I Wish You Never Met Me

33

Chapter 33

All eyes were on me.

Why? Because everyone knew now. They now know that I'm the mastermind behind the bags they were carrying around and bragging about. I went from getting their sly comments about how ugly my outfits were to them asking me to make them a bag or a sweatsuit. It's funny to see how people switch up knowing that you're the one behind the cool bags and clothes. After all, it started when I made the first bag and carried it to school the next week.

"When will you like design again, Meghan?" said the short blonde, Nicole, standing in front of me. She was one of my classmates in AP History. Smart girl when it came to the books, but a complete airhead when it came to the male species. I mean, she's beautiful. Blonde hair, brown eyes, hourglass body shape. "I need that green Meiko bag."

I patted her shoulder gently. "I'm retired, sweetheart. Meiko Couture is over."

She pouted. "But Meiko Couture is so iconic. You got to bring it back. My mom has been asking about it since the first launch. We were sad when you closed. Please just for one night only bring it back."

"I'm sorry, but I'm never going to design again." I told her, my voice grew somber. "I loved it. I did. But I think I'm done."

"Hey, queen Meiko," Monica bellowed in the locker area, throwing her arms around. "I'm so proud of you. You have no idea."

"You watched the show last night?" I asked.

Last night was the trigger to the complete turnaround the public was going to do about me. My sixty minutes episode aired last night even though we filmed a week ago. The world now who Meghan Hawkins really was—well a piece of her. They know the designer, and the girl who was popular in high school, and the budding influencer. They know the girl they've been sending death threats too.

"Of course I did, you know I had to support my girl," she said as we walked to our English class.

"How are my two favorite girls?" Sami joined us.

"I'm good," I responded.

"Same here. The episode was so good. You had me at the edge of my seat, girl." The three of us headed to our seats.

"Yeah, the episode was good. I mean, it was so inspiring. You've been through so much." Sami gently squeezed my shoulder.

And I'm still going through a lot. The battle is still going on. Little by little, piece by piece, I want their empire to crumble. I want it to burn to ash right underneath their noses. I want to smell the smoke as if they forgot they had a bake baking in the oven. I have a feeling we might pull this off, but it all still feels too good to be true. They know something. My episode on 60 minutes gave up some of it. Well not all since we made sure none of the trials were covered on the news and asked about on the show. All they know is what I've been through and who I am, and who I was.

***

"Are you going to eat those," Monica pointed to my French fries sitting next to my burger. She reached for a fry ready to steal one.

I slapped her hand away, glaring at her. "Touch my food and your hand gets cut off." At hindsight, I noticed Sami trying to sneak one over to Monica. "That goes for both of you."

They chuckled as if I was joking. Instead of sitting there any longer to be treated like a joke, I stood up taking my food with me. I wasn't going to have them treat me like that. Not after how the world has been treating me. I was about to move when Monica's hand latched onto my wrist.