Autumn Leaves and Teenage Dreams

34. It's All Crashing Down

As soon as the day begins, I plot how I'll be able to gather Allison and Juliet with us at lunch. They've been ignoring us, or mostly me, and while I don't expect them to sit with us out of their own volition anytime soon, I need to find a way to talk to them without making it seem like I'm tracking them down to tell them off.

I explain what I have heard to Abigail and Hazel in the morning. Thankfully, they both honestly tell me they were sworn to secrecy by me and have not told a soul.

"What rotten people they are," Abigail murmurs.

"That's crazy. You think they told?" Hazel asks.

"It wouldn't surprise me. I'm not sure if it's one or both," I admit.

"I'm sorry, Callie. I haven't heard many rumors," Abigail says.

"Wait, yeah? How did you hear there were rumors circulating?" Hazel asks. Shit. I remember that I still haven't told Hazel I'm semi-in-a-relationship. But judging by the way that rumors spread so quickly at this school, it's easy to think of a fib.

"Someone in a class brought it up to me," I state.

"That's awful," Hazel complains.

"But I want to get them together at lunchtime. I want to figure out if it really is them causing the rumors. It wouldn't surprise me if it was. I'm just struggling thinking of how to get them there," I say, tapping my foot as I try to think.

"I can handle getting Allison to lunch," Hazel suggests.

"You can?!" both Abigail and I exclaim.

"She liked me the most. No offense," Hazel says. "I bet I can convince her to stop by for a few moments. If I mention you won't be there, Callie, well, I feel like she'd come sit with us."

"All right," I agree. "I think I can handle Juliet."

"What about me?" Abigail asks.

"You get to witness me confront them, I suppose." 

With the plan in motion, we head out to our morning classes, and I spend the majority of my time during various lectures staring out the window and thinking of how to confront Juliet. I suppose I could wait by her locker before lunch starts. Then, during passing periods, I spot her waiting for a classroom to open up. Quickly, I rush to her, and feigning enthusiasm as best as I can, I say, "Hey, I baked brownies today! You should come get one at lunch!"

"Oh, uh, that's really nice, but I have a meeting," Juliet murmurs.

"Just for a few minutes? You can just grab one and go. I have so many, I don't know what to do with them," I admit, feeling poorly luring Juliet with sweet treats that I will never present to her.  She seems uncomfortable, awkward, but also...guilty.

"Well, okay. I really can't stay long though," she says.

"Great! See you later," I say, heading off to class. I shoot a text to Hazel, letting her know the plan is in motion. Hazel replies that all she merely had to tell Allison was that she missed her and that I wouldn't be at lunch today, and Allison quickly gave in. Engines set and marked.

My heart is pounding, my fingers are shaking, and my stomach is twisted in knots when we're dismissed for lunch. I'm not a very confrontational person. The idea of attention makes me feel sick. To this day I am not sure how I was able to speak to Aurora so forcefully when she was avoiding me back in February. Perhaps it was because there was a possible positive outcome from such a conversation. With my friends, however, if I do find out they're guilty, then I'm not too sure how I will react. All I know is that I trusted them to keep their mouths shut, and now that I suspect they haven't, I'm ready to break off ties.