Famous (9 page)

“Did he ask you? Or did you ask him?”

Brielle took a breath. “I asked him.”

“Wow, Brielle. Wow.” I picked up my mug, holding it so hard I worried for a second that I'd crack the ceramic.

“Lauren, there's no excuse. I knew I was breaking the best friend code by going out with your ex-boyfriend. But a tiny part of me rationalized it away by thinking about you here. You were in a new school, with new friends, new boys, a whole new life. You and Taylor were over.”

“Like
you
just said, there's no excuse.” I put down my mug without even taking a sip and crossed my arms. I'd never been so furious. Anger heated every part of my body, and my jaw was getting tired from being clenched.

“After the first time we went out, I was going to call you,” Brielle said. Her eyes pleaded with me. But I felt nothing but anger. “I had my phone in my hand and put it down at the last second. I should have stopped things with Taylor then. If I couldn't tell you that I'd made a huge mistake and had gone on
one
date with him, that should have been a big enough warning sign to me to stop the relationship.”

“Guess you missed the sign, huh, Brielle?” My tone got more and more biting with every word I said.

“I chose to ignore it.” Opposite of my tone, Brielle's only got weaker. “I went out with him until he left for Canterwood. We both swore to each other that neither of us would ever tell you because it would only hurt you. Then he was gone.”

“God, I'd almost forgotten that Taylor's been here lying to my face longer than you have,” I said.

“We both did something so, so stupid, Lauren. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel right now. You can hate me if you want—you deserve to. Don't blame—”

“Don't you
dare
say not to blame Taylor,” I interrupted. “He did this too. Not just you. I can and am blaming him. He wasn't innocent in any of this.”

I quieted, trying to make sense of everything I'd just heard. Nothing made sense, though. This wasn't Brielle. My best friend from home would never do something like this to me. Neither would my ex-boyfriend.

A memory popped into my brain. “Wait. Wait. So what was that interaction between you guys in the parking lot on Family Day?”

Brielle looked at her lap for a few seconds. “Every word was a lie. It was a cover story that I made up on the fly. I actually went looking for Taylor, not my phone, and all he wanted to do was stay away from me and keep our pact intact. He saw me go right up to you and assumed I was about to tell you the truth. That's why he came after me.”

Images of that day flashed in front of me. Taylor's angry face. Brielle shouting at him.

“I went over to him, and I guess I was hurt because he was ignoring me. It was the first time I'd seen him since we'd broken up. I wasn't going to go back on my word and tell you or try to get back together with him. I just wanted to say hi. But he was all freaked out, and I stressed out too.”

“You are an amazing liar,” I said. “Congratulations. I bought your entire story that day. Every word. You should get together with Khloe and start taking acting classes.”

I shook my head. This was the reason Taylor and Brielle hadn't been in the same room once since she'd gotten here. There had been so much going on that I hadn't had time to even address it. Every time a thought of saying something had started to form in my brain, something else happened. That was life at Canterwood.

“Do you know that I planned to talk to Taylor about how I thought he treated you that day?” I asked. “I would have looked so stupid! I was going to tell him that he couldn't speak to you like that and he needed to forgive you for the answering-machine mess. I was on
your
side. That was so dumb of me.”

“You're not dumb. Please don't say that. I don't even know how to begin to apologize. I'm so beyond sorry, Lauren.”

I wasn't up for this. Brielle knew better than to try to apologize right now for something of this magnitude.

I swiped my mug off the coffee table and stood. Without looking at Brielle, I dumped out my remaining tea, tossed the tea bag in the trash can, and walked out of the common room without a word.

I FLUNG MY BEDROOM DOOR
open, slammed it shut so hard that it rattled the photos on our wall, and dashed for my bed. Facedown, I fell into my pillow and the sobs racked my body.

“Lauren! Lauren! Omigod!” Khloe, whom I hadn't even seen in my haze, put a hand on my back. “Shhh. Lauren, it's okay. Whatever just happened, it's going to be all right. You and I will figure it out together.” Khloe talked in a soothing tone over my pillow-muffled sobs. “There's nothing we can't get through. I promise, I'm here for you, sweetie.”

Khloe stayed sitting on the edge of my bed and rubbed my back while I cried. With my eyes squeezed shut, all I could see were images of Taylor and Brielle together.

At his house.

At the movies.

At Yates.

Holding hands.

Smiling at each other with affection.

Kissing.

I pushed the images away, starting to hiccup. I couldn't breathe. It was too much. I'd never been betrayed like this before. Not by two people that I'd thought up until a few hours ago had cared about me.

“Can you sit up?” Khloe said quietly. “I'll get you a glass of water to help with the hiccups.”

I let out a few more sobs and sat up. Khloe, still dressed in riding clothes, hurried to the mini-fridge to get me a bottle of water. She uncapped it, handing it to me.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice raspy.

“Of course, LT.” Khloe sat beside me again, quiet and not pressing me to talk.

That was one of the things I loved about her. Khloe had a larger-than-life personality that was going to take her straight to Broadway. But she also knew just when to take the BAM! I'M KHLOE!! down and be a calming presence.

I wiped my eyes and nose with the tissues Khloe had brought onto the bed. I stopped crying and drank some
water. Then tears started again, and I leaned onto Khloe's shoulder. She kept an arm around me, not saying a word.

I don't know how long we were like that. Just when I was sure I'd run out of tears, a fresh wave would hit and I'd be a snotty mess again. It had been a long while since my last crying spell now, and I didn't think I had another tear in me. My eyes felt dried up and my face tight.

I lifted my head from Khloe's shoulder and looked at her. She'd held me through all of this without an explanation. She deserved to know what was going on.

“Khloe,” I said. “You were right.”

She tilted her head. “About what?”

This part was harder. “
Clare
was right.”

Khloe squeezed my shoulders. “Oh, Laur. Oh, no. I'm here to talk if you want, but
please
don't feel pressured.”

“I don't,” I said. “I really don't have any tears left.” I barely recognized my own voice. It was emotionless.

“Okay.” Khloe nodded. “I'm here.”

“I didn't tell you because I swore that I was right, and I wanted to get my answers and then go to you and Clare. I met Brielle in the common room after our riding lesson. That's where I was before I came here.” I took a shaky breath. “It's bad. Way worse than I could have ever imagined.”

Anger flared pink in Khloe's cheeks. “Lauren, you know me. Just say the word and I'll go have a nice little ‘talk' with Brielle.”

I shook my head, closing my eyes. “None of us are talking to her. Khloe, she had a boyfriend at the end of summer. A boyfriend she didn't tell me about.”

“What?” Khloe pursed her lips. “Why wouldn't she tell you? She's one of your best friends.”

“I thought she was. Actually, I thought
two
people were. Her boyfriend?
Taylor
.”

Khloe covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were round like an owl's, and she stared at me. “No. Way. No. Way. Why? Why would she do that to you?”

I shrugged. “She said she, Taylor, and Ana started hanging as a group, Ana had to miss a group date, and she and Taylor went together. Then magic. Less Ana, more the two of them.”

“Taylor
never
hinted anything to you about this, right?” Khloe asked. “I mean, he wants you back!”

I laughed darkly. “Yep. He never said a word. Not one. He and Brielle made a ‘pact' not to tell me, to spare my feelings. So lame. I'll tell you this long story later, but Brielle even lied to my face that day when she got in a screaming match with Taylor.”

“Oh God.” Khloe rubbed her forehead with her hand. “Since you just came from talking to Brielle, you obviously haven't talked to Taylor. What are you going to do about him?”

I picked up the mound of crumpled tissues around me. Getting up, I squeezed them hard in my fists before tossing them in our trash can.

“I'm going to wash my face and go find him. Right now. He's been walking around campus with this secret, and he's done. I'm sure Brielle already texted him, but I want to get to him before he has a chance to concoct some kind of apology in his head.”

Khloe watched me as I turned on the hot water and smeared Neutrogena over my face.

“You sure you're okay, really okay, to talk to him?” she asked. “What you went through with Brielle was pretty traumatic, Laur. Do you want me to go with you or something?”

I rinsed my face and patted it with a hand towel. “You really are the best, Khlo. Thank you, but this is something I have to do on my own.”

My phone beeped, and Khloe held it toward me.

“Can you check it?” I asked. “I don't want to see a message from Brielle right now.”

Khloe nodded, opening my BBM. “It's from Drew,” she said. “He said, ‘I'm ready to go to the media center now. Do you have an ETA? Can't wait to see you!' ”

“Oh, shoot,” I said. I took the phone from Khloe and sat back down next to her. “Drew asked me if I wanted to meet in the media center. He had to meet his swim coach, and I was planning on having what I thought would be a silly conversation with Brielle. Drew and I were going to do homework, then watch a movie.”

“Maybe you should go meet him,” Khloe said. “I could do a little light makeup, and your outfit is great.”

I considered her suggestion. “I can't,” I finally said. “I have to get this thing over with Taylor. If I see Drew, I'll be in a bad mood about it, and I don't want to drag Taylor baggage into our relationship.”

“That makes sense,” Khloe said.

I typed a message to Taylor first.

Lauren:

You free? Can we meet in the courtyard ASAP?

My urgency got his attention. Plus, we hadn't spoken in a while.

Taylor:

Yeah, just finished homework. I can b there in 5. Cool?

Lauren:

C u there.

Then I exited out of his name and went to Drew's.

Lauren:

Drew, I am SO sorry. I had 2 sit down & talk 2 Brielle. Things didn't go well, to put it lightly. I'm in an awful mood & now have 2 take care of something else.

I sent the message, knowing he was waiting for me.

Drew:

I'm sorry, Laur. Can I do anything?

Lauren:

You're sweet. I wish. Unfor, I have 2 do this myself.

Drew:

Totally understand. We'll take a rain check, OK?

Lauren:

You're the best. I promise, I'll explain everything 2 u when it's over. Things r just a mess right now.

Drew:

I'm giving u a giant hug from my dorm room. I'll b thinking abt u, Laur. Call, come over, BBM, whatever if u need me. I'm here 4 u.

Lauren:

I know u r. That's why I like u so much. Talk soon.

A lump formed in my throat. I knew my instinct would be to run to Drew after my conversation with Taylor. But I couldn't. Drew and Taylor had enough bad blood between
them, and I couldn't add fuel to the fire. I had to wait until I was calm to tell Drew. Plus, I had Lex, Clare, and my other friends to rally around me.

I got up, stuck my phone in my pocket, and looked at Khloe.

She hadn't moved from my bed. KK stared at me with a soft expression. “Going?” she asked.

“Going.”

Khloe stood, wrapping her arms around me in the tightest hug. “Take him down, LT. Do what you have to do.”

Nodding, I slipped into my coat and cast a final look at her. “I will. The lies end today.”