If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them // Kendall Vertes

Chapter 2 - Something about Chloe...

"Yes, and now Paige has told you guys!" Maddie hissed, glaring at Paige.

"Sorry, Mads. Guys, you can't tell. Chloe... she's not my best friend anymore, but she doesn't deserve the hate she'll get if this gets out." Paige appeals to us.

"I'd never tell on Chlo!" Nia says, offended that anyone would think she was a gossiper.

"I'd never either. But only, I want one thing." I cock my head and put up 1 finger.

"What?" Maddie asks, narrowing her eyes.

"The truth. Why she left- it couldn't of been just the pregnancy. Why Paige won't forgive her. The truth."

"Well it all started when Chloe told me she liked Josh. I didn't like it, because Josh is my brother. But I let her date him, anyways." Paige tells us.

Maddie continues. "They were the cutest couple. Then, Chloe started hanging round Mikey, like, a lot, and you know Paige and him had a thing, too. Then, one night, she texted me. You know what she texted me?" Maddie shuddered and Paige looked angered at the memory.

"What?" Nia asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"That she slept with Mikey at that blowup party Jacob threw, and not to tell Paige! But Paigey and I were at an emergency sleepover, to discuss Chloe's recent.... Changes." Maddie said shiftily.

"So I saw, too. So we texted back, saying get a pregnancy test. She did and the next day at school, she told Mads, she was preggers!" Paige says angrily.

"No way!" I raised my eyebrows, asking to continue.

"Well, she was a liability to our group. She was gonna get fat. She was gonna get pregnancy brain." Maddie told us.

"And that's a problem why?" Nia asked.

"Nia, you're a smartie. Figger it out." Paige waggles her finger at Nia.

"Oh!" A look of comprehention dawned on her face, "The perfects!" She muttered.

"But why'd she leave?" I pressed.

"Paige-" Maddie started, shooting a look at her.

"I confronted her." Paige quickly inputted. We all raised our eyebrows, except Maddie, who looked away.

"Chloe... Well, no, Kendall, Nia, I didn't drive her out. The next day, she wasn't in Pittsburg. She sent one text to Mads, and she's left us all behind." Paige said, somewhat bitterly.

"But.... Maddie?" I asked. She looked ultimately distressed. She knew what I was secretly asking; I thought these past few months you cared about her?

"I lied! Okay, everything about Chloe leaving, the 'sadness' about her was acting!" Maddie said, hiding her face.

"Why not the truth?" Nia asked.

"Because. I've... I've moved on." She finished.