Faking Perfect (29 page)

Friday night
. It had been three days, but knots still formed in my stomach whenever I thought about the uneasy look on Braden’s face and Shay’s disappearance, and the fact that she’d ignored my texts and phone calls all weekend. Worst of all, it was due to one giant misunderstanding, which she refused to give me a chance to explain away.

I had every intention of heading to my locker next, but instead of turning left at the end of the hall, I turned right and followed Cassidy. Intent as she was on escaping, she didn’t notice me skulking a few feet behind her. I trailed her all the way down the stairs, across the lobby, and out into the hot sun, where Shay waited on a small patch of grass near the sidewalk.

“Shay,” I said, but my voice was lost in the roar of a passing transit bus. Brighton High was located in one of the busiest areas of the city, surrounded by restaurants and coffee shops. It came in handy for fast-food runs during lunch hour, something else Shay and I used to do together. “Shay,” I repeated, louder.

She glanced up. Immediately, the welcoming smile she’d had for Cassidy dropped into a scowl at the sight of me. “Seriously, Kat?” she said, shaking her head like she couldn’t quite believe I had the nerve to seek her out after she’d avoided me all weekend. “You seriously want to do this right now? Here?”

I glanced around. Students were still teeming out of the main doors like ants, squinting as the afternoon sun hit their faces. Several eyed us with interest. A lot of people had been at that party Friday night, had heard what I had done to Shay, my supposed best friend. My
only
true friend, really. They’d waited a long time for a confrontation like this. Waited to see me, Kat Henley, shameless flirt and supposed boyfriend stealer, get what was coming to her, at last.

“Please, just listen to me,” I said, reaching out to touch Shay’s arm.

She stepped back, closer to Cassidy, who leaned toward her in support and gave me the same look she’d been giving me since Shay had brought me into their group, the one that said
I’m a much better friend than you
. She was loving this more than anyone.

Suddenly, I remembered what she’d said to me at the party.
Real classy
. She’d seen me, I realized. Seen me talking to Braden outside. Maybe he hadn’t been the one to tell on me, after all. “You have it all wrong, Shay.”

She folded her bare, caramel-colored arms over her chest and smirked at me. “Oh,
do
I? Tell me, then, Kat. What exactly do I have wrong?”

I opened my mouth to speak then closed it again, unable to come up with an acceptable answer. Maybe there wasn’t one. To me, the way I’d acted with Braden wasn’t any different from the way I’d acted with Chris Newbury in Miranda’s dining room or the rest of the boys at school—just harmless, playful flirting. Shay knew how I was, knew about my reputation when it came to boys, but she’d always accepted me at face value. She’d believed in me . . . until I gave her a reason not to.

“We were just talking.” Frustrated tears throbbed at the backs of my eyes. “It wasn’t anything more than that, I swear. You
know
me, Shay. I act like that with all the guys. It’s no big deal.”

Shay wasn’t like me—she didn’t relish the weight of many sets of eyes on her. She didn’t seek attention or enjoy an audience. I knew her anger at me had completely taken over when she thrust a finger in my face and started yelling at me in front of everyone.

“No big deal? Braden isn’t just some random guy at a party, Kat. He’s my boyfriend.
My boyfriend
.” She turned her face to the side and blinked a few times. Shay hated crying. “I can’t believe I was actually stupid enough to trust you.”

“You
can
trust me,” I said quickly. Pleadingly. “I’m your friend, Shay. You know I’d never—”

“Even after hearing what everyone said about you, I gave you a chance. And this is how you pay me back for two years of friendship? By flirting with my boyfriend the minute I turn my back? Screw you, Kat.”

She turned and stormed away, leaving me there on the grass, the center of everyone’s attention just like I always craved. Only this time, their gazes made me feel ashamed. Naked.

“You know,” Cassidy said as we both stared after Shay, who was disappearing quickly down the sidewalk, her black ponytail swinging behind her. “I’m glad you’re going to be at your cottage for the summer, Kat. I think we all need a break from you.”

With that, she turned and went after Shay, catching up to her at the crosswalk. Together, they crossed the busy street and headed toward the Starbucks on the corner, arm in arm.

I watched them go as the crowd milled around me, already back to whatever it was they’d been doing before the drama started. They gave me a wide berth as I stood half in shock and unable to move. Like I was some kind of disease. Like my very presence was stressful and exhausting and something from which people needed a vacation.

Summer couldn’t get here fast enough.

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Copyright © 2015 Rebecca Phillips

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ISBN: 978-1-6177-3880-7

ISBN-10: 1-61773-880-8

First Electronic Edition: July 2015

ISBN-13: 978-1-61773-881-4

ISBN-10: 1-61773-881-6