Amanda
No one had seen or heard of Brian since his secret came out last week. He hadn't been at school in three days. And I didn't even see him on his porch. I couldn't help but feel guilty but I still didn't understand who spread the secret in the first place.
I was currently chilling at Christine's house with Ethan and Sammy. I explained to them the whole story, after all, there was nothing left to hide.
"I can't believe Brian Mckenzie told you he was a virgin."
I lay on Christine's bed, my eyes to the ceiling.
"Well, believe it."
Ethan was stood up, fiddling with things on Christine's desk.
Sam was lay on his stomach on the floor, as he played on his phone.
"I mean seriously? " Ethan continued. "Brian Bieber hasn't lost his v-card? This is too much of a shock."
Christine slapped his hand. "Would you shut up?"
"What?"
I smirked.
Christine shrugged. "It's really not that big of a deal."
Sam twisted his lips as he looked at his brother. "Maybe your reaction is the reason he couldn't tell anyone. Plus, since when was it a thing to tell people when we'd lost our virginity? Why can't we just keep it to ourselves?"
We all looked at each other in silence for a few moments.
I sat myself up. "Sam's right. It's a private thing...who cares what other people think."
"Brian, obviously," Ethan said. "Brian Mckenzie was like the God of our school. Everyone loved him, and now they're making fun of him. Seems like sex matters."
"To some people" Christine spoke. "Amanda knew Brian's secret this whole time and she didn't tell anyone."
"How did you do that by the way?"
I shrugged. "When we became friends I didn't care about it. I just wanted to be there for him."
They all looked at me sympathetically.
"And now, the secret's out, and he hates me." I lay back down.
"He doesn't hate you, Amanda."
"Are you sure you didn't tell anyone?"
"Yes. I mean I told my friend Cailey, but she lives back home, in my old town."
My friends looked at me with wide eyes.
"What?"
Christine walked over to me.
"Was this over text or call?"
"Text. W-why?"
"You have a little sister, right?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Secrets over texts are forbidden at East Bridge. I hate to break it to you but I think your sister was involved in a revenge plan with the school barbie."
"Jessica Taylor?"
"Mhmm" Christine nodded.
Ethan sighed. "God, she's evil."
"You're saying that Jessica spoke to my sister? Just to get back at Brian?"
"Not necessarily Jessica herself." Sam said.
"Nicole has a younger relative who goes to the same school as your sister." Christine explained.
"But...Lily wouldn't do that to me."
"My guess is Jessica paid her off with something. It's diabolical."
I ran my hands over my face.
"So, you mean to tell me my eleven-year-old sister is the reason everyone knows Brian's secret?"
Christine twisted her lips.
"Pretty much."
"Oh my god. I have to go" I stood up. "I really gotta talk to my sister. And I have to tell Brian what happened."
"He's gonna forgive you. Text us when he does."
I smiled, hugging my friend.
"Thanks, Christine. See you guys later."
---
Brian Mckenzie was laying on his bed that evening. that had been his favourite spot for the last couple of days.
"Brian! The door."
"Who is it?"
"A girl."
Brian sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Amanda? I told you, I'm not speaking to her."
"It's not Amanda."
Brian tilted his head.
"Huh?"
The blonde-haired junior made his way to the door to see Jessica Taylor standing on his doorstep.
He stopped walking.
"You?"
Jessica smiled. "Hey."
"What are you doing here? Have you come to run it in my face? Make fun of me like everyone else?"
Jessica frowned. "No. Actually, I'm here to wave the white flag."
"The white flag?"
"Since we broke up, there's been all of this tension between us. I've been wanting to talk to you for so long, and I didn't know how. Although I wish it happened under different circumstances, I think the right time is now."
Brian licked his lips, as he thought.
"You can come in."
"Thank you."
They walked to Brian's bedroom and he closed the door behind them.
"So what's up?"
Jessica hesitated. "Why didn't you tell me, Brian?"
"Seriously?"
"Yes seriously."
"You would've judged me!"
"No, I wouldn't have."
"Come on, Jessica. You're the most popular girl at school, do you really think I would have told you I'd never slept with a girl? It's embarrassing."
"Surprising, yes. Embarrassing? Not really."
"You're only saying that because you feel sorry for me, and I really don't want you to feel that way."
"Is this the reason we broke up? Because you were too nervous to sleep with me?"
"Please, keep your voice down."
"Sorry."
Brian sighed. "And maybe? Yes? Okay, look I know it's super lame and weird for a guy my age to be saying it, but I didn't wanna take things further when I knew I...when I have no idea how to even be with a girl like that. I'd rather save myself the embarrassment before it happened."
"I wouldn't have rushed you into anything. We could've been fine if you were just honest with me."
"Don't make this about us, Jessica."
"I don't have to! It already is. Everyone at school is literally bombarding me with questions. They wanna know if we slept together."
"What did you tell them?"
"I tell them nothing. Just like I did with all the other rumours."
"You have the power to confirm the truth, and you won't?"
She shrugged. "I still care about you."
Brian sighed. "I can't go back to school."
"Brian, this thing will blow over in a couple of weeks, you know how it goes."
"Not this time. This one is real, this one I can't make go away."
"So what are you gonna do? Move to a different school?"
Brian moved his lips into a thin line. "Not just school."
Jessica raised her eyebrows. "A different town?"
"If that's what it takes. I just...I want people to forget about me. I don't like being in the spotlight, anymore. You, out of all people must know what that means."
"I do. But Brian, there's no doubt people will follow you, you won't disappear that easy."
"My family has money, they can make it happen."
"You're not seriously considering leaving are you?"
Brian sighed.
"I need a break. Maybe I don't wanna walk down the hall and have everyone look at me. Maybe I wanna blend into the crowd, and be someone different."
"I'd like that too. To be someone different."
"You do?"
"You think you're the only popular one with issues? We aren't allowed to let our guard down. Look what it costs us."
"It's like no one truly knows how we feel underneath. I mean, I'm still a human being."
"Yes, you are."
Brian groaned, putting his face in his hands.
"What am I gonna do?"
"Hey."
Brian looked at her.
"You're Brian Mckenzie. The king of the school. There's no way you're gonna go away that easy."
"I used to be the king of the school."
"What if we worked together?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know we've broken up. But what if we walked through the halls together, then people would think we were a thing again and would stop making fun of you. If they see us hanging out, they won't be able to tell if the secret was true. It's a win-win for both of us."
"You would do that?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. If this is how I get my reputation back, then I'll do it. We were always more powerful together, anyway."
"Exactly."
Brian looked at Jessica in a way he hadn't in a while. Jessica had a smile on her lips.
---
Sam quietly walked from his room to Ethan's door, the same night. He knocked the door gently.
"Yo who is it?"
"It's me, can I come in?"
"Yeah!"
Sam opened the door to see Ethan laying on his bed, as he played on his playstation.
"Sup bro? Come in! You wanna game?"
"Um, no thanks" he closed the door behind him. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."
"Sure, what's up?"
Ethan kept his eyes glued to the TV on his wall as his large fingers fiddled with the controls loudly.
Sam nervously walked over and kept his eyes to the floor.
"Um... can you pause the game? It's kind of serious."
Ethan immediately stopped playing and looked across at his brother. "Oh. Okay! You wanna sit down?"
He placed the console on his desk to make room for Sam.
Sam smiled slightly. "Thanks."
He sat next to his brother but didn't make eye contact.
"You okay bro?"
Sam gulped as he felt a lump in his throat.
"Y-yeah. I'm okay. I just really gotta tell you something."
Ethan looked at him curiously.
"It's something that I've been wanting to tell you for a long time."
"Sure?"
Sam played with his fingers.
"I'm just really nervous to say it."
"Hey, bro. Whatever it is you can tell me, okay? You're my bro for life! Nothing you do or say is gonna change that."
Sam took a deep breath then he looked at his brother.
"Ethan I'm...I'm gay."
The curly-haired boy widened his eyes.
"You are?"
"Y-yeah. At first, I wasn't sure. It was a feeling inside of me I tried so hard to make go away, but I couldn't. I know now, that it's true. I'm attracted to boys."
Ethan raised his eyebrows.
"You're gay?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah."
Ethan smiled.
"That's amazing, Sammy."
"It is?"
Ethan nodded. "Hell yeah it is, come here!"
Sam laughed as his brother hugged him.
"I love you no matter who you like, okay?"
He felt tears in his eyes and tightened his arms around Ethan's body.
"Thank you, Ethan."
Once they pulled away Ethan ruffled Sam's hair playfully.
"I'm so happy you know. Now I just gotta tell mom and dad."
"Well whenever you're ready, we'll tell them together."
Sam grinned, and then Ethan hugged him for the second time in one night.
Amanda
I was going to kill my sister.
Okay, I wasn't actually going to kill her, but I was gonna get pretty damn close.
I can't believe she looked through my texts and ruined my relationship with Brian.
Once I got into my house, I walked to her bedroom door and knocked on it loudly.
"Lily?!"
I knocked again. "Lily!"
"What is it, Amanda?!"
"I wanna talk to you."
I opened the door.
"Hey! I didn't say you could come in!"
She looked at me guiltily.
"Did you show someone my text messages?"
Lily gulped.
"No?"
I crossed my arms.
"Lily."
She sighed. "Fine, I did. I'm sorry Amanda! I'm sorry, I didn't know it was a bad thing!"
I shook my head.
I couldn't believe this!
"You should have spoken to me. What you did was wrong, Lily. You invaded my privacy!"
"I'm sorry! My friend said if I showed her texts with you and Brian Mckenzie she'd give me Blackpink concert tickets!"
I frowned.
"And did you get them?"
She scurried over to her dresser before retrieving two tickets. "Front row! And backstage."
I sighed and ran my hands over my face.
"Next time, don't be so gullible. A lot of people are involved now, and Brian is extremely upset. Just...Don't ever do it again. Got it?"
She nodded. "Okay."
I turned to leave.
"Wait, Amanda."
"What?"
Lily tilted her head and looked at me with innocent eyes.
"What's a virgin?"
I opened my mouth hesitantly, at my eleven-year-old sister.
She was just a kid.
A kid who got mixed up in the wrong situation.
This wasn't her fault.
"Well it's... it's..." I scratched my head.
"Is it a bad thing?"
"No. It's not a bad thing."
"Then why is Brian so upset?"
"Because people can be mean. Look, it's okay. I'm gonna sort this out with him, you're not in trouble, okay?"
She nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry."
I smiled. "I know."
"But...I saw a girl go into Brian's house."
My heart sunk.
"What?"
"Yes. Earlier, like twenty minutes after you left to go to meet your friends. She was really pretty."
"Really pretty hm?"
Jessica Taylor. It had to be.
Well, that's just great.
"Okay. Thanks, Lily. Guess I'll talk to Brian another time."
I went to my room, and looked out the window.
I wanted to be the girl Brian was talking to. I told myself I didn't care that he was with her, but deep inside... I really did.
---
thank you for reading!!!
honestly for those still reading thank you for sticking with me, and the story
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