Why? Because—unlike Ryan and the rest of his John-Hughes-clichéd friends—I fit in everywhere and with everyone. The artsy crowd dug me because I was into music, the outcasts liked me because I was different than the cookie cutter A-list crowd, and the popular crowd liked me because…well, let’s face it, I was cool. I had confidence and knew how to play the game.
That was all it took in this fishbowl existence we called high school. People our age were suckers. If you showed them what you wanted them to see, they bought it.
Every. Single. Time.
I glanced over at Rose and her friend. They’d stopped goofing around, but a smile lingered on Rose’s lips as they talked.
Rose got that. She knew it just as well as I did, I’d bet. Everyone here thought they knew her—the diva, the star, the theater chick with the killer smile. But I was willing to bet that no one except for maybe her friend Hannah knew anything real about her.
She was all smoke and mirrors and no one knew what was going on behind that pretty face of hers. Not me, not the guys who slavered over her every time she walked by, and definitely not an oaf like Ryan.
My guess? Nothing much. I’d bet that the more you dug the less substance you got. She was as shallow as they come. Vapid and vain, only thinking about what shoes would best show off her legs and which lipstick would make guys drool.
Once upon a time, I’d been blinded by her beauty and her charm, but then she showed her true colors. Fickle and fake.
“Why do you keep looking at my girl, man?” Ryan said as he finally took a seat.
I dragged my gaze back to the moron in question. All right. Fun time was over. I’d been on my best behavior with this buffoon because I actually felt a little bad for the guy.
I’d been on the receiving end of a Rose rejection and it wasn’t fun.
But now he was targeting Simone and trying to draw me into a fight, and everyone knew the best way to shoot down a bully was to stand up to them, right?
Right.
Now I just hoped I’d be able to walk away from this without a broken jaw.
I leaned back in my seat, tipping it so I was balancing on the back two legs as I smirked over at him. “Your girl? From what I hear, she dumped your butt this morning in the parking lot.”
A few of the guys snickered. Andrew just shook his head in weary resignation and turned his attention back to the salad he was eating.
“She didn’t dump me,” Ryan said. He dug into his lunch and some of the threat diminished. It was hard to be too scared of a guy who was unpacking the bagged lunch his mommy had made for him.
I should have let it go. Let the guy have his pride. But I didn’t. “What would you call it?”
Crap. Me and my big mouth. Simone elbowed my side under the table with a huff and I knew she was thinking the same thing.
All the guys at the table were now staring at Ryan, waiting for him to answer.
His face was still red, but I had a feeling now it was more embarrassment than rage.
Poor guy.
Poor idiot.
Anyone who fell for Rose was such a sucker.
“I was done with her anyways,” Ryan muttered.
Every guy at the table exchanged knowing smirks. This dude had been crazy for Rose and we all knew it. Everyone in this school had known it…except maybe Rose.
If she had, then she wasn’t just a superficial drama queen, she was cruel, to boot.
I glanced over at Rose’s table one last time. Nah. I didn’t think she was that mean, just self-absorbed. I’d bet money the girl had never once been in Ryan’s shoes. She’d never been dumped—at least as far as I knew, and she’d likely never given a single thought to how it felt.
“Sure you were, man.” Andrew gave Ryan’s shoulder a little pat and he managed to say it without sounding patronizing.
This was why Andrew was beloved in this school. He was an honest-to-goodness good guy on top of being an amazing baseball player.
Ryan’s pride seemed to be soothed a bit, and I could practically see his male ego swell along with his chest. “At least I lasted longer than any of you guys.”
There were a few good-natured laughs at that, but I stiffened.
It was on the tip of my tongue to point out he’d lasted exactly as long as every other guy here.
Two weeks.
Was I the only one who noticed that? Wasn’t anyone else paying attention?
For once I managed to keep my mouth shut…thanks in no small part to Simone’s death grip on my arm. So, I could say in all honesty, it wasn’t my fault when Ryan singled me out with a point of his finger. “I lasted longer than you, man. Admit it.”
I scoffed as all eyes flew to me to see how I’d react. I shrugged. “How should I know? I barely remember hanging out with that girl.”
Ryan smirked like he’d just made some point. Like he’d won.
I stiffened all over again, my gut churning with a sensation I was not proud of. I should let it go. This guy was just in a foul mood and looking to make a point…
“I was never stupid enough to actually date the girl,” I said.
Reason had lost the battle.
But seriously. I had my pride, and I had a certain reputation to protect.
“Sophomore year,” Ryan
