Four Doors Down(63)

“I want to talk to you.”

I glance around desperately; it’s not just his table watching me. I feel myself blushing. Oh God, please don’t out me in front of all these people, I’d die. The whole school would know about it by the end of the day. I’ll be a complete laughing stock.

“What about?”

“You know what about.” His voice is loud and clear. Oh f*ck, everyone really is listening.

My eyes find Jake, who’s sitting next to him. He’s watching me, glancing back at Ryan every so often. Jake will rescue me; he won’t let Ryan do this to me. I plead with my eyes, but he just sits there waiting. Yup, he knows. Clearly Ryan’s told him and he wants to see this pan out. Great, my last hope is gone.

Ryan sighs loudly and abruptly stands, picking up his bag. He cocks his head toward the nearest exit. “Are you coming? Or are we gonna have to do this in front of everyone?”

There’s literally not a sound in the room. I’m going to die of shame. My heart is beating loudly in my chest, but I freeze. I don’t know what the best thing to do is. I really don’t want to have this conversation with him. When I don’t react, something flashes in his eyes and he drops his bag back onto the floor.

“Fine,” he bites out. His voice isn’t particularly loud but to me in the silence of the room, it feels like he’s shouting. “Are you back with Charlie?” he asks me.

Blood rushes to my head. Why the hell is he talking about Charlie? What is he doing? Oh God, this is it. He’s going to tell the whole school I jumped him after finding out about Charlie. I glance around desperately looking for some teachers or lunch staff that might stop this, but I can’t see anyone. It’s just face after face of students staring back at me, waiting for my moment of humiliation. My hands start to tremble at my sides.

When I don’t respond, he scoffs at me. “You’re back with him after what he did to you?” he continues. “When he was f*cking someone else behind your back?”

I hear gasps from the watching students, but I don’t look at them. I only stare at Ryan and the look of disgust on his face. I’m actually shaking now. Why is he doing this? And why does he think I’m back with Charlie? Does he actually think that little of me?

My silence seems to infuriate him further. “No, wait. Actually, it was you he was f*cking behind her back, wasn’t it?”

Oh my God. He did it. He told everyone what Charlie did to me. He just told the whole damn school. There are shocked gasps, murmurs, and snickers around me. I bite my lip to try to stop it from trembling. My stomach starts churning and I actually think I might throw up.

I see Jake stand and say something to him, trying to get him to move away, but Ryan ignores him, not looking away from me. All I can hear is the blood rushing to my ears.

“And you’re back with him.” This time, it’s not a question and he sounds bitter. Really bitter. I don’t know why he thinks this, why he’s just told everyone this. I was right all along—he just wants to make me look a fool and ruin my life.

He opens his mouth again and I know this is it, the moment he tells the whole school that I kissed him after finding out my * ex-boyfriend was cheating on me, that I was that desperate and pathetic after being betrayed I thought I could jump him. But Sam cuts him off. “No she’s not back with that idiot,” she snaps at Ryan. I look at her and can tell she’s pissed. Sam doesn’t get angry, but she looks angry now. “But thanks for telling everyone that. Nice, Ryan, real nice,” she continues, her voice is cold and she’s looking at him in disgust. “Is there anything else you want to announce to the whole student body?” Her words cut through the silence of the room and that’s when he glances around and seems to notice for the first time that everyone is watching us. “Nothing to say now?” she asks, staring him down. “Shame you weren’t this quiet a few minutes ago,” she mutters. “Now we’re late so…” She lets the sentence linger, sending him a death glare. I glance back at him still shaking and find his eyes are back on me. She touches my arm and I look at her like she’s given me a lifeline. She turns toward the door and I follow her on trembling legs. We exit and make our way down the hallway, away from the silence of the cafeteria and the total humiliation I’ve just suffered in there.

She glances at me sideways. “Are you okay?”

I nod but feel anything but okay.

“What was that about?”

I swear I’m still shaking. From terror, from adrenaline, I have no idea. I shake my head. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.” I turn and rush from school, all my good intentions of not ditching gone. I need to get the hell away from this school. Now.





I’m lying on my bed when there’s a knock on my door. Sam sticks her head in; clearly she’s come straight from school. “Hey. Can I come in?” I nod in response.

She comes and sits down in front of me. “Okay, spill. What is going on between you and Ryan Jackson?”

I just groan in response.

“Becca!”

“Do you know what happened after we left?”

“Erica said he kicked over a chair and then disappeared with Jake.”

Oh God. “Did everyone see?”

“Yup. Everyone’s been talking about it all afternoon.”