enough hugs, you can always hug yourself, " he said mockingly, crossing his arms in an X over his

chest with a sad little frown. Then he laughed and strode away with his signature swagger.

I stood there for a moment in shock, unable to move or think or breathe. Noelle was the only

person who knew I had been the one to be questioned by Hauer that night. Why would she do

this? Why

49

would she start such a vicious rumor? Hadn't I been through enough already?

Unless she was trying to send me a message. Trying to tell me how very over we actually were.

This wasn't something you did to a person you planned to eventually forgive. This was something

you did to a person you hated to her very core.

My eyes filled with hot tears. Noelle hated me. She really and truly hated me.

A few girls from Pemberly walked by and saw me standing there, looking like I'd just been told I

had three days to live. They all clutched each other and moved quickly away, like they thought I

might suddenly attack. On their retreat they nearly ran over Josh Hollis and Ivy Slade. My

boyfriend and my stalker. My boyfriend and the murderer.

My whole body went numb at the sight of Josh. His dark blond curls danced in the wind, and his

blue eyes looked pained as he passed by me, like he wanted to talk. Almost like he was desperate

to talk to me. But then Ivy tightened her grip on his arm and he turned away, ducking through the

door to Hull Hall.

That was it. It was all I could take. I shoved my notebook into my bag and took off for class alone.

50

INSIGNIFICANT

I survived that first day back by focusing on my teachers when I was in class and keeping my head

down and my earbuds in when I wasn't. At lunch I grabbed a sandwich and ate it by myself outside

in the frigid air. Dinner I skipped entirely. Basically I played right into my new role--that of campus

outcast extraordinaire.But after another sleepless night, I realized I couldn't live like this. First, I

loved breakfast. Pretty much lived for it, actually. And second, I didn't want to prove everyone

right. I couldn't slink around campus and let them think I was guilty. I hated proving people right.

From that morning on I was going to hold my head high. People could say what they wanted. I

t

Tags: Kate Brian Private
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