All the Little Lies (English Prep 1)

The bell sounded from inside the school, and soon, people would be pouring out the doors to get to their cars to go home. I pulled Hayley from my body by the tops of her arms and peered down at her.

How can I be angry with her?

She licked her lips, keeping her tears at bay as I slowly leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Let’s just talk about this later, alright?” I whispered as I pushed her away.

She nodded once and let out a shaky breath.

“Piper is taking you home, right? And then bringing you back to my house in a couple of hours?”

She nodded again.

“Okay, stay on the main roads at all times. Surround yourself with lots of traffic. Don’t take any shortcuts.”

“I know, I’ll see you in a few.”

“Alright.”

As Haley began to turn around, I grabbed her by her arm and pulled her small frame back to mine. I planted a long, hard kiss on her mouth, pouring my feelings into her. When she pulled away, I said, “I love you.” And her soft smile instantly made me feel ten times better.

“I love you.”

Then, she walked away and headed for Piper’s car.

Eric came to stand beside me, and I asked, “Was it that bad?”

He let out a sigh. “Yeah. It was bad.”

Chapter Forty-One

Hayley

“Wow.” Piper pulled up to the curb and put her car in park. “So, how much is it?”

I just got done filling her in on my trip with Eric and the fight I had with Christian. Apparently, the whole school saw us arguing in the parking lot. Someone snapped a picture and put it on Twitter within seconds. The joys of high school.

“How much is the trust fund?” I shrugged, gathering my backpack. “I don’t know, but if they’re willing to kidnap an innocent girl, I’d say a lot.”

Silence encased the car. My mind was spinning. I thought back to the last few hours, and before I knew it, I was busting up laughing. My hand found my stomach as I continued to laugh. Piper was looking at me like I was crazy, and that only made me laugh harder.

“What are you laughing about?” Her eyes were huge, her delicate eyebrows shooting up to her hairline.

In between laughs, I managed to get out, “My….life…” More laughing. “Is this seriously… my life?” I shook my head as I wheezed. “I have a fucking drug cartel after me.”

Piper let out a small giggle and asked if I had lost my mind. I had. I had completely lost my mind. But if I didn’t laugh, I was certain I’d cry.

So, we sat there in her car, laughing for a solid ten minutes before I finally regained my breath and looked over at her.

“I can’t believe you’re still my friend.”

Her cheeks rose. “Always. Even with a drug-running cartel after you.”

A sigh left my mouth, and I was feeling a little better after laughing for so long. “Okay, pick me up in a couple of hours? I want to get some homework done before we head to Christian’s.”

She nodded and then said, “Wear something cute.”

My hand paused on the door. “Why?”

She smashed her lips together. “Just do it.”