Authors: Layla James
My head hits the desk and I muffle a cry into it. “Oh my God.
I’m ready for Justin Bieber to run our and yell you’ve been
Punk’d!”
“Well, you did kiss me, sweetheart.
Take it from experience, rumors start from one ounce of truth.
”
Jennifer gasps. “What? Katy?
You kissed him?
” She is smiling and I want to knock it off her face.
This is not a laughing matter.
“I was just trying to make Hayden jealous. He kept staring at us and rubbing on Holly. It made me sick. What was I supposed to do?”
“Leave? Why were you there anyways? Why didn’t you invite me?”
Jen places her hands on her hips. She told me it makes her look more serious.
“I wasn’t going, Je
n. I was trying to get Liam to come and do his project with me. That’s what’s we are doing now.”
“Sure,” she mumbles. “If that’s t
he story you’re going with.” Je
n jumps when her phone alarm goes off, “Shoot, my ten minutes is up. I’m outie. I have to get back; I told my mom that I was walking the dog. She will come looking for me if I don’t hurry. You know how she is, study, study. You’re Asian, you have to do well.
Show the American’s we’re smart. We will rule. You know the norm.
”
“Where is your dog?”
“I put him in a kennel behind a bush in front of my window, smart right?”
“Doesn’t your dog bark at everything?”
“Shit,” she says. “See you later.” Jennifer slams the door and I hear her small footsteps running down the stairs.
“Well, well. What do you want to do, Katy? Your boy toy is bored.” He smiles and flutters his eyelashes.
I sigh. “Let’s just do this stupid project,” I mumble.
Fifteen minutes later after beating the answers out of Liam, my mom knocks on the door. “Brought you guys some sandwiches, and chips.” Mom sets the food down on my chest of drawers. “What was Jennifer freaking out about?” she asks.
Liam looks over at me and chews on the end of his pen and smiles.
“Some guy asked her out,” I lie.
She smiles. “That’s great. Maybe you two could double date?”
“Mom!” I yell. “We aren’t dating! He is my partner, please stop.” I shake my head and get up to grab our food. “Thanks Mom, we’re going to finish up soon. Goodbye,” I say, pushing her out, and then shutting the door.
Liam is biting on his lip when I turn around. I place his food in front of him. “Eat,” I say.
“Hmm,” he says his voice low. “I could get used to this, serving me food like my ol’ lady.”
“Shut up, Liam. Just eat. Don’t make this any weirder than it already is,” I say, taking a big bite out of my sandwich.
We eat in silence for a few minutes.
It’s awkward.
“You got enough information?” Liam asks.
I nod and open my bag of chips. “Yeah, you?”
“Yep. So, your dad is moving out, huh?”
My face heats.
This still doesn’t seem real. He is going to be gone, forever, leaving me here with Mom, like I was nothing
. “Yeah, he cheated on my m
omma.” I don’t know why I say this, but I just feel I should.
I know what Dad did was wrong, but people make mistakes, right?
“Well, your mom seems great. He is stupid,” he says and smiles. It seems like a real smile.
“Yeah, she is.” I sigh. “What are we going to do, Liam? Everyone thinks I slept with you? This can’t happen.”
He rolls his eyes. “It will be over quick. You know how the rumor mill goes at school. By the time Monday hits, everyone would have forgotten about it.”
Maybe
. But not before everyone makes a judgment about me. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Well, Katy,” he says, standing up. “I guess I’ll see ya Monday. Have fun pulling weeds,” he smiles, hand on the door. “Do you want a goodbye kiss for ol’ times sake?”
“
I’d rather gag,” I say,
“That can be arranged.”
“
Bye, Liam.”
“Moving?
Like moving
towns, states or what?” I ask
,
my mouth open gaping at my dad. His salt and pepper hair is messy, his eyes look tired and his mouth is in a hard straight line. “Moving where? What the hell, Dad?”
“Language, Katy. I don’t want you giving your mom a hard time once I’m gone.”
Yeah, like you care.
“I’m moving to Florida. You can come and stay the summers with me. It will be fun. Like having two homes.”
Two homes?
“Yeah, two broken ones. What the hell is the matter with you two? One thing happens and both of you are acting like you aren’t married?
It’s like it’s not a big deal that you’re moving. Oh bye wife and daughter. I’m going to start my life over. What the hell!
”
Mom averts her eyes toward mine, tears whelming in them. “Your dad and I haven’t felt the same about each other in a long time, Katy. It has nothing to do with you, it’s us. We’ve grown apart--,”
“Shut up!” I yell, my fist hitting the table. “This is stupid. I don’t’ want to hear anymore of it. I want to go to sleep. Farewell, Dad. Have a nice life in Florida. Find you a nice beach bunny to screw this time!”
“Katy!” Dad yells, but I run upstairs and lock my door. I don’t get up when I hear my mom’s light taps against my door; I lay there until I fall asleep. My mind is racing and everything’s seems to have gone to hell quick.
I just hope school is better.
Chapter Three
“That’s her,” I hear a whisper from behind me. I turn and look at two girls a few lockers down. Their heads are close together, whispering to one another. They look like geeky freshman and I want to remind them that I’m a senior, but with the rumor mill churning, that doesn’t matter much. They both look the other way and pretend to look in their lockers.
This is how it’s been all morning. I’ve past so many people that stop and stare, giggle or make rude comments.
I feel like a witch in Salem. Everyone is preparing my execution.
What the hell.
“Good news or bad news?” Jennifer, asks, her eyes wide.
I look over at her and frown. Not only because the sweater vest she has on is hideous but I’m not sure if I want any more news for a while.
“Okay, good news is that Hayden knows the rumors. Bad news, there are rumors,” she says, rubbing my shoulder.
I slam my head against the locker door and close my eyes. “Why is
t
his happening? It was just a freaking kiss,” I say.
“I thought it was more than a kiss, sweetheart,” Liam says, leaning against the locker beside me. “It was pretty magical, with you just trying to make your ex jealous and all. You’re a natural romantic, Katy.”
“Shut up,” I whisper and glare at him. “You’re the reason this is happening in the first place. If y
ou would have just come to the l
ibrary like I asked, this wouldn’t have happened.
We could just be having a normal day at school, but no, I’m the new class whore.
”
Liam leans in closer to me, his breath so close to mine. “I didn’t kiss you, sweetheart. You kissed me.” His lips are just as soft looking as they felt. He shrugs. “And plus, who says it
wouldn’t have happened at the l
ibrary. I hear lots of people get in on in there. T
here are so many rows of books. Shady places, hiding spots, soft bean bags.”
I open my mouth but I hear, “Katy,” I pull away from Liam. Hayden is standing in front of me, his eyes examining the situation between Liam and me. He clears his throat. “Can I talk to you really quick?”
I bite my lip and nod my head. “Yeah…um…sure.”
Liam laughs a small laugh and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “See ya later, sweetheart.” I pull away from him and avoid his grey eyes that are beaming at me.
I follow in step with Hayden and he steps into the back hallway no one uses anymore. Once the school built the new classrooms that are technologically advanced, they pushed the old ones to the side for storage. My heart thuds an extra beat. We used to come back here to make out and skip class. Now I’m sure he does that with Holly.
We stop by an empty classroom and he glares down at me. His green eyes look dark and stormy. “What the hell is going on, Katy? What is up with you and that…Liam guy,” he says, disgusted.
I shrug my shoulders and play with the end of my hair. “What’s it to you,” I whisper.
He laughs. “Absolutely nothing, Katy. But people are talkin
g. They’re saying you’re nasty.
Do you know what that looks like for me? That I dated someone like that for the last year?”
My mouth drops open. He isn’t asking because he is jealous or concerned. He is worried about himself!
I want to hit him in his handsomely perfect face, maybe break his slender nose.
“We both know you’re nothing like that, so stop seeing him, doing him or whatever it is
you’re
doing with him. It’s giving you and me a bad name.” He crosses his arms over his chest and narrows his eyes.
My mind is spinning.
He did not just say that.
I clench my fist
.
“Shut the hell up,” I blurt out. His eyes widen and he steps back. “It’s none of your damn business, screw off.”
I walk away and stomp my feet. My body is shaking and I can’t seem to make it stop.
I’ve never been this mad. Well, except when Jen told the entire fifth grade class I laughed so hard I peed in my pants. But, this was almost worse.
The warning bell rings.
I run to class.
I swing open the door, my mind is racing, my face hot. T
he entire class glances up at me.
Just like in the movies, every single person is
staring.
Heat runs toward my face. Liam is sitting in our lab station and his eyes are steady on mine
. This is your fault!
I bite my tongue to keep from screaming at him.
The whispers start when I sit down in my seat. “You okay,” he
leans in and
whispers.
I shake my head. “No, I want to go home.”
He opens his mouth like he wants to say something but closes it quickly.
“Okay, class,” Mr. Fringe says. “Let’s get this started. Brett and Kathy, first.” I bite my nail as I hear them whispering to one another.
“Pass,” they say.
Mr. Fringe narrows his eyes. “Donovan and Melissa,” he says.
They pretend to pick at the fringe on their notebooks.
He huffs. He always does when he gets mad.
“Guys, seriously?” Mr. Fringe sighs and shakes his head. “You have until tomorrow, no longer. That’s it. Or you all are getting zeros. Do you work? Jeez.”
I sigh. I have my paper but another day for the rumor mill to die down would be great.
Maybe everyone will forget by tomorrow?
Liam rests his hand on mine, but I pull away. I don’t need anything to affirm the rumor was true.
Liam stares at me for a few minutes until he finally glances down at his notebook. He doesn’t write anything, but I’m not surprised.
Mr. Fringe goes on about his lesson about sex and I zone out
. Sex is the last thing on my mind right now, contrary to what everyone is thinking.
When the bell rings after class, I grab my things quickly.
“You want to talk, are you okay?” Liam asks. I don’t answer. “Come on, Katy, are you alright?” He grabs my elbow and stops me. I look up at him and he is not blinking. “Look, I know there have been a few people talking b
ut I’m sorry. It will die down. This is high school, no one has anything better to do than talk.”
I shake my head. “I really hope so, Liam.”
I don’t give him a chance to say anything, I run outside.
I don’t want to be stared at anymore. I want to lie down and wallow in my self-pity.
I get into my car and drive
straight
home. The house is quit when I get there. Mom is at work and Dad is gone.
Just gone. Forever. He is probably scheduling out a date for every night his first week. Probably watching beach bunnies with binoculars from his new beach side house.
I fight the tears thinking about Dad leaving.
Get a grip, Katy.