It All Began With A Letter

Chapter 21: We're More Alike Than You Think

I sighed as I walked onto the school grounds. I headed towards the horrible building.

As soon as I threw open the doors and stepped foot in the hallways, everyone turned to look at me, obviously knowing what had gone down at the beach. Almost everyone had been there and if they hadn't been, then they already knew.

There were low whispers as I walked by and people pointed and stared at me. I don't think they could've been any less obvious.

As I approached my locker, I saw Logan and Ashley standing there. By their expressions, I could tell it was a pretty intense conversation.

"What's up?" I asked when I reached them. I put in my combination and opened my locker, throwing in my books and taking out my materials for next class.

"Are you okay?" they asked me.

Yesterday, they hadn't gotten a chance to see me. By the time I came home, it was about 8 and I had headed upstairs, took a shower, and then fell asleep, exhausted. Then today, they had gotten up way earlier than me and didn't bother to wake me up. When I asked Mason why, (he'd slept over last night also) he just explained that they thought it'd best if I didn't come to school today.

Like I care what people thought of me.

I knew that the longer I kept hiding and dodging the subject, the weaker I'd seem. Something I didn't want to be.

"Riley?" Logan asked, waving her hand in front of my face frantically.

I shook my head. "Sorry, I was thinking," I told her as I continued to cram materials into my bag before shutting my locker closed.

"Don't worry. It'll all die down soon," Ashley assured me.

I gave a low chuckle. "I don't need to worry," I told them. "And if it doesn't die down, then that's fine. I'll make it," I said with a shrug.

"Uh-oh. Nine o'clock," Logan said.

We all turned to see Brittany sauntering up to us, Asher following behind. Actually, it didn't look like he was following. It looked like he was being dragged by Brittany, his hand in hers.

I rolled my eyes as she smirked and came to a stop in front of me.

"Just because you won his mother's vote, doesn't mean you won his," she told me.

"I don't give a fuck if I didn't win his vote. It's not my fault he decided to lower his standards," I retorted back.

I heard some 'Ooh's and realized that everyone in the hallway was circled around us, obviously interested in the gossip and whatnot.

"I know you're jealous," she told me.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Jealous?"

"Yeah." she answered. "You're jealous because all the boys want me and not you."

"Oh, no sweetie," I told her as I took a step closer to her. "All the boys want you, because you're an easy piece of shit. They just want you for a fun night and then the next night, you're onto someone else. Heck, I bet you tomorrow you'll be getting fucked by someone else. But if it comes to beauty and a challenge, I obviously win," I told her.

"Psh, you wish!" she said as she gave me a disgusted look and her eyes raked over my body.

"No, you wish!" I told her. "You wish you were me. Because I'm real where you're just fake. Everything about you is fake. Your boobs, your ass, your hair, your face, your beauty, your personality, your tans," I told her. "You're a living Barbie!"