The Scandal

8. Confession

With that, she walked out before I could even argue.

I mean, I tried to argue, saying, "Wait! Mom! Mom, I can't! Mom!"

She didn't come back, though.

I turned back to my reflection and I knew she was right. I had to tell Leo before he found out from the cover of some magazine.

Not only did I have to tell him before I told the world, but I had to tell all my friends that didn't know yet. I hadn't even told Natalie, and she was my best friend. I felt bad, but it didn't seem right to tell her over the phone, and she was back home. I wanted to say it in person, but it would be too long before I got to see her like that.

I also had to tell Gracie, who I'd kind of been avoiding. She thought I was being weird because her brother and I broke up, but that wasn't the case, she would soon find out.

Time was running out quickly. That small bump had just shown up, but it would only grow, and it would keep growing until it gave me away completely, to Leo and to everyone else.

I thought about what I'd say all day. I had it in the back of my mind even as I was acting, and when the director yelled, 'Cut!', I knew just why. I kept messing it all up.

Once the day was over, though, and I still hadn't told Leo anything, I was a nervous wreck. I had to do it right then; I wouldn't even see him tomorrow. Tomorrow was Saturday, and, as I'd recently discovered, time was running out.

You should tell Leo today.

My Mom somehow knew that her saying 'should' would resonate with me more than her saying 'have to'. 'Have to' was annoying, and I'd been quite the hormonal mess. Mom knew if she said 'have to', it would piss me off just enough to not do it.

But 'should' weighed on my conscience.

Mateo was waiting on me by the door, like he always did when he took me home.

Leo was standing and scrolling on his phone, like he always did when he waited on his Mom to pull up.

I could have walked to Mateo. I could have left. But I shouldn't have.

I did anyway. At first.

At first, I left and hopped in the passenger's seat of Teo's car. He put it in reverse and started to back out of the parking spot.

Then I said, "Wait. Stop."

"What?" He turned to me, raising his eyebrows and putting his foot on the break.

"Let me out."

He looked confused, but he did what I asked him to do, put the car in park and let me get out, maybe because my voice sounded more serious than it ever usually did. 

I don't know how I felt as I walked back inside, or when I spotted Leo, standing alone and just so carefree, but that's probably because I felt too much to actually put it into words. It was just like someone was stomping through a pile of thoughts and emotions in my head as they screamed, louder and louder.

"Leo."

When I said his name, he looked up, and smiled.