Changed

Chapter Seventeen

KYLEIGH'S POV

“Ugh, I really don’t want to go to school today,” I rubbed my eyes. Mondays always sucked, always went by too slowly. 

“Neither do I, but we have to,” Cory yawned. I stumbled over to my closet and turned the light on. 

“Oh, shit,” Cory said beside me. I looked at him.

“What is it?”

“I never realized how fucking big your closet is until now,” he said. 

“You should have seen the one back home,” I grinned. “This is nothing.” I scanned the shelves and hangers for something to wea. After changing my mind several times, I settled on a pair of white skinny jeans, gray Vans, and a dark blue, kind of tight, off one shoulder silky shirt. I chose a black studded belt to wear with the jeans. 

“Hmm…” I muttered, browsing my jewerlry. I decided on a pearl necklace. I checked myself out in my full body mirror- damn. I looked great.

“I’m going to go home… I have to change and get ready, too,” Cory said, and hugged me. 

“I’ll see you at school, then,” I breathed. The feel of his body against mine was something I would never get tired of. When he left, I woke my friends up. 

“Get up, you two! I have to take you guys home to change.” I grabbed Lisa’s hand and pulled her to her feet, which caused Adam to fall to the floor. I snickered and nudged him with my foot to wake him up. When they were finally in my car, I went by each of their houses for them to get dressed. 

“Well, thanks to your lolly-gagging, we don’t have time to go to Starbucks,” I scolded. “Drunken idiots,” I laughed. They giggled in the back seat. 

When we pulled into the parking spot, we jumped out and raced to class. Cory’s jeep and Conner’s Porsche were already there, so I knew I was, like, super-extra late. 

I rushed into math and almost tripped over the teacher, eliciting a few laughs. 

“Well, well-nice of you to show up today, Miss Hawthorne.”

“Yeah, it was a last minute decision,” I joked. I walked to my desk and saw Cory smile at me. I smiled back, and sat down.

“Kyleigh!” I heard someone say after 4th hour. I shut my locker, and there was Cassie Sanders.

“Uhm…Cassie?”

“So, Kyleigh… Mariah, Lauren, and I want to know if you would join us for lunch at Panera Bread,” she said. 

“Um, sure. Why?” I asked skeptically. Something was definitely up, and until I figured it out, I was on my guard. Cassie Sanders was a real bitch to me every chance she got- and this was most likely another chance for her to do it. On the other hand, it would also be a chance for me to turn right back around and humiliate her. 

“Oh, no big reason… just want to catch up… get to know you a little better,” she answered. “So, let’s go!” she turned on her heel and walked towards the double doors that led to the parking lot. My lunch period is usually after third hour, and I was full, but apparently she had the late lunch period, which cut into the first part of fifth period. I usually didn’t cut class, but I figured a little bit of government missed wouldn’t make a big difference. We had a sub, anyway. 

I shrugged internally and cursed myself, and went after her. Once in the parking lot, I followed them to Cassie’s black Mercedes-Benz SUV. I raised my eyebrow and smiled. I had something else better than her. Her car was nice as hell, no doubt, but my rims probably cost more than her entire car. Hell, my top-of-the-line JL Audio system and subwoofers and amp probably cost more than all 4 of her tires. I climbed into the back seat next to Mariah. 

“So, Lauren, what time does your party start on Friday?” Cassie asked as we drove down the street.

“9:00. Conner Shaw’s coming,” she giggled. I rolled my eyes… what was the big appeal of having sex with a guy who’s probably fucked all of your friends, and almost every hot girl in your school, multiple times? I would never understand that. Don’t these girls get it that they’re nothing but another notch in his bedpost? That they’re just another one  night stand… and that a relationship with Conner Shaw would never happen?

“Ooh, really? I bet Cory’s going, too!” Mariah smiled. For some reason, that made me kind of… mad. 

“Probably,” Lauren answered. Cassie pulled into Chili’s parking lot and we went in and got seated- I ordered myself a grilled chicken salad.

“So, Kyleigh,” Cassie said. I looked at her. 

“Yes?”

“Well, I was just wondering… why did you move down here?” Fuck. Ok, nothing too specific. Don’t give her any potential ammo. 

“My mom and dad divorced,” I replied.

“I see… well, that’s unfortunate, I’m so sorry. Why did they divorce?” she asked, seemingly concerned. I didn’t trust that bitchy snake for a second. I thought for a second… I had to tell her something that was true, but didn’t reveal the truth… aha!

“Inconsolable differences.”

“Oh, inconsolable differences… like, say, oh… I don’t know…  something you might blame yourself for?” she said. What the fuck… she couldn’t know.

“No,” I answered, narrowing my eyes. She smiled slightly.

“Really? Because the way I heard it was that your daddy killed himself and you blame yourself for it.” In a flash, my anger had me in her face.

“You’re pretty fucking game to talk to me like that, you glorified Barbie doll. Yeah, my daddy may have killed himself, but at least I don’t base my life on being someone’s one night stand, someone who will NEVER have a relationship with me,” I growled. Her eyes went wide.

“Excuse me is there a problem here?” the waiter came up and asked. 

“No,” I said, keeping my eyes on Cassie’s unblinking ones. “I was just leaving.” I pushed in my bar stool and left. In the parking lot, I called Lisa and told her to pick me up.

I couldn’t believe I trusted Cory, when he turned right around and told Cassie. I mean, how else could she have found out? Nobody else knew. Goddammit… I couldn’t trust him. My heart broke all over again, when I didn’t even know it could. 

When Lisa arrived, I jumped in. 

“What were you doing out at lunch with Cassie and her minions, anyway?” she asked. I shrugged simply. 

“I don’t know. I guess I was just being stupid.”

“Not, stupid, Kyleigh. You are not stupid. Far from it. You just weren’t thinking was all.”

I saw Cory in the halls after seventh hour, and I walked up to him as he was about to leave. 

“Hey, mate,” I greeted. He smiled… what a traitor. 

“Hey, Kyleigh, what’s up?” 

“Oh, nothing much. Just that Cassie confronted me today about how I blame myself for my dad’s suicide.” His smile vanished.

“What?” he asked.

“I can’t believe I trusted you with my deepest secret,” I hissed. “But no worries, mate- I won’t be telling you anything- ever again.” I turned toward my car and he touched my elbow.

“Kyleigh-”

“Rack off!” I snapped- the Australian equivalent of fuck off. I yanked my arm away, and he stood there, stunned. I climbed into my car and peeled out, and gunned it home. 

I was DONE with Cory Shaw.