More Than Friends - A Hayes Grier fanfiction

Chapter 35 - Rumour has it

Molly wraps her arms round me and rocks me like a baby.

"Sophie, why didn't you talk to me about this? You know I can sort Hayes out no problem."

"Molly I don't want you yelling and screaming at him. I need to solve this myself."

...

School seems to be better and worse. Hanging out with molly and her friends makes me seem somewhat cooler and Nash has begun to acknowledge my presence in the halls which also gains me popularity points. However my old group of friends have seemed to completely block me out. They don't look, speak or even come near to me.

Whilst sitting at lunch with Molly, I finally work out what I need to do. I tell them I have to be somewhere and head for the school hallways. I finally spot the person I am looking for after walking all the way to the English block.

Alyssa.

"Alyssa!" I yell and she turns. When she sees me heading for her, her eyes widen and she looks around for an escape route. She doesn't say anything though she looks like she wants to.

"Alyssa, just talk to me." I say and she finally breaks.

"Sophie... I am so sorry. I didn't mean for it to go this far. Megan made the whole seem like a little game. We were going to come back to you but she just changed everything." She blurts out.

"What about Kaitlyn then"

"Her too. I don't know if she is like Megan or like me." She says, looking down at the floor in shame.

"Sophie, I don't know how to apologise to you. I never wanted for it to get like this. You are one of my best friends and I don't want that to change." She says and I feel tears prick in my eyes. I sniff a little and when Alyssa looks up I see she too is about to cry. In one second, we both burst into tears and hug each other.

"I missed you so much Alyssa!" I wail and sob into her hair.

"Me too" She cries and the whole hallway stares at us, some laughing and others throwing us dirty looks.

"Alyssa?!" I hear an all-too-familiar voice from the end of the hallway and I see Megan and Kaitlyn staring us down. The whole moment plays out in my head like a scene from a cowboy film, and the only thing missing are pistols and Stetsons.

"Megan, this has gone on for too long." Alyssa says bravely. I never imagined her sticking up for me but now she is I feel insanely proud.

"Alyssa this is your last chance." Megan spits and I scowl at her. She doesn't scare me.

"Megan stop being a controlling witch and let Alyssa choose for herself." I say and face up eye-to-eye with her.

"I... I choose Sophie." Alyssa says quietly. Then, with more volume, "I choose Sophie!"

"Whatever, I don't need you anyway." Megan says and is about to walk away when Kaitlyn stops her.

"I've made my decision too." Kaitlyn says. "Sophie, I have made a huge mistake and I hope you can try t forgive me." She says and runs to join us. Megan's face drops and she scowls.

"I don't need any of you. I have Hayes and don't forget that!" She yells and storms off.

We embrace and Kaitlyn hangs her head.

"Sophie you didn't deserve any of this and I don't know how you will forgive us."

"How about... frozen yogurt after school?" I say and they nod in agreement.

...

I meet the girls after school just outside the gates. When the amble over I see their expressions are slightly mournful.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"We left the cheer team. Those girls are bunch of bitches when you aren't friends with them anymore."

"Well, they lost their two best cheerleaders so it's their loss in reality." I say and they cheer up.

"C'mon, let's go."

We sit at the same table that Madison and I were at barely a fortnight ago and dig into our yogurt.

"So, what lies did Megan make up about me then?" I ask and lick my spoon.

"Oh god... She was the start of all the rumours. You didn't really try to get with Noah and Kyle did you?" Kaitlyn asks.

"What? Of course not! I am not a man stealer!" I laugh and they sigh with relief.

"Anything else?" I ask and they roll their eyes in unison.

"Loads. I think she is a compulsive liar y'know." Alyssa says and I am not surprised.

"Sophie. There is one thing I think you should know though." Kaitlyn says awkwardly.

"What is it?" I ask as I eat my yogurt nonchalantly.

"Will, Hayes kinda started a rumour that you tried to... y'know..."

"I know what?"

"Have it with him..."