Boys Are Liars

Chapter 5

The school hallway bustled with students as they merged through the hallway traffic everyone getting their jolt of morning energy in the form of sweet fizzy drinks or coffee. I stood by my locker rummaging through the contents inside. I glanced over my shoulder every once in a while to scan the familiar faces of my classmates.

People gossiped in groups, some laughing while others stopped at their lockers. I felt safe to be back in my routine. Being home would have decimated me because all I would think about was that Theo was out enjoying his life without me.

Nearby, Theo and Emma are clustered close together, whispering into each other's ears. Emma giggles, purposefully leaning towards him so they can kiss. I roll my eyes at the sight, whipping my head so fast that a tweak stings in the side of my neck.

I gripped my locker door and listened to buoyant discussions about Theo's party last week. They were calling him a legend and overnight he became the most popular guy in school. I sneak a look again at them and now there was a group of students surrounding them, asking questions and staring in admiration.

I kept my gaze low as I waited for Micah and Amelia to arrive. They were never late, Amelia must have overslept.

Then I see them emerge from the crowd. Amelia has her chin jutting in the air, her arms crossed against her chest. Micah follows her pace, trying to talk to her but she ignores him. Amelia greets me with a warm smile pulling me into a hug.

"Come on Amelia, I said I was sorry," Micah pleads.

She opens her locker, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "Do you hear something? Because I don't," she says.

I sigh, shaking my head. "What happened?"

Amelia slams her locker so hard that the entire wall of lockers shake.

"He blew me off! Again!" She yells.

"I told you, I would make it up to you!" He answers.

"What's so important that you couldn't see me?" She asks.

He avoids her gaze, scratching the back of his head. "I told you already, it's family stuff,"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "That's it? Why aren't you telling me the whole thing, we used to talk to each other,"

Micah sighs. "It's complicated,"

"Whatever," Amelia answers.

The three of us made our way through the swarmed corridor. Amelia is quick to notice my discomfort when we pass by students who whisper and stare at me. She hooks her arm around mine, making sure to shoot them all a glare.

Being in school was a little harder than I thought it would be. My wounds were still fresh and painful. How do you prove to yourself that you are stronger than the vibrant memories? Stronger than the crippling heartache that resurfaces every time you are around that one person you can't stop thinking about?

The three of us trickle into our classroom, taking our regular seats next to each other. Amelia squeezes my arm while Micah slides a chocolate chip cookie onto my desk.

"How are you feeling?" Amelia asks.

I take a bite of the cookie. "Like crap,"

"Well, that's normal," Micah remarks.

Amelia hits him on the shoulder. He winces, rubbing the spot.

"What?" He wails. "I gave her something sweet to nibble on but I'm not going to sugarcoat you know that. Let's just say it how it is. Sariah got played plain and simple,"

That earned him another hard thwack on the head from Amelia. She shoots him a glare, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Seriously?! Do you ever think about what you say before you say it?" She spat.

He leans in his chair, rubbing his head as he sticks his tongue out at her. "Hey, I'm telling her the truth so she can be stronger, and see the world for what it is. That's showing I care,"

Amelia sticks her tongue at him, turning in her chair to face me. "Whatever, I can't deal with you today. If you cared about me, you would tell me what was going on. You know I don't care that your family is going bankrupt,"

Micah's eyes dart back in forth as he puts his hand over Amelia's mouth. "Can you be quiet?!" He hisses. "Someone might hear you!"

She rolls her eyes at him, wrenching his hand away from her face. "I think I give a crap about what they think?"

I scoffed looking at her. Amelia didn't take anything from anyone. Her parents were hard and cold and raised her to be just as smart and just as unforgiving as them. They always reminded her that they did everything money could buy to make her perfect so whatever anyone else said was just noise.

She didn't have her parents constantly complaining and telling her everything that she did wrong. It was nice to grow up with such confidence, she excelled at everything she has ever done.

My parents were alright. I just felt like sometimes when I was with them it was like I didn't even exist. That could be mainly my part. I didn't talk to them as often as I should, they were always working and I didn't want to interrupt them.

Amelia puts her hand over her face and lowers her head. "At least you don't have any classes with him," she whispers.

"That's not the point," I groan, slamming my forehead against my desk. "He used me. I don't think I'll ever get over it. Even though he's not in any of my classes, we go to the same school, hang out at the same places, and are in the same social circles. I can't avoid him,"

Amelia gives me a small smile. "I mean, I did warn you,"

"I don't want to hear it," I snapped.

Micah rises from his seat. "That's my cue to leave," he says, planting a kiss on Amelia's cheek and walking away from us. "Now sounds like a good time to go to the restroom,"

"Look, don't take it personally, but you're my best friend and I love you which is why I'm just trying to tell you the truth,"

I sigh. "No yeah, I get it. It's just I liked him. What's wrong with seeing the good in people?"

Amelia gives me a sincere look. The one I hate. She's pitying me. I don't need to be pitied. I'm the one who will have to live with this heartache for the rest of my life. I'm the one who keeps getting tainted.

She grabs my hands pulling them close to her. "Take me and Micah for example," she says. "I made him work a little before I was all in with him. You can't make it easy for them because then they won't see you as special,"

"I don't think I can do that," I said, my voice wavering. "What you see is what you get. I love you or I don't,"

"I know." She says. "That's what I love about you, you always have your heart out on your sleeve. It's just if you keep doing that. People are going to use you and you're going to continue to keep getting hurt.

I laughed, tears brimming at the edge of my eyelashes. "I don't know how to be anything else,"

She grabs my phone. "Here, when you're ready to talk to someone new, call or text me first before you make a move and I'll tell you what to do," she says.

"But won't that make it not real? I wouldn't be myself," I say.

"Trust me, it'll work,"

I sighed, nodding. "Okay, I'm going to head to the restroom,"

I stand up, walking as quickly as I can away from Amelia. My heart thundered in my ears, hammering against my chest. My hands were quivering and a lump swelled in my throat.