I wasn't afraid. I wasn't afraid of anything.
The football stadium light's lit up the field, bleachers, and two of the parking lots around it. As I approached my school's field, a different sense filled me. I wasn't a fan of the game, but I had come at times to support David. Now I came to support the enemy, or who I had considered the enemy.
Lydia, Jessica, and Jeff at times had sat beside me.
After I got a soda and a football program, I sat alone this time. My two ex best friends were higher on the bleachers and I knew Lydia's mouth had fallen at the sight of me. Jessica refused to look, like always. Jill was on the track in front in her cheerleader outfit. She paused in her stretching to glare at me.
I sat back and drank some soda. Then I saluted her with the thing.
Her nose wrinkled up and she turned her back when Ashley DeCortts approached her. Both girls glanced over their shoulders at me after a moment. I gave them a wide smile this time.
It wasn't long before the teams ran out on the field. The Academy side gave Adam a big cheer when he was introduced in the line-up, but when Mason and Logan were introduced, I swore the ground shook.
I had no idea. It was as if they were gods. I shook at my head at how weird it seemed to me.
When the ball kicked off, I tried to pay attention to Adam, Mason, and Logan's numbers. The one that was most obvious was Jeff's, 33. It blared up at me as he stood right in front of where I sat. He didn't play the whole time, but that was fine by me.
During halftime there were a lot of announcements and drawings for the charity raffles. Ashley and Jill giggled into the microphone at one point for some sell-off. I had no idea what they were talking about. Their cheerleader-esque language kept creeping into the microphone. I grew tired of trying to figure out what 'pep' actually meant to them, but it seemed to go over well with the crowd. There was a big cheer and Jessica's name was announced after.
Lydia screamed the loudest. Jessica stood in surprise, but it was fake. She had a small smirk on her face and I knew whatever had been done was all a scam. She had known the whole time she was going to win. As she passed by me and didn't seem to realize I sat there, I sat up straighter. Whatever she had won must've been important for her to forget the chill-factor any time she was in my vicinity.
I nudged the girl next to me. "What'd she win?"
"A date with Logan Kade. "
I grabbed her arm when she started to turn for her friends. "What?"
Her lip curled up and she gave me a look in disdain. "Like I said, a date with the ever-so-great Logan Kade. Get your hand off me. "
I let go, but scooted closer. "Was that a drawing or something?"
She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "I have no idea. Can I talk to my friends now?"
"Oh yeah. Whatever. "
The girl's bitchiness didn't bother me. She was a sophomore. She had two more years to get stepped on and I knew it'd happen. It always happened.
Then she surprised me when she looked back at me. "Aren't you Samantha Strattan?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Shouldn't you know about your new brother being auctioned off?"
Everything stopped for me. The hairs on my neck stood up. My claws came out. My tongue fell thick, but I gave her the most polite look I would muster in all my years and asked in a voice so professional my mother would've been proud, "What do you mean by that?"
The sophomore narrowed her eyes, but rolled them after. "My twin sister goes to public. Logan Kade said that you were his new sister. Is that, like, not true?"
My heart started to pound and my chest got heavy. I felt a heart attack coming on, but I still asked in that painfully polite voice, "What do you mean?"
She made some sound and I felt snobbery written all over it. Then she tugged down her frayed mini skirt and wrapped her athletic jacket tighter around her. "Whatever. He probably made it all up. "
"Yeah," I said faintly as she turned back away. "Probably. "
Oh god. Logan had spilled the beans. People would know. My world was going to end.
Adam would know.
Jessica would know.
Lydia would know.
And, I gulped. Becky would know.
There'd be no anonymity any more. Everyone would know. Most would care. And I groaned as I lowered my head to my lap. People would either love me or they'd hate me. My guess is that they'd all hate me.
Round two of hell, here we come.
And, of course, Lydia dropped into the chair beside me at that moment. "Hi!"
I jumped from how cheery she sounded.
Then she scooted close and lowered her voice. "We only have a few minutes. Jessica's over the moon. I'm sure she'll be with Jill and Ashley for awhile. How are you?" Her hand clamped onto mine and she gave it a squeeze.
"I'm…fine…"
Her smile stretched wide. "Good. That's good. I talked to Becky last night. She's so funny. Why didn't you tell me how funny she could be?"
"Because…. " Had Lydia grown two heads? I swore one was sane, but this one—not so much. "I have no idea. "
She doubled over with laughter.
I scooted an inch away.
She scooted with me and pressed her leg up against me. "Come on, Sam. How are you really?" She whispered behind a hand. "I heard that Adam likes you, like really likes you. That's great, although I knew that'd happen. " Her hand squeezed again. "Are you excited?"
"Um. "
She rushed in, "You'll make a great couple. I just know it. "
The sophomore bitch turned back with eyebrows high. "You're dating Adam Quinn?" She gave me an once-over.
I returned the favor and spoke in her same bored, stuck-up tone, "Why's that your business?"
She clamped her mouth shut and turned away. A bunch of her friends behind us scooted forward and I knew the whispers were about me.
I was starting to get used to it.
"She's coming," Lydia hissed and shot from the chair.
A second later Jessica walked past my seat and back to her old one. When she saw me, her smile froze for a second, but then she murmured, "Hello. "
I almost fell of my seat.
If Jessica gave me the time of day that meant she was happy, really happy, and that left me with a sense of dread. From the little time I'd had to get to know the real Jessica, I knew she wasn't happy unless she got whatever she had set her sights on.
Logan.
Maybe she thought she had him in her clutches after all?
I spent the rest of the game weighing my options. Jessica, ex best friend who'd been screwing my boyfriend for two years to get back at me and now she's best friends with his new girlfriend. Jessica wanted Logan. I happened to know the guy…what to do?
When the game ended and Fallen Crest Public had trounced my school, once again, I stood with the rest and started to make my way towards the parking lot. Lydia squealed my name as I was almost off the bleachers and gave me an excited wave with a thumbs-up sign.
I wasn't sure what she was thumbing-up, but I gave her a small wave back.
When I got to the parking lot, I had to stand back with a bunch of others as our team first ran through, followed by the next team.
And then two arms came from nowhere and lifted me off the ground. I was swung around before I was placed back on my feet.
I leaned back and saw Logan's smiling face. "We won! Did you have any doubt? Tell me you cheered for the winning team?"
Oh no… I looked around. Eyebrows were up. Hands were hiding mouths and heads were bent together. Then I saw Lydia and Jessica behind me. Both had frozen looks on them. Jessica was white as a ghost.
"Hey!" Logan embraced me again. "I scored three touch downs, of course Mason got all the blocks for me, but I scored. Aren't you going to congratulate me, sis?"
"What?" Jessica choked out.
Then a hand clamped on Logan's
shoulder and he was pulled with the rest of his team. He turned back and yelled, "You're going out with us, Sammy. We're going to party tonight. No more loser parties for you!"
One of his teammate laughed and said something in his ear. Logan tipped his head back and his hyena laugh came out again.
Then I turned back around and felt the ground start to shake again.
Mason had stopped behind me. He had a quizzical look on his face and he reached a hand to scratch at the back of his head.
"Hi. " I clutched a hand to my stomach and wondered why I was breathless all the sudden.
"Hey?" He looked where Lydia and Jessica stood. "Are they your friends?"
"No. " I shook my head and moved closer to him.
He did too and we were almost touching, his pads to my shoulders. He bent his head so he could hear me. "They were my best friends. "
"Got it. " Then he gave me a small grimace. "Your mom mentioned that you were coming for dinner on Sunday?"
I jerked my head in a nod. I couldn't catch my breath.
"Good," he sighed.
I looked up in surprise.
He shrugged. "She's bearable when you're around. " Then he frowned. "Did I hear Logan yell at you to party with us?"
"Yeah. He did. "
"Good. " He nodded. "We might have some actual fun. " Then his hand touched my shoulder, lightly and briefly. "Wait for me after this. I'll give you a ride. "
I was about to tell him that I had a car, but he had started to jog after his team. There was a line of girls who had been watching and all looked as he went past them.
Before their heads could snap back to me, I started to turn away. Lydia and Jessica were in front of me, both with fierce expressions on their faces.
I steered myself. This was not going to be good.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Lydia pushed herself forward and was an inch from my face. I felt her breath on me. "You know Mason Kade?" She had a sharp tone, but she was shoved aside as Jessica took her place.
Her eyes were narrowed, mouth tight, and I wondered if steam could come out of a person. She folded her arms over her chest and cooled her tone. "How do you know Logan?"
I glanced around. Jill and Ashley had stopped not far from us. Their cheerleading bags were both on the ground and I knew they heard every word. Each wore a different expression, one seemed wary and the other looked to share in Jessica's fury.
I sighed and stepped back. "I don't know what you're talking about. "
Lydia sucked in her breath while Jessica's narrowed even more. "Logan hugged you and Mason talked to you. You can't lie about that. "
I shrugged and grinned. "Guess they're playing some game with you, Jess, because I don't know them. Never have, never will, never want to. "
"Are you serious?" Lydia frowned.
I rolled my eyes and tried to exude a bored attitude. "Not my problem. "
"Samantha. " Jessica planted herself in front of me when I tried to turn away. She put her hands on her hip. "You can't be lying about this. "
"I don't know them. " I paused. "And if I did, what business is it of yours?"
She seemed to hesitate now.
"Exactly. " I shoved her aside and started for my car, but Nate intercepted me. He held out some keys and remarked, "Here are Mason's keys. Give me yours; I'll take your car home. "
I didn't turn around, but I knew Jessica and Lydia had heard. I could feel their disbelief and anger rolling off of them. I sighed and held out my hand. "Whatever. "
Nate grinned as he plucked my keys for Mason's. Then he glanced over my shoulder. "I take it those are the two who stabbed you in the back. "
"Pretty much. "
He frowned. "You haven't dealt with them yet?"
"Not yet. "
I felt his eyes scanning my face when he asked, "Are you planning to?"