Kiss Don't Tell

Chapter 3

I hated gym class. It was always the same nightmare of trying to keep a low profile while Lily found new ways to humiliate me. Today was no different.

We were playing volleyball, and I was trying to blend in with the other players, but Lily made that impossible. Every time she served, she targeted me, smashing the ball with a precision that seemed almost preternatural.

“Get it together, Tabitha!” Coach Jenkins barked as I fumbled another serve. I caught a glimpse of Lily smirking at me, her eyes glinting with satisfaction.

After a few more targeted hits, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Lily, can you stop aiming for me?” I shouted, my voice trembling with frustration.

“Tabitha, sit on the bench!” Coach Jenkins snapped before Lily could respond. I stared in disbelief.

“But Coach—”

“No buts! Sit down!”

Feeling the heat of everyone’s eyes on me, I trudged to the bench. Lily had everyone wrapped around her finger. It didn’t matter what she did she was untouchable.

The locker room was quiet when I entered. I took my time changing, trying to calm down. I was just pulling my shirt over my head when Lily and her entourage walked in. They made a show of walking past me, whispering loud enough for me to hear.

“Why would they even let a lesbian be in the girls' locker room?” Lily sneered. “She just gets to see girls change.”

My blood boiled, but I bit my tongue. I slammed my locker closed, trying to block out their laughter.

Once I was dressed, I stormed out of the locker room, trying to push their taunts out of my mind. Halfway to my next class, I realized I’d left my phone behind. Cursing under my breath, I turned back.

I walked into the locker room and saw Lily holding my phone, scrolling through it. “Give that back!” I demanded, reaching for it.

Lily held it out of reach, grinning. “What’s this? Love notes?” she teased.

I lunged for the phone, but Lily dodged. In the struggle, I lost my balance and fell, landing on top of her. For a moment, our faces were inches apart. I could see the surprise in her eyes.

“Get off of me, you freak!” Lily shouted, pushing me away.

I scrambled to my feet, flustered. “Just take your phone back, you lesbian,” she said, tossing it to me.

I caught it and ran out without looking back, confused by how easily she had let it go.

When I got home, I collapsed onto my bed, hoping to leave the humiliation behind. But soon there was a loud knock on the door. I opened it to find Benjamin standing there, looking worried.

“What the hell happened?” he asked.

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Have you really not seen it?” He pulled out his phone and opened Instagram, showing me a photo of me on top of Lily. My heart sank.

“That is not what it looks like! I was just trying to get my phone back!” I exclaimed, panicking.

“I know it’s not what it looks like, but I don’t think everyone else knows that,” Benjamin said. “We need them to take that down right now!” I insisted.

“It’s a school fan page. I don’t know who runs it. I’m sorry, Tab, but I think it’s too late to delete it anyway,” he replied.

“Well, what are the comments?” I asked. He shook his head.

“For your own sake, I’m not showing you them.”

"Sorry Tab, but I've got to head into work. Try not to rip your hair out, okay? And don't read those comments." I nodded my head as Benjamin left. I headed back to my room to contemplate what I should do if I have to face Lily tomorrow.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my despair. I thought Benjamin had come back. “Benjamin, I thought you were going to work—” I started, but my words died in my throat when I saw Lily standing there.

“Let me in,” she demanded. I stepped aside, too stunned to argue.

Lily sat on the couch and pulled up the picture. “As you’ve probably already seen, this picture of us is going around.”

I nodded. “And the comments aren’t the best. This photo could ruin my reputation.” Lily exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, I—” I began, but Lily cut me off.

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend,” she announced.

I stared at her, dumbfounded. “What?”

“I can’t have people thinking that I just sleep with a bunch of girls. No, I need to show them I’m at least committed if I want to keep my reputation.”

I took a step back, trying to process her words. “Lily, I’m sorry, but I’m not pretending to be your girlfriend. You’re awful to me.”

“If you agree to this, I’ll stop being mean to you. And you’ll be so much more popular,” she said, stepping closer.

I hesitated, the offer tempting despite everything. “Fine,” I said finally. “I’ll do it.”

“Perfect. Well, I have to go. Make sure you play the part well, or I’ll make your life miserable,” Lily threatened before leaving.

I stood in the middle of the room, my mind reeling. This was the last thing I expected, and I had no idea how I was going to handle it.

One thing was certain. My life had just become a lot more complicated.