𝐆𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 || #𝟏

Chapter 60

Aubrey is the first one to file into the corridor, holding the door for everybody else. As we make our way back to the gym, music blasting in the halls - Claudia stays particularly close to me. Abigail opens the gym's doors, and I hold my breath.

-- ------ --

Shawn tries to talk to me, but Emily puts out her hand in front of him.

"I'm really sorry," Emily apologises. "You can talk to Jasmine later, but right now we need to do something. Okay?"

Shawn nods, as if he understood and looks at me with regret. As we make it to the middle of the dance floor, I feel everybody's eyes on me. Claudia puts her hands on my shoulders, glaring at anybody who looked at me weirdly.

"Don't look at her like that," Claudia hissed. "She doesn't need your pity."

"Who's anonymous?" I asked Lorelei, who finally stopped. Aubrey, who was behind us taps my shoulder, and points at Luke.

"W-what?"

Aubrey nods her head. I look at Alice for confirmation, and she nods her head as well. Abigail presses her lips into a thin line, and I finally know the truth.

My heart drops. I couldn't believe it, out of all the people in the world, it was Luke all along? He was so nice to me, he was my boyfriend... And I liked him a lot. Emily impulsively interrupts him, who I've just realised is dancing with Alexis.

"Anything to say?" Emily coldly asks, her hands folding. Luke looks at her confusingly, then at me.

"Are you alright?" He asks, "what's going on?"

"Why don't you tell us?" Lorelei added in after, stepping forward. "Would you like to tell everybody about your betrayal?"

Luke's once concerning eyes turned cold, and he laughed. Laughs. "So you've found out?"

"How could you do this?" I finally say, and surprisingly, I'm not sad. I'm mad, angry at him, I want to punch him in the face. "I trusted you, and to think that you teamed up with Alexis the whole time."

"Oh man," Amelia scoffed, suddenly appearing. "She's getting emotional again, I can't deal with this."

"How did you even get Amelia in on this? How'd you get Tina in on this as well? They don't even go to this school, and Tina used to be my friend!"

"Don't act as if you're so innocent," Alexis sneered, stepping closer to me. "Have you seen how my mum treats me?"

Flashbacks to Alexis and her mother at dinner play back in my mind.

"It's all your fault," she quietly says.

"How is it my fault? I'm not the one who tried to-"

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Alexis shrieks, snapping. Everybody stops to look at us, fight, smack in the middle of the dance floor. "YOU'RE THE REASON WHY SHAWN BROKE UP WITH ME! YOU ARE THE REASON WHY MY LIFE SUCKS SO MUCH! I HATE YOU!"

"He broke up with you?" I said, "I had nothing to do with that... Also, what'd I do? Because last time I checked, I haven't provoked you at all! It's all been you!"

"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO COME BACK INTO MY LIFE? EVEN WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! MY PARENTS CONSTANTLY COMPARED ME TO YOU, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE SO MUCH BETTER THAN ME! I WAS CONSTANTLY COMPARED TO AILEEN, BECAUSE SHE WAS THE STEREOTYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART. I ONLY BECAME FRIENDS WITH YOU SO I COULD SEE WHAT WAS SO GOOD ABOUT YOU, AND I STILL CAN'T SEE IT!"

I stare at her in confusion. So really, all this time Alexis was rude to me, she sabotaged me, just so she could win her family's validation. I know I'm supposed to hate her, but coming as someone with family issues... I can understand her.

"Even if that were true you had no right exposing my private family affairs," I fought back. "You had no right to tell everybody that my dad is-"

"That your dad's an alcoholic? Yeah, maybe I didn't have the right to do that," she scoffed, her hands on her hips. "I wish I didn't expose your lame secret, now everybody feels sad for you. They have pity for you, when in reality, they should have pity for me! You may have a broken family, but at least you aren't compared to your idiot sister!"

"Hey!" Claudia frowns, "I got into Harvard! I'm not that dumb!"

"And exposing her family was probably the worst thing you could've done!" Abigail adds in, wagging her finger at her.

She pauses, looking at me with regret. Then, she breaks down, hunched over on the ground, mascara smudging across her face.

"You're right," she sobs, "I can't compare my own family to yours. I'm a horrible person, I shouldn't have done all of those horrible things."

Luke looks at me emotionlessly, and hangs his head down low. He attempts to flee the crime scene, but is stopped by a familiar teacher.

"Stop right there young man," Ms Gob orders. "You can't leave before you face the consequences of your actions. Now, what do we say to Jasmine?"

Luke rolls his eyes, looking at me with venom. "I'm very sorry for pretending to have feelings for you, and exposing your family secret." He turns to leave a second time, but Ms Gob stops him again.

"Now, you must leave prom immediately. You also must go straight down to the principal's office and she'll give you your punishment. Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Luke sighs, and shamelessly walks over to the doors of the gym, and leaves. Katheryne, who was at the food stand huffs very loudly - and shares a knowing look at Belle. Belle nods her head, brings out a food trolly. Katheryne stands up with her pink ukulele, decorated in glitter for the special occasion - and starts to sing at a very ear-splitting pitch.

"JUSTICE FOR OUR VEGAN FRIEND!"

Belle rams the trolley through the doors of the gym, and then it is followed by a very terrified Luke screaming his eyes out. We hear the trolley crash into many things, and the groans of it's victim. Ms Gob shrugs, deciding to turn a blind eye and retreats to go drink some punch.