Chapter 18

By Wednesday, I knew something was up. Our private prep school thrives on scandal. The beach bust had fed the gossip mills for the last couple of weeks, but since Mark had taken Bethany and I home the three of us had been largely ignored.

Joe’s involvement and parental house arrest was discussed as much as Camden’s sudden departure to an all-girls boarding school. There was actually a betting pool on who the next what’s-her-name would be when his grounding was up in two weeks.

When Bethany’s name showed up on a copy of the pool I found in the girls’ locker room, I figured it was someone’s idea of a joke. Then I noticed that groups of girls whispering together would stop when I walked by. I finally figured out what happened when I was on my way into the lunch room. My brother grabbed my arm and pulled me into a side hallway.

“What the fuck, Steph? Who did you tell?” he hissed.

At first, I was confused, then it was like a light went on and I saw what had happened. The word must be out that Joe was hooking up with Bethany.

“That stupid bitch,” I muttered and closed my eyes.

Bethany couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. I had worried that she would blab about us being with Mark. When she started screwing Joe, she and I had drifted apart. We still hung out at school, but she had abandoned me for Joe the moment we got home.

“It wasn’t me. I bet you anything Bethany bragged to the wrong person about you punching her v-card and the word spread.”

“She said she wasn’t a virgin,” Joe whispered as a look of horror spread across his face.

“Technically, I popped her cherry.” I raised my hand and wiggled my fingers. Joe blinked at me and finally blushed when he understood. I decided not to mention her impaling herself on Mark to avoid complicating things. “You just fucked her first.”

“Shit.” Joe rolled his eyes up and fell back against a wall. “I could end up in jail!”

“Yup,” I said. “Sucks to be you.”

His gaze snapped back to me. “You gotta do something.”

“No, you gotta do something. If I were you, I’d end it and deny it ever happened. The only thing I’m willing to do at this point is to stop inviting her over.”

“But she’s your best friend,” Joe said with a puzzled frown.

“Things changed.” I took a deep breath. “I’ve changed.”

Joe’s eyebrows raised. “Shit. I’m sorry, Steph. I didn’t figure hooking up with her would be such a big deal. She said you wouldn’t care.”

“I know. I heard her.” The hollow feeling from that afternoon returned and left me feeling sick to my stomach.

“I can’t talk to her with everyone watching us. Can you tell her?”

When I nodded, the fucking coward hugged me. “I owe you,” he said.

“And I’ll collect someday,” I said as he let me go. He nodded and walked away.

Bethany was sitting in our usual spot when I got to the lunch room. I guess she saw something on my face because she flushed and wouldn’t meet my eyes when I sat down. I leaned closer so others wouldn’t overhear.

“So how did the news get out?” I asked as I opened my sack lunch.

“I swear, I never said who it was. A bunch of us were just talking about sex in study hall.” Bethany loved the attention of telling stories and always thought she was being subtle. She was about as subtle as a brick to the head.

“And yet Joe cornered me on the way here in a complete panic,” I said.

“What do I do?” she whispered.

“Joe doesn’t want to see you anymore. You can’t come home with me after school because someone will notice and talk. And we should probably not have any sleepovers until this blows over.” I was ashamed at the lack of empathy I felt. Her face crumpled and tears instantly flooded her eyes.

“You and Mark get to keep playing around?” she whined. “That’s so not fair.”

I just took a bite of my sandwich and watched the tears leak from her eyes. She made the decision to screw Joe, knowing how he was and knowing how it would end. Part of me hated seeing her hurt, but another part watched her suffer with a detached feeling of satisfaction. I instantly regretted that when she wadded up her trash and stormed off. I couldn’t swallow around the painful lump in my throat until it went away.

After lunch I tossed my trash and headed back to my locker. The hallway where my locker was located was also the hallway that led to the boarders’ dorm. Our school had a few dozen kids who lived on campus because their parents traveled or simply preferred boarding their kids. I had just finished gathering my books for the afternoon when I heard a familiar voice down near the dorms.

“How do you know you won’t like it?” Dan asked with a threat in his tone.

“The same way you know you don’t want to suck a dick! Now leave me alone!”

I didn’t recognize the girl’s voice, but I knew she needed help if that asshole Dan was involved. When I got closer, I saw he was keeping her trapped in the alcove that led to the women’s restroom.

“Hey, leave her alone!” I yelled as I got closer.

“Fuck off, Steph. You had your chance,” Dan said with a glance in my direction.

I backed up a step and kicked him between his legs like I was shooting a penalty kick from eleven meters out. Dan fell to his knees with his hands gripping his groin. He didn’t even yell, but his face was twisted into a mask of pain.

“Come on,” I told his prisoner with the blue streak in her dark hair. “Let’s go to the office so they can hear the truth first.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said with a burr in her tone. “I could have handled him.”

“I owed him for getting my brother arrested,” I replied as we walked towards the office. “I’m Steph, by the way.”

“Sam,” she said, but I knew her name already.

She was the captain for the softball team and had the kind of slim, boyish build that I’d found myself attracted to. I glanced up at her just as she tucked her long blue bangs back. Her dark hair was really straight and the practiced tuck seemed like the kind of thing she did all the time. It made my stomach warm for some reason and brought a smirk to my lips.

When we arrived at the office, I walked right up to the secretary. “I assaulted a student who was threatening Sam. The nurse should probably go see if I ruptured something important. He’s writhing on the floor by the women’s restroom near the dorms.”

The secretary just stared at me for a moment like I was insane, then picked up the phone to alert the school nurse. Sam and I sat down to wait for my punishment.

“There’s a zero tolerance policy on fighting. You’re going to get suspended,” she whispered to me.

“Won’t be the first time,” I sighed. I hadn’t gotten in trouble often, but I had a stubborn streak that had gotten me in trouble before. Suspensions at our school meant staying home and doing extra work, but didn’t hurt our grades. With all the drama around Joe and Bethany, I’d welcome the quiet time at home even with Mom getting pissed at me fighting.

After about fifteen minutes, the principal came out of her office and stared at us with an unhappy frown on her face. “Come on in and tell me what happened.”

Sam and I followed her into her office. Before Principal Stewart could ask a question or I could say anything, Sam stepped in front of me with her arms crossed.

“It’s no secret I’m a lesbian. Dan Smith saw me leaving the women’s restroom and blocked my escape so he could offer to cure me. While he was sexually harassing me, Steph came up and told him to leave me alone. When he refused, she kicked him in the balls. Then we walked here.”

Principal Stewart had to suck in her cheeks to keep from laughing. She glanced at me. “Is there anything you wish to add?”

“Nope,” I said with a bit of a flutter in my stomach. I didn’t know if it was from standing so close to Sam or worry about the school calling Mom.