All the Little Truths (English Prep 3)

Hayley paused. Her lips rubbed together as she looked to Piper for help.

There was a zip of panic that tore down my spine. Wait.

“He sent us in here to help you.”

“What do you mean?”

Piper leaned back onto the sink, crossing her arms over her navy blazer. I couldn’t bring myself to look at my reflection in the mirror behind her. “Well…” She looked uncomfortable. “He saw you kind of…freak out. The entire cafeteria did, actually.”

Oh, no. No. No. No.

“Tell me he didn’t…” My hand flung to my mouth as I tried to calm my breathing.

Hayley’s phone pinged, and she pulled it out of the pocket on her blazer. Piper and I both ran behind her shoulder to read the text. She didn’t even bother hiding it.

Christian: Eric’s in deep shit. Pretty sure the guy is gonna press charges. Eric fucked him up. Is Madeline okay? Eric won’t settle the fuck down until I answer him, and Headmaster Walton is likely to die of a heart attack if he doesn’t.

“Oh my God.” I covered my face with the palms of my hands. “This is bad. This is really bad.”

“Madeline.” Hayley pulled my hands down. “What happened?”

I stared into her emerald eyes. “This is bad, Hayley. This is so bad. What am I going to do?” I shut my eyes, wanting to disappear. “This is exactly why I told him to stay away from me! What if the headmaster tells my dad?!”

“Who was that guy?” Hayley asked again. “What did he do to you?”

I snapped my attention to hers. “He fucking raped me, okay? He raped me.”

Her shoulders dropped, but she kept her hands wrapped around my wrists. Piper gasped.

“I know what you’re thinking.” My voice shook as I tried to keep myself steady. “I deserved it…after I made up that rumor.”

Silent tears rolled down my cheeks and fell onto our joined hands.

“It’s karma,” I said. “I know.”

Hayley and Piper didn’t say anything, and it made me feel even worse. I didn’t necessarily want them to say I was wrong; I actually think I would have felt better if they said I was right. But their silence ate away at me.

The bell rang out above our heads, but none of us moved.

Hayley finally dropped my hands, and I kept my gaze on our joined shoes.

“What do I do?” I asked the question to no one in particular. Was I supposed to go to the office? Should I make sure Eric was okay? That stupid fucking protective boy! Look at what I got him into.

All three of our heads swayed to the intercom speaker just above the bathroom door when it echoed, “Madeline Haynes to Headmaster Walton’s office.”

Oh, shit.

Hayley placed her hands on my shoulders. Her gaze was steely and determined. “Keep your chin up. Don’t you dare show that piece of shit that he made you weak. That’s not you, Madeline.”

Piper shot me a reassuring nod, and she came over to run her fingers down my hair, smoothing out the wild mess that I was sure it was.

I nodded once Hayley’s hands dropped. A shaky breath left my chest, and I turned around.

“Madeline,” Hayley said as I stood with my hand on the door. I glanced over my shoulder, and she and Piper were staring at me. “No one deserves that. We’re here for you, okay?” Piper nodded, and I hoped they could tell how much their words meant to me before I turned around and trudged up to the office.

Here we fucking go.

Chapter Forty-Six