How To Play the Player (COMPLETED)

I Can't

The crazy scenarios that had kept me up all weekend had been for nothing. Nobody looked my way when I stepped into the crowded hallway, clutching my coffee cup to my chest. There wasn't any whispering or fingers pointing accusingly in my direction while everyone threw their heads back and laughed. Which should have been a good thing, but as I closed in on Bryan and Brianna in front of my locker, Nicola caught my eyes for just a fraction of a second and I knew my relief was going to be short lived. I slammed into Brianna's shoulder as my eyes had been so focused on the Queen Bee that I hadn't been paying attention to my surroundings. Bri didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't care. She looped her arm through mine and squeezed my nonexistent bicep comfortingly.

"How are you doing?" Bryan asked from his perch against my locker, left side of his mouth curved into a half smile, but his eyes were trained on me with worry. "Despite the fact you sleep in my bed most nights, you've been avoiding me."

"I'm fine." I assured my friends. "It was a one time thing. I was just overwhelmed. Between Jay ditching me and all the anxiety I already felt, it just all hit me really hard. But I promise, guys, I'm good now."

Thankfully a familiar laugh sounded through the hall and all three of us looked. Liam was leaning against a Senior's locker, a girl I could vaguely remember hanging off his arm for a couple weeks last year. She was nodding, and though I couldn't see her face, the expression Liam wore spoke for it. She had accepted his apology.

"I sort of hate that I was right about him." Bryan mumbled to nobody in particular. "He's actually not a bad guy, not anymore, that is."

As if my best friend's words had summoned him, Liam halted to such a sudden stop in the empty space that distanced Bryan from his sister and me that the tile squeaked beneath his shoes. "Hey, Reese. Your waves are back. And those big ass glasses."

I hadn't known what to expect after my breakdown in the parking lot Saturday night, but somehow him pretending it hadn't happened at all seemed to be the best outcome.

"I'm glad you like the look, Scott." I pushed my glasses, currently askew on the bridge of my nose, "I was trying for the whole hot professor look."

A grin lit his face as he started to back away, heading for the next hall over so he'd make it to class just before the influx of our peers. "Well, you definitely achieved it, Taylor. I'd love to get reprimanded if it meant getting sent to you."

He then winked and dipped around the curve of the hallway and out of my line of sight. I felt Brianna's nails start to dig into my shoulder blade.

"What the hell was that?" She said through teeth, shooting her twin a look. "Please tell me I wasn't the only one who witnessed it?"

"What?" I asked, looking between them confused. It wasn't either of them that answered, but Shay, who must have snuck up behind us at some point.

"That was totally flirting, Reese. You were flirting with Liam." Shay stated, coming into view. She snuck Bryan a small smile that held thousands of words, but she didn't say anything directly to him. He nodded, a genuine smile touching at his full lips. I suddenly felt as if we were eavesdropping on a private moment.

"I wasn't flirting with Liam. I'm with Jay and—" my words slowly but surely fell dry on my tongue as I thought back to the too friendly interaction. "Oh God, I was just flirting with Liam Scott."

Shay, looking away from my best friend and at me, rubbed my shoulder and whispered, "It's okay, Reese. We've all fallen victim to Liam's flirting before. Our lips are sealed, just don't let it happen again unless you want to talk to Jay about it, okay?"