(1) Talk Me Down: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 35: Two-Faced

        "It was shocking, like they were enemies rather than best friends," I finished, feeling the anger that had disappeared in the car resurface.

        Rian had taken us to a small park near the center of town. We were sitting in his car in the parking lot and I was explaining what Veronica had done. I was twisted in my seat, my back agianst the door so I was facing Rian. He was sitting at an angle, diagionally against the seat and car door, but his face was turned towards mine, watching me intently.

        "I've never heard her be that mean about someone she was friends with," I started, shaking my head. "I can't believe she'd be that mean."

        "Kara, you know Veronica can be far from a nice person," Rian said cautiously, as if, even though I was upset with Veronica, he didn't want to say anything too mean about my friend.

        "But still, they're friends," I frowned. I knew Rian was right, but I didn't really want to believe that Veronica could be so cruel. "I would never say something like that about one of my friends."       

        "Because you're not Veronica, and you're a good person," Rian said, smiling. I broke our gaze, my cheeks flushed slightly.

        "It just makes me wonder what she says about me when I'm not there," I muttered. "Especially now that I haven't really been hanging out with them," I glanced at the time and then spoke again before Rian could say anything. "We should probably get going."

        Rian nodded slightly and we both turned in our seats, silent as we positioned ourselves the right way in our seats.

        Rian didn't comment on what I had said, and I was almost glad he didn't. I couldn't imagine him saying anything too awful about my friends, but I knew I was giving him reasons to tell me I should distance myself further. But I'd gone through this before. I couldn't.

        When we reached the end of my street I hesitated, my hand on the door. "Thanks," I said softly, after a quiet moment. Rian smiled in response, and I held his gaze for a moment before turning to push the door open, flushed again.

        "Hey," he called as I started to shut the door. Is topped and leaned back inside to meet his gaze. "Tuesday's still good, right?" he asked.

       "Yeah," I nodded, and then stepped back to shut the door. I gave him a small wave and then headed down the street towards my house.

        With my hands curled in my coat pockets, I walked slowly to my house, almost enjoying the weather. It was fairly cool out, but with warm enough clothes, it was kind of nice. I tried to keep my mind on random things, like the weather, instead of fussing over Veronica, but it was hard. Especially when, as I neared my house, she was storming across the street at me.

        "Where were you?" she asked, as if I had to tell her everything about my life. I fought back a scowl and shrugged.

        "Taking a walk," I answered, but Veronica's narrowed eyes and pursed lips tops me she didn't believe me.

        "I didn't see you before," she said, hoping to find a flaw in my excuse. I wanted to roll my eyes at her.

        "I was just walking, maybe you didn't see me," I said. "I don't see why it really matters, Ronnie," I added, before she could try to say something else. She changed her expression, her almost threatening expression reminding me of the night she made me choose between her and the guys.

        "I wanted to make sure you weren't going to say anything about what I told you earlier," she said cryptically, but I knew she was talking abotu Sophia immediately.

        I just looked at her, trying to think. Was she scared of somebody knowing she was two-faced, or was she scared of what we girls would do if we know what she said behind our backs?

        "Well?" she pushed, impatiently waiting for an answer.

        "No, Ron, I wasn't going to say anything," I said softly, watching the smile form on her lips.

        "Great," she said, grinning triumphantly, like everything was going perfectly. And it was, for her. "The girls are coming over tomorrow after school," she added, and I nodded.

        "I'll be there," I said, knowing that that statement was Veronica's way of asking me.

        "Okay, see you tomorrow," she grinned, too thrilled at how everything was perfect for her. She lifted her hand in her typical wave, crossed the street and disappeared back into her house.

        I trudged the rest of the way to my house, dreading this week even more. I didn't want to see Veronica and Sophia together because I knew all that I'd be thinking about was what Veronica said.

        I entered the hosue without noticing that my mom's car was back in the driveway. My mom scared me when she said my name from the kitchen, and I jerked my head up from the floor, almost giving myself whiplash.

        I walked towards the kitchen to where my parents were putting away the groceries they had just been out buying.

        "Did you leave this mess here?" my dad asked, pointing at the bag of chips, that, in my anger, I hadn't cleaned up.

        "Yeah, sorry," I muttered, moving to clean them up. I wasn't going to bother telling them that it was Veronica, becuase they'd only tell me I should've picked them up anyways.

        "Are you okay?" my mom asked me as I shoved the bag back into the pantry. I smiled at her, hoping that it didn't look too crammed.

        "Just a little tired," I lied. "I think I'm going to go lay down for a while." My mom nodded and shared a look with my dad, but I didn't stick around for anymore questioning.

        I flopped onto my bed, burying my face in the blankets and pillows. I knew that I shouldn't still be thinking about what Veronica said, but I was still feeling the shock of what she'd said. We'd talked about how some of the girls we knew were two-faced like Jessica. After she left the group, we all found out she'd been talking about all of us behind our backs, and then acting like she was our best friend.

        She had said things like what Veronica had said about Sophia. After Veronica swore Jessica out of the group, I never thought she'd act like she had. She just kept surprising me.