Hidden Within

21 | one step ahead

I feel Delaney's stare boring into me as I take a seat at our usual lunch table, though I don't acknowledge her presence. I can tell she is mad at me over the way I told her off in her car not too long ago, yet I don't care. Considering what Delaney knows about me, I should be cautious around her. Yet I don't have the energy to bend to her will at the moment. Instead, I merely sit and stab at my salad with my fork, ignoring everything around me.

"So, Hadley," Grace says, catching my attention. "Where'd you end up running off to Friday night?" Grace seems to mean no harm by her question, expression sincere.

Delaney shoots me a sharp glance from across the table. The corner of her lip curls into a smirk as she awaits my response. I narrow my eyes at her, anger boiling in my veins. One of these days, I won't be able to stand Delaney anymore. One day I am going to burst and all of my pent-up rage toward Delaney Woods is going to be released in an explosion of fury and Delaney will become nothing more than collateral damage.

Unfortunately, today is not that day.

I clear my throat. "Oh, you know. I was just—"

"Hadley went home with a boy Friday night," Delaney cuts in. I stiffen as I glance her way, wondering what game she's playing. Delaney stares back at me defiantly, as if daring me to contradict her.

"No way!" Bianca exclaims. I watch as she rests her elbows atop the table and leans forward in her seat, brown eyes wide as she gives me her undivided attention. "Seriously? Who?"

"Yeah," Grace speaks up, appearing interested. "Who, Hadley?"

I offer Delaney a cold glare. In return, she flashes me a wide smirk.

"Well, um . . ." I trail off. Beads of seat form by my hairline. My throat closes up as I try to come up with a way to complete my lie.

"Come on," Delaney presses, pushing me further. "You can tell us. I mean, it's not like you were staying with someone else and lying about it, right?"

Hot tears prick at my vision. I'm now certain that Delaney knows the truth about where I was Friday night. I don't understand why she enjoys doing this to me, holding things over my head to make sure I'll do whatever she wants. Delaney is much too good at this game, too manipulative for it to be healthy.

"I don't think you guys know him," I lie. "He goes to another school. We ran into each other at the party, and I was drunk, so . . ."

"She called me to pick her up the next day," Delaney continues. "Guess what, you guys. The neighborhood she was in? It's Devon Parker's neighborhood."

Goosebumps line my arms as my hair stands on end. My cheeks flush with heat. A bead of sweat rolls down the back of my neck. Tears continue to fill my eyes and blur my vision. Delaney knows exactly what she's doing. She is always one step ahead of me, even when I start to think I'm finally catching up to her.

"Devon Parker?" Grace questions. "Isn't she the captain of the girls' soccer team?"

"Isn't she a lesbian?" Bianca whispers, as if the word alone is some sort of sin you will be damned to hell for just saying aloud.

Delaney nods smugly. "I just thought that was so weird. Didn't you think that was weird, Hads?"

I can tell by the way my eyes are watering that I am about to break down. So I rise from my seat without a word, turning my back on Delaney. I don't stop walking until I have burst through the cafeteria doors and exited into the empty hallway. That's when I allow my tears to fall.

I won't give Delaney the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

___

a/n: what's everyone's favorite song atm? i wanna find some new music to listen to. :)