✓ | I Hate You.

chapter six

CHAPTER SIX: THE SECRET'S OUT

     Cora walked to school that day. She needed time to think about what had happened yesterday afternoon. She needed time to think about how Nancy was just drunk and how she didn't really like Cora. Nancy Wheeler wanted Steve Harrington - the boy who was always better than everyone else, especially Cora Knight.

     When she walked through the school parking lot, she quickly noticed multiple sets of eyes on her. Nancy, Jonathan and Steve all stood by the popular boy's car, staring at Cora with unreadable looks on their faces.

     Cora slowly walked up to them, "why are you all staring at me like that." Nancy had a frown on her face, Steve looked angrier than she had ever seen him, and it looked like guilt was eating Jonathan alive.

     "Well," Steve started, leaning against his car with his arms crossed. It was then she noticed the picture in Nancy's hands. The shorter girl held it close to her chest as she sighed. "Jonathan, dropped this." Steve leaned over, and looked at the photo with distaste. "I'm not even gonna talk about why he was taking the photo," he rolled his eyes with a breathy chuckle, "but what's happening in the photo... I don't really understand." He shoved the photo into Cora's chest.

     She furrowed her brows in confusion, before staring down at the black and white photo. Her heart dropped. Nancy and Cora were in the photo, their lips attached to each other. Jonathan saw them kiss, and he took a photo of it.

     "Steve-" Cora began, prepared to remind him about how drunk Nancy was.

     "Save it." He grumbled, "Nancy already told me how you kissed her." He glared harshly at her. Cora's eyes widened in surprised. She glanced to Nancy, who stared at the ground in shame. "You know that she's my girlfriend, so why the hell would you do that?" He continued. "She doesn't even like girls. You took advantage of her while she was drunk? Do you realize how messed up that is?"

     Cora glanced back at Nancy one more time, noticing the pleading look in her eyes. She sighed, "I'm sorry." She mumbled, "I know I shouldn't have done that."

     "Yeah, you're damn right you shouldn't have." Steve nodded, he scoffed as he glanced at her before looking to Nancy, "come on. Let's go, Nance. We have to get to class."

     Cora watched as the two walked away, ignoring the look Nancy gave her. She mentally scolded herself. After what Nancy just did to her - about how she lied to Steve to cover up her own drunk mistake - Cora still cared about the girl. She didn't understand why.

     "Hey, Cora, I'm really sorry-" Jonathan's voice broke her out of her trance.

     "I don't care." Cora spoke through gritted teeth, "you know, you really shouldn't have done that, huh?" She turned to face him, "I mean... give me one good reason why you did."

     Jonathan frowned, looking to his feet, "I don't have any." Cora scoffed as she began walking off, but Jonathan stopped her. "You know, since I was there when it happened-" Cora glared at him, and he grimaced. "I saw how she kissed you. Why did you take the blame?"

     Cora rolled her eyes, "it doesn't matter."

     "It does matter." He insisted.

     "Not to you!" She snapped. "Yeah, so what? Cora Knight actually likes Nancy Wheeler. Big deal. But that does not concern you in the slightest, okay?" Jonathan stayed silent, "great." She began to walk off, leaving Jonathan behind to stare at his feet.

     Rumours spread fast in Hawkins High. Cora could hear the whispers as she walked the halls, causing her to scowl. She could hear it all, and they weren't even trying to hide it.

     Queer. They spoke the word like a slur - an insult. So what if she was queer? She didn't understand the people around her, throwing insults left and right. Gossiping about Cora Knight kissing Nancy Wheeler.

     "I thought they hated each other?" A girl mumbled to her left.

     Her friend sighed, "she was probably just trying to hide the fact that she likes girls." She snickered, pointing to Cora with a teasing smile.

     Cora sighed, but kept walking. Her heels clicked as she walked down the hall that was filled with low whispers and quiet laughter. Everyone knows.

     She passed by Nancy and Steve at some point, the two both looked in her direction. Nancy glanced at her with a look of pity, and shame. Steve only glared before turning to Nancy.

     To Cora, it felt like the entire world was against her now. She'd lost all her chances at having something good in her life, anything. Just when she thought that maybe she could make a new friend, Steve Harrington, a rumour got out and squashed on her hope.

     Just when she thought that maybe her and Nancy wouldn't be arguing every second of the day, the damn rumour got out because of Nancy. Now, if they were to have a conversation, it would either consist of Nancy sending her sorry looks the entire time, or Steve interrupting and dragging Nancy away.

     The more she thought about it, the more she wished that things could go back to the way they were. Cora wished that she had never gone to Steve's party, and that she had never helped Nancy in the bathroom that night. She wished that Nancy hadn't drunkenly kissed her, and that Jonathan hadn't taken that photo.

     She wished that she could take the next ticket out of Hawkins, and leave.

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lizzie speaks...

drama