“Who says Quinn is shy?” another said.
“Disgusting,” one girl added.
A boy laughed. “Even good girls are bad. I love it.”
“I wouldn’t be able to show my face in school or ever if that were me,” a mousy voice chimed in.
I swallowed a boulder as the room spun.
You only have a few weeks left. So no big deal. You’ll walk away from high school and never look back.
The problem was I didn’t want to be remembered as the hussy or whore. I didn’t want to have the video be my defining moment. How could I get up on stage as valedictorian now? How could I stand before my senior class as the good girl, the perfect student with perfect grades and the perfect home?
I’d always been known as the shy one, the smart one, the one who wouldn’t even think to yell or fight. I was the girl who’d always walked away or hidden in the shadows. But my senior year didn’t scream any of those adjectives or acts. It screamed hussy, witch, fighter, and drunk. That was how kids would describe me when they looked back at their senior year.
Maiken tore something from the guy’s computer, but the short, dark-haired boy who was in charge of the slideshow didn’t protest. He lifted up his hands and said something to Maiken. My boyfriend stormed off stage, his features hard as he searched the room.
“Quinn.” Celia’s voice penetrated through the thick fog of hell in my head. “Let’s leave.”
I wasn’t running. I wanted to give Trevor a piece of my mind. I couldn’t let him do this to me and get away with it. For months, I’d been kind to him. I’d helped him with his studies. He’d been in my home and had dinner with my parents and me. He’d sat with Daddy and talked. They had watched basketball together. Daddy treated him like a son.
I clutched my chest, trying to get the stabbing pain to subside. His actions hurt more than the embarrassment gripping me. I’d thought we were friends. I dug deep for strength, set my jaw, and watched Maiken push through the crowd.
I tracked his movements as steam came out of his nose.
My gaze bounced off of him and onto Trevor, who stood ramrod straight. His skin was pale, and his eyes and mouth were wide open.
Voices hummed, and the word “fight” flew out of kids’ mouths with eager anticipation as they watched the drama unfold.
I managed to get my legs to work. I couldn’t let Maiken get into trouble.
The kids hovering around me gave me a wide berth as I marched up to Trevor and Maiken. But it wasn’t the boys I was about to confront. The guilty party, who had a smug look painted on her not-so-pretty face, was Claire. She clung to Trevor, seemingly enjoying herself. In that moment, I wanted to tear into her like a lion who hadn’t eaten in days.
Tessa popped out of the crowd, her shiny silver dress blinding me for a moment. “Quinn, don’t do something you’ll regret.”
I laughed like a hysterical woman who had lost her mind. “Did you watch the same video I just did?” My voice was shockingly calm.
She gripped my shoulders. “It’s grainy at best, and the only thing I saw was a girl who was making out with her boyfriend.”
I snorted as I clenched my fists. “I was trying to tear off Maiken’s clothes.” I didn’t even want to think about the moaning coming out of my mouth.
Someone in the crowd laughed. “You’re hot, Quinn.”
I growled. “Not helping.”
Tessa shrugged. “Then go do something stupid.” She opened her arm, waving me by. “You’ll lose your valedictorian award.”
I wanted to ask her why she cared. But I didn’t have time to hash out why she was being nice to me. Maiken was glaring daggers at Claire, not Trevor.
I clenched my fists as I settled next to Maiken.
Claire puffed out her big chest. “Do you like your graduation gift?”
With every ounce of restraint I could muster, I said, “Thank you.”
Claire inclined her head, pinching her eyebrows together. Apparently, that wasn’t the reaction she was going for.
I had to be the bigger person. I would like to think I had matured, even though I was ready to tackle her to the floor. Tessa was right. I couldn’t do something stupid. I’d worked too hard and been through hell to ensure I made valedictorian.
