An (extra)Ordinary Lie

Chapter 29 {Accepted}

Bella smiled sadly as she held her favorite stuffed animal tightly. It was a black and white dog that she had since she was 4. She followed Max out of her dorm room as he pulled her suitcase out. As they stood in the elevator, Max wrapped his arms around her. "What am I going to tell my dad?"

Max sighed. "You ask his advice. Parents like to feel needed. Then you tell him you have an amazing boyfriend that is still enrolled in college at Redcliffe."

After the big confession Max made the previous night, Bella grew confused. "You told me you left Redcliffe."

The smart boy laughed. "Well it's not like I can drop out in the middle of the night."

Bella had no energy to argue so she only shrugged. "True," she sighed as the doors opened.

Max held Bella's hand as they walked out. He put her stuff in his car and they got in. Before he put the car in drive, he grabbed Bella's hand and kissed it. "I know its no consolidation, but I'm glad that the one thing I would miss about this place is sitting right next to me."

Bella smiled sweetly at him and pecked his lips. She would miss a lot more, but she was lucky that she got to keep Max.

---

Kendall sat in his car, Krista in the front seat next to him. Sam, Nathan, and Andraya sat in the back seat. Nathan's arm was around Andraya as they watched the events in front of them.

The students were piling out of North Sharpe with suitcases in their hands as an upset parent or a random taxi picked them up and took them away.

They waited until the very last kid left. It was Anthony Nate Junior something. They really couldn't remember his full name. He sat on the curb waiting for his parents. They never showed up. Kendall couldn't take the torture anymore. He got out of the car and walked up to Anthony. He sat on the curb next to him.

For once, Anthony didn't have anything to say, so Kendall spoke. "Do you need a ride home?"

Anthony shook his head. "As soon as Brenna is done talking with her dad she is going to come pick me up."

A long pause.

Anthony turned to Kendall and studied his face. He wanted to remember the boy that almost made all of his dreams come true. "You did it, you know."

Kendall turned to the dark haired boy and narrowed his eyes at him. "Did what?"

"Even if it was one giant lie, it gave every student a home. It made us feel a little less weird. It just made us feel... accepted." Anthony shrugged and smiled with the right side of his mouth.

Kendall smiled as he looked at Anthony. That was the best thing anyone could have said to him.

A truck pulled up a few moments later. A brown haired girl was in the front seat, wearing sunglasses to protect her puffy eyes. Kendall recognized her. Her name was Brenna. Anthony turned to Kendall and shook his hand one last time before getting in the car and driving off.

Kendall sat back on the curb and put his face in his hands.

His friends looked at him from the car with sad faces. Krista unbuckled her seat belt. "I'm going to go talk to him," she said as she reached to open the door.

"No," Sam stopped her. She looked at Kendall understandingly. "I'll go."

Krista sat back as she watched Sam get out of the car and walk up to her boyfriend. She only felt a little jealous that it wasn't their moment.

Sam smiled as she looked down at Kendall. "Hey, loser."

Kendall shook his head and laughed. "Hey, Sam."

Sam sighed and sat down next to him. "I'll kill him you know." Kendall look at her with curiosity. "I'm going to kill Zander. I just have to figure out a way to do it without getting caught. I had Krista's friend Lily ask around about him. It turns out that he graduated from college last year. This really was his year for travel. But I was dating some old 22 year old. Isn't that gross? He's like a pedophile."

Kendall laughed. "You're 18, Sam. A legal adult. I doubt that classifies him as a pedophile."

Sam shrugged. "Barely legal," she did an eyebrow dance as she nudged him.

Kendall shook his head. "They would have found out anyway. With or without Zander."

Sam bit her lip and looked at her best friend. "No one has guts like you do, Kendall. And I don't care that Redcliffe is taking the property today or in ten years, you got to say 'Fuck You' to the educational system. They'll remember it forever."

Kendall smiled slightly as his eyes fixated on the black road. Sam sighed at looked at the setting sun. "I've dragged you into some pretty messed up shit. But you always came out clean. You're gonna get through this, Kendall. People naturally like you. You're gonna get through this." she repeated as she placed her head on his shoulder.

Kendall smiled at Sam's nice words. He kissed the top of her head. They sat there for a moment, enjoying each other's company.