Cupid's Daughter

Chapter 14~ Haters Gon' Hate

At school the following Monday, the class was silent as I walked in, all of their eyes on me even though I wasn't late.I found myself searching for a particular face without even realising that I was doing it, but when I spotted JC looking at me with his eyebrows raised, I remembered that Noah was serving his suspension and wouldn't be at school today or tomorrow. With a burst of bravery I walked over to Noah's usual seat beside JC and sat down, slamming my biology books down on the table. People continued to stare at me as I did so, and I shot dirty looks right back at them, feeling strangely confident as JC smirked at me.

"Hey beautiful." He whispered as the teacher walked into the room and greeted the class.

"Hello JC." I sighed, unable to help the playful eye-roll that ensued.

JC sat sideways on his chair so that his whole body was facing me, and he completely ignored the teacher as she attempted to read us sections from the textbook. I tried to focus and take notes, but I could feel everyone's gaze burning into me, and after a few long moments, I snapped.

"Would you quit that?" I hissed at JC, who was staring just as much as everyone else, if not more.

"Quit what?" He asked mischievously, leaning back on his elbows and flashing me a dimpled smile.

"Staring at me! Why does everyone keep doing that, anyway?"

JC frowned and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, shrinking back into his seat. Before I could ask him what was up, my phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out and stuck it between the pages of my textbook so that I could subtly read it.

Sam: ?!?!

I opened the Facebook attachment that Sam had sent me and waited for it to load, my eyes trailing over the words in front of me.

Isabelle (SheDevil) Conway (posted 11:58pm):

Rumour has it that the little Bitchabelle was spotted getting it on with a certain best friend's girlfriend... Who knew Bitchabelle swung for the other team too?

I continued to stare blankly at the message and the username. Someone had created a hate page for me? Claiming that I had made a move on Kiely? What was this, freaking Gossip Girl? I clicked onto the profile picture, which was the same as my current image, only my eyes and mouth had been blacked out and devil horns had been clumsily drawn in red marker over my hair. It was Sabrina. I already knew.

Was this all because she thought that Noah and I were dating? If she was so jealous, why wouldn't she just freaking take him back already?

It was almost laughable at how bad her attempt to hurt me was. Me and Kiely? Please, Sam knew that that was the biggest lie ever told.

"Are you alright Issy?" JC asked me, and I took a huge breath in and quickly shoved my phone back in my pocket.

I smiled breezily. "Yeah, fine, actually. It's quite funny though, isn't it?" I chuckled, earning myself a look from JC that said, 'are you crazy?'.

"What?"

Suddenly I was clutching my stomach with laughter, not even knowing myself what was so hilarious but unable to stop the chuckles that were escaping my lips.

"Issy?" JC questioned uncertainly, looking a little worried for my mental health.

I wiped my eyes and tried to stifle my giggles. "It's just, Sabrina's attempt at embarrassing me... doesn't she realise that being called gay isn't an insult? And honestly, Sam and I trust each other way more than that, she knows I'd never do anything like that, boy or girl. It's just funny that she thought that would get to me."

JC's concerned expression softened and the tension in his shoulders relaxed visibly. "Phew, okay good. And here I was shitting myself thinking you were gonna run out of the room crying hysterically."

I shot him a look somewhere between amusement and dubiousness. "Have you met me?"

JC grinned and the stuck the finger up at  a kid who was still unable to tear his eyes from me.

So people thought I liked girls. Who cares? Sabrina was going to have to try a lot harder than that to get to me, that was for sure.

***

"Are you going to tell Noah that it was Sabrina?" Sam questioned as we sat in her car that afternoon, preparing to head home for the night. I shook my head and sighed.

If I told Noah and, by some miracle, he actually believed me, then it was only going to cause problems between Sabrina and Noah... problems that could cost me my scholarship. Besides, they were just stupid rumours.

"Nah, he won't care anyway. I barely even know him."

Sam turned to stare at me with her eyebrows raised. "Are you kidding, Issy? He and JC started sitting at our table at school, you talked to both of them after the football game and you went to a party with them. Oh yes, I know about that. Plus, I'm sure that even more stuff has been going on between you guys that you haven't told me yet, so don't you dare say that you barely even know Noah, missy."

I sat stunned in the passenger seat of Sam's car, opening and closing my mouth intermittently as words popped into my head and then I shoved them away.

"You know about the party?" I questioned quietly.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, JC told me. And Tommy also showed me a photo on Noah's Facebook of you looking like a demon laying on the couch. Why was Noah at your house, Issy? And why haven't you told me about this stuff?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to pretend that I wasn't here.

It didn't work.

"I only went to the party because Noah needed help with something... that's why we've been spending so much time together." I admitted, staring down at my hands as they twiddled nervously with the strings of my hoodie.

"Helping him with what?"

I held my breath. If I told her about the deal, my scholarship was gone, but I'd never lied to Sam, and I didn't want to start now.

"Just... something." I mumbled.

Sam's eyebrows scrunched together and she turned the engine on violently and twisted the volume up on the radio. "Fine, whatever." She shrugged, and then sped off down the road.

"Sam, don't be mad! I wish I could tell you, but Noah-"

"Noah Noah Noah! Is he all you ever think about anymore?" Sam yelled over the sound of the radio.

"What!? Are you kidding me? You're the one who invited him to the Marine Park; all I wanted to do was get to know Kiely!" I shouted equally as loud, crossing my arms in a mixture of frustration and anger.

"I thought I was helping you out! I thought you liked him, so I was giving you time with him! I thought you guys were dating, so I wanted you to have time together. Is that such a terrible thing for me to do?" She questioned, shooting me an angry glance before staring back at the road.

"I told you that No-" I started, but Sam cut me off again.

"Something is clearly going on and you won't tell me what. So what was I meant to assume? Because apparently I was way off by saying that you were-"

"FINE. We are dating. There, I admit it. Noah and I are dating but we wanted to keep it a secret until later. Happy now?" I screamed out of desperation, wanting her to not be mad at me anymore.

I realized the weight of my words as soon as they left my mouth, and as Sam pulled up outside my house, we were both silent.

What the hell had I just done?