Chapter Thirty-Six. Clara #2
I slide her a cold gaze. “But I wasn’t recording.”
Nicole blinks. “What?” She looks at Reid. “No, but you said—”
“Did we?” he asks, shoving his other hand in his pocket. “I don’t remember saying that.”
“Not my style,” I say honestly. “You brought this all on yourself.”
A long ooooooooo ripples through the group as Nicole’s mouth opens, then closes. Even Coach Rousseau looks like he wishes he had popcorn.
Reid and I exchange a glance. I wasn’t about to compromise his scholarship with this plan, but I quickly realized that she only needed to think I was going to reveal all of this for her to tell on herself.
Seeing her shock now knowing I bested her is how I imagine Reid felt when he slugged Josh earlier today. The deepest satisfaction.
Principal West looks around, catching eyes with several disgruntled-looking members of the committee. “Ms. Kelly, I’m afraid we’ll have to review this. I’m incredibly disappointed in you willfully taking an opportunity away from another student.”
“No! That’s not fair!” she cries. “I wasn’t trying to sabotage Clara, okay? I honestly thought Josh would take the heat. I still can’t believe he didn’t!”
Neither Josh nor Principal West will look her in the eye at that.
“And the whole thing was Logan’s idea!” Nicole exclaims.
“I think we’re losing sight of things here—” Coach Rousseau tries to interject.
But the group turns to look at Logan, and he shrugs, the picture of nonchalance. “It opened up a spot. Not that it made a difference for me, but I would’ve done anything to get one.”
Reid visibly bristles, and I squeeze his hand harder so he doesn’t do something rash like lunge for Logan.
“Like start a gossip account?” Mitchell asks, shaking his head in disgust.
Logan’s ears turn pink the longer Mitchell looks at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?” Kenji steps forward. “Then why are you logged in to the Legacy Lore account right now?”
Logan’s expression becomes even more baffled when Delaney stage-whispers, “Turn around.”
Anchored only by Reid’s warm hand in mine, I’m not sure I breathe while Logan and the rest of the crowd all turn to see that his phone screen is being cast through the projector onto the giant screen onstage. It’s still open on the Legacy Lore account.
A text comes through from Mitchell that crosses both the phone in Logan’s hand and the giant screen in real time.
Hi Logan!!!!
All of the color drains from his face.
“Logan,” Mayor Harper exclaims from across the room. She slams a palm against her chest and takes a long sip of white wine.
“Well, shit.” Logan smirks like he’s impressed. “You got me.”
There’s a collective gasp from the group at him confirming it. Josh looks murderous, his injuries adding to the effect.
“But c’mon,” Logan says directly to Mitchell. “You have to admit it’s kind of awesome.”
Mitchell scoffs. “You thought I’d enjoy you tearing down my friends? My brother?”
Logan pushes a hand through his sandy hair. “You follow all those celebrity gossip sites, what’s the difference? I thought you’d understand. Both of our brothers are these pillars of Woodhurst. This program fucked Noah over, and it’s obviously doing the same to Reid. To all of you.”
There’s a long, ringing silence.
“But why would you spread rumors about them if you were trying to help?” I ask. “That’s not the way—”
“Oh, please, don’t feed me that sanctimonious crap. You can do it your way, I’ve done it mine.” He shrugs and looks at Principal West. “I was proving the point that no one meets the standards of Legacy. That’s how messed-up the program is.”
“How noble,” Mitchell deadpans. His usually playful air is gone, replaced by a tone so cold it makes Logan blink. “So you still would’ve done this if you had been chosen as a Legacy? You would’ve revealed your own secrets for your ‘cause’?”
The look between them is loaded.
When Logan says nothing, Mitchell nods slowly. “You’re better than this, Logan. At least you used to be.”
Kenji rubs a comforting hand across Mitchell’s back, and for the first time, Logan’s nonchalant bravado slips off his face.
He really thought Mitchell would understand. Maybe even admire him for it. I wonder if deep down that’s even why he did it.
West huffs out an impatient noise, squeezing his eyes shut.
“You all are supposed to be the best. The brightest. The leaders in this town. The scholarships are for you to better yourselves—to be better. Your squabbling and infighting and attempts at discrediting this program is a profound disappointment. How did it come to this?”
“Didn’t you watch Clara’s video?” Kenji responds over a humorless laugh.
Principal West draws up to his full height and looks at me with barely disguised contempt. “I sure did. And, young lady, it was not what we discussed.”
I suppress my eye roll at “young lady” and say, “You asked me to make a video about the Legacy Program, and I did.” My voice is clear and strong, not even a hint of a shake despite the increase of my pulse.
He reddens. “It was supposed to be exciting. Positive. Look what it’s done to all of you. This was—heavily skewed.”
“I thought it was really well-balanced,” Reid says.
“Me too. I loved it,” Delaney says, linking her arm with mine. “It’s like what Reid said, it showed it how it is, not how we all act like it is.”
“That’s all well and good, Ms. Whitlock, but she made our program look—” Principal West adjusts his tie, his gaze darting between Reid and Coach Rousseau. “Well, it wasn’t flattering.”
“To say the least,” Reid’s dad agrees.
“You know what?” Reid scoffs. “You have no idea how flattering it was.” He lifts his chin and appeals to his dad, ignoring West. “Clara could’ve revealed so much more about me; that despite my knee being fucked, I keep training anyway.
That I’m not just failing a few classes, I’m on academic probation.
She probably could’ve shown that I haven’t slept in months.
I have no doubt she has footage to support all that. ”
I swallow. He’s right.
“But she did none of those things. She was protecting me while still telling the truth. It was flattering as hell.”
Both Principal West and Coach are shocked silent, and the people around us are all looking at one another like they can’t wait to talk about this later.
Everyone except my mom and our friends, who are looking at Reid with various shades of concern and worry. Especially Mitchell.
Which is exactly why I didn’t reveal any of those things in such black-and-white terms in the doc. Not the way Logan tried to with his account. Everyone’s story is more complex than that.
West shakes his head quickly. “But competition is healthy. This program keeps the students motivated. So many of you would be adrift without a solid trajectory,” he insists. “It—it—”
“It sucks, Dad,” Josh says.
“Joshua.”
“After everything you’ve heard tonight—you’re either not listening or are in denial.” Josh shoves his hands in his pockets and holds his dad’s eyes, a silent conversation occurring between them before Josh says, “Just look around.”
West does. I’m not sure what he sees, but he grows quiet. Starts to fumble with the keys in his pocket, the tie around his neck again.
“Well. Let’s put this away for now. I have benefactors to face and a committee to update. I think it’s time we call it a night.”
He and Josh walk to the other side of the Lodge speaking in low voices.
Logan tries to slink off, but Nicole and Amaya bound after him, their faces furious.
They’re obviously not going to let him get away that easily, and I’m glad of it.
We may not like one another, but their anger is more than justified.
The focused interest drains from the larger group, and the awkward energy drives the rest of the crowd to gather their things, including Coach Andrews as he pulls on his coat to leave. Reid’s dad follows him out, talking rapidly.
My mom lingers and wraps her arms around me.
“Thanks, Mom,” I say into her shoulder.
“What a night, huh? I’ve wanted to tell Ryan West off since ninth grade.” She giggles.
I relax in her arms, under the awning of her laugh, and let myself absorb the love she pours into me when she can.
“And believe me, your movie was beautiful,” she says. “I know it’s going to be incredible when you finish it.”
I smile and squeeze her harder. Finally having done something she can be proud of.
“I’m sorry for the way this program treated you and ruined your plan,” I say.
Mom’s eyebrows meet, her expression thoughtful.
“I know it’s hard to imagine at your age, but my plan wasn’t perfect.
You’re all well aware by now that Legacy and this town make it seem like there’s only one right way to do things.
” She pauses and looks at me, warmth in her eyes.
“But how could my own way be wrong when it gave me you?”
My whole heart swells.
We both notice that Reid is hovering just out of earshot, hands shoved in his pockets, waiting. She’s never liked that I got involved with him, and I’m afraid of what she’s going to say.
“I love him,” I blurt, cutting her off before she can. Pleading for her to understand. I can’t believe how easy that is to say after reading his card, knowing the words on my skin are his.
Mom’s expression softens with surprise.
“I’m still making my own path,” I reassure her. “But … I want him beside me while I do it.”
If he’ll have me.
She glances over at him again, then turns to me and says seriously, “Sweetie, there is such a narrow window for happiness in this life. If you found yourself some, don’t let it go too easily.”
I nod and clutch my rib cage where my tattoo lives.
No matter what it takes, I will never make that mistake again.