I look up at Manny, my eyes wary. Damn. I keep forgetting he saw Michael kissing me.
"I told you-"
"Yes," Manny nods. "You told me it was nothing. But I'm going to ask you anyway. You're not messing around with Hayes, are you? Or is he messing around with you? Because that's not right, Taryn. That's really, really not right. And if Pat and Jason were to get wind of that..."
"Don't be ridiculous!" I dab at my eyes with the tissue. "I told you, it was nothing! Mr. Hayes has a girlfriend, dummy. He wouldn't want me, I'm just a teenager!" I force a laugh out and re-tie my apron.
Manny has these probing eyes that seem to bore into you, seeing all the truths you want to hide. I can feel him looking into me and I force myself to return his gaze. Finally, he nods and puts his phone in his back pocket.
"Yeah, alright."
"I'm going to start seeing Ryan now." I add. "He's really into me."
Manny raises one eyebrow. "Ryan?" Then he laughs. "Okay."
"Why is that so funny?" I demand.
Manny shrugs, smirking. The asshole is back. He pulls open the office door. "Go make the burritos. And do it properly please."
"Yes, Sir!" I mutter, pushing past him.
I go back to my work table, then my mind drifts back to that horrible post. My heart races but I tell myself that it will be okay, it will pass and Patrick will get tired of trying to rile me up and he'll find a new target.
My hands shake as I go back to work.
Chapter Twelve
Gym is torture now. Serious torture. I try to keep to myself but I'm well aware of the whispers and laughing. Girls that used to be my friends now smirk at me and try to trip me when I walk by.
I tell myself I don't care, but I do. I will not give them the satisfaction of thinking I give a shit though. I know how this works because I used to do it myself. Kim would pick some hapless victim, some shy girl who was kind of poor or funny looking and we'd all attack.
Now it's my turn.
We play volley ball and normally I'm right up front with Kim and Pam, showing off, but today I stick to the back and hope the ball doesn't come my way. I get hit in the face "accidentally" twice.
Finally, our teacher, Mrs. Hoyt, blows the whistle and we head for the locker room, and a new round of abuse for me.
I hurry to the back of the room where I've chosen a locker the farthest away from Kim's. There is a low humming hiss of whispers and I hear Kim's taunting laugh echoing off the walls. She's got a new "best" friend, a red head girl named Kendall who just moved to the area. She's hanging on Kim's every word and I hear her nasally voice loud and clear.
"I'll do it, I'll ask her!"
I look up as Kendall walks up to me. I ignore her and stuff my tennis shoes into my gym bag and run a brush through my hair.
"Hey, Taryn." She's actually not a very attractive girl, with a pig like face and watery pale eyes, so I'm guessing her family must have money otherwise Kim wouldn't have deemed her worthy. She leans against the locker next to mine, her arms crossed. "Is it true you have this really gross scar on your chest?"
I slam my locker shut and stalk towards the door, my gym bag on my shoulder. Kim steps out and blocks my path, her upper lip curled over her teeth.
"Of course, it's true!" she laughs. "I've seen it. It's all gnarly and gross. She's like Frankenstein!"
Kim and Kendall laugh loudly and gently shove each other. Over Kim's shoulder I see Pam, smiling and then Linda comes up and adds her stupid little giggle to the mix. Oh my God, I hate them. I used to tell these girls everything. I try to push past them and Kim blocks me again.
"I have a message from Teri. You're off the cheer team. Turn your pom poms into the office and your uniforms too. Have them cleaned first though, no one wants your gross cooties!"
Kendall snorts and I hear Linda mutter something under her breath.
I turn around, staring Linda down. "What did you say?"
For a second Linda looks a little afraid of me. I know she wasn't expecting me to fight back. But then she raises her chin and regards me coolly.
"I said 'slut'."
I take a deep breath. I know I should just shut the fuck up, but I'll be damned if I'll let these girls think they can scare me.
"I'm the slut?" I look Linda right back in the eye, my gaze hard. "If I recall, you were the one who gave Jason a blow job behind the bleachers right after he broke up with Kim the first time." I glance at Kim, who's gone stiff. "Oops. I guess I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that, was I? My bad."
Linda looks like she's going to puke. She turns to Kim, shaking her head. "She's lying, I never-"
"I know she's lying!" Kim snaps. "She lies all the time. Like going behind my back to try to get Ryan. Pam and Linda told me everything, Taryn."
I shrug, keeping my gaze calm. I know just how to push Kim's buttons. I've spent a lot of years on the sidelines, observing. "So? You don't own Ryan. I can't help it if he likes me now instead of you."
Kim snorts. "My sloppy left overs. Well you are a dog, so I guess left overs are what you like!"
Kendall hoots with laughter. What a freaking moron.
Suddenly it dawns on me and I smile slowly. "You're afraid," I say to Kim.
"Afraid of what?" Kim tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Of you? Yeah, right!"
"You're afraid that the guys you've dumped will like one of us better. That's why you
