Rumor Has It (Rumor Has It #1)(5)

“I don’t know, it’s weird. How crazy is it that someone randomly texts you, thinking it’s someone else, but it’s still someone you might know?”

“If anything, you’d know them, I wouldn’t.”

“Hey, you know people,” she says as she opens a bag of chips. “Anyways, it’s weird though, right? I mean, they could’ve texted anyone. Someone in Wisconsin or something. But they didn’t, so you need to text them.”

“Gah, fine!” I drop my shoulders, giving her an exasperated look. “If it’ll get you to shut up, I’ll text them.”

"I love you." A broad smile crosses her lips.

I look down at my phone and suddenly go blank. Why am I nervous to text a complete stranger? What if it’s someone I did know? Would they want to know me? And why am I analyzing a random text to a stranger so much?





Chapter 3





Carter





My pencil moves furiously, as I scramble it across my paper at our lunch table. I stayed up until three o’clock, working on as much of the assignment as I could before finally going to sleep. I’m going to be dead at practice after school, but I have to make sure the assignment is done.

“Dude.” Jeremy looks over the table as he takes a bite of pizza. “I still can’t believe you turned down what would’ve been at least a BJ, to do homework.”

“Shut up,” I mutter under my breath, scribbling more of the equation I’m working on.

"Don't worry. I made sure my bedroom didn't go to waste."

“I’m sure you did.”

“Carter, why don’t you copy someone’s?” Lucas, who’s sitting next to Jeremy, looks over the table at my paper.

“No way.” I flip over to the next page. “You heard what happened last month. Mr. Hilton caught Phillip and Lewis cheating and is docking them down a whole letter grade at the end of the semester. I can’t afford to get docked down a letter.”

I don’t look up, but he must look confused. “His graduation gift,” Matt says, sitting next to me.

“Oh, that’s right,” Lucas replies. “Well, you can at least look at their work, so you’re not stressing.”

Matt takes a bite of his sandwich. “I told him the same thing,” he says with a mouthful.

“No, you guys.” I finally look up. “Last week he said we’re having a test later this week. It’s most likely on all this stuff, and I gotta pass the test too.”

“Still, man.” Jeremy shoots me a look. “Sarah was looking fine as hell last night. She ended up making out with Scott, I think.”

I give Jeremy a deadpan look. “Yeah, and you wonder why it’s not a big deal that I don’t hook up with her anymore. That girl just gives it away.”

Matt snickers as Lucas let out a laugh.

“True.” Jeremy nods. “Plus, you already had a piece of that pie earlier this year.” He flashes the conceited smile he likes to show.

Jeremy loves to bring up the homecoming incident as if it's a badge of honor. Inwardly, I'm still embarrassed by it, but outwardly, I do joke around about it being awesome. I remember later that night, Jeremy and the rest of our basketball team all high-fiving me. It put me on another level.

Rumors spread quickly that night, and before I knew it, we had committed a number of lewd acts in the women's bathroom, the men's bathroom, and a janitor's closet. I was going to tell Jeremy and Lucas the truth, but by the time school rolled around the following week, my popularity had skyrocketed. After that, more rumors started making their rounds, and with each new one, a new level of popularity was unlocked. A couple of weeks went by, and I couldn't bring myself to tell my friends. I didn't like being so concerned with what people thought about me, but this is high school. Our reputation is, like, what determines our net-worth. And after homecoming, I became worth a whole lot more.

My phone chirps.

UNKNOWN: So’d u finish the assignment?





I grin at the screen, wondering who this person is.

ME: Of course





Hey, no need to tell them I’m still working on it. I decide to ask the mystery texter who they are, wondering if they’re even in my class. That’d be weird.

ME: BTW who is this?





I wait for a couple of minutes, but there's no answer. Shrugging my shoulders, I turn back to my book. Only two more pages to complete and I still have a class before calculus.

UNKNOWN: U tell me first

ME: I asked first





First bell rings, letting everyone know lunch is over and it's time to get to class, so I start packing everything up. Jeremy and Lucas take off, but Matt waits for me since we have our last two classes together. Walking away from the table, my phone chirps.

UNKNOWN: U texted me first. That means I should know who’s texting. Plus, I helped u





I stare at my phone with a little annoyance. Even if I did text them first, I’m not going to give this random person my name.

ME: Watevs. Thanks for the help HW-Buddy





I laugh to myself as I head to my next class with Matt.