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In home room a few weeks later, Livia was doodling in her notebook while announcements were playing. Livia never really listened to them, especially when it was Tara and Meghan on the TV.
But when a Thorn magazine was placed on her desk with Max's face on it, she knew it wasn't going to be a good thing.
"When I approached Max about this piece, I wasn't sure how he would feel about it," Meghan spoke on the TV, Livia finally listening in. "But he was so game to get his side of the story out there."
"I am constantly blown away by his strength," Tara replied in awe.
Out of the corner of her eye, Livia could see Drea packing her things up and leaving the classroom, the Thorn magazine left on the table.
Livia raised her hand. "I have to go to the bathroom." Before the teacher could answer, she stood up from her chair, walking out of the room. She looked down both hallways, finding Drea headed towards the front doors of the school.
"Drea, hey!" Livia ran, catching up to her.
Drea paused, letting out an audible sigh before turning around with a fake smile on her face. "What?" She snapped. Drea usually liked Livia, always had. But she wasn't in the mood to be pitied by anyone at that moment.
Livia stopped a few feet away from her. "Honestly, don't worry about the stupid magazine. No one even reads it." She could read Drea's body language, and it told her that all she wanted to do was leave the school, so she tried to keep their conversation short.
"They will when King Max is on the cover, spilling drama that everyone wants the juice on." Drea flung her hands around, gritting her teeth. "Everyone's gonna read it."
Livia knew she was partly lying when she said no one would read the Thorn magazine. The magazine got quite a few reads as it is, and with Max on the cover now, most everyone was bound to read it. "I won't."
Drea chuckled dryly. "It won't matter." She turned to continue making her way toward the front doors.
Livia took another step forward, not that it did anything. "I believe you, Drea. So does Gabbi. Max is the type of asshole to release the tape."
The Torres girl stopped on her tracks for a moment, thinking about what Livia had just said, but began walking again, right out the front doors of the school. It did feel good for Drea to have someone believe her over Max. She just wasn't quite expecting it to be Livia, when Drea thought she had been friends with Max her whole life.
But that's where Drea got it wrong. Livia hadn't been friends with Max for years. And Livia had seen what Max was capable of. She and Gabbi would know more than anyone else that Max was the one who leaked the video.
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By the time Valentine's Day had rolled around, Livia was talking often with both Elliot and Drea, and occasionally Eleanor when she was around Gabbi. Livia thought Eleanor and Gabbi were cute together, and was hoping one would ask the other out sooner rather than later.
The Valentine's Day assembly abruptly ended with shared screenshots of texts between Max and a girl in practically every clique at Rosehill, causing the school to erupt into chaos. When everyone filed out of the theatre, Gabbi had decided to go find Max, but Livia had something else in mind.
She found Drea in one of the main hallways, leisurely sipping on a cup as she leaned against the wall next to a garbage fire. "So, was this you?" Livia couldn't help smile as she held her phone up, showing the screenshots.
Drea shook her head, pausing in the middle of taking a sip from her drink, leaving lipstick on her straw. "No."
"I won't tell. I just think it's hilarious." Livia scanned over the hallway they stood in, watching everyone freak out.
"I wish it was me, Liv." She paused when a teacher came running down the hallway with a fire extinguisher, blowing out the fire coming from the garbage can. Both girls stopped to watch it get put out. "I wish it was," she sighed with a grin, before standing up straight, and walking off.
By fifth period, things had calmed down quite a lot. Rumors that Max and Tara were poly had spread all throughout the school, both people who cared and didn't care having to hear about it. Livia ignored everything she heard, knowing it was a bunch of bullshit. She knew who Max was, and it was a misogynistic piece of shit who used anyone he could for his own gain.
At PE, she ran around the track faster than normal, trying to blow off some steam so she could focus on the rest of the school day instead of being pissed at everyone.
When she was coming around the curve of the track, she saw Elliot waving to her in the distance. She ignored him with an eye roll, not wanting to talk to him.
He realized she was ignoring him, so he stepped out onto the track in his school uniform, looking lost among the others actually in their PE clothes.
Livia continued to ignore him, her stubbornness doing her a favour. She kept running as she came around the corner again, this time, finding Elliot with his lilac vest off and positioned with his back turned to her, ready to run with Livia.
The Browning girl picked up her speed, hoping he wouldn't be able to keep up with her as he started running when she came back around to him.
"Livia." He pushed himself to keep up with her.
The girl tried not to look over at him. "I don't want to talk to you."
"It had to be done." He paused to take a breath to keep going. "Come on, you wouldn't lie if Gabbi had done the same thing?"
Livia's lungs burned, her legs aching. "No, I wouldn't have," she replied immediately. "But I also wouldn't be her friend if she was treating a bunch of people the way Max is treating girls. It's fucked up. And it just makes you look like an asshole for still hanging out with him." Her words exhausted her more, her body slowing itself down on the track.
She slowed to a walk, finally looking over at him. "You're sorry? For who, yourself? And what does that even mean? You won't lie next time?" she snapped at him.
Elliot paused in shock, never seen Livia so mad at him before. They may have bickered every so often over the years they'd known each other, but it was never like what it was in that moment. With her jaw tightened and eyes glaring at him. Plus, they had been getting along well the last couple of months. Way better than they ever had.
What surprised Elliot the most was how it made him feel. He stood there quietly, frowning, guilt and sadness creeping up his throat. "I'm sorry." Nothing else would come out of his mouth, not knowing what else to say.
"Happy fucking Valentine's Day Elliot," Livia spit at him, before taking off again around the track. That minute of rest and the anger she felt even stronger towards Max and his friends made her finish the two miles quicker than usual, glad that Elliot was nowhere in sight the next time she came around the track.
