Cheaters Anonymous

chapter 38 | deadly competition

As soon as I entered Calington, I saw the halls were buzzing with concession stands, bubbly cheerleaders, and excited bystanders sporting flowers and colorful posters. I scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face.

"So you came alone?"

The snide voice belonged to Aiden.

He laughed, his eyes shining as he stepped closer to me. "Did you finally realize Ellis wasn't the one for you? Or did you come here to cry while he's on stage performing-" He lowered his voice, even though no one else was paying attention to us. "Which I wouldn't do. After the competition there's a killer party, with a lot of girls coming. And as soon as they learn that Ellis is back on the market, they'll be all over him."

I fumed, turning back. I couldn't believe the guy standing next to me used to be one of my friends - right now, all I saw was a heartless stranger.

"What did I do to you?" I said.

He raised his eyebrows, his taunting temporarily paused as if he hadn't expected that question.

"You were my friend, Aiden, until you became this entitled jerk that expects someone to like them back because they do. It doesn't work that way."

Aiden was quiet. I had finally rendered him speechless, but before I could walk away with the satisfaction of that, I heard him again.

"You humiliated me, Reeves."

"What are you talking about?" I said. There were a lot of people milling in the halls so I wasn't scared of Aiden- not this time.

"Sutton's party. Just a few weeks before New Year's. We went to the party together, remember? The beach house." Aiden moved closer to me, his eyes flashing.

I did remember. Aiden had convinced me to go to the party, because he said it would be fun.

"C'mon, D. Live a little," He had teased. And so of course, I agreed to accompany him.

I really shouldn't have.

"Ellis was there," Aiden said. "At one point in time, you left to go get a drink. The guy cornered me and you know what he said to me? He said a guy like me would never get a girl like you. That I wasn't even good enough for someone like you."

I looked up at him, surprised. I hadn't even realized that Ellis knew I existed back then. Even when he told me the first time he saw me, he hadn't mentioned that. 

Aiden shook his head in distaste. "I couldn't stand that cocky fuck. He made me feel like this wuss who just accepted getting led on. But his words got me thinking, and so I went to go find you. Tell you how I felt. I was going to prove him wrong." He shook his head, heat rising up his cheeks.

"When I went to go find you... someone told me you went up to the room with Sutton. Do you know how I felt? Not only did you reject me, but for that asshole's best friend."

I started to shake my head. "So you think I slept with him? You didn't once think to find out the truth from me?"

When Aiden looked back at me with something close to guilt, I threw my hands up in the air in disbelief. "God, Aiden."

Aiden didn't say anything, his hands dropping to his side awkwardly.

"That day Sutton was very drunk," I said finally, my throat accumulating with sawdust as I remembered. "I think he would've tried something. He kept trying to coax me, but I told him that I didn't want to come upstairs with him. He's held that against me ever since."

I thought of why I had wanted to get revenge on Sutton so badly in the first place. People like him stepped on anyone to get what they wanted, and I wasn't going to take that.