Nap Queen

Twenty Three

I don't have to wait long for my answer.

Lauren pulls me out of chem claiming to need me for a journalism interview. She isn't even in that class.

"What's up?" I ask. She's takes me to the girl's bathroom. Camille and Mia are in there too. Oh, an intervention.

"Liam is using you." Lauren says as soon as the door shuts.

"What?" I'm a little offended that in less than two hours she's already decided that there's no way a guy could like me unless he wanted something.

"Let's hear her out," Mia sighs.

"Fine." I say glancing at Camille who just shrugs.

"I meant to tell you sooner but you just got back yesterday and so much happened." She goes on, "the day of your attack Liam asked me to meet him before school, I didn't know it was him who asked till I got there but he was digging for dirt, Evie,"

"I didn't tell him anything, but I offhandedly mentioned that he should find out from you if he was curious, and I think that's exactly what he's doing." She continues. Mia nods in agreement.

"C'mon guys, Liam isn't that bad," Camille says. I'm surprised she's defending him until I remember that she sees him more than me at Asher's.

"Think about it. He kisses you not an hour later and messes with your head, even if he didn't mean to give you an attack," Lauren explains.

"He was being chased..." I counter.

"He seemed genuinely concerned when she was hurt though ..." Mia adds softly. This surprises me more.

"Yeah? And how about detention? Mia told us what happened with that, do you think it's a coincidence that he got you alone? What even happened?" She asks. I give Mia a look, but she looks at me like she wants to know too.

I sigh and show them my neck. They gasp.

"Oh my god." Mia says. "Did he do that?"

"See? Come on Evie." Lauren says. Now that I'm thinking about it maybe she's right. For all that talk about giving me time to tell him, he was awfully insistent on getting to know me and my life, and she wasn't wrong I was falling hard and falling fast.

"I just... why would he do that? I've never done anything to him." I cry.

"Come here," Mia says. I hug her and Lauren joins. Camille comes too but I can tell she doesn't believe it.

We all go back to class. The bell rings short after and when I get to Gov Sam is sitting next to my seat again. He never did anything so I allow it, but I don't want Liam to sit by me. I put my backpack in the chair on my other side and try to ignore the sad and confused look he gives when he sees it. It could just be an act.

I want to ask Sam about it, but decide not to. He goes on about his party tomorrow night and I listen politely.

I feel Liam staring at me the whole class period.

***

What the fuck?

She doesn't let me sit by her in Gov and I want to know why. This morning... I thought she liked it. What happened? I spend the whole class going out of my mind, why why why? Maybe I pushed her to far, to fast. Shit.

Once the bell rings I run to her.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"I don't know Liam you tell me," Evie snaps. What the fuck?

"I—,"

"Forget it, I don't know why you hate me, but I'm not going to fall under your spell so you can humiliate me and 'find dirt'," she takes my jacket off and throws it at me, then she runs away.

I just stand there stunned.

"Shit man, that's gotta suck." Sam says coming up to me. "I liked her, she was cool. Who'd you cheat on her with?"

"I'm not some man whore Sam, I didn't cheat on her, besides we aren't even dating."

"Whatever, if you want her back you still got a chance, she's coming to the party on the condition she can bring her friend 'Ollie'."

"Oliver?"

"I guess. C'mon, I don't want to stay for fifth and sixth let's go home." We start to walk to our bikes.

On the way we pass Brandon and Boston who have their backs to us talking to someone else. Lauren.

Lauren happened.

She told Evie what I did, and Evie threw me away for it. Fuck that. I'm not letting her slip through my fingers. My mom would've loved to see me with a girl like Evie when she was alive, and no girl's ever made me want to stop sleeping around before.

I'd get her back tomorrow, and she'd never leave again.