You Were Never Honest (Never 2)

Hang on, why is Ivy standing by my locker, the day is over its chill time.

“Hey Henleigh, I’m sorry I haven’t been around much but I was wondering if you’d want to come shopping with me tomorrow. I’ve got two passes and I could really do with a friend right now.”

She looks so meek. This isn’t the Ivy I know. I can’t refuse her, not when she’s like this.

“Of course, I’m not really feeling the extras I have planned for tomorrow anyway,” I say back and we return to my room to have a catch up on everything she’s missed so far.

Only our catch up doesn’t go the way we like, I guess I’m the girl of the day or something. Roxie is standing outside my door, and biting her nails, she never does that. Is there something in the water? Because no one is acting like themselves, except from Noah and Eli.

“Baby girl I really need to talk to you, without an audience,” she says, narrowing her eyes at Ivy.

“Go in, I’ll only be a few minutes,” I say to Ivy, hating the animosity between the pair.

She nods her head reluctantly but she does go in and Roxie is pulling me down the hall and into her room.

“What is going on?” I ask, I’m really starting to worry now.

“Two things have happened today, it’s not gotten around yet but it will. And I think you need to hear it from a real friend first.” She pats me on the shoulder as she indicates for me to take a seat, she’s never this soft and gentle, it just isn’t her style. She reminds me more of a Tasmanian devil than a cute little kitten or puppy, sure they can nip but they don’t usually cause a lot of lasting damaging.

“Okay, go for it,” I reply, sitting down on her couch and she’s choosing to sit beside me and taking my hand. This is too weird.

“Chelsea was passing these flyers out today when classes finished, I think you might want to take a look,” she says as she passes it to me.

“I don’t understand,” I say quietly, as I take it all in.

Henleigh isn't only the slut of Padstow and a criminal no less but she’s also keeping very big secrets. Feel free to check the website below it will be a huge eye opener. But you must have patience if you want to discover the truth, PastFinder has done all the work now all we have to do is sit back and watch the clock, tick tock.

“Is Chelsea PastFinder?” I’m dubious, but it would make sense, in an incomplete puzzle kind of way.

“No way. I may have had a couple of friends convince her to tell them where she got the information and she admitted that it was posted under her door this morning. She’s just a pawn, a means to an end. The website is loaded on my tablet but that isn’t the second thing I have to tell you,” she says as I grab her tablet and look at the content.

It’s a countdown, ending sometime in the new year. Hang on, that’s the last day of school. Well at least I have a deadline now, I’ll have to tell the guys before the deadline hits zero!

“Hang on, this isn’t the second thing, oh no what else happened?” This worry is eating away at my stomach, leaving nothing more than a gaping hole in its wake.

“This was posted inside my locker and I doubt I’m the only one who got it.” She passes me a piece of paper and her eyes are filled with one part sadness, one part worry and two parts rage and indignation on my behalf.

It’s another newspaper clipping. Oh no! No, no, no. This cannot be possible. How did anyone find this? I’m hyperventilating, I can’t breathe. I’m putting my head between my legs. This is what people tell you to do right?

“Hey, it’s okay calm down. It doesn’t mention your name anywhere, and it doesn’t tell the full story, I only knew it was about you because of what you told me.” She’s trying to make me see the good in this situation, but she’s clutching at

straws and there isn’t any left for me to cling onto as well. “No one else is going to realise it, you’re okay. But baby girl, we need to do damage control, when are you going to tell them?”

“After Christmas, I’m going to tell the guys and then I’ll tell everyone else. Would it be really cowardly if I ask you to come with me?” I ask, and she smiles as she hugs me.

“I’ll be with you the entire time, have no fear my girl I’ve got you.”

It’s fun shopping with Ivy, but there’s this tension in the air. I know she had something she wants to say but she won’t come out with it.

“Okay, enough. What’s wrong Ivy?” I say it effortlessly, like if she chooses not to answer then it will not affect me.

“I’ve been a really crappy friend and I’m sorry for that, I should have been here for you. You’ve got three guys to juggle and I can’t imagine that’s been easy, no judgement I think you guys are perfect for one another.” She smiles, and her face screams sincerity. “Then there’s all that crap with the Shepherds and all the rumours that are going around, you don’t deserve it and I haven’t been here for you. The thing is, I don’t make friends easily, especially with girls. I didn’t want to be friends with you but I am and I don’t want to lose you, you’re my best friend and I’m really scared that I’ve fucked everything up.” Her eyes are glistening, they remind me of a mirror, the way they glimmer in the light.

“What, Ivy no! You’re not going to lose me because of this, I can’t see you doing anything to make me say bye to you. Please, tell me what’s been going on, are you okay?” I ask, why can’t I shake the sense that there is more going on here.

“I was seeing this guy and I kind of lost my head a little, it’s over now and I feel so foolish for neglecting everyone. Plus, my cousin was really ill and my parents pulled me out so I could spend some time with them. Anyway, we split up and I’m through with the whole dating scene right now, I think I’ll just live vicariously through you for a while,” she says as we go into a cafe and get ourselves a luxury hot chocolate.

It’s nice being with Ivy again, she’s funny and she drips sarcasm more than me. There’s still this edge of tension but maybe I’m just imagining it, I almost convinced myself I saw Amias a second ago. I did imagine that, didn’t I?