Chapter 26 #2
I was still struggling to form words, and I knew my appearance would tell what my voice could not—I was a wreck.
My cheeks were still stained with tears, and I was sure my eyes were red.
I wasn’t one of those girls who could look pretty when they cried.
I usually looked like I’d been punched by the tissue box I was clutching.
“Veronica’s a stupid troll,” Anna said. “She gets pleasure in life from being horrible to people. What she did back there was just mean. But, don’t worry, we got rid of the posters.” She lifted a handful of the ripped and torn paper sheets to show me.
It was kind of the girls to do that, especially since they’d all just learned I’d been lying to them.
But the damage had already been done. There was no erasing the fact that everyone knew the truth about me now.
I nervously looked at my friends, trying to guess what they thought about it all. “You guys must hate me.”
“No!”
“Not at all.”
“Of course not.”
They all spoke at once and shook their heads.
“We are confused though,” Cress added. “Is what Veronica said true?”
My stomach was tied in knots as I considered how to explain it to them. “I didn’t intend to lie,” I started. “And despite what Veronica assumed, I’m not here on a scholarship. My dad wasn’t around when I was young. I just met him recently, and he’s the one who paid for me to be here.”
“So, the photos …” Lily said. She had a poster in her hand and was looking down at the first photo I’d seen—the one of me in my café uniform.
“Yeah, that’s me.” I took in a deep breath. “That photo is from my mom’s café. She doesn’t have a chain of luxury restaurants or anything like that. It’s just one struggling café by the beach. We never had much money, so I always helped her out by cleaning and waiting tables.”
“So, why didn’t you say anything?” Cress looked both confused and upset.
“I guess when I got here I already felt so out of place. I knew I didn’t belong.
I might have felt better if I was here on a scholarship because at least then I would have known I’d earned my place here.
But being here because of a father I’d only just met and don’t really want anything to do with just didn’t feel right. ”
I blew out a breath before I continued with the messy truth.
“I had a really bad falling-out with my friends back home at the end of last year. They all ditched me after one of them stole my boyfriend, and I’ve had a really hard time getting over that.
When I met you guys and you accepted me so quickly and easily, I didn’t want to do anything to mess that up.
And then when I saw how Veronica treated Lily at Luther’s party on the first night of school, I was scared that was how everyone at this school felt about people less privileged than them. ”
“You thought we’d ditch you?” Cress asked.
I shook my head, shame pinking my cheeks.
“I didn’t know what to think. I’ve been shunned and abandoned by friends for far less, and I really like you guys.
I think I was just scared of how you’d react.
I’m not embarrassed of how I grew up. I’m actually so proud.
My mom is the most amazing person, and I’m so lucky to have her.
I made a mistake keeping all that from you guys, and I’m sorry I wasn’t more honest. I understand if you don’t want to be friends with me anymore … ”
The girls all had a mixture of concern and sadness on their faces.
Cress was the first one to break the silence as she leaned in close and pulled me in for a hug.
“Of course, we still want to be friends with you.” She squeezed me tightly before pulling back.
“I’m just hurt that you’d think I’d ever consider not being friends with you just because of where you’re from. ”
“Yeah, bitch, what were you thinking?” Anna asked, also coming over to give me a hug. “I told you I’d still be friends with you even if you were a social leper. I don’t know how I could have been any clearer.”
I let out a small laugh. These girls didn’t know how much it meant to me to hear that. Especially when my friends back home had all abandoned me.
Lily still hovered in the background, and as I looked at her, she gave me a sad smile.
“If I’d known there were some people here who would treat me like they do, I probably would have lied about my scholarship too,” she murmured.
“Veronica’s not the only one. I don’t blame you for wanting to avoid that.
I really wish you had trusted me though.
I, of all people, would have understood. ”
“I’m sorry, Lily.”
She walked over and took my hands in hers. “I know. And I’m sorry for not standing up for you out in the corridor like you stood up for me. I was caught by surprise. Not that it’s any excuse, but it took me a moment to get my head around things. I get it now.”
“You were right not to stand up for me,” I said. “Veronica wasn’t that far from the truth.”
“Still, you didn’t deserve to be treated that way, no matter what the truth was.”
“Yeah, that was vindictive, even for Veronica,” Anna added. “I hope she wakes up tomorrow with a face full of pimples.”
“Mmm, big throbbing ones with oozing white heads,” Cress agreed.
“The type that can’t be covered with makeup no matter how hard you try.” Anna sounded far too excited by the thought.
My friends were so understanding, and it made me regret not being honest from the start. And now, not only did everyone know the truth, but I’d been painted as a liar to the whole school.
“Do you think everyone here hates me?” I asked.
“No one will hate you for this,” Lily said.
“And I think you’ll find that the people who matter really won’t care,” Cress added. “They just might be surprised you felt the need to keep it from them.”
I swallowed as another rush of guilt shot through me. “I really am sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.” Cress said. “We understand, and we still love you.”
“Do you think Veronica did this because you stood up to her about calling me Charity?” Lily wondered.
“Maybe.”
Anna snorted. “That won’t have helped, but I think this has more to do with the fact you’re going on a date with Noah. She’s trying to sabotage you.”
“You’re going on a date with Noah?” Lily gasped.
“He asked me out on Saturday.” I nodded. “Do you really think Veronica would do that?”
“Ah, yeah,” Anna said.
“That’s definitely the reason,” Cress agreed.
The more important question was whether Noah would care.
I hadn’t had a chance to think about how he’d react to seeing Veronica’s posters.
The night he asked me out, he told me one of the main reasons he was drawn to me was my honesty.
We hadn’t even gone on one date yet, and already that was proving to be false.
“Try not to let what Veronica’s done get to you,” Cress said. “You know you still have us, no matter what.”
“Yeah, don’t let the bitches get you down,” Anna agreed.
I gave them a warm smile and nodded. “Can I give you guys another hug?”
The three of them didn’t hesitate as they rushed in and crushed me between them, and I laughed as they smothered me. Veronica might have been trying to sabotage me, but when it came to my friends, it felt like the truth had actually set me free.