Chapter 8 #2
“I’m not lying,” Calvin says. “Briggs called me and offered me money to change your grades. He said something about needing to be valedictorian and how he deserved it more than you did.”
No. He wouldn’t do that. Briggs wouldn’t betray me like that. He’s changed. He’s not that guy anymore. He’s the kind, sweet, caring guy I gave my virginity to, the guy who just held me in his arms behind the bleachers in a way that almost felt like he loved me.
He would never do this to me. There’s no way.
“It must’ve been a prank caller,” I say.
Calvin shakes his head. “It wasn’t a prank. It was Briggs, and he wasn’t joking. He wanted this done and was willing to pay for it.”
“And you’re sure it was Briggs? Let me see the number.”
Calvin swipes through his phone and finds the number. He shows it to me, and sure enough, it’s Briggs’ phone number.
I think I’m going to throw up. I can’t believe he’d do this.
Is that why he told me to forget about it?
Was he saying that because he’d already found a way to make himself valedictorian?
I thought he’d finally realized it was wrong of him to try to bully me into doing what he wanted, but the truth was, he’d already done it. I told him no, so he found another way.
“What’d you tell him?” I ask Calvin.
“I said I wouldn’t do it. I told him he’d have to find someone else. He offered me more money, but I don’t need his money. My father’s a billionaire.”
“Has he asked anyone else? Any of your friends?”
“I only asked Oliver, and he said he didn’t get a call, but he might. He’s really good at hacking into systems, even better than me.”
“Will you let me know if he does?”
He nods. “So what are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure. For now, I’ll be keeping all my homework and tests and recording the grades myself to make sure they match what’s online.”
He checks his phone. “It’s almost time for class and I have to stop at the computer lab.”
“Go ahead.”
He leaves, while I remain outside, trying to figure out what to do. I’m not letting Briggs get away with this. I’m not letting him change my grades. But what if he already found someone to do it?
I race back to the building and go straight to the cafeteria. I see Briggs at his usual table and storm over to him.
“I can’t believe you would do this!” I say, ignoring Finn and Parker, who are staring at me, probably shocked that I would dare approach their table. Only a worthy few are allowed over here, and I’m definitely not worthy, at least according to them.
“Not now,” Briggs mutters under his breath. “Not here.”
I lean down to him, lowering my voice. “You lied to me. You said you’d let it go, but it was all a lie!”
He stands up, leaving his tray of food on the table and walking away.
“Get back here!” I yell.
Everyone quiets down and stares at me as I follow Briggs through the cafeteria.
“Briggs, wait!”
People start laughing.
“She’s so pathetic,” I hear a girl say.
“Briggs!” I yell, but he’s already heading out the door.
“Ella,” a man says.
I feel someone holding my arm and look up to see Mr. Lander standing there.
“What’s going on here?” he asks. “Why are you yelling?”
“I was trying to get someone’s attention.”
“There’s no yelling in the cafeteria. And no fighting.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Do you need to go see the school counselor?”
“What? No,” I say, like he’s crazy.
He lets go of my arm. “Quiet down. And no more disruptions. Understood?”
“Yes.” I wait for him to leave, then continue out of the cafeteria as people stare at me and laugh.
I’m beyond furious — I got yelled at by a teacher for being loud in the cafeteria? Where’s Mr. Lander when Finn punches someone just for looking at him the wrong way? Or when Parker shoves people out of the way so he can be first in the cafeteria line?
It’s so unfair. Those assholes get away with everything, and I get yelled at just for raising my voice.
Looking around the hall, I don’t see Briggs anywhere. I go to his locker, but he’s not there either.
I hate him. Why did I ever think I didn’t? Why did I think he’d changed? He’s been playing me this whole time. Using me for sex. Making me think he cared about me.
At my next class, I don’t hear a single thing the teacher says. I’m too consumed with rage and hurt and confusion to pay attention to what’s going on around me.
When I’m at my locker later, I don’t even notice Charlotte standing beside me until I feel her grab my arm.
“Ella. Are you awake?”
I turn to her. “Sorry. How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough for you to notice me. What’s going on? I heard something happened in the cafeteria.”
I give her a quick recap, including what Calvin told me.
She gasps. “I can’t believe he’d do that!”
“I can. He’s A1, always has been. He just tricked me into thinking he was someone else.” I close my locker. “Go ahead and tell me you told me so.”
“Ella, you know I’m not going to do that. Can I do anything to help?”
“Kill Briggs?”
She smiles. “Other than that.”
“No. I just need to watch my grades and make sure he doesn’t do anything.”
“Why does he care so much about being valedictorian?”
“Because he’s an egotistical asshole who can’t stand being in second place. He’ll lie and cheat to make sure he’s first.”
“That doesn’t sound like Briggs, at least not the one you’ve been hanging out with the past few weeks.”
“I obviously misread him. He’s a good actor. I’ll give him that. He got me to believe he’d changed.”
The bell rings.
“Shit, we’re late,” I say, racing off to class.
At the end of the day, I get a text from Briggs. Meet me behind the building.
Why? So he can make up more lies to explain why he did this?
Go to hell, I text back.
What did I do?
Is he seriously trying to play the innocent act? And he thinks I’ll believe it?
You know what you did. But it didn’t work. Now what? Have you found someone else?
What are you talking about?
Stop acting like you don’t know. I’m sick of your lies. I know what you did. I have proof.
Then show me.
I don’t have it. I saw it.
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Stop lying.
I’m not lying!
The bell rings, and I go to my locker, furious that he’s trying to pretend he’s innocent.
Why would he even try to act like he didn’t do it?
It’s what he’s wanted all along, and when I wouldn’t agree to it, he found a different way.
That’s totally something Briggs would do.
He doesn’t stop until he gets what he wants.
He’ll never change. I don’t know why I ever thought he would.