What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

1.27: sephine

The next three weeks were rather uneventful. I spent my afternoons at dance, and Hayes spent his focusing on off-season training. But it wasn't all that different at school, considering we usually walked to some of our classes together anyway.

Hayes was at the point where he could sit at the same table as Cam, but he still pretended that Cam didn't exist. Made lunch all kinds of fun when that happened, but most days, he sat with his teammates.

I was reading my favorite Charles Dickens book, A Tale of Two Cities, with Hayes's hand resting on my knee while Liv was talking to Cam about something. The dynamic of the table is awkward, but it isn't as insufferable as it was the first time Hayes and Cam sat together after the fallout.

Hayes taps his fingers in a pattern with the intent to distract me, and it works as I accidentally reread the same paragraph. "Can I help you?" I murmur and Hayes's fingers still.

"Sorry," He's smiling, but it's more forced than it is real.

I glance at the page number before shutting the book, "Guess you're just not used to me paying a book more attention than you," I tease lightly, and he nods.

"Exactly."

"So when is your next competition?" Liv directs the question towards me, jerking my attention away from Hayes.

It takes a moment to come to my mind, "Uh, February eighteenth, and then hopefully, I'll qualify for Nationals, which is on March twenty-third in New York."

"I think I'll be more surprised if you don't qualify. You're a shoo-in." Cam offers, and I smile gratefully.

"Thanks Cam, I'm just worried that I'll be so focused on making sure the variation is perfect since Peterson has a company coming to watch me that I'll forget about my classes. It's not easy finding a happy medium with both."

Liv's face brightens, "Is it the one in France who's name I can't pronounce?"

I let out a short laugh, "No, it's not Opéra national du Rhin, this one is in London."

Hayes's fingers have resumed their distracting flutter, and I try to keep my smile from growing. They stop when someone slides into the empty seat next to me. I'm thoroughly surprised to see Dylan Kelly sitting there.

I've never spoken to him because I made quite the point to avoid his existence due to temptation. "Can I help you?" I ask tensing slightly.

His smile is starting to unnerve me, but I'm entirely confused when he offers his hand out to introduce himself. "Hey, Sephine, I just wanted to come and introduce myself. In case you ever change your mind and want me to hook you up with some stuff." He winks, and my heart stops when I feel the small plastic bag he slips into my hand. "Always looking for new customers, and I heard this might be up your alley. I've got harder stuff, but I figured it best to ease you back in."

Dylan smiles politely at the guys and Liv before leaving, but my hand is still clenched around the small baggie he left with me.

"What-" Hayes starts to ask when I slowly uncurl my hand and see the orange capsules. There's no more than five, but I recognize them in a heartbeat considering I used to pop them like candy.

"I-I have to go." My voice is quiet while my hands are trembling, and quickly I shove the pills into the side of my backpack. Out of sight but not out of mind.

Liv can't hold her question back, "What did Dylan Kelly mean by 'heard this might be up your alley'? Are you some kind of closet pothead?"

I quickly shove A Tale of Two Cities into my backpack and hoist it over my shoulder before walking away without saying another word. I feel as if my legs are going to give out any second, but I push them harder until I'm speed-walking down the hall. Good thing I left the stilettos at home and wore tennis shoes for once, otherwise I surely would have fallen flat on my face.