That same night I have all my friends over so we can talk about prom and college applications and every other senior year talk. And we did for a little, but pizza and a movie turned out to be the plan anyway.
When the movie was over and there were few pizza crusts left on the boxes, I heard Adam speak.
"Stay just like that." I only realized he was talking to Cyrus when I looked over at Adam with his one eye squinted and aiming a mozzarella packet at him.
"Hell no, I don't trust that for a second," Cyrus said immediately before even turning around to see what he was doing.
"C'monnn" He whined. "I have this very strong urge to chuck this at your back. It's like an itch I can't scratch until you let me."
"Stay itchy," Cyrus said before throwing himself on the couch. Adam chucked it at him anyway and the two start arguing and throwing packaged cheese at each other.
I look up at Natalie from where my head rests on her lap. She had been braiding my hair while I had my legs sprawled out on Declan on the other side of the coach. Natalie was watching the two being as stupid as they came, but she looked a little while longer at Cyrus. I don't know what she had been thinking, but it caused the softest smile on her face.
Adam and Cyrus ended up in the kitchen, leaving the three of us in the living room. I kicked Declan gently with my foot to get his attention. When he looks at me I nudge my head in the direction of the kitchen, signaling that I needed some girl talk with Natalie.
"I'm going to go make sure they don't break anything in there," He announces before he gets up to leave.
"Thank you!" I say after him.
When he's gone, I sit up immediately and stare at Nat. She looks at me like something was wrong, not knowing what I was thinking.
"You like him," I say.
"Like who?" She asks, but her cheeks are already warming.
"You like Cyrus and you haven't told me one thing about your feelings yet."
"I-" She fails to start. "Well, I- um."
"Natalie... it's okay if you like him. You're allowed to move on from your last relationship."
"I know but it's not just that," She admits slowly.
"Then what else could it be?"
"Lillian," She frowns. "I'd have to be an idiot if I didn't notice the way she feels about him. I know we're not actually friends like that but I would still feel bad about it knowing she has like the biggest crush on him."
"Lillian had a crush on Cyrus for all the wrong reasons. She didn't know him outside of his looks. Plus, I fixed that today. She just needed an extra push to make her realize who she really has a crush on."
She frowns more. "Who does she really have a crush on?"
"Tucker the fuck- I mean um... Tucker. Just Tucker from the school paper team."
She gasps. "Wait no." She thinks about it and gasps again. "Tucker, really?" She thinks about it again. "Aw, that actually makes so much sense. No duh, he's had a crush on her all year long." She says that last part to herself more than to me.
"Mhmm. Now, where's your excuse?" I ask her in an accusatory tone. Her blush returns.
"Nowhere I guess," She admits shyly. "But, would that be okay with you? He's your best friend and all."
"And you're my best friend too, Nat. After the kind of relationship you had with Jeremey, you deserve nothing less. Cyrus is really great, and I know he's going to take of you if you let him."
She thought about my words before saying anything. Then when she does speak, it's her pouring out her opinions of him. "He's so sweet to me and he really takes my feelings into consideration and I've never had that in a relationship before. He's just... completely supportive and always ready to listen and-" She stops herself for a moment. "Wow, I think I really do like him."
My heart warms at that, for two of my best friends who I can be happy for. Especially for Nat, the sweetest girl I have ever called a friend, who always thinks of others feelings and would never do anything to intentionally hurt someone. After being treated the way she was, she really needs him, and I know he needs her too.
Now shut up about it before you cry, I think to myself.
"Find out a way to talk to him, tonight." She nods with a beaming smile to finish.
And our conversation ends just in time to hear some glass shattering from the kitchen.
"It wasn't me!" Adam shouts and I roll my eyes before Natalie and I go to observe.
We get to the kitchen and both Adam and Cyrus are staring at Declan who's looking down at his phone with a shattered glass not too far from him.
"I'm sorry," he says as he looks up and the smile on his face confuses me. "I'm sorry, I just-"
He walks over to me, careful to avoid the mess and when he brings me his phone I notice the unshed tear in his eye. He hands me the phone and digs both his hands into his hair as he waits for me to read a message from his stepmom Julie.
Your dad is out of hospice. His treatments have been helping. It's looking good Declan, really good. Please come home!
————————
Later that night, when my friends all went home, I was alone with my thoughts.
Over the past few weeks, with all the chaos of criminals and high school responsibilities, it was really hard to feel relaxed.
Dad has spent this time getting all the information he could from the men he arrested. He needed locations, names, addresses, and everything else he could gather to shut down their entire business and he did it. He actually did it.
And then Declan received the good news on his dad. He had kept his struggle to himself, not wanting to put more on my plate of issues. I told him that I wanted to know everything, and I wanted to know it always. This was a two-person relationship and he shouldn't feel bad about telling me anything he was going through.
After that discussion and reassurance, he told me about his dad. They had slowly been talking more, even though Declan was still furious with him for keeping such a big thing secret from his family. They weren't perfect but they were getting somewhere.
That's why it was harder for Declan to accept the fact that his dad was in hospice. There just wasn't enough time and he started feeling hopeless.
Everything with Giovanni and his men had been a distraction from his feelings about it. He explained he didn't know if he had the emotional strength to deal with it again.
And then came the good news and the relief that radiated through him made both of us feel so happy.
Natalie and Cyrus left my house together in the same car. I knew they were talking about their feelings tonight, maybe even making things official.
It was nothing but good news and even better feelings as we came closer to the end of the year.
We had made our plans to go to prom as a group and the boys felt as confident as they could be about their game on Friday. Everything was looking up.
I went to bed feeling happier than I felt in a long time. I finally felt relaxed.
The End...
The End?
The En-
My phone buzzed from my dresser with a phone call. Natalie's caller ID showed on the screen.
"Hello?" I answered when I picked up my phone. My phone kept buzzing with messages and the line beeped with another call.
"Rowena? What's going on?" She sounded frantic.
"What do you mean Nat? I was just going to bed."
"Row, did you not see what's circulating online?"
"No... what's circulating online?" I asked nervously.
"I'll send you the link," She said quickly. I waited in the silence while Natalie tapped and scrolled through her phone to find what she was looking for. I got a buzz along with a few other messages from other people.
I went to Natalie's messages and clicked on the link she sent me. It was a picture of tomorrow's school paper.
Good Morning Routledge High and Breaking News!
We're doing things a little differently this print and here's why; It's time to spill some tea!!!
Don't you think it's time for an exposé?
Everybody knew Connor Nelson was a creep. Kicked off the team for sexual assault? Ew! Guess that explains why he started going for older women, Mrs. Dowers if we're talking specifics!
And we all knew our star couple had broken up, didn't we? Poor Natalie Griffith and Jeremey Stewart, we were rooting for you! Oh, but our sympathy goes heavier to Natalie because as it turns out Jeremey wasn't the most loyal boyfriend after all.
Did you know that he was secretly hooking up with Brooke Foster while they were together? Ouch, that one must sting Nat!
But isn't Brooke Foster dating Duncan Smith? Our soccer team's star captain? This is false information ladies and gentlemen. Their relationship is as fake as Alyssa Hopkin's breasts!
Brooke and Duncan were nothing but a cover! That way Brooke can still see Jeremey and Duncan could see his secret new boyfriend. That's right Routledge Rebels, Duncan Smith is definitely into guys! But who is his secret boyfriend? Come out and say hi!
I take a break to adjust to this information. "Natalie what the fuck!" I nearly scream. "Did you know about Jeremey?"
"I don't care about him, did you get to the end yet?"
Her question sets my nerves on edge. I bring the phone away from my face again to look back at the link. It mentions other names and other scandals that I scroll past to look for what she could be talking about.
I nearly drop my phone to the floor as all of my limbs go numb. Because at the very end of the article this is what it says:
Take a deep sigh people, that was a lot of information to take in at once! Who knew there was this much drama and scandal at our very own school?
Well... I guess I did.
Until next time my lovelies, it's been a pleasure to write this exposé for you all! Let me hear your thoughts!
Sincerely and with great enthusiasm,
Rowena Salone! 💋
A/N: okay not gonna lie this chapter was a lot of fun to write. *takes a moment to release the most evil laugh I can muster*
Until next time my lovelies, it's been a pleasure to write this chapter for you all ;););););)
THANKS FOR READING ❤️