“More like a sight to make your eyes sore,” Della says behind her hand, loud enough for the whole crowd to hear. There are a few sniggers and then a hush. I look over to see Casey holding Brie back. Their eyes meet mine and I know instantly they are waiting for me to respond, as are the rest of them.
I don’t want to rise to the bait, so instead I ignore them and Ethan squeezes my hand and smiles. I open my locker as Della sashays around the students loitering in the hall and advances in our direction with half of the group hot on her heels. She passes by and flashes me a huge smug smile.
“See you around, superstar,” she drawls to Ethan before dropping her voice to a whisper.
“Later loser,” she chortles and I have to suppress my inner twelve-year-old to not stick my foot out and send the bitch tumbling on her ass.
“Oh, by the way Ethan, I think I have a pair of your shades. You left them in my bedroom the last time you were there,” she calls over her shoulder and I can feel the red mist descend over me.
“Congratulations, Della! You’re officially a bigger attention-seeking whore in person than you are on Facebook. That’s some achievement! Your folks must be real proud,” I call. It’s catty and immature, but it feels so good to watch her face lose the smug expression she’s always wearing. Her scowl is instant.
“Whatever, geek! If you weren’t such a nerd, maybe you’d have a chance at keeping your boyfriend.”
Ethan’s head whips around and he’s about to respond but I get there first.
“I’m sorry, but I find it hard to take someone seriously when their favorite shade of lip gloss is dick. Spread all the rumors you want, Della, if it makes you feel better. I trust my boyfriend, and nothing you can dream up in that empty head of yours will make me doubt that.”
People are hollering and some idiot jock is chanting ‘catfight’ somewhere in the background. Della looks furious and stutters trying to form a comeback. I ignore her and throw my bag into my locker as Ethan leans down close.
“This may not be the right time…but that was hot! I like you feisty.” He laughs and takes my hand as Brie and Casey stand open-mouthed looking at me.
“What?” I glare at them and ask.
“Nothing,” Brie, answers wide-eyed.
“Damn, I hope someone caught that on camera,” Casey says with a huge grin. “Favorite shade of lip gloss is dick! Oh my god, her face was so mad!”
“I’m not exactly proud of stooping to her level, but I’m sick of her being mean to me for no reason.”
Ethan stays quiet, but his fingers slip through mine as he stands by my side, tucking me under his arm.
“Well, she needed bringing down a peg or two. I’m glad you did it,” Brie tells me before she excitedly—and by excited I mean bouncing on her toes and clapping—announces that her parents have agreed to buy her a new car. It's apparently a graduation present/going away to college present.
“You already have a car?” Casey says, confused, and Brie stops dead.
“Please…it’s almost as old as I am; they wouldn’t buy me a brand new one until I could prove that I can drive it without incident.”
“Um, yeah…but you’ve bumped it parking at least twice a week since you got your license.”
“Hello…that was parking it, not driving it. Plus, Daddy doesn’t need to know that.”
Ethan shakes his head; I’m not sure if its’ in amusement or alarm, while Casey and I look at one and other and burst out laughing. The bell sounds just as Brie spots Jackson, and we each make our way to class.
The rest of the day runs smoothly: there’s no drama with Della, Dannii doesn’t acknowledge me and Ethan acts like nothing has happened, and it freaks me out. Monday night he has a hospital appointment which he brushes off with, ‘It went fine’ when he picks me up for school Tuesday morning. I hate the word fine! The day pans out much the same as the one before, and Ethan has music practice after school for the rest of the week to catch up on missed time. Wednesday follows suit with the fake everything is rosy routine, and I finally can’t take any more by Thursday at lunch time.
“Don’t lie to me—everything is not fine. Please stop saying fine! Ugh.”
“What do you want me to say, Princess? I don’t get it…I don’t know what you’re expecting. If you thought I’d come back to school and be crying in the halls because of my broken home and fucked up life, you’re wrong. It’s never gonna happen. I’m okay!”
I want to scream at how infuriating he’s being. We are in the library, our textbooks open, going over math, and he hasn’t heard a single word I’ve spoken to him in the last half hour. I’m not sure he’s heard a single word I’ve spoken to him this past week. He’s slipped into a robotic, anesthetized version of himself. Yeah, sure, he’s doing an excellent job of being the Mr. Charming everyone expects, but I can see it’s an act.
“I don’t expect anything, it just seems like you’re putting on this phony persona with everyone, including me, and I don’t like it.”