Game Changer

FIFTY-FIVE

Dylan.

Dylan was double crossing us.

My eyes involuntarily widen and my mouth falls agape. As if sensing me, Dylan looks in my direction and we just stare at each other, daring the other to look away first but neither of us do. He raises an eyebrow at me in a silent question and I cock my head to the side as I study him. How did I not put it together? It was so obvious. He, along with the Elite, hated Alex and I being together and I doubt that's just a coincidence. The answers were laid out in front of me this whole time. I can't believe I never saw it.

His eyes widen for a second, him catching on to the fact that I know that he's been lying to everyone for who knows how long. Dylan's gaze is now panic-stricken and he is holding Thalia's shoulder in a tight grip. When I slide my eyes over to Thalia, hers widen with worry before she masks it over with a scowl.

"Sophie?" Alex snaps me out of my little detective moment and I look at him expectantly.

"Are you okay?" He asks me, concern lacing his voice. I snort.

"I'm good." I answer and look at Dylan before Nina looks between the both of us.

"What's going on?" She asks in curiosity. Dylan's jaw tightens and Thalia sits up straighter.

However, I don't have time to answer because someone lets out an "Excuse me" and I turn to see Ashleigh standing up from her seat with a wicked smile. She stands up on her chair and Courtney glances at her in confusion. She mutters something that seems like a demand to get down from the chair but Ashleigh just shrugs her off.

"What's going on?" Alex whispers in my ear and I shake my head, not having an answer to his question. Ashleigh said she wasn't going to let Courtney get away with this but how she was intending to do that, I didn't have a clue.

"Wow," Ashleigh grins at all of us as if she received news that we're all being given a million dollars and a new house. Her smile is so wide, I feel myself growing uneasy. What is this girl doing?

"Isn't funny how we have so many hypocrites sitting in this room?" She asks rhetorically and Courtney tugs at her arm to make her sit down but Ashleigh just laughs as she pulls her arm away from Courtney's grasp.

"I'm not here to be all dramatic and shit so I'm just going to lay it all out. You've all been lied to. Every single one of you. This whole idea of the Rebels and the Elite hating each other has been a complete lie." Ashleigh drops her smile, all traces of humor disappearing from her face and I see the Rebels looking at each other in question.  Except for Dylan, of course. who stares directly at Ashleigh.

"What are you doing, Davis?" Logan sneers at Ashleigh and she waves a hand in the air to dismiss his comment.

"In fact," she says, picking up a pocket folder from the table in front of her. "It's quite the opposite actually. Why? How? Well, this only rivalry has only occurred due to Logan Ross having an undeniable hatred towards his cousin, Alex Rosewood- because we all know who is the better guy between the two of them- and not for any valid reason." She rolls her eyes and Logan's eyes harden. "But that's even the most shocking news! Did you know that our famous Courtney Smith is actually a mother?" Ashleigh spills and I hold my breath as she lays everything out for the whole school to see. Gasps are heard around the cafeteria and Courtney's face pales as she gulps, never removing her eyes from Ashleigh in front of her.

"But that's not even the part that's most shocking," Ashleigh jeers, pulling out a piece of paper from the folder and holding it up as she gazes at it. She looks up at everyone and something like hysteria passes through her eyes. "No, no. That's not the part I find most absurd. It's the fact that it's Dylan Harris's baby."