Chapter 34 #2
“No, not even close, let me keep going. When Amy read your journal, that’s when she learned about you and me having sex, too.
Amy also saw Griffin egg your house that night, and she blackmailed him to carve the graffiti in the boys’ locker room and start the rumor around school about you being a slut.
She was so jealous of us that she just wanted to keep hurting you.
She threatened Griffin that if he didn’t do it, she would turn him in to the police, which would ruin his chances at a soccer scholarship.
I have been so broken from losing you and wishing I could stop the rumors.
None of this was fair to you. The way people treated you has been horrible, and watching the way that it has destroyed you has destroyed me, too.
I’m sorry that I broke my promise to you.
I’ll never abandon you again. Please. I’m still here.
I’m not like your Dad; I just needed some time to figure it all out.
That’s what I came here to say.” And then he handed me the envelope.
I turned the blank envelope over in my hands and then looked up at him, confused, but he put his hands on it to stop me from opening it.
“Open it later, okay? After I leave,” he said, and I nodded, then set the envelope on the nightstand beside the marble box.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked, fighting back tears from the news of my sister’s betrayal.
“Of course,” he said eagerly.
“Why did you wear your hoodie to school the day after you broke up with me?” I said with deep hurt in my eyes. He looked down, then back at me.
“Because it still smelled like you,” he said, and I sucked in a breath, which caused me to wince at the pain in my ribs from the fall.
“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching to comfort me.
” I held my hand up to stop him, and he withdrew his hand.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you; it didn’t really cross my mind that it would upset you so much,” he said, and my eyes got big at his lack of consideration.
“Why did you give mine back so quickly?” I followed up, feeling like I was going to cry at any moment.
“Because I couldn’t bear the thought of looking at something that belonged to you. It was just too painful,” he said, with a hurt in his eyes that I had never seen before. I nodded, but still didn’t understand.
“All you had to do was stay.”
“I know. I’ll never forgive myself for letting you go.”.
“Thanks for coming,” I said, then I glanced over at the door to signal that it was time for him to go. He reached a hand out and ran it gently down the bedspread on top of my leg in a friendly gesture, but I didn’t react.
“Bye, Allie,” he said as he got to his feet. That was an improvement over the last time he said goodbye. I thought I saw tears in his eyes as he turned to walk away.
“Bye,” I replied quietly.
Once I heard the rumble of his truck fade away, I reached over to the nightstand for the envelope and carefully opened it.
As I pulled out the piece of paper and unfolded it, I suddenly realized what Chris had done.
It was a police report. He had turned his best friend, Griffin, in to the police for egging our house.
That meant that Chris had crushed his best friend’s chances at a soccer scholarship.
That also meant that it would no longer be my fault.
Chris had taken the fall for me. Then I realized that there was something else in the envelope.
It was a note. I pulled it out and set the police report and envelope on the bed.
You once told me that it was always the right thing to do the right thing.
I love you, Allie.
Love, Chris
Why wasn’t he willing to fight for me when I needed him the most? Why was Amy such a terrible person? She was a path of destruction.
“Mom!” I screamed. Her heavy footsteps fell on the hall and my door flung open.
“Yes, dear! Are you already? I heard you yelling.”
“No. I need to talk to you. All of this was Amy,” I said, rage overwhelming me.
“What?”
“EVERYTHING! ALL OF IT!” I yelled.
“Sweetie, you’re not making sense, slow down.”
Then I repeated everything to her that Chris had told me. At the end, my Mom was silent. She just shook her head, and, for the first time, she spoke the words that I had longed to hear her say.
“I am so disappointed in Amy. I can’t believe she did all of this, let alone to her own sister. I’m so sorry, sweetie. I’m appalled. I will deal with this. I promise.” Then she kissed me on the back of the hand, got up and left the room.
“AMY!” I heard her yell as she pounded on her door. “Open your door this instant! You know I don’t allow locked doors in this house. You’ve got about five seconds before I remove your door for good.” Then I heard the lock pop and everything went silent as the door shut once more.
It must have been half an hour before I heard Amy’s door open and my Mom’s footsteps pass my room, but she didn’t stop.
She carried on down the stairs. I was so eager to know what she said.
If I had to guess, Amy was crumpled into a tiny ball on her bed feeling like a disappointment for the first time in her life. Good.