The Girl I Was Before (Falling #3)(31)

Tabitha went to our high school, and she played on the team there with Cass. She’s also Chandra’s cousin—and like Chandra, Tabitha never really cared for my sister. So I’m sure she was happy to help spread a lie about me, and I’m sure Chandra told her it would hurt Cass.

When we get back to the house, I do a frenzied search online for myself, for the video. Nothing comes up, but now I know it might. The threat is real. I search through Tabitha’s Facebook posts—glad she’s too stupid to keep her page private. When I see pictures of her and Chandra, I feel my blood boil. Without waiting, I pull my phone into my hand and type a message to Houston.

Got your message. Yes. I’ll take the room.





Chapter 6





Houston



Sounds good.



I wrote that to Paige a week ago, and then nothing. I should probably find out when she’s coming back to campus, when she’ll be here, when I should start her lease. Lease! I need to send her paperwork for that, too. Not that I don’t trust her, but my mom insists on lease papers ever since we had a freshman guy leave in the middle of the night two years ago—owing us six hundred bucks.

I need you to sign a lease…



I look at my text and delete it before sending. That sounds cold. I don’t want to sound cold, but I don’t want to sound…I don’t know…flirty? That’s why I haven’t written anything since. If she’s really moving in, then things need to stay a certain way. But I also don’t want her to think I’m just her landlord now. But I guess that’s really all I am.

Hey. When you have a sec? I need to get some lease papers to you. Email?



I hit SEND and quit worrying about it, returning to my empty shopping cart and the list my mom pulled together of things to get for Christmas. I missed the visit to Santa this year, so Mom took notes. It seems Leah is into Barbie now. Last year, she was all about trucks and things with wheels. I understand that stuff. Barbie, though—that was more of a Bethany thing. She would have loved this shopping list.

I’m standing in the aisle labeled BARBIE ACCESSORIES when my phone buzzes with a call. It’s Paige, and I’m a little surprised she’s calling instead of just texting back.

“Hey, what’s up?” I answer, tucking the phone in the crook of my neck while I read some package of various Barbie shoes and purses. They’re all made of plastic, and the entire thing costs forty bucks. Seems like a rip-off.

“You needed lease info. Remember?” I smirk when she speaks, the irony that I’m looking at college-girl Barbie, and talking to one on the phone, strikes me as funny.

“Right. I kinda thought I could just email it to you?” I ask, picking up a pink car, wondering if maybe I can get away with something like this instead. “Hey…would Barbie rather have a bunch of plastic boots or a Corvette?”

“What?” Paige sounds confused, and irritated. Her phone is breaking up, and I can tell she’s out somewhere doing something. Whatever, she called me.

“I’m shopping for Leah, and she wants Barbie stuff. But it all looks kind of, I don’t know…lame,” I put the car back when I realize the doors don’t even open.

“Right, anyhow…” she says. “So can you just fill it out with me over the phone? I can sign when I get there. I don’t really have a scanner or whatever here. I’m at my parents’ house.”

“Sure, yeah. I guess. I’ll call you later and go through the questions. It’s all pretty simple,” I say.

“Great,” she says. I wait for her to hang up, but when I realize she hasn’t, I feel kind of oddly glad. “So…that’s a no on the Corvette?”

Paige huffs into the phone, and it makes me laugh. “Is there a horse?” she asks.

“No, it’s not those little pony things. Just Barbie,” I say, my eyes glazing over at the row of dolls. They all look exactly the same, just different dresses. It’s weird.

“Uhm, I know that. I meant Barbie’s horse. Barbie has a horse. Is there one of those?” She’s insistent.

“I don’t know. Hang on,” I say, kneeling and scanning down the row of pink and yellow and purple things, until I finally come across a horse and carriage. “Yeah! There is one!”

“That’s what you get,” she says.

“Just this? You sure? I shouldn’t back it up with like,” I pick up another accessory pack, “Barbie’s Mission to Mars set or Barbie Loves Dogs vet set?” This marketing is amazing. Does this shit really work?

“If you want. But the horse will be it. That’s the best gift she’ll get. Trust me on this,” she says, and I look at the other things in my hands and decide to believe her, putting them all back and tossing the horse and carriage set in the basket and moving on to clothes.

“Awesome, thanks. You just saved me an hour and probably a hundred bucks,” I say.

“Well, that’s the toy I always wanted, so…” Her voice trails off, but I hang on. Something about what she says makes me happy and sad at the same time. The silence lasts for a few seconds, and then she shakes it off. “All right, so call me when you want to get that info…for the lease.”

“Yeah, okay,” I say, wondering if I should say more. It doesn’t matter though, because Paige hangs up first.