1 froze. Kyle. Of all the people for Ava to frame me with, she had to pick the one boy who was completely off- limits, the one who was Sarah’s ultimate weak spot.
I took a deep breath, my mind racing nervously. Then, I started typing.
Me: Hey, I just saw these messages. Wow.
I waited for a few seconds before continuing.
Me: Sarah, I need you to think about this for a second. When did Ava supposedly see this happen?
Sarah: She said it was during gym class yesterday, when we were doing basketball.
Me: Okay. And what was I doing in gym class?
There was a pause.
Madison: You were… with us? We were all on the same team.
Me: Right. And what was Kyle doing?
Sarah: He was on the boys‘ court. They were playing volleyball.
Me: So, let me get this straight. According to Ava, while I was in the middle of a basketball game with you guys, on the opposite side of the gym, I somehow managed to have a flirty conversation with Kyle, who was playing a different sport entirely? And without you guys knowing? Lol! Did I develop some teleportation powers I didn’t know about?
Seeing this is how she thinks, it feels so ridiculous I fell for this in my past life.
Sarah: …Oh.
Madison: Damn she almost got us. Does she think we wouldn’t notice that? We’re sorry Avery.
Me: I’m not mad at you guys. Sincerely I’d be upset too if I was in your shoes. But I’m really hurt that Ava would make up something so… blatant. It’s like she’s not even trying to be believable anymore. She’s just trying to make me miserable.
Sarah: You’re right. That was stupid of me. I’m sorry, Avery. She’s just… ugh.
Chloe: She’s desperate.
Me: She’s my sister, and I love her, but this is getting out of hand. We need to be careful.
***
I walked into the staff room after school the next day, to see Mrs Rachel grading some papers.
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Chapter 35
“Avery,” she said, looking up over her glasses with a warm smile. “It’s good to see you. I heard about your history presentation. Mr. Henry couldn’t stop talking about it.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Rachel,” I said, feeling genuinely touched. “Actually, I’m here for something different which you must already be aware of. Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Her smile faded a little. “Of course. Close the door.”
I sat down in the chair beside her desk, my hands folded in my lap.
“I’m really sorry,” I began, my voice soft. “And… the incident that led to my suspension.”
Mrs. Rachel nodded slowly, her expression neutral. “Go on.”
“I know you were worried about me. But I shut you out Mrs. Rachel. I never wanted to.” I looked her directly in the eyes, letting her see the sincerity in mine. “I was going through some stuff and I didn’t get want to trouble you about it
Her eyebrows knitted together. “What are you saying, Avery?”
“I just… I just want to say that I’m sorry. I really missed talking to you. You’re the first teacher that had ever shown genuine concern to me.
Mrs. Rachel’s face softened. “Avery, I… I don’t know what to say.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything,” I said quickly, wiping the tear away. “I just…” I took a shaky breath. “And with everything that’s been happening lately… the rumors, the things being said… I just felt like I was losing myself again.”
“What rumors?” She furrowed her brows, picking back her pen.
I gave a weak shrug. “Just silly stuff. You don’t need to worry about it. Just please, pay attention to me like you once did.
Mrs. Rachel was silent for a long moment, studying me. “Thank you for trusting me with this, Avery,” she said. finally. “And I wasn’t paying attention to you in the first place, you’re just too unique that you stand out anywhere you are. Don’t let any silly rumors tear down that awesome fighting spirit in you.”
“I’ll try,” I whispered.
“And if the… gossip… continues, or escalates, you come and see me immediately. Understood?”
“Yes, Mrs. Rachel. Thank you.”
***
The next day at lunch, the atmosphere at our table was back to normal, even better than before.
“I still can’t believe she tried that,” Sarah said, shaking her head as she unwrapped her sandwich. “It was so dumb.”
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Chapter 35
“She’s panicking,” Madison said wisely. “Your presentation totally called her out, and she doesn’t know what to do.”
I saw Ava sitting at a table with a few of her remaining followers. She was laughing, but it was too loud, and seemed too forced as she kept glancing over at us. I could see the frustration simmering beneath her surface.
I decided to give her a little nudge.
“You know,” I said softly, just loud enough for my table to hear, “I actually feel kind of bad for her.”
Sarah and Madison stared at me. “Why? After what she just tried to pull?”
“It’s just… she must be so lonely,” I said, putting on a sad face. Don’t judge me, I need to put more action on the sisterly concern acting. “She’s so used to being among us, being the one everyone listens to. Seeing us all getting along without her… it must be really hard. I think she’s just acting out because she’s hurt.”
“I guess,” Sarah said, not sounding convinced, but thinking about it.
As we were leaving the cafeteria, I “accidentally” dropped my notebook right near Ava’s table. As I bent down to pick it up, I looked right at her.
“You know, Ava,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, but loud enough for her friends to hear. “There’s always room for you at our table if you stop trying to destroy your life. No hard feelings.”
Her face went from carefully composed to a pure, unadulterated fury in half a second. Her friends stared at her, then at me, their eyes wide.
“I’m not trying to destroy my life!” she hissed, her voice trembling.
“Okay,” I said with a gentle, pitying smile. “If you say so.” I stood up and walked away,
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
