Playing The player

Chapter 23

"So everything you said…  was it all just a lie?"


  I bit the edge of my lip as I half focused on what Blake was saying on the phone, half focusing on my Maths homework. "Sorry, what did you say?"


  I heard him let out a breath, and it was too easy to imagine him dragging a hand through his messy brown hair. "I said, what it all just a lie?"


  What was the formula for this equation again? I struggled to think as I tried to multi-task. Normally, it would be no problem but for some reason random things kept getting stuck in my head, such as wondering what Nina was doing right now, or whether I had included the bit about the adding evidence in my History essay. I couldn't concentrate, and as usual, it was because of Blake. "I'm sorry," I sighed, "Was what just all a lie?"


  "What you said to me yesterday, after school. About Dylan," He pressed, when I didn't respond immediately.


  I suddenly remembered. "Oh, that," I let out a laugh, thinking about how stupid I was. On the line, I heard Blake mutter out a 'finally!', and I smiled at the mental image. I quickly scribbled some numbers down. "If you add this to that, times y by x, then divide it by two," I muttered, "Then you'll get the answer!"


  "Hayleigh - "


  "Shush," I muttered as I jotted some numbers down. Absentmindedly, I closed the call; it was distracting me. I didn't need to be distracted anymore than I wasn't already; by some disgusting miracle, I had gotten results that were definitely not up to my usual standards this week, and I had to be extra diligent in order to receive the maximum results possible.


  Well that sounded fancy.


  As I worked on the second question, the doorbell rang, and for a second, I considered just letting it ring. I had so much homework to do; not only did I have to complete this maths revision, but I needed to revise for the major Science exam I had next semester, not to mention completing the Shakespeare essay I had been presented on my online course.


  Seriously, it sounded really boring, but it was actually pretty fun.


  I pushed myself away from my table, and wiping my hands on my pyjama shorts, I plodded downstairs. I would just be polite and ask whoever it was to leave so I could continue with my homework. Thank you for coming, but I'm afraid I'm terribly busy, I thought in my head as I opened the door.


  "Courtney?" She was the last person I expected to see standing in front of me. The surprise must've showed in my face, because she looked at me expectantly.


  "That's my name, although I'm surprised you even remember me as we haven't talked in ages," Courtney barged into the room, looking around before navigating her way into the kitchen.


  I shook my head, everything going a little too fast for my taste as I closed the door and followed her into the kitchen. "Thanks for coming Courts, but I'm afraid - "


  "Yeah, don't give me that bullshit," Courtney said lazily as she looked through my fridge, before pulling out a bag of carrot sticks. She turned to me, one hand on her hip while the other carried the carrot sticks, "You're my best friend Hails, and I really don't appreciate you blowing all our best friend time for Blake."


  Well, that was awkward. I scratched my nose. "I didn't realise, I'm really - "


  "Yeah, whatever," Courtney waved her hand around dismissively, "What I really want to know is, are you really pregnant?"


  If I had been drinking water at that moment, I would've done one of those dramatic things we always see on TV where they spit the water out and it goes everywhere, and it looks super cool. "What?" I choked, "Pregnant? No!"


   "Oh, good," Courtney smiled brightly at me, "I didn't think it was true, you would've told me if you did the dirty, wouldn't you?"


  In seconds, I turned the same colour as Courtney's carrots. "I - I - "


  "I don't suppose you're carrying anything, right?" She gave me a meaningful look, but I was lost.


  I looked down at my hands; I wasn't carrying anything. "Um, no?"


  She laughed. "No, like, carrying anything. Like, a STD or something?"


  Queue second spit of water if I had been drinking water. My jaw dropped open and my hand immediately flew to my heart. "Courtney!"


  She gasped. "What, you are?"


  "No!" I said quickly, "No, I haven't had sex with Blake! And I don't have any sort of disease!" I shook my head frantically; you can't just barge into someone else's house and start questioning their sex life and ask whether they have a sexually transmitted disease! "Where did you even hear that?"


  She shrugged. "Just gossip," She mused, chewing on her carrot sticks, "I think Rachel Saunders started them, because Melanie told me that Nick told her, and he's in a relationship with Gemma, who's sort of friends with Rachel, they sit in front of me in something, I can't remember. They're always talking about guys and Gemma's constantly sucking up to Rachel's perfect ass, which really isn't that perfect, I bet she - "


  "Rachel Saunders?" I tried to put a face to the name; I was sure I had met her before somehow, and I was sure that encounter hadn't been a perfectly amicable one. I tapped my nails against the kitchen counter. "Describe her?"


  Courtney smirked. "Cheerleader, blonde, a total - "


  "I remember her!" I grinned excitedly, glad that I hadn't forgotten. "She was the one who was all over Blake! She said something about me never ever being able to get a boyfriend when Blake forced me to have lunch with the cheerleaders, that time when you were in detention!"


  Courtney rolled her eyes. "Yeah, she's a major - "


  "Why would she make up those rumours though?" I pondered absentmindedly, "I mean, I haven't done anything to her."


  "Blake and her used to date," Courtney helped, "Last year, I think. He dumped her though, probably because she's just an annoying - "


  The tapping of my nails against the kitchen island quickened. "Last year? How come she isn't over him?"


  "Because she's a - "


  "Why would she say I'm pregnant?" I asked, "That is so not cool!"


  "Would you just let me insult her?" Courtney exploded.


  I ignored her, suddenly remembering the massive amount of homework I had to complete. "Courtney! You were meant to leave," I panicked, starting to push her towards the door, "You can keep those carrot sticks, I have a huge amount of homework to complete."


  Just as I reached the door, I heard the sound of a key being fitted into the slot, and for a crazy split second, I thought it would be Courtney's parents who would start screaming at me for being such a bad girl, not completing my homework and hanging out with boys instead.  The thought almost made me laugh; why would I even think that?


  Standing in front of me where the beautiful people of Greenville High; the cheerleaders, the jocks, and the 'badass'  people who were incredibly good looking, charming and hung around the cheerleaders and the jocks just because the cheerleaders loved them and the jocks loved the cheerleaders. It was sort of like a love triangle, except the 'badass' people didn't prey on the jocks.


  That would just be weird, because I was pretty sure Blake was not gay.


  "Hi Hayleigh," Nina smiled brightly at me, leading the crowd of people into the house. Courtney and I stepped out of the way, exchanging, or at least, I was giving Courtney a glance that said very obviously that I was not happy with this.


  "Nina," I started, following her into the living room, "Why are these people all here? I mean, I don't mean to sound rude but - "


  "Relax, Hails," Nina said lazily, wrapping an arm around Fosters' neck, "It's just a few people over."


  Blake suddenly appeared by my side. "You hung up on me earlier," He accused.


  "Yeah, whatever," I brushed off, turning back to Nina, "Listen, this number," I waved a hand around, "Is not a few people. You might as well just have a stupid party!"


  As soon as the words, or at least, the word 'party,' was out of my mouth, I knew I had said the wrong thing. The guys around me started talking about who would buy the beer, while the cheerleaders around me started complaining about how they didn't get any time to dress up.


  "No!" I tried to take my words back, "No party! I have homework to do!"


  Nina looked at me, a gleam in her eye. "You brought this on yourself, Hayleigh. Party it is," She added, half yelling out the last bit, to cheers of enthusiasm.


  I let out a groan as I turned and saw Blake, smirking triumphantly.


  "I guess you can't do your homework tonight," was all he said.