Your Picture On My Phone (The Scar Series - Book One)

10 - Storm

"I'm telling you, Conor is gay," I repeated as my first words appeared to be drowned out by other kids jumping into the pool. Leo, Milo, and Will laughed as if I had just made a joke.

"For real, he just came onto me when we walked here," I lied, looking at Conor belligerently. "Tell them, homo."

Now he sees what he gets for treating me like I am a dumb heartless, not-caring idiot. I walked up to him, as he was just standing next to the pool like this wasn't his fault. You also told everyone I had a crush on Sarah, destroying every chance I had with her. It's only fair.

"Why are you afraid now? We are your friends, after all. You can be honest with us," I said pretentiously, as if he wasn't good enough for us. As if I had been generous enough to endure his presence for all those years.

"I didn't come onto you, Ash."

"So you already forgot how you put your hands on my shoulder, stroking it...?"

In order to help the guys imagine what I wanted them to believe had happened, I grabbed my shoulder and massaged it.

"...and then walking your way down to my butt?"

"Tell them you're lying," yelled Conor, confusedly peering at me. I saw in his watery eyes that he didn't understand why I told them all this bullshit. I didn't understand it myself. I just did it because it felt like a relief at that moment. At the end of the day, I have to destroy him. Better than him tearing me down.

"But you are gay, aren't you?"

"It wasn't your job to tell them."

"Then maybe you should have kept your hands and mouth to yourself." I threw air kisses at Conor, making smacking sounds to mock him. Does this hurt you?

"Stop it!" Conor ran toward me, pressing his head into my chest. Yes. I finally got through to you. I was so proud that I made him feel as angry as I did. But you are no match for me. He was almost half a head shorter, making it easy for me to defend him. I simply grabbed his shoulders and pushed him. It didn't even take me a lot of strength. He tumbled backward, trying to regain his balance, but it was too late. Pulled down by the weight of his bag, he fell right into the pool with his clothes, smartphone, and everything.

I turned to the others, smiling heroically. I glanced at their shocked faces, and it took me some time to realize they weren't on my side. Instead of joining me in my victory, they rushed to help Conor.

The lifeguard's whistle pierced through the burning air as if it would cut a picture into two halves. Leaving me alone on one side and my so-called friends on the other side.

I clenched my jaw as Milo pulled Conor out of the basin. Leo and Will hopped in and searched for his stuff. And a lot of people were looking at us. Assholes. Why do they help him? He is the one who scrambles off to the west coast as if our friendship means nothing to him.

Everything after that happened fast. The lifeguard walked me out as he saw how I had provoked the situation. He made me give him my parents' number, called them, and made my mom pick me up. As we sat in the car, she tried to get me to tell her what had happened. But I kept my mouth shut, hissing at everything she said. I was placed under house arrest for two weeks. As if that mattered. It was inevitable that Conor would have to move away, leaving me alone in this stupid fucking town.

I ignored him for the last few days of school. The others tried to talk me into apologizing to him, but I was stubborn enough not to give in. I mean, it was Conor who destroyed everything.