The Best Kind of Betrayal

Chapter 33

Our last "emergency emergency" club meeting is right afterwards, and we all gather in the club room. There's a distinct smell of fake snow and spray color, and Duncan looks like he's on allergies. Johnny orders us to sit down, since he has a whole lot of rules to recite from what looks like a professional business portfolio.

There's tension in the air and it's especially evident in the defeated look on Logan's face. He looks extra miserable, with his shoulders slumped down and what sounds like quiet sniffles.

"Vivian," he pleads, "Please, can we talk about this –"

Vivian takes her things and moves over to Liling' table.

"That went well," Duncan says and sneezes, "Ouch."

Logan sends him a glare.

"Don't listen to him," Liling tells Vivian, "Deserves him right for cheating."

"Jesus, I told you, I didn't cheat on her," Logan says, "Vivian, if you just listened to me, you'd understand that I–"

Johnny interrupts him with an annoyed glare and waves with the list in his hands. "I'm reading important rules right now, Logan. Spare us your mess."

Logan ignores him completely. "Vivian, this whole thing is just pure nonsense, you know you don't want to break up with me!"

"Oh? Well, great you know everything so much better," Vivian spits and crosses her arms, "I don't even need to listen to the sick and twisted way you try to make this anything but cheating."

"But I wasn't," Logan's practically crying by now, "I really wasn't cheating, Viv, please –"

Johnny drops his sheet loudly and sends both of them a glare.

"Out!" he orders.

"What?"

"You heard me," Johnny gestures towards the door, "Get out of here. No one wants to listen to you guys fighting."

"Actually, I'm pretty invested in this," Carlos says.

"Same," Duncan says and offers Liling his bag of chips.

Agatha leans forward with a curious look on her face, and Matthew has both his eyebrows raised. Kaia fiddles with her phone, like she's keen on filming the whole scene. Meanwhile, I just hope Logan stops with all the whining. And my name won't drop, like ever.

Vivian rolls her eyes, then gets up to grab Logan by his collar.

"Let's get out of here," she says and adds quickly, "That doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you of course."

Logan looks overjoyed nevertheless, and practically runs after her. The door closes with a loud bang, and everyone stares after them.

"Whew, I hope they'll make up," Liling says and somehow, no one disagrees with her.

I rest my head on my arms and continue to listen to Johnny's extra important rant about things to do and not to do during prom. I know Matthew's watching me. He has this look on his face, eyebrows furrowed and nose slightly scrunched up, which looks like he's in pain but is really just his thinking face. I know what he's thinking about. I know he's not stupid, able to put two and two together. I start to feel nervous.

After the meeting, Matthew waits for me by the door and offers me his hand. He squeezes my hand, but his face is carefully blank.

"Let's talk?"

"Sure," I try an uneasy smile and follow him down the hallway, away from the rest.

Matthew waits before he's sure we're far enough away from everyone before dropping my hand and running a hand through his hair.