Rose Bridges

Thirty eight

Carmen

"Druggie boy been a good boyfriend to you? Fuck you good?" Ben taunts as he passes me on the way out of class.

I pause and my eyebrows pinch.

Before he can walk away, I grab onto his shoulder and pull him back to me, into the corner.

He stares at me with a smirk and I scowl. "Where did you hear that from?"

His smirk widens. "What? That you and poor boy are fucking-"

"No," I shake my head and cut him off. My shoulders tense. "I mean the first part."

His eyebrows lift and he fully grins. "You guys like making out in parks?" he murmurs with a knowing smile before looking me up and down and walking away.

I suck in a breath and my stomach churns as I stand there with tense shoulders and a stiff neck.

My head is filling with questions?

Making out in parks?

What?

My eyes widen when I think back to when we were kissing before I had to leave for the debate competition.

Someone saw us?

Brushing it off, I continue down the hallway.

You know what, I don't care. Let them talk.

Good things can't be ruined if you don't let it.

~

I'm writing about my day so far in my journal as everyone talks around me at the lunch table.

"Have you guys done it yet?" Chanel asks with a smirk.

"Omg you have!" Julie squeals.

"As long as you're happy," Alex nods with a awkward smile.

"EEE!" Layla also squeals. "When did he ask you?"

Her cheeks pinken. "He asked me the day before the debate competition." She giggles. "And it was really funny because the next day he texted me like ten minutes before they had to leave telling me to come say bye so he can show me off to his friends and so I practically ran through the park and to the school. Then I almost tripped over a branch-"

My eyes widen and my body stiffens. "You were at the park?" I ask, cutting her off.

She looks to me innocently. "I saw you there too with that one guy," she adds. "I'm sorry about anything I...that I may have said before. But you're being safe about the aids thing? I'm serious Carmen, needles is a big deal-"

"You're the one who told them?" I ask, planting my hands on the table.

Her eyes widen. "Yeah? It's really no big deal."

I'm heavy breathing now. "You told them that knowing how they would act. Why would you do that?!" I ask, getting more mad.