Paige hadn’t thought of ever hating English since it was always that easy and fun class she took every year. But this year it was the one class that got her in her bitchiest mood.
In the passing period before class, she watched as Christy sat on Ian’s desk and touched his arm and hair playfully. Paige had already lost interest in Ian, but the fact that Christy was able to steal a guy right out of her hands so fast and so successfully made Paige imagine not-so-civilized ways to drag her off his desk.
Why did she have to come back this year? Things were finally looking up for Paige lately with the past behind her. Her family lost the “dys” in dysfunctional since Nolan walked in on Day One, and life at school was getting better than bearable as she progressed through her high school years. Was Christy’s return supposed to be that one bad thing that followed when everything seemed too perfect?
But Paige wasn’t having it as she stood up from her seat. There was no way in hell she’d let Christy keep ruining all the improvements Paige made for herself. As she walked toward Christy, she didn’t really have a well thought-out plan once she would reach her. She just didn’t want to keep her angry thoughts pent-up anymore.
But when Ian noticed her approaching, Paige remembered to keep this low-key.
“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Paige said through her teeth.
Christy lowered her white drink--probably milk--from her lips and grinned. “Chickenshit finally speaks.” Ian seemed to hold back a laugh as he looked from Christy to Paige as they both went to the latter’s desk, an area clear of eavesdroppers at the moment.
Paige leaned against her desk and crossed her arms. “What’s it gonna take to make you stop your bullshit?”
“When your whole life becomes bullshit.” She leaned closer to Paige. “Just like it was after I left.”
Paige shook her head. “You just don’t get it, do you?”
“I don’t think you get it. Backstabbing me just save your own ass? Then you let some dick turn you into a make-believe slut because you’re the same chickenshit that gave in to anyone bigger and tougher than you? That pedophile must’ve screwed you up a lot.”
Paige could feel a fit begging to be released, but she managed to stay calm when she said, “He screwed you up so much that all you wanted was to start more drama with him. It was all you cared about.”
“Hey, I was the one that warned you about Brandon! I tried to help but apparently you didn’t listen.”
“Help me?” Paige scoffed. “You were using me just to help you. And we only knew each other for like a few days.”
Christy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before opening her eyes and grinning. “If you’re gonna lie about what really happened, then fine. I see how it is.” Then she poured her white drink on Paige’s romper and then her purse on the floor. Paige gasped as she looked at the new stains and felt like screaming.
Christy took a swig of her drink. “It’s horchata,” she said over her shoulder while heading back to her desk.
The bell rang to start class, but Paige couldn’t just sit through an hour of class feeling sticky and gross. She could feel the liquid drip down her leg to her feet as she walked up to Mrs. Turner’s desk.
“Can I go to the bathroom to clean up?” she asked.
The teacher looked up from the essay she was grading. “Did you spill on yourself?”
“No, it was...someone else.”
“Go ahead. Take the bathroom pass with you.” She pulled out a lanyard with a card attached saying “Bathroom Pass” and handed it to Paige.
The whole walk from the classroom to the girls’ restroom, Paige gripped the lanyard in one hand tightly and her soaked purse in the other, wondering if Christy used to be a child of Satan in a previous life. No human being could carry this much hate and bitterness and revenge in their heart.
There was no doubt Christy needed some kind of help for herself other than taking everything out on Paige, but Paige was becoming too bitter--probably just as bitter as Christy--at the moment to figure out what.
It was weird to see an old friend turn completely into someone else, especially one who kept guilt-tripping Paige about what ended their friendship.
And certainly, Paige had to admit it was partly on herself.
“God, what happened to you?” Sadie said as soon as Paige approached the bench Sadie was sitting on in the quad. Sadie tucked strands of brown hair behind her ear to look at the stains that couldn’t come off in the restroom.
“It’s horchata,” Paige sneered in an imitation of Christy’s voice.
“Did you spill it?”
“No, it was that bitch making me famous in school again.” She dropped next to Sadie and buried her face in her hands.
“What do you mean?”
“She’s the one behind the pics on Twitter and that dumbass rumor. I swear she won’t take a break now that I have to see her in English every single day. What kind of person wants to watch someone suffer daily? Doesn’t she have anything better to do in her life?”
“Wait, the pics on Twitter? Are you talking about Christy Vargas?”
“Um, yeah.” Paige didn’t think she’d know since she wasn’t in Carter’s circle, and some other girl had posted the pictures, so people so far assumed it was that girl. “How’d you know?”
“She’s my cousin.”
“Say what now?”
“Yeah, she’s living with me till her family gets their own place. The last time I saw them was, like, three years ago? And I see Christy hasn’t changed, attracting drama no matter where she goes. And by the way, all I know is that Christy’s blaming her juvie sentence on you and that she tricked Mark into giving you an allergic reaction. That’s everything Mark told me.” She raised her hands. “If you wanna tell me what else she’s done, you can.”
“Well, first of all, your cousin’s a bitch.”
Sadie just let out a laugh. “Good, now another person agrees with me and Mark.”
“Wait, you said that we’re meeting up with your cousin. Did you mean Christy or--”
“Hey, Mark!” Sadie said as she looked behind Paige and waved.
Why was it that Paige always ended up talking to Christy’s relatives without knowing it?
She turned to see that same crooked smile and curly brown hair and smooth tan skin. He had a few dark circles under his eyes, but they didn’t take away much from the rest of his features.
“I’m guessing you guys already met?” Sadie said when he stopped in front of the girls.
“Uh, yeah.” He kicked aside a rock as he stared at the ground.
“Our first meeting was awkward as hell,” Paige murmured as she looked away too. She was supposed to avoid him as much as possible, but she didn’t want to leave and hurt his feelings even more. Even to this day she somewhat regretted the time she told him she wasn’t interested.
“Well, it wasn’t your fault,” Sadie said. “It was the same person who ruined your outfit.”
Mark looked at Paige just then, and she instantly felt embarrassed. “Christy did that to you?”
“Oh, you know,” Paige brushed off sarcastically. “It’s just your sister being who she is, staining my clothes and purse like it’s nothing.”
When he glanced down at her purse too, Sadie said, “I think you should definitely make a comeback.”
Paige sighed as if she lost hope. “Oh, I’ve thought about it. But I figured it would just make it worse.”
“Well, you can’t just let her win every time. Do you wanna feel like shit everyday?”
“I think Paige is right,” Mark cut in. “It could get worse.”
“Then what do you think she should do?” Sadie asked. “I don’t see Christy stopping anytime soon.”
“I could try talking to her again,” he said.
“Okay, you do that today, then tomorrow she’ll give Paige food poisoning or something.”
“Don’t jinx it,” Paige mumbled. At this point anything could happen.
“Fine, whatever.” Sadie stood up and raised her hands in defeat. “Don’t do anything. But if you change your mind, let me know, and then Mark and I will come up with ideas.”
“But...she’s your cousin.”
She shrugged. “I don’t mean anything serious. I was thinking pranks or something.”
But Mark shook his head. “I don’t know…”
“Mark,” Sadie said, rolling her eyes. “Do you want to keep letting her win all the time? And pushing you around?”
“I...don’t know,” he repeated. “I mean, when she’s even more pissed, it’s not like she becomes nicer all of a sudden.”
Sadie’s phone buzzed, and after she checked the screen, she swore. “I’m gonna be late to volleyball practice. Come on.”
As the three of them made their way to the gym, Mark said, “I gotta head out to work soon.”
With Sadie between him and Paige, Sadie turned to Paige and said, “He has two jobs. He didn’t even have that dedication last time I saw him.”
“Really? Where else do you work?” Paige asked.
“Um, the country club.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Images popped up in Paige’s head of him taking off his country club uniform, diving into the swimming pool, and emerging while his tan skin glistened with water droplets.
“It’s not like you need to,” Sadie droned on, snapping Paige out of her daydream. “My parents can support you guys enough.”
He shrugged and said nothing.
Paige hadn’t even seen this guy naked and she still kept picturing what he’d look like.
As Sadie changed the subject to something about her new coach being too tough on the team, Paige made frequent glances at Mark, who kept looking at the ground and Sadie as she talked. But when she looked at him too long, he caught her looking too, and they instantly looked away. Paige just wanted to hide and avoid this awkwardness.
She was never this awkward around a guy, let alone around one and a friend.
One thing was totally true: after seeing him again today, she was still not over her tiny crush. But, she could still try to get over him afterward. She would just avoid things involving him ahead of time whenever she hung out with Sadie. And telling her why wouldn’t be a good idea because she kept her mouth shut only sometimes.
Soon enough they entered the gym as Sadie went to the girls’ locker room to change. Sitting on the bleachers, Paige and Mark were silent. But she couldn’t take the awkward silence anymore.
Paige began, “I didn’t know Sadie--”
“I’m sorry about my--”
They both cracked up.
“Sorry, you go,” he said.
“I didn’t know Sadie was your cousin until now. Small world, huh?”
He nodded. “I didn’t know you knew her either.”
“She’s definitely better than your sister.”
“Oh, yeah. I was gonna say sorry about her ruining your dress. It looks nice.”
“Thanks.” Her stupid feelings were making her stupid face start to burn. “Are you still cracking puns to customers?” And no, she was totally, definitely not jealous if he did it to female customers.
“Sometimes, yeah. But it’s not as fun as doing it with you.”
She faked a scoff to restrain a big smile. “Your puns weren’t even good. Isn’t your name Mack or something?”
“Well, you can call me ‘Mack and cheese’ because I’m pretty cheesy with my puns.”
“True,” she giggled. “You use puns as pickup lines, so...cringe.”
“I guess we’re on the same Paige then.”
She rolled her eyes at the same time he saw the clock in the gym.
“Sorry, I gotta head to Cucina Mia.” He stood up with his backpack. “Maybe you could stop by the country club? You can get away with some free stuff.” He winked.
How could she say no to that cute grin of his? “Sure.”
As she watched him exit the gym, she realized she didn’t even know where the country club was, let alone had a membership. But she also didn’t want to let him down.
What ever happened to avoiding him anyway? She needed someone to monitor what she did when she was with him. Maybe she could get Selah to be her filter.
Sadie came out of the locker rooms in her uniform. “Did Mark already leave?”
Paige nodded.
Sighing, Sadie said, “I was gonna get him to meet some of my girlfriends, but I guess he isn’t looking for anyone, like he always tells me.”
He wasn’t looking for anyone? Why was he just flirting with her a few minutes ago?
After Sadie joined her team for a warm-up lap, Paige sat back on the bleachers and tried to decipher his mixed signals. He could’ve been talking to her as a friend. Maybe she was overreacting and yet again got carried away by this dumb crush.
She had only met him a few times anyway. It was just a crush. And the reason behind it was probably because he was completely off-limits, what with being her enemy’s brother.
That would be the only reason.
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