Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

I heard that wrong.

I had to.

Vee can’t be leaving.

“She just told me she and her mom are moving to LA with Ashley. Ash was supposed to stay in Silver Springs for one more year, but apparently, she got some huge opportunity, and they’re leaving early.”

“But… how is Vee going to graduate?”

“Either she’ll enroll into another school, or maybe she’ll do online class, I don’t know. Hell, if I’m honest, I doubt she’ll graduate at all.”

“Why the hell not?” I bark.

“She told her mom about losing her scholarship, and, well… Now that she’s not going to Duke, she’s let her mom convince her that her best option is to become Ashley’s assistant full-time.”

I want to break shit.

Tear every damn book in this library to shreds.

This is everything she didn’t want. Everything she worked so hard to avoid. She told me how much she wanted to have her own life, a shot at discovering who she is away from Ashley’s shadow.

To live for her.

“When are they leaving?” I say through gritted teeth.

“Monday morning.” Dia sets the countdown. “They might travel back and forth to get some affairs in order, but her mom wants to sell the house.”

This is bullshit.

Complete. And. Utter. Bullshit.

This can’t be how our story ends. With Vee boarding a plane toward a life she doesn’t want. There’s no way that I’ll never see her again.

No way.

Dia swings the door open and casts a glance at me over her shoulder. “Congrats, All Star, you saved your reputation…”

Then she twists the knife into my wound.

“But you lost the girl.”

* * *

“Everything okay, honey?”

Every hair on my body stands on end at my mom’s croaky voice. On edge, I twist my head to see her leaning against the bathroom’s doorframe. I haven’t spoken a word to her since I found out about her and Mr. Hall’s stunt to ruin Vee’s life.

Struggling with my tie, I pretend she’s background noise. Hank and Finn are expecting Da

d and me to pull up at their house two hours early to help set up for the party, and we won’t be coming back home, so I have to change now.

“Look at you. So handsome.” My mom compliments my suit.

I ignore her, continuing to wrestle with this fucking tie.

She laughs at my complete lack of skills.

“Let me take care of that for you.” She passes the threshold and takes over for me. I stiffen up at her touch.