The Virginity Pact

15 - can't keep a secret

Honesty may be the best policy in some zip codes, but not in this one and not this week, 'cause "I was a teenage drug addict" is not exactly a winning college essay. The last time New Haven was invaded was in 1779. Heads up, H. There's a cannonball coming your way.

++++++++

Lydia sits on the floor in her room, face red and puffy. It's been 3 days since Thanksgiving and she finally got the strength to delete every picture of Jake and every picture of Ainsley on her phone. Looking at them made her feel even worse.

Jake had gone from texting to calling to stopping by (but being left at the door) to leaving flowers and cards.

Ainsley had gone from texting to calling to stopping by, but unlike Jake, Lydia let her in.

"You have 3 minutes," Lydia had spit, sitting on her couch, wrapped in a pink silk robe.

Ainsley licked her lips and took a step forward. "Lyd, I'm really sorry. I don't even know--" she stopped and sighed. "It was a mistake. I love you; you're my best friend, you've always been my best friend."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "It's not like this is the first time you tried to ruin my life," she said. "I let you back in. I gave you a second chance."

"Lydia, I'm not trying to ruin your life. Last year--I was just trying to help you. You know that," Ainsley explained.

"No," Lydia said. "I had it under control."

Ainsley shook her head. "Well at least I'm leaving again, like you want."

Lydia furrowed her eyebrows and laughed. "You think I want you to leave?" She asked.

Ainsley stood silent and confused.

"No, Ainsley; I don't want you to leave. For one, I can't ruin your life from across the Atlantic," Lydia said and rolled her eyes and then sighed. "It's not fair. When you go to France, you get to start over. I have to stay here and actually deal with all of my problems," Lydia explained heartbroken and angered.

Ainsley looked down at the floor.

"It's been 3 minutes. I look forward to never seeing you again."

Lydia rolls her eyes at the sound of 2, quick knocks on her door. She stands and yanks it open with annoyance, surprised to see Elijah.

"Hey, Lyd," he smiles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He frowns slightly at her obviously depressed state and Lydia silently wishes he had texted first so she could've at least put on some concealer.

"What are you doing here?" Lydia walks away and lays on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Elijah strolls in and lays beside her, staring up at the ceiling also.

It was strange to him to see Lydia so broken when she's always so strong and dominate. Always. Then it occurs to him that no one can always be like that.

"You're one of my best friends," Elijah states simply.

"So is Jake," Lydia points out.

"I know," Elijah groans. "That's why this is so hard. I'm sorry," he says turning his head to look at her, but she doesn't respond.

"I hate this," Lydia says angrily after a while. "I hate Jake. I hate Ainsley, and I hate your cousin."

"She's a good person," Elijah admits, feeling guilty for icing Harper out since Thanksgiving. "She just gets lost sometimes, that's all."

"And you blame me."

"Well--no, I just wish--," Elijah shakes his head and sighs. "You guys have more in common than you'd think," he says. "And she's been through a lot recently, too.