Elite - Chapter 18
Monday
All I wanted to do was talk to Felix. But when he chose to play basketball with Cupcake instead of heading outside to run, I knew he wasn’t going to give me a chance to explain.
He was ghosting me. A part of me knew I deserved it, but it still stung.
No, students weren’t staring at me and whispering behind my back today.
But I still felt isolated. I thought running would clear my mind.
But I was no closer to figuring out why Kennedy was mad at me, and I had no plan on how to make Felix stop hating me.
I sighed as I headed toward lunch. I just wanted things to go back to normal.
Normal. I tried to push the thought aside.
I didn’t even know what normal was anymore.
And I certainly didn’t want today to be my new normal.
The only person that had been nice to me all day was Isabella. What twisted reality was I living in?
“Not sitting with Isabella?” Kennedy asked but didn’t look up from her chicken sandwich.
“No, I’m sitting with you. Like always. Where’s Cupcake?”
She shrugged.
I tried to spot Felix and Cupcake in one of the lines for food.
But I didn’t see either of them. I knew Cupcake would sit with us whenever he got here.
And that should draw Felix over too, right?
I just needed five minutes to explain what happened.
He’d listen about the blackmail. He’d understand that I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Except I hurt him.
I swallowed hard. I needed to focus on fixing one relationship at a time. And since Felix wasn’t here…I needed to figure out why Kennedy was giving me the cold shoulder.
“Do you want to come over after school?” I asked.
I hadn’t gotten Kennedy on Mr. Pruitt’s list yet, but I had a feeling Miller would let me sneak her in.
Maybe I could force her to take half the clothes that the stylist had given to me.
Kennedy was taller than me, but we’d swapped clothes before.
Besides, she liked her skirts and dresses shorter than I did.
“I’m still not really feeling that well. I think I’ll just head straight home after school.”
“Could I come over to your place then?” I asked.
She pushed around some applesauce with her spoon and didn’t look up.
“What are you doing, Sissy?” Isabella said from behind me.
Couldn’t she see that my best friend was distressed? Of course she couldn’t. Isabella only cared about herself. “Eating lunch,” I said.
“But you promised to eat with me and my friends, sillykins. I saved a seat for your bffl too this time. Come, ladies.” She turned on her heel and walked over to the Untouchables’ table.
I saw the two seats beside Matt were empty.
I could finally sit right next to him at lunch for the first time since Isabella had started blackmailing him.
Or threatening to kill me. Or whatever the hell she was doing.
I pressed my lips together. But I couldn’t go over there.
Not when Kennedy was mad at me. God, why had I even considered it?
Isabella was a monster. I could hang out with Matt some other time.
Today I was solely focused on making sure Kennedy was alright.
“We don’t have to,” I said, but Kennedy was already grabbing her tray.
“No, I want to,” she said.
“You do? But there isn’t a seat for Cupcake.”
She laughed. “It’s fine, I can’t pass up the opportunity to watch Isabella in her natural habitat.”
At least she’d laughed. “If you’re sure it’s alright?” I said and stood up too.
“Absolutely. Plus, you’ll get to sit with Matt.”
I couldn’t even hide my smile as we walked over to their table. Matt looked up at me as I approached. He rubbed his nose and I’m pretty sure my smile grew. I sat down next to him and I realized I was holding my breath. I quickly exhaled and tried to pretend this wasn’t momentous.
“Hey,” James said. He was the first person to acknowledge my presence and I was grateful. “How was your weekend?”
Awful. Wonderful. “Weird,” I said.
He smiled.
“I heard you got into Harvard. Congrats.”
His smile faltered. “Thanks.”
“Congratulations are in order for me too,” Mason said as he lightly punched James’ shoulder. “He’s not the only one that got his letter.”
“Wow, that’s awesome,” I said.
Mason gave me his signature smile that had the whole female student body kneeling at his feet at parties. It didn’t have the same effect on me. It just made me feel uncomfortable. And reminded me that Mason didn’t know that I was dating his little brother.
“You seem surprised,” Mason said. “What, you don’t think I’m as smart as this guy?” He pointed to James.
“What? No. I…”
“He’s just messing with you,” Rob said. He leaned forward so he could see me from his seat on the other side of Matt. “What’s it like living with Isabella?” he asked.
“It’s so fun,” Isabella said, before I had a chance to say I didn’t really know because she’d been banished to the Hamptons. “Brooky’s the long-lost sister I’ve always wanted.”
Barf.
Rob laughed. “What’s it really like, Sanders?”
Matt shifted in his seat, making his thigh brush against mine and distracting me from Rob’s question.
“Interesting,” I said. It came out as more of a question than anything and Rob laughed.
“You’re hilarious, Sissy,” Isabella said. “I’m always telling her that.”
What the hell kind of game was she playing here? I realized that in all the awkwardness, I’d forgotten to introduce Kennedy. “Oh and guys, this is Kennedy,” I said.
“You’re dating Cupcake, right?” Rob asked.
“Mhm.” Kennedy’s voice had never sounded so small before. I wondered if she truly was sick.
“Speaking of dating,” Isabella said and batted her eyelashes at James. “How’s your girlfriend handling the Harvard news?”
Matt had told me the other night that James’ parents were giving him an ultimatum. His girlfriend or Harvard. It was like Isabella had been waiting for the perfect time to make this jab at him. What was her problem?
James ran his fingers through his hair, looking more distressed than he had after I brought up Harvard in the first place.
I studied his face. Or did he just look…sad? I tried to view him like Matt did. The drinking. The drugs. His behavior was sporadic. But his general mood wasn’t. James Hunter was always sad. It was one of the first things I ever noticed about him.
“You have told her, haven’t you?” Isabella asked when James didn’t respond.
“Isabella, stop it,” Matt said.
“Oh no,” she said. “You have to tell her the truth about this. Secrets are so toxic in relationships. Isn’t that right, Matthew?” she said and turned to him.
I was pretty sure I stopped breathing. No. No, no, no.
“I know you guys were thinking that I’d never let Brooklyn sit with us again after that milk spilled on her the other day. Let alone that I’d extend the invitation to her little friend. But that was before I realized that she actually is one of us. Isn’t that right, Sissy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.
But I was scared I did. She had to be talking about me dating Matt.
What else could it possibly be? Mr. Pruitt said he’d talk to her.
Had he really told her everything? He’d said he’d fix it.
Not make it a million times worse. Damn it, Mr. Pruitt!
This was why Isabella invited me over here.
To torture me again. She’d even let me sit right next to Matt so she could publicly shame both of us.
Isabella frowned. “Of course you do. You’re dating Matthew. And by extension, you’re one of us now.”
Everyone at the table was eerily quiet.
James raised his left eyebrow and stared at Matt like he was trying to figure out why he’d been left out of the loop.
I didn’t know what to say. And clearly Matt didn’t know what to say. Did this mean that we were in the clear? That she was done blackmailing him? Maybe Mr. Pruitt had actually fixed it.
“You ruined the surprise,” Kennedy said, finally breaking the silence. “They were planning on telling everyone later this week.” She kicked me under the table. “Right, Brooklyn?”
I bit the inside of my lip so I wouldn’t yelp. “Yeah.”
Matt seemed to relax next to me.
“It’s about time you asked her out,” Mason said. “He’s been crushing on you since the beginning of the semester.”
I could feel my cheeks turning red.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Mason said to Rob. “Did you know?”
Rob shrugged. “Yeah, I have a class with them. They’re kind of ridiculous. Always making me feel like I’m third-wheeling on our group project.” He winked at me.
“Why didn’t you tell us, Matt?” James asked.
“Dating someone our parents don’t approve of isn’t exactly working out so well for you,” Rob said.
I felt myself sinking in my chair. I knew that’s what Rob thought. That I was from the wrong part of town. That Matt’s parents wouldn’t accept me. Matt had just let Rob assume he was embarrassed of me. It stung.
“That’s not it,” Matt said. “I don’t care what Mom or Dad think. They’ll probably love her.” He looked over at me, the first time really acknowledging me in front of all his friends. “But none of that matters. Because I love her.”
For a second, everyone drifted away. All I saw was him. And he slid his hand into mine, showing our solidarity. It was the first public display of affection we were ever allowed to have at Empire High. And I was smiling so hard it hurt.
“So why didn’t you tell everyone right away then?” Isabella asked. “If it wasn’t the very reasonable idea that you were embarrassed of her upbringing and where she lived and how she, you know…carries herself.” She waved her hand at me like that explained everything.
“Secret relationships are fun,” Kennedy said, trying her best to stand up for me. “The forbidden aspect and all that? They were just having fun sneaking around.”
“We both know that’s not it, sweetie,” Isabella said. “Matt, I think it’s about time you told James the truth, don’t you? Come clean. The truth shall set you free.”