Timebomb

two

10 weeks earlier

"Hey!"

Carlie slams her metal locker door shut and rushes to catch up with me, almost dropping her textbooks in the process.

 Before I have a chance to greet her, she continues: "What are you doing this weekend? I heard that new Canadian kid, Jack Herd, is throwing a huge party at his place. Some of the girls and I were thinking of going. His parents are out of town and everyone's saying he's going all out. But, I mean, if you don't want to go it's, like, totally cool we haven't made up our minds either . . ." 

I take this slight pause in her rapid banter to interject before she continues. Carlie's one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet but has a tendency to ramble. "Um, thanks but I have plans this weekend.

Lie.  

"Oh, what are you doing?"

"You know just, like shopping and . . . hanging with the family." Lie, lie, LIE. 

A wave of hurt flickers across her face for a split second, but it doesn't last long. Her face break into one of her signature smiles and she just nods and we walk to class in silence. I barely ever bring up my family, let alone lie about having plans with them so she must think that there's some kind of personal emergency. Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the quiet, which is a first in Carlie's presence. 

But the peace doesn't last long. Homeroom is as rowdy as ever. A group of jocks energetically discuss last night's college football match, while the kids in drama argue over the new script changes, using vigorous hand gestures and harsh voices like you would expect to see in the theater. The school's infamous on and off couple, apparently on at the moment, sit on a desk nearby, holding hands and whispering into one another's ear. I almost gag when I spot them. Almost instantly, as soon as we walk through the doorway, everyone looks up. In the time it takes to maneuver our way through the rows of desks almost every kid has said "hi" or at least smiled at me, save for a few who refuse to acknowledge my presence. I smile back politely and sit down at my seat, letting out a sigh of relief. Carlie, however is soaking up the attention, per usual. Normally I would be doing the same thing, but lately it's hard to do anything without feeling the big black storm cloud brewing over my head. I know I should be making the most of my current situation - no one has found out yet, but it's only a matter of time before it comes out - but I find myself avoiding interaction with anyone. 

Popularity and social status has always been a hierarchy at Greenwich High School - like most schools, the prettiest and richest at the top and the . . . well, the rest at the bottom. But because of it's location in one of the richest areas in America, it's always been about more than good looks. If you're not smart, you're no one. Here, the games are always twisted, the stakes always higher. Everyone is working towards the same goal and if you don't pull out swinging you're guaranteed to be left in the dust. 

Carlie sits down next to me, just as our teacher, Mr.Thomas, walks through the door. Her stick-straight dyed auburn hair is in high contrast with her stark white skin. Her eyes, big and blue, are ringed by heavy eyeliner and mascara that reminds me of a racoon. I've always preferred her natural blonde ringlets, but she says it makes her look washed out. Instead she wakes up 2 hours earlier in morning, to straighten her hair and perfect her makeup. Personally, I've never understood the point. My hair is naturally straight and I've always opted for minimal makeup but even then, I could never bring myself to wake up so early like almost every other girl in our school. 

As we open up our notebooks and begin class, I steal a glance at Carlie. She's beautiful, despite her fiery hair and dark rimmed eyes. For a brief moment, I feel a flicker of envy. She may not be perfect but at least her life isn't in shambles like mine. Hell, anyone's life looks pretty good right about now. I glance around the room and look at all my fresh-faced classmates. Everyone looks so prim and proper, studious and scholarly, but I know that living this life comes with a cost. I for one, have experienced it firsthand. As put-together as we all appear everyone has there own demons. But if there's one thing about this school that I've learned is that nothing, especially a secret as dark as mine, is safe.