander says.
“Yeah.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing with her,” he says.
Me, too.
Safe haven.
When I walk into the auditorium, I can feel that everybody’s eyes are on me and I feel a little sick to my stomach, especially when the school counselor motions me toward her. I try to ignore her, but then she shouts my name, making the entire situation worse.
I think I’m going to be sick.
“Hey, Ms. Kribs,” I say, walking over to her.
“Hey, Phoenix,” she says, and then glances at the boy behind me. “Sander, lovely to see you again.”
“You two know each other?” I ask.
“What? You thought they let just any of the staff know your secret? I was put here by the CIA, dear,” Ms. Kribs asks. “Are you doing okay, dear? With all this?”
The CIA?
Of course.
“Perfectly fine,” I say, lying through my teeth.
At least, I was until I was called over here.
She looks at Sander.
“She’s stubborn,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.
“And she’s standing right here,” I say, and turn away from them. I am over this. I start to walk towards the seat where my friends are. Sander quickly comes up beside me.
“Why do you always try to leave me?” he asks.
“Because you annoy me,” I answer.
Which makes him smile. Of course he would be happy about annoying me. “You’d better be careful, or else I will begin to think that you actually like me.”
I gasp. “The horror.”
Maybe I do kind of like Sander. But I think I’d rather him think that I don’t, because that is way more fun.
I sit down beside Teagan.
“What did she want?” Teagan asks me.
I shrug. “Just wanted to know if I had thought more about the college I want to go to.”
She just nods, accepting what I said so easily.
I hate how easy it is for me to lie to her. I feel like everybody saw through my lies when I first came here and now it’s just easy. Though, I suppose I won’t have to lie anymore after this assembly. I can just tell them that I really can’t tell them, which is the truth.
I wonder if she will hate me after this assembly. I wonder if I will even have any friends after this. Hopefully, they will understand my need for lies and secrecy over the past month, but maybe they will be angry at me for not trusting them the way I have trusted Estaine.
“Are you okay?” Sander asks me. “You are totally green.”
“I think I’m gonna puke,” I say.
“Just don’t puke on me,” he says.
“Your concern for me is almost overwhelming,” I say, wiping a fake tear from under my eye.
“I now understand how the two of you became friends,” Teagan says, looking at us. “I swear... you two are just alike.”
“Please, I am much better looking,” Sander says.
I know he’s joking as he says it. Plus, he’s trying to help me convince my friends that he’s really not in love with me. Which I appreciate. Even though he doesn’t like Teagan, he’s trying.
The dean of the school walks out onto the stage and the entire auditorium falls silent. I know for a fact that the school isn’t usually like this, so I think everybody is curious about what is going on. Nothing exciting ever really happens at East Raven Academy, aside from some occasional teen drama. Or, you know, guys lighting the dorm on fire.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Teagan asks me.
I nod.
But I’m not.
Not really.
Oh, gosh. Soon, everybody at this school is going to know that I’m hiding something. And if I think the stares I got from Brooks humiliating me is bad, it’s nothing compared to what it’s about to be.
“At East Raven Academy, we pride ourselves on being a safe place for students to come and learn,” the dean says, and I can truly hear the pride in his voice. “We’ve had the sons and daughters of many presidents come through this school since it we opened the doors, because they know that their children will be well cared for and safe at our school.
“This year, we have gotten a new addition to the East Raven family. But this place is more than j
ust a place to get an education for her. It’s about safety.
“Most of you probably know who Phoenix Underwood is.” As he says my name, I feel a shift and everybody turns to look at me. I force myself to keep looking forward at him. If I didn’t, I would panic. “And I know many of her teachers have noticed the number of absences. But I assure you, every single absence was out of her control.
“Yesterday, a few of the students noticed that they were unable to upload a video that had Phoenix’s face on it. It simply wouldn’t upload,” the dean says. “The reason for that is there is a block put on the internet, keeping everybody from uploading pictures or videos with her face on it.
“Many of you will want to know why, but the why isn’t important. The only thing that you need to know is that if a picture of her is uploaded, you would not only be putting her life in danger, but also the lives of people in this very school. And if I find out that any of my students have found a way around that block, you will be expelled immediately. This is a serious situation and I want you all to treat it as such.
“I know that you will be curious about Phoenix, but I expect all of you to respect her privacy,” the dean says, his voice firm. “She came here for a safe haven, and that is exactly what she is going to get.
“In closing, I’d like to remind you exactly what East Raven Academy stands for. Excellence...”
I tone him out as he finishes what he’s saying. I mostly feel like I am going to be sick, because there isn’t one person in the auditorium who isn’t looking at me right now.
“Come on,” Sander says to me.
He grabs my arm and helps me out of my seat. The dean is still speaking, but we’re leaving the auditorium, for which I am grateful. I know if I stayed here, I would be swarmed by people, despite the dean’s warning.
Once the door shuts behind us, I let out a breath.
“Are you okay?” Sander asks.
I nod.
But I’m not.
How could I be?
“Everything is going to change now, isn’t it?”
“It is,” he says. “But you’re not alone. No matter what, I’m here.”
His words are comforting, but he’s my bodyguard. He has to be here. The question is will my friends still be here?
Don’t have to lie anymore.
I don’t go to my dorm until much later—after dinner. It’s on the verge of getting dark and I’m hoping that Teagan isn’t in the room. I just want to go lie down and go to sleep. But then again, when does anything ever work out the way I want it to?
When I open the door, both Teagan and Emma are inside.
“Hey, guys,” I say, lowering my head.
I don’t want them to hate me. I really don’t. And seeing them in here has frightened me.
They aren’t going to want anything to do with me.
Teagan knows I’ve been lying.
And Emma... I feel like I had just started to get to know her, and I feel like we could be good friends.
I’m looking down, so I don’t look up until I see feet. When I look up, Teagan and Emma are both standing there. And they do something completely unexpected.
They hug me.
Neither of them says a word. They just hug me for a solid minute, and I nearly cry from the kind, unexpected gesture.
“I’m so sorry,” Teagan says. “The way that I’ve been treating you... how you are with Sander... it all makes so much more sense now.”
Sander?
What does any of this have to do with him?
“Yeah, I mean, Sander just wanted to look after you,” Emma says. “It totally makes sense why he’s always around.”
“And Estaine must know, right?” Teagan says. “It’s why he’s so cool about Sander. I mean, he knows that Sander truly is just a friend who is worried about you.”
I smile, because that is actually perfect.
This situation has taken care of so much. Not only can I now just tell them, “I can’t say,” but also they think Sander truly is just a concerned friend.
“I wish I could’ve told you,” I say. “But I couldn’t. I hate that I’ve been lying, but I didn’t know what else to do. I was worried you would hate me once you found out the truth. I’m literally lying about everything.”
“What do you mean everything?” Teagan asks.
“I mean, like, my name and stuff,” I say. “And... gosh... I don’t even know what I’m allowed to tell you now, so I’ll leave it at that. I just have felt really bad.”
“We understand,” Emma says. “Whatever it is, it must be bad. I mean, the dean said he would expel anybody who tried to post a picture of you online. And that your life is in danger? I mean, that’s scary, Phoenix.”
“Is Phoenix your name?” Teagan asks.
“Yes,” I answer. “Underwood isn’t.”
“You don’t have to explain,” Teagan says. “I understand why you have to lie. Or had to lie. But you don’t have to lie anymore.”
“I don’t,” I say, smiling. “I hate lying. And I’m not good at it.”
“Oh, we know,” Emma says.
“That’s why we thought you had something going on with Sander,” Teagan says. “Every time we brought up his name, you started acting really shady.”
“Well, I mean... there is still stuff about him that I can’t tell you. And about me,” I say.
“But Estaine knows, right?”
I nod. “He does. Um, he caught me in a really big lie, like, the first week of school or something. Do you remember the time that I was avoiding him and he came to our dorm and I made you lie and say I wasn’t here?”
“Yeah,” Teagan says.
“Well... that was me trying to figure out how to lie my way out of what he’d figured out,” I say. “But there was literally no lie I could tell. So, I told him everything. It pretty much pissed off the Secret... um... it pissed off the guys who are protecting me, but they bugged him and pretty much threatened him if he ever told.”
“Wow,” Emma says.
“Ditto,” Teagan says.
“And Brooks knows, too,” I say. “I didn’t tell him. But there was some news leaked about me online and he found it. But don’t try to search for it. It’s blocked from East and West Raven now, so you wouldn’t be able to find it anyway.”
“Wait... so, you’re not secretly a love child of the president or anything like that, right?” Emma asks.
I laugh. “No. There are no White House scandals involving me.”
At least, I think.
“Okay, okay,” Emma says.
“But you are an important person, right?” Teagan asks. “Why else would you be here?”
“And that is where I stop you,” I say. “Because I can’t tell you anything else.”
“Fine,” she says. “But tonight, we are going to a party at the docks.”
“What? No,” I say. “I can’t. People are all going to be asking questions. Or worse, staring.”
“Estaine is going to come, though,” Teagan says. “I made sure he knew you had a bad day, so he is going to risk getting caught so he can spend time with you.”
I do want to see Estaine. I haven’t gotten to talk to him since yesterday, minus a few text exchanges.
“Fine,” I say. “I’ll go. But you guys have to protect me.”
“With our lives,” Emma says, trying to sound serious, but she and Teagan both start laughing.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got people to protect my life. What I need is somebody to protect me from curious teenagers.”
“Done,” Teagan says.
Friends.
Sander is annoyed when I text him and tell him that we’re going to a party tonight. And I feel really bad for forcing him to go to stuff like this. He’s already graduated. He shouldn’t be forced to hang out with a bunch of high school students more than he has to. I also tell him never mind, but I don’t think Teagan and Emma would let me stay behind, even if they had to drag me, kicking, and screaming.
/>
The three of us are just waiting for curfew so we can sneak out the window when I get a phone call.
It’s Brooks.
I go to the bathroom and hide so I can take the call. I don’t want Teagan and Emma to know that he’s calling. Even though they’re my friends, I wouldn’t put it past them to accidentally tell people that I’m still talking to him. The last thing I need is more boy drama.
“Hello,” I answer.
“I’m surprised you picked up,” Brooks says.
“Why would I not?” I ask.
“Because I did something really stupid that not only humiliated you, but could put your life in danger... again,” he says. “I probably wouldn’t have answered.”
“Brooks, you are my friend,” I say. “And while I may have been mad at you when it first happened, I have forgiven you.”
“Good,” he says. “I feel really bad about what I did.”
I hear a blinker. “Are you in the car?”
“Yeah. I’m talking to you through my Bluetooth.”
“Oh, okay,” I say. “Where are you going?”
“Home,” he answers. “I’m going home for the weekend for some family thing. Wish me luck, because I’m going to need it. Every time I go home, my little sister decides it’s time to torture me.”
I laugh. “That’s what sisters are for.”
“Yeah, uh huh,” he says. “I called, prepared to leave you an epic speech on your voicemail about why you should forgive me.”
“I feel cheated that I didn’t get to hear the speech.”
“It probably wasn’t that good anyway,” he says. “You’re far nicer to me than I deserve.”
“You were the first guy I ever went out on a date with,” I say. “Even though things didn’t work out, I still want us to be friends.”
“That’s why I like you,” he says.
Funny.
Estaine said the same thing.
“Can I see you when I come back?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “Come to another party at East Raven.”
“So you can stare at me from across the fire?”
I laugh. “I did stare. But only because I thought you were really hot. And when you caught me staring, I was completely embarrassed.”
Never Ever (East Raven Academy Book 2) Page 10
