To Where Destiny Leads Us//SM

Chapter 22: Finding Out

"Okay, big man, what do you wanna do?" I ask Shawn. We're currently in my room. I just emailed that English homework (yep, I was still working on that. I think it's one of the best arguments I ever wrote. The due date is tomorrow. I finished it just in time) and I'm now putting stuff in my purse. "Hand me my phone, will you?" I ask Shawn. "It's on the bedside table."

He looks behind him, grabs the phone and gives it to me. I put it in my purse and look at Shawn. "Hm..." He thinks. His thinking face is legit so cute. Everything about him is cute.

Oh, shut up, Emma.

"How about...the ice cream shop?" He suggests.

I laugh, "You know, it's actually getting colder outside. We are in February."

"Yet, we were still eating ice cream in January!" He chuckles.

"Not my fault if the weather has temperature swings! I swear, it is acting like a moody teenager!"

He chuckles and opens the bedroom door. Kim passes in front of us in the hallway. "You guys are going somewhere?" She asks.

"Yep, ice cream shop," I answer. Shawn laughs a bit and I can see the look of confusion on Kim's face.

I honestly wish I could video tape this moment.

"Wanna come?" I finally ask Kim.

A smirk curls on Kim's lips. She looks from me to Shawn. "Nope," She finally replies, still with a smirk. "You guys need your alone time."

She is damn right.

Oh, shut up, Emma.

She walks away. Shawn and I look at each other, half confused. Well, I'm half confused. I dunno how Shawn is feeling.

Does Kim know something I don't?

Oh, I just remembered...

SHE KNOWS WHO REVEALING THINGS IS!!!!

I run to Kim's room, which I guess is where she was heading to. "Emma!" Shawn calls after me. I arrive at Kim's room. Kim is sitting in front of her mirror and applying makeup.

"What?" She asks.

In the corner of my eye, I see Shawn arriving behind me, looking confused.

"You...you didn't say who Revealing Things was," I finally say.

Kim stops half into applying lipstick. "Oh." She says shortly.

"Oh?" I ask, my eyebrows shooting up.

Kim stands up. She shifts uncomfortable from right foot to left.

"Tell me," I soften my tone.

"Okay...you might wanna sit for this..." She sits on her bed and pats it, signaling me to sit next to her. I did. She takes a deep breath. She opens her mouth like she's about to say something, but then closes it.

"So?" I frown.

"Are you sure you wanna hear this?" Kim laughs awkwardly. "Today is a beautiful day. I mean...really!" She points out the window.

"Kim...tell me, I have to know," I beg, desperate.

She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "Revealing Things is..." She trails off. She looks at me now. Her eyes meeting mine. "Emma, Revealing Things is Bryn... and Carole."

No. No. No. No.

No way.

No freaking way.

It's not true.

No way.

I feel my stomach turn into a knot and my heart drop. "W-what?" I stammer. Shawn rushes to my side. I forgot he was actually witnessing this whole moment. I guess he was scared I would faint or something because he puts an arm around me.

Kim looks down at her hands. Shawn kneels down in front of me and puts my hands in his. "Emma...you're shaking."

"Sh-shawn..." I tear escapes my eye and rolls down my cheek. "Sh-she's my f-friend." My voice is shaking as I talk.

"Em..." He looks at me with a sad look on his face. Kim looks at me and wipes the tear off my cheek.

After a moment, I find myself sobbing in Shawn's arms as I listen to Kim's story.

"Bryn is...obsessed with Shawn," Kim starts. "You can't imagine. I went to her house for an hour or so, and all her walls are practically covered with posters of you, Shawn. I was in awe. I have never seen as many pictures of the same person plastered over walls like that before.

"She thought of you, Emma, as a threat," Kim went on, "She created this whole scheme to make Shawn hate you. But, Carole was way ahead of her, and because of that, they started working together while actually pretending to hate each other.

"One day, they cornered me after school. You know me, Em'. I don't deal with bullies. But, they threatened to tell the whole school about my parents. I made such great friends and I was so worried to lose them because of this, so I agreed.

"I know I shouldn't have because I hated it. Bryn and Carole were constantly bossing me around and breathing down my neck to do this and that..."

"I can imagine," Shawn mutters under his breath.

"One day," Kim didn't seem to hear Shawn, "Mark found out about...everything: my parents, what Bryn and Carole were doing to me... He is such great friend! He pretended to be in on this with Bryn and Carole, and he pretended to hate you just to help. 

"See, Carole showed up here totally unannounced and took the freedom to search your room while I was trying to convince her there wasn't anything she could find. I texted Mark and told him, so he texted Carole to convince her to tell Eddie where she was because I was sure you two were together. And it worked very well, except that you hated me afterwards. I deserved it damn well.

"Then, again, Bryn said that if I didn't pull the raspberry juice prank on you, she would tell everyone, blah blah blah... Luckily, Mark was here when she said that. He had the idea of us making out in the kitchen so you wouldn't suspect a thing. And, as usual, it worked. We came up with the idea to just put washable paint in the water. I didn't want to ruin your outfit. And damn you, smartass, having the idea to make me splash my own clothes. Forever grateful I came up with the idea of washable paint. The whole crying thing was just a scene.

"Then, I had enough. Like, totally enough of all of this. I told Carole and Bryn I didn't care if they would tell everyone. I even had to fake with Jamie. Ugh. I have lost her and everyone back at my old school, and worst of all I lost you.

"I gave Eddie the date idea and helped him set it up, hoping you would forgive me. Thank you about that, by the way," Kim finished.

I am utterly speechless. "Wow," is all I manage to say - more like mutter. At this point, I'm not even crying. I'm just enjoying myself in Shawn's arms.

Oh, shut up, Emma.

But, then, the tears come rushing back. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that, Kim!" I sob and sob and sob. I can't believe Kim had to go through all that. I would die if that ever happened to me. Kim is strong as heck. 

Kim looks at me with a sympathetic look. "Can you stop crying? I'm gonna start crying now!" And sure enough, a tear rolls down her cheek. "See!" She exclaims. I chuckle a bit and wipe my tears using my sleeve. Shawn peels his arm off from around me, and Kim and I throw our arms around each other, like long lost sisters, who finally, finally, found each other.

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-Author, J