Amazon High

9. There Goes My Reputation

 You know what's funny? The night it all went down with her I was totally carefree and confident. It wasn't anything I had planned, but I did like her and we were both a little drunk. If there were going to be any repercussions, I was totally prepared to take them on and shake them off. But when it hit me, when Chloe made that joke, I couldn't have been more terrified. Something was happening to me in a matter of days.

I wasn't feeling as removed from everything and as elevated above everyone else. I was settling into my new skin, my new reality. But with that came fear, worry, anxiety, self-consciousness. I was prepared to re-live high school in all its positive aspects. All the initial jitters I thought were long gone. So I was not going to let this sliding scale that was my perception lead me to being a hesitant, discomforted teenager all over again. Before the fear could settle in, I'd deal with the problem head-on.

On the way to school the next morning, I got a text from Kendall that read we need to talk. Oh boy. I waited outside history, past the bell, and finally she came walking up slowly, tears already starting to form in her eyes.

"Whoa, what's up?" I asked.

"Look, I just wasn't ready and I needed someone to talk to." Her whole ghetto vibe was gone. I was talking to the real Kendall for the first time since graduation.

"That's okay, I mean, I'm sorry that I made a move. I don't know what I was thinking."

"I'd never been with a girl before."

"Oh, yeah? Me neither. I think." I scratched my head.

"I just thought we were tight. Like I could trust her, you know?"
"Who?"

"Chloe."

"You told her?"

"Yeah." She nodded with furrowed brow like I was supposed to know, "she's in my math class. She said you're friends."

"She said we're friends? Like me and her?"

"Well, I guess not anymore."

Mr. Harris came out to scold us, "okay, uh, we're five minutes into class," he tapped his wrist, "we can chit-chat later."

"Okay." we replied in unison.

He slinked back in the classroom.

"So you're not mad at me?" I asked her.

"I just, maybe it was too much too fast."

"Yeah, totally. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay. Maybe we should just cool it for a bit, though."

"Yeah, I totally agree. Sounds good."

She moved to walk into class.

"Hey, uh," I stepped in front of her, "you should probably know, I think Chloe told her friends about the whole thing. Whatever you told her, it wasn't exactly in confidence, I don't think."

Her jaw dropped and her face went red, "how do we even show our faces?"

I smiled, "Oh, don't worry. I think we'll be okay. I'll figure it out. I just thought you should know."

"We don't know who else she told!"

"Hey, whatever happens, the people who make a big fuss of it are the assholes. Don't you think most of the people who hear about this will be able to look at the situation and see who's really making an ass of herself?"

"Who do you mean, Chloe?"

"Yeah, Chloe. There are some bitches out there but most people are okay. And I think we'll find that out. Don't sweat it."