“I’m amazed you haven’t already heard.” Word of Zack’s rescue should’ve spread like wildfire.
Her chin trembled. Did she genuinely like Daniel? I hoped not. I wouldn’t wish the creep on anyone. Not even Gina.
“Can we talk in private?” she asked.
Gina no longer had the power to hurt my feelings, so what harm could it do? “Sure.”
Inside an empty classroom, she closed the door. “What I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have let my feelings for Daniel affect our friendship.”
I was about to tell her that forgiveness came easily, but trust was a different matter entirely. She didn’t give me a chance.
“If you’d gone to the party like you promised,” she continued, “Daniel and I would’ve never had the opportunity to hook up.”
Any guilt I may have felt vanished. “And the excuse for making out the other times?”
“You know Daniel. His girlfriend wasn’t around and, well, he can be pretty persuasive.” She gave me a sheepish smile.
From what I witnessed in the bathroom stall, she could be persuasive too. “Whatever you say. But you and I will never be friends again.” I turned to go.
Gina yanked me back by my arm. “I was trying to be nice, because I felt sorry for you. But you blew it.” She glared. “And when I’m done with you, not even your geeky friend John will want anything to do with you.”
Fury brewed in the pit of my stomach and I raised my voice, my palms itching. “You hooked up with my boyfriend and somehow you have the right to screw me over? How does that work?”
She gave me a hateful look, the one she reserved for people she loathed the most. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you’re always staring at Zack. You knew I liked him! You already had Daniel, but you had to have Zack too.”
Wow, she and Daniel were made for each other. “You’re delusional. Take them both. I don’t care.” I twisted out of her grasp and shoved her against the wall. “I just want my stuff back — my suede boots and anything else you’ve borrowed and never returned. Like the pink heels you wore the other day when you were making out with someone else’s boyfriend. The leather jacket—” Her gaze fixed on a point behind me, but I ignored it. She was probably faking me out hoping I’d get distracted so she could get the advantage over me. “I want the pink skirt, the black Twilight T-shirt, the—” Her eyes wandered again, and this time the door opened.
I sensed it was Zack without needing to turn around. Crap. The way I had Gina cornered did not make me look good at all. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Zack quirking a brow.
I shrugged. “She started it.”
“Which required bullying?” he asked.
My fists clenched. To prevent myself from looking any worse, I backed up and made a sweeping gesture toward Gina. “She’s all yours.”
“Thanks, Zack.” Gina rubbed her shoulder — which I hadn’t even touched — while gazing up at Zack with wide, moist eyes. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up. We’re still on for Saturday, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll see you later. I need a minute with Autumn.” He glanced at me, one eyebrow up as though I’d misbehaved.
Gina moved behind Zack where he couldn’t see, then smirked.
I wanted to slap her. To keep myself from going after Gina, I focused on Zack. “Why are you even here? You’re always around.”
He shook his head. “Extortion is beneath you, don’t you think? Well, maybe not.”
“How do you know I wasn’t demanding my things?” My nostrils flared and I raged inside, my body vibrating. “Never mind. Just get out of my way.” I was too incensed to stick around. I stormed past him and down the hall toward my car, praying it would start. I needed to get away before I detonated.
CHAPTER TEN
Much to my relief, my car fired up right away.
At home, I stomped through the house and tried to think of anything that would calm me down. Wait. Where was my backpack? It contained all my homework.
In my locker at school.
After Gina had distracted me, I’d forgotten about it. I wanted to weep in frustration.
Hearing my phone beep, I tried to remember where I’d left my purse during my fit of fury when I’d flown through the front door. Spotting it on the kitchen table, I rummaged through it. Two texts from my mom.
Sweetie, check your email STAT.
I scrolled to the next message.
Check ur email. Why arent u answering ur txts?
Apparently, I’d been too emotionally distraught to hear my phone go off. My fingers flitted over the keyboard in reply. My poor parents were probably worked into a frenzy imagining all the reasons, none of them good, why I hadn’t answered.