Chapter 20
“Principal Edwards,” I say, my heart racing. Just being near him is making me nervous now that I know the truth about him. “What are you doing here?”
He stares out at the ocean. “Sometimes after a long day I like to come out here and think. How about you?”
“I just wanted to get out of the house. A friend’s picking me up. I’m waiting for her.”
He glances down at the sack on my lap. “Do you always bring cupcakes and roses to the beach?”
“It’s a gift,” I blurt out. “For my friend. The one picking me up.”
“Is this friend someone from school?”
“No. She’s done with school,” I lie, not wanting to tell him she’s from Legion.
“And how long have you been seeing her?”
“Seeing her?” I ask, confused by his question. That’s an odd way to phrase it. “I guess a couple weeks.”
He nods. “Funny, I didn’t know that about you. I usually pick up on that right away.”
“Pick up on what?”
“There’s no need to hide it. I have no issues with girls liking other girls.”
“Wait, no, that’s not what I—”
“Is this your meeting spot? So your uncle doesn’t find out? You really should tell him. I doubt he’d be upset about it.”
Just as I’m about to explain I’m not dating Shayla, Principal Edwards stands up and slowly smiles. “Mr. Novak.”
Novak?
I quickly stand up and see Jackson coming up the hill, the folded-up tent under his arm.
“Mr. Edwards,” Jackson says, glancing at me, then back at Principal Edwards. I can see the panic in his eyes, but it quickly fades as he goes into actor mode, playing it cool, even though he has no idea what’s going on.
“I didn’t expect to see so many of my students here today,” Principal Edwards says. “Or former students in your case,” he says to Jackson. “I would’ve thought you’d be at football practice this time of day.”
“I wasn’t feeling well,” Jackson says, stopping when he reaches us. “I thought some fresh air might make me feel better.”
“And yet you brought a tent.”
“To keep the sun off me. I left it open to let the air in.”
Principal Edwards smiles. “Perhaps you could share your tent with Ms. Halliway.”
Jackson looks at me, the panic back in his eyes. Does he think I told Principal Edwards about us? I need to say something.
“For me and my friend,” I blurt out. “My friend is meeting me here,” I say to Jackson.
Principal Edwards motions to the sack in my hand. “She already has the flowers and dessert. All she needs is a private place to enjoy them.”
“I don’t need the tent,” I say with a laugh. “We’re probably not even going to stay. She’s just picking me up.”
“Have you met Ms. Halliway?” Principal Edwards asks Jackson.
Jackson’s staring at me, seeming confused by what I said. I didn’t know what else to do. Pretending I’m dating Shayla is better than having Principal Edwards think I’m dating Jackson.
“Hi,” I say, reaching out and shaking Jackson’s hand. “We haven’t met but I’ve seen you around. I live down the street from you. In the Halliway house.”
He nods. “I know the Halliways.”
“Mr. Novak used to attend Twisted Pine,” Principal Edwards says to me. “Until he decided he’d rather attend a different school. Call me biased, but I think he made the wrong choice. Wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Halliway?”
“Um, yeah. Twisted Pine is a great school.”
Principal Edwards puts his arm around me. “I’m glad to see you’re finally appreciating all that Twisted Pine has to offer.” He smiles at Jackson. “It took a while to convince her.”
Jackson’s jaw is tight, his eyes focused on Principal Edward’s arm, which is wrapped around my shoulder.
“Ow!” I yell, yanking away from Principal Edwards. “I think a bee just stung my arm.”
“Let me see.” Jackson steps between Principal Edwards and me, pretending to look at my arm. “I think it was just a bug. Does it itch?”
“A little, but it’s getting better.”
“I have a first aid kit in my car,” Principal Edwards says. “Come with me, Ms. Halliway.”
“No,” I rush to say. Even if I was really hurt, I wouldn’t go to his car, knowing what I know about him. “It’s better. I’m fine.”
“You said you’re waiting for a ride?” Jackson asks me.
“Yeah. She’s stuck in traffic.”
Jackson’s eyes go to Principal Edwards, who’s now looking down, checking his phone. I can tell Jackson doesn’t want to leave me alone with him, but it’ll look strange if he sits here with us.
“I’ll see where she is,” I say, getting out my phone. I text Shayla.
How much longer?
“Rumor,” Jackson says.
When I look up, I see Shayla’s car pulling into the parking lot.
Principal Edwards looks up from his phone and says to Jackson, “How did you know her name?”
“The neighbor,” Jackson blurts out. “I was out for a run and saw a girl going into the Halliway house. Their neighbor was out in his driveway, so I went over and asked who she was. He told me her name, which I thought was Rumor, but maybe I was wrong.”
“It’s Rumor,” I say. “It’s different, so kind of hard to forget.”
“Is that your friend?” Jackson asks, nodding toward the car pulling up.
“Yeah, that’s her.” I head to the car. “Bye!”
Mr. Edwards watches me get in the car. When I’m in, I shut the door and reach over the seat to hug Shayla.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“Just go with it. Pretend we’re a couple.”
“A couple? What are you talking about?”
“Shayla, please. Just hug me back.” She does, then says, “Hey, isn’t that your principal?”
“Yeah.” I pull away. “Okay, go. Hurry up.”
She drives away, and when I look back, I see Principal Edwards is still watching us. Were we not convincing enough? Does he think I was lying? He’s the one who assumed I was dating Shayla, but maybe he only did it to see what I’d say.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Shayla asks. “No offense, but I’m not attracted to you. Or any girl.”
“Sorry about that. Principal Edwards showed up and saw I had flowers and cupcakes and assumed it was for my date. I’d already told him I was waiting for you to pick me up, so he assumed you were my date.”
“You brought me flowers and cupcakes?” She laughs. “That’s so sweet.”
“Actually, I am giving them to you. I can’t take them home.” I set the sack by my feet. “So anyway, then Jackson shows up, assuming I’ve already left, and runs into Principal Edwards and me. I went along with the story so he wouldn’t put it together I was with Jackson.”
“Why was your principal even there?”
“He said he goes there to relax.” I take a deep breath and let it out. “I need to calm down after that. Lying really stresses me out.”
“So how was your actual date?”
“Perfect.” I smile just thinking about it. “Jackson was so sweet. He apologized and then we talked and straightened everything out.”
“You just talked?” she asks, raising her brows.
“We might’ve done more than talk.”
She glances at me. “Just be careful, okay? I know how much you like him, but I still don’t trust the guy. And I—” She chews on her lip.
“Shayla, just say it.”
She sighs. “It’s the thing with Andrea. With the cops looking into it again, it makes me thinks maybe he—”
“He didn’t do anything. I’ve asked him about it and I know he’s innocent.”
“You only know what he tells you. You weren’t there that night.”
“Just let it go, okay?” I say with anger in my voice. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
When we get back to the house, I turn to her. “Thank you for doing this. I know you don’t want me dating him, but he makes me really happy. And I need that right now. After everything that’s happened I—”
“I know,” she says with a sad smile. “You don’t have to explain. If you want to do this again, just give me a call.”
I get out of the car.
“Oh, and Rumor?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for the cupcakes and roses. You’re an awesome girlfriend.”
I laugh as she drives away. Guess I have a girlfriend now. That should stop any suspicion that I’m dating Jackson, not that anyone suspects that, but still.
“How was the driving lesson?” Brock asks as I walk through the living room. He’s on the couch reading what looks like a script.
“It was okay,” I say, continuing to my room.
“Wasn’t I supposed to sign something before you started?”
I turn and walk back to him. “They thought you already had. When I was leaving, they noticed you hadn’t signed the form. Can you sign it now?”
“Of course. When is your next lesson?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll be right back.” I race to my room and find the form I printed out. I bring it back to Brock, handing it to him along with a pen. He scribbles his signature, then hands it back to me.
“Got a new script?” I say, pointing to it.
“Yes, but the writing is horrible. And it’s for a television show.”
“Is that bad?”
“Someone with my fame and years of experience should be in movies, not low budget television shows.”
“You got famous from a TV show,” I point out.
“Yes, but that was a different time. Back when people actually watched network programming.”
“I’ll let you get back to work.” I return to my room, then notice Brock signed the form on the wrong line. I go back to the living room. “You signed on the parent line instead of guardian.”
He glances up from his script. “I doubt it’ll matter, but if you want to print another one, do it now and I’ll sign it. I’m so used to signing things for the boys I didn’t even think about it.”
Going back to my room, I print the form again. Brock signs it, then tells me he’s going to his office to call and yell at his agent for giving him such a bad script.
My phone rings with Burt’s name on the screen. I race in my closet to answer it.
“Hey, Burt. Are you home?”
“Yeah. How was your date?”
“Amazing. I loved the tent idea, although I was a little worried we’d get caught.”
“I meant your date with Shayla.” He laughs. “How did you even come up with that?”
“I didn’t. Principal Edwards did. He saw the roses and cupcakes and thought they were for the girl picking me up. He assumed it was a date. Then you showed up and I had to go along with it so he wouldn’t think I was there with you.”
“I doubt he would’ve put that together. He didn’t even think we knew each other.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to risk it. Kristen wouldn’t tell him, would she?”
“No. Steven thinks Kristen and I are still together. It’s what she wants him to think so he’ll leave her alone.”
“But she told people at school you two aren’t dating anymore.”
“She did?”
“She told Braden’s friends at lunch.”
“Steven might’ve told her to say that. Now that we’re in football season, it doesn’t look good to have her dating the top player at the rival team.” He pauses. “Don’t get mad, but she’s here right now.”
“Kristen?”
“She had a big fight with her mom.”
“I thought she was only going to your house to get away from her stepdad, not because she had a fight with her mom.”
“She’s in the guest room. I probably won’t even see her tonight.”
“Tonight? She’s staying the night?”
“Maybe. She doesn’t want to be around when Steven gets home. Her mom and Steven have been fighting a lot, and she needs a quiet place to study.”
I roll my eyes. “You don’t think that’s just an excuse to stay with you?”
“Rumor, I thought we straightened this out on the beach. You said you understood.”
“I understand why she’d need to get away when she’s alone at the house with her stepdad, but going to your house to get away from her parents’ fighting? That’s not enough of a reason. Everyone’s parents fight.”
“It isn’t going to be for much longer. Once all this is over, she won’t be coming over here again.”
I let it go, but I’m still angry about it. I still feel like Kristen’s trying to take Jackson from me.
* * *
The next day, I see Kristen at lunch, but she’s really quiet. Jackson texted me late last night, saying he told her to leave and spend the night at home. He said she left around nine.
I hope nothing bad happened. She’s never this quiet.
The guys don’t even notice. They’re too busy talking about Friday’s game.
It’s stuff I can tell Jackson later, but it’s not going to make Twisted Pine lose the game.
He says what I tell him is helpful, but I don’t know how.
He says it’s stuff he can use when Legion finally plays them.
Guess I don’t know enough about football to know what that means.
Kristen leaves the lunch table early and goes out into the hall. I get up, drop off my tray, and go looking for her. As much as I don’t like her, I’m worried about her, knowing what’s going on at home.
Checking down the hall, I see her heading toward the admin offices. She stops at the principal’s office. The door opens, and I hear Principal Edwards talking. Kristen goes into the office and closes the door.
Sneaking down there, I stand outside the door, pretending to be checking my phone in case someone walks by. All the staff is at lunch, but it’s possible someone could come back early.
Kristen and Principal Edwards either went into his office or are talking really low because I can’t hear anything.
This is stupid. Why am I doing this? I don’t know what I’m expecting to hear.
The door swings open.
“Kristen, wait,” Principal Edwards says. He closes the door, but only halfway. “We’re not done talking about this.”
“Go talk to your wife!” Kristen yells. “I’m sure she’d love to hear what you have to say!”
“Your mother isn’t speaking to me right now. She’s in one of her moods.”
“Really?” Kristen says in a sarcastic tone. “I wonder why. Maybe I should be the one to talk to her.”
“Don’t threaten me, Kristen.”
“Or what?” she snaps.
The room gets silent, then the door swings open. I jump back, but Kristen sees me before I can get away. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for Ms. Adams.”
“Her office is down there.” Kristen points to the end of the hall.
“She’s still at lunch so I thought I’d check with the office to see if my student ID is ready to pick up.” I peek in the office and see the empty reception desk. “Guess nobody’s there. I’ll come back later.”
I hurry off, feeling Kristen’s eyes on me.
Does she think I was listening in? I’m not even sure what I heard.
Something about her mom. Is Kristen going to tell her mom that Principal Edwards is cheating?
But Jackson said her mom wouldn’t believe her.
Is there something else Kristen’s going to tell her?
Something Principal Edwards doesn’t want her to know?
The whole thing is messed up. I wish Jackson weren’t involved in it. He says it’ll be over soon, but I’m not sure I believe him.
After school, I get home and find Braden in my room, lying on my bed, his arms behind his head.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, standing by my bed.
He slowly smiles. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“The real reason you turned me down.”