Her

XCVIII

"What?" She asks.
I blush.
I didn't expect her to hear me.
"I'm just saying Adalie, my best friend found out.
I wasn't ready for her to know, and even so that wasn't how she should find out.
I'm too close to my mom finding out
Then my dad
Then my sister
Then my brother.
We're only a few days away from the end of summer
Where my classmates can't tease me anymore
I'm stuck with my family for the next four years."
By the end of this I'm yelling a little.
Adalie looks like I've slapped her.
Then she gains back some of the fire I know she has.
"That's not my fault!" She yells.
"I didn't want people to figure you out.
I didn't want people to invade our privacy.
And besides, the boy who did it is suspended."
"Great," I say bitterly.
"His parents know that he took photos of me.
Hell, they've probably seen the photos.
Even the ones that didn't end up in the newspaper."
"Maddie!" Adalie says, shocked.
"Don't talk like that!
He'll only get to you if you let him.
And besides, you shouldn't take it out on me.
I get you're mad, but be mad at the rat who took the photos, not me."
I take a deep breath.
Maybe I am over reacting.
Then I remember the pictures
And the stares
And the comments
And the feeling of wanting to crawl in a hole and never come out.
"Maybe I'm not ready...for this," I say.
Her face drops.
"Fine.
If you aren't ready for kissing
Or anything like that
We can stop, if it will make you feel better."
"Maybe I'm not ready for any of it," I say quietly.
The bell rings, interrupting both of us.
"I have to go," I say, swinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Maddie wait!" She cries, running after me.
I keep walking.