Cheaters Anonymous

chapter 47 | old ties

It was the little things you noticed at first.

Like how Aiden's desk was empty but still in the same position it was always in. His empty locker with its chipped blue spray paint. Everything in the right place, as if he would be back to using it. But he wouldn't return. All that was left in the halls was the ghost of his memory, fading away with each bell, each whisper.

The news spread like wildfire. Everyone had a different thing to say about the case, some skeptics included, but nobody truly knew what had happened. I guessed it was better that way, for all of us.

Even now, I didn't miss him. Maybe flickers of old thoughts would come to my mind, and I would remember the way he had danced at our last formal, laughing like he didn't have a care in the world. The way he'd tap his shoulder against mine before making a joke, his hazel eyes gleaming with contained humor. But then all of that would disappear and I'd remember it was only an illusion.

And as far as I was concerned, that had died with him.

"Welcome to Calington. A world of seriously messed up kids and adults," Jasmine said, walking up to me and slinging an arm around my shoulder. "You would think somebody died the way everyone's acting."

She winced as soon as the words were out, flashing an apologetic smile. "Sorry, dark humor is my coping mechanism. I just can't believe Aiden turned out to be such a... sleaze."

My eyes caught sight of the open doors of the main office. No sign of Headmaster Friar. He had probably been fired after word got out that he had been trying to cover for his son.

"Hey, look," Jasmine said, pulling out the flyer attached to the wall. The senior dance. I almost laughed. Right now, it felt like the dance was the last thing on my mind. But still, I could tell Jasmine was trying. "We can go dress shopping after school, and you can finally wear those cute heels you've been meaning to wear."

"Nothing's going to be the same here, is it?" I said quietly, turning to Jasmine. She let out a soft sigh, giving me a wordless answer.

Then, she leaned in, squeezing my hand. "Dakota, you can hate someone and wish things didn't have to be that way at the same time. Even if you don't excuse Aiden as a terrible person, you can feel hurt that he betrayed you."

"It's not that, Jas." I took a deep breath, finally looking her in the eye, about to admit the thing I had been keeping inside. Aiden had seriously gotten into my head.

Maybe if you hadn't chosen Ellis, Catalina would've still been here.

She shook her head as soon as I put my insecurities into words. "You can't blame yourself for something you had no control over. Sutton's a dick, and Aiden's a complete psychopath." She bit her lip, turning her head slightly.

"When the pictures were posted without her consent, everyone pointed fingers at Catalina. They slut-shamed her instead of trying to find out who would've leaked the images in the first place. And you know what? It was never her fault."

She looked up. "If Catalina was here right now, she'd say thank you. Not because you did anything but because you believed her."

As the bell rang, I felt a lump rise in my throat. I didn't know if it was possible to miss someone you had never met - maybe emotions were just running high. But on the other end, Jasmine was right. I had no way of knowing what would happen in the woods, and I couldn't blame myself. 

"There's something I have to do," I said. "I'll see you after school?"

Jas nodded, giving me one last sympathetic smile before disappearing into the halls.