Chapter Twenty. Clara #2
Delaney raises an arched eyebrow. “That’s giving whoever did this”—she waves her phone—“way too much credit. It’s such a dick move.”
“I’m just trying to figure out why Josh would do this.”
Her eyes bug. “You think this is Josh? No, this is way too sophisticated for him.”
“Well, I thought it was you for a minute there,” I admit.
Her expression is full of playful offense. “I could never be anonymous. You know I like to see people’s reactions when I talk shit.”
That pulls a laugh out of me. “You sound like a serial killer. Anyway, Josh seems most likely again. Who else would care so much to post all this stuff?”
“Who cared so much to sabotage you last year, too?” she asks.
Good question.
And one I still haven’t answered considering how preoccupied I’ve been with Reid.
But we have to figure this out. No matter that I’m still upset with him and am not close with the other Legacies—I know what it’s like to have your reputation ruined. For the entire town to look at you sideways. No one should have to go through that.
I have to do whatever I can to help.
Delaney already has her phone open, scrolling to the post about her.
“Reid’s team was there at the party that night I stayed over—so any of them could’ve spread this around.
Look! The one who left this comment—‘Yeah I heard they hooked up in Reid’s dorm’—thanks a lot, asshole,” she mutters under her breath.
“That’s Connor, one of Reid’s teammates. Damn, his account is private.”
“Why would a Stanford runner be following a gossip account about Woodhurst?” I ask.
Delaney narrows her eyes, thinking. “I don’t know, but I’m going to ask him how he found it.”
She grows quiet as she starts tapping on the comments and profiles, then sending DMs to Reid’s teammates.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say quietly.
Her phone lowers. “Yes, I do.”
We share a small smile.
“Okay! What was all the best gossip last year?” She holds up her fingers, rattling rumors off. “There was the one that flew around that Reid was on steroids.”
I frown. “Wasn’t that Josh?”
She squints, trying to remember. “Riiiiight. Okay, then there was the one about Amaya sabotaging her understudy’s audition by telling her the wrong time. That Kenji was addicted to Adderall.”
“When he literally just takes it for his ADHD,” I interject.
Delaney rolls her eyes. “Exactly. Ummmm, that Nicole was the one who gave Logan the bracelet. Oh! And that you and Reid had a sex tape that you were blackmailing him with to get a Legacy spot.”
I have to laugh. “How would that work?”
Delaney laughs, too. “I don’t know, but that one captured the hearts and minds. Debunked, obviously, when your actual sex tape with Josh was released.”
I give her a flat look.
“Too soon?”
I shake my head and laugh a little, feeling more hopeful than I have in months. “What does all this have to do with the posts?”
“I’m trying to figure out what Legacy Lore might reveal next.
Depending on what they post, we might be able to trace it back to who knew what and figure out who’s behind it—like this one about Amaya.
” Delaney raises a conspiratorial eyebrow.
“Not a ton of people know about this, but I bet it’s about her manifesto during Mean Girls rehearsals and the great unfollowing. ”
“The what?”
Delaney sits up straighter. “Oh my god, let me show you.”
She hands me her phone to read through several screenshots of a text thread between the cast of Mean Girls, the show our theater department did for the spring musical.
Amaya Masters: A leading lady is more than a role, it’s a responsibility and today’s rehearsal was some real bullshit. Like what are y’all doing? Do you seriously think the effort you’re putting in is remotely good enough????? WE OPEN IN 2 DAYS.
Showing up late to rehearsals? Missing cues and lines when we all should’ve been off book TWO WEEKS AGO?????
This is UNACCEPTABLE.
Tech week is about drilling down and I’ve seen people laughing, goofing off, acting as if it’s kindergarten recess. You wanna play go to a fucking amusement park.
This is THEATRE.
Once again, we open in 2 DAYS!!! I’m not talking about a zero-mistakes show. We need to transcend!!!! Legacy is on the line. This show is my last chance to lock it in and I will not lose NYU bc of your lazy asses. If any of you fuck it up for me I will end you.
END. YOU.
Alvin Guzman: Wut
Heather Madison: Hear you. Love you.
Lily Kim: I think Regina George has gone to your head Amaya lol
Jax Mills: Yeah this isn’t the move you think it is
Logan Harper: How’d I get on this thread? I’m just running sound …
Logan Harper has left the chat.
Marcus Jones: I have my physics final tomorrow. I don’t need this shit.
Marcus Jones has left the chat.
Alvin Guzman has left the chat.
Jax Mills has left the chat.
Lily Kim has left the chat.
“Heather sent these to me when it was all going down. The entire cast unfollowed her—apparently she was like this the entire run of the show, but she never wanted anyone to know. It’s why none of them came home this weekend and the rest of us performing arts alumni have to help with Romeo and Juliet tonight.
They want literally nothing to do with Amaya and were so mad when she became a Legacy. ”
“Do you think the account could be one of them?” I ask.
Delaney considers it for a moment, then shakes her head. “Eh, I think their issues were Amaya specific. Why go for all of us?”
I read the texts again, pretty shocked at Amaya’s messages. She’s always so kind—almost soft-spoken. I had no idea she was capable of this kind of ire.
Wait.
I gasp. “Do you think Amaya could be making the posts?”
Delaney’s eyes go wide.
“Think about it—she hates me because of what happened with Josh … maybe by extension Reid?” I stand up, feeling the need to pace. “She could be trying to get me back for the assembly video by posting about what happened with you guys? And she’s obviously still mad at Josh.”
The idea picks up steam in my mind, some of the pieces falling into place.
“Releasing this text thread would be embarrassing for her—it’d make her look like a diva.
But it isn’t actually risking too much. Especially knowing a lot of other people were on the thread and could share these screenshots.
It’s not nearly the same as what’s come out about you and Reid.
It’s, like, a juicy-enough tidbit to make it seem like she’s threatened but not bad enough it would risk her scholarship. ”
Delaney exhales in a whoosh. “Damn.”
“Right?”
“I mean, I’d be devastated because I have to destroy whoever is doing this, and I love the girl, but … yeah, this makes sense. We’re going to figure this out.”
I grin. “You think?”
She raises an eyebrow and sounds like a reality show villain when she says, “I know. Because whoever’s doing this is playing checkers, but we’re playing chess.”
We share another smile, and I lunge for my bag. “Please say that again on camera.”
After we finish filming her interview, I head home to switch out my camera battery and get the rest of my gear for the play.
I go over my notes and take stock of who I still need one-on-one interviews with by tomorrow, more determined than ever to figure out who is trying to ruin my friends’ lives and how to stop them before they do.
I have three interviews left, with Amaya now at the top of that list. If she really is behind Legacy Lore, I’ll see it through my lens. But she’ll be onstage tonight. Which leaves Josh … and Reid.
Even though Delaney and I talked it out, I’m not sure I’m ready to face him yet.
Now that I’m calmer, his words from the hot springs echo through my head again in a way that I can’t shake.
I knew the second you found out, I’d lose you for good.
If that’s true, he does still care about me—and rightly predicted that I would back away instead of hear him out. Push him away instead of let him in. It’s not that I can forgive Delaney and not him.
It’s that he’s the only person who manages to make me feel as wildly out of control as I did today. The person I want to be the best for but somehow always manage to show my worst.
Once I’m ready, I’m about to load up my car with my film gear when Mitchell pulls into my driveway. Despite telling them I didn’t want a ride, he and Kenji showed up anyway.
With Reid.