TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"What the hell just happened here?" Chase glared and Bailey spread her palms apart, her face burning under all the curious eyes that watched Meg's abrupt departure and then swung back to her to accuse her for it.

"Oh my God. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. I have to go after her. I have to—"

"Bailey, going by the look on her face, you're the last person she wants to see right now. Let her settle and then apologize."

Bailey bit her lip. What had she done? She only wanted to keep Ryder's existence a secret just for a while — a little while — before she had to be responsible and mature and logical and practical. What was so wrong with that? Okay, so she'd been ducking Meg all week. And ignored a few texts. And ditched her for lunch. It's not like she wanted to hurt her feelings. She'd just wanted to enjoy feeling special again. She hadn't felt that way since Simon. Bailey's eyes narrowed. Meg had reacted exactly as Bailey expected, which is why she was keeping Ryder a secret in the first place so really Meg should be apologizing to her, shouldn't she?

"What?" Chase folded his arms.

"What, exactly, do I need to apologize for?"

Chase sighed. "You want the list? Okay. You've been blowing her off, you made her think we hooked up, you forgot about her birthday and you kept an entire boyfriend a secret from her. Jeez, Bailey, I thought you guys were best friends."

"We are but —"

"Really? This is what best friends do?" He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Girls."

Bailey's lip quivered. She hadn't forgotten Meg's birthday. Not exactly. She just... well... hadn't actually planned anything for it because she wanted to hang out with Ryder. She pressed both hands to her face and did her best to hold back the tears. Beside her, she heard Chase sigh again.

"Who is this guy, Bay?"

Chase's voice no longer sounded harsh and she was bursting to tell. "Oh, he's so awesome, Chase! We met during a Call of Duty match. We've been talking video games, texting, and chatting. He's really into programming and sent me some ideas for new levels and said he'd show me how to use a game engine. Oh, and he grew up on a ranch — like a real ranch with horses and cattle and stuff."

"He sounds too good to be true."

Bailey's spine straightened. "You, too, huh? I should have seen that coming. I mean, obviously you'd take Meg's side." She shook her head and pressed her mouth into a tight line.

"Bailey, I'm not taking sides here. I'm just stating facts. You didn't go meet this guy, did you?"

She avoided Chase's gaze and merely shrugged.

"Bailey? Oh, tell me you're smarter than that."

"I tried, okay? He's busy with other things."

Chase brought both hands up to his hair, raked it back, and stared at her like it was the first time they'd met. "I can't believe this."

"Oh my God, you sound just like Meg!" Bailey flung her hands up. "I'm a big girl, Chase. I don't need you or her looking down on me because I finally found a guy who really likes me."

"You hope."

Bailey wrinkled her brow. "Hope what?"

"You hope he's actually a guy. Megan's right. He could be some perv."

She shot him a long look and then merely nodded. "So, I'm just some stupid little girl who can't see a con unless her friend draws her a picture? Thanks. Thanks a lot." She shoved back her chair and stalked off, ignoring Chase's pleas to wait.

She thought about hiding in the girls' bathroom again but then decided that she had no reason to hide. She hadn't done anything wrong. She spun the combination on her locker, flung open the door, swallowing a frustrated scream. Okay! So she wasn't as smart as Meg or as athletic as Chase, but she had skills — skills that other people admired — people like Ryder. Just because they'd met online didn't automatically mean he was a perverted ax murderer and it didn't mean she was a brainless airhead. She grabbed books without even looking at them, and slammed the locker door. It wasn't stupid to be Ryder's friend. She stomped to her next class, ignoring the looks and whispers. What was stupid was every body treating her like she still wore training pants. She was seventeen years old! Old enough to know who she shouldn't trust, old enough to know who her dad is, and old enough to know why her mother kept him a secret all these years. She ground her teeth together and made a promise. She'd not only keep talking to Ryder but she'd meet him in person and track down her dad, too. She didn't care if that pissed off Meg and Chase and her mom.

The only apologizing that would be done today would be to her.