A constant buzzing finally managed to wake me up, and I groaned, reaching blindly for my phone. My eyes felt heavy, with the remnants of both sleep and tears, and I could feel a headache coming on. The stupid buzzing was certainly not helping my case.
“It's been ringing for half an hour.” Olivia's soft voice reached me from the other side of the room, and I finally opened my eyes. It was dark outside, the soft lamp on Olivia's desk the only source of light in the room. She was sitting on her bed, reading a book, tracing the words with her index as she always did. I groaned again as I sat up, folding my legs under me and leaning my head on the headboard.
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked, pulling my hair back.
“A couple of hours. You looked so tired I didn't want to wake you up to answer your phone.”
As if on cue, the buzzing started up again. I stared at the screen, the unsaved number flashing back at me. A few seconds of contemplation passed before I swiped on the green button and brought the phone to my ear.
“Hello?My voice was thick with sleep, and I cleared my throat.
“Ivy?”
My heart dropped to my stomach, I knew who it was, but I couldn't believe it.
“Who is this?” I asked, praying to anyone who would listen that I was wrong, delusional, still dreaming… anything.
“It's me, Kieran.”
A beat of silence passed between us. I was right, and I certainly didn't want to be. What did he want?
“How did you get my number?” I sounded angry to my own ears, and I pinched the top of my nose, fighting against the oncoming headache.
“Salem gave it to me. I had to beg for it.” Kieran chuckled, then remembering his point, he stopped. “can we talk, please?”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“Please, Ivy. I know you saw us earlier, but give me a chance to explain myself. It's not what it looked like.”
I rolled my eyes, the familiar excuse made me want to rip my hair out. Did every boy in this school think I was stupid?
“You have nothing to explain,” I quipped. “You don't owe me anything, and neither do I.” Before I could think about it twice, I hung up the phone.
A heavy sigh escaped my chapped lips as I scrolled through my contacts, and when I found the name I needed, I gripped the phone tightly to my ear.
“Hello, princess.” Salem sounded cheerful, far too relaxed for my liking.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I struggled to keep from screaming.
“Woah, good evening to you too, V.”
“You gave Kieran my number.” It wasn't a question.
“Yes, I did. Did he call you?”
I ignored him. “Why would you do that?”
“Because he needed to talk to you. He explained what happened, and I thought you should hear it too.”
“We all saw what happened. He paraded Makayla in the hallways in front of half the school and shoved his tongue down her throat after he kissed me. Twice, might I add.” I was fuming at this point, the stinging of humiliation burning behind my eyes.
“It's not what it looked like, V.” Salem sighed, the sound of a door closing on his end of the line echoed around him.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I gripped my hair, frustrated with both of them at this point.
CITEȘTI
The Bet : A Rosewood High short story
Proză scurtă"Here is your first thousand." "The bet was for two thousand dollars. "True, but you get the rest when you break up with her." "And it has to be public. I want Ivy humiliated in front of the entire school. That'll teach her where she belongs." "The...
