Miss Perfect and The Bad Boy

nine - rumors

I was dreading going back to school after Thanksgiving Break. I knew people were going to be spreading so many rumors about Connor and me. I used to care what everyone thought, but lately, they all were starting to seem more like stuck up bitches. Now, I was just annoyed of them. Maybe my parents were right. Maybe this was Alex's influence, but honestly, it was a good one.

"Staying in bed isn't going to make today not happen. You're just going to be late," Alex reasoned. He was getting dressed and I was still laying in bed with my head under the pillows.

I lifted my head and sat up to watch Alex. Over the break, it had been weird. He left in the evening almost every day this week and didn't come back home until early the next morning, but he'd fall asleep until late at night and then repeat it all over again. I couldn't really ask questions, because I never got the chance.

"Maybe I can just stay in bed all day and say I'm sick," I considered, deciding I'd ask him about his nightly rendezvous after we get through today.

"Then people are going to be wondering why you aren't at school and tomorrow when you do come to school, it's going to be worse." He sat down on the bed beside me and placed a hand over my arm. "You just have to get through one day, and then everyone will stop talking about it."

I groaned, realizing he was right. "Now I have only 30 minutes to look amazing to show that whore what he lost."

"Don't worry," Alex said, picking up his backpack and walking over to my window. "You always look good."

♡

"It's not that bad," Kelani said, leaning against my locker between third and fourth period.

I glared at her. I knew she was trying to make me feel better but this wasn't helping. "People have been staring at me and whispering behind my back all day. It is that bad."

All of our "friends" had sided with Connor, not even bothering to ask my side of the story. I didn't know what I could tell them, though. Luckily, Kelani didn't ask any questions. I had to tell her soon, before she found out the truth from someone else. I'd have to ask Alex first, though. I didn't want to tell her if he didn't want anyone to know about him staying with me.

She gave me a sad look. "You're doing such a good job of hiding how hurt you are. It makes me sad. I'm coming over tonight and we can binge-watch movies and stuff our faces and cry about how men deserve to be ripped off the face of the planet."

I thought back to Alex on the night Connor and I broke up. The best kiss of my life. I had never felt anything like that with Connor, but it couldn't ever happen again.

"I really am not sad." I shrugged. "I just realized I could do so much better than him," I lied.

Kelani raised her eyebrows. "What's really happening?"

I gave her a puzzled stare. "I don't know what you mean. I realized I didn't want him anymore."

"Nicole, I've been your best friend for 4 years for a reason," she lowered her voice. "Is there another guy?"

I was slightly scared by how much she knew me. "No, of course there isn't. Come on, we have to get to class."

Just as I closed my locker, Kenzie walked by with two of her minions with her. Ana, who I thought had been not so bad, stood behind her with her arms crossed. I couldn't believe I covered for her with her parents four times when she wanted to sneak out to hook up with her boyfriend. Traitor. They stopped at my locker.

"Hey, Nicole," she said, stopping right in front of me.

I glared at her and then at the girls following her. Everyone's heads were turned towards us. I noticed two freshman basketball players pull out their phones as if they were anticipating a fight. "What do you want?"

"We just wanted to come and see how you were doing. You know, since Connor decided to fuck me instead of you."

I rolled my eyes, pushing past her. "I'm doing great, thank you."

"Must be hard, the rumors aren't so kind."

I stopped and turned around. "What are you talking about?"

She gave me a wicked smile. "Words going around that your a little cock-tease slut who slept with another guy but wouldn't sleep with her own boyfriend."

Before I could say anything, Kelani spoke up in my defense. "Everyone here knows that's a lie. He cheated on her."

She lets out a bitter laugh. "That's not what everyone's saying. They think that Nicole over here, has been hooking up with that druggie Sanchez boy, and Connor came to me for comfort."

"What the hell?" Kelani exclaimed, turning around to face me. "Alejandro Sanchez?"

I looked at them back and forth.

Then I pushed all of the people behind me out of the way and hurried away.

♡

15 minutes later, I was sitting against a wall at the back of the school by myself wondering what to do. Everyone thinks something is going on with me and Alex and that's not exactly a lie. It's not the truth either. I would never stoop low enough to cheat on someone.

The back door opened. Alex walked out of school and to where I was sitting. "Can I sit down?"

I nodded. "This is all a mess."

He put his hands on his knees. "I know."

"They all suspect something happened with us."

"Something did happen."

"Something that can't ever happen again."

He paused. "Would it be so bad if it did?"

I stared at him. "Yeah, we agreed on this. My parents would kill us both and we'd ruin our frien-"

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard this before, remember?"

I sighed. "What am I going to do?"

"Ignore them. Tell Kelani what really happened, though. She deserves to know," he shrugged.

"I'll tell her but you want me to ignore them? It's not that easy."

"Yes, it is. This is high school. People will talk until the next big scandal happens. Remember when that Mr. Knorr slept with Ava Fowler right after she graduated? Everyone thought that was the most scandalous thing to happen in Greenwood until 2 weeks later when Melanie Garcia flashed the football players in the locker room. In 6 months, your going to the best school in the country. And then none of this-" He waved a hand around in the air, "will matter. It's never going to matter again."

His words made me feel a little better. "I wish I had your reasoning skills sometimes."