Save Me

Chapter 12

"It was the beginning of the end," she says.

"There is no end, Ariana. The story isn't finished."

"Yet."

"Please don't start with that."

"Fine."

"So, what happened after the Cameron rumor started?"

"Nothing, for a while. I think it was a month or two later when things started to get bad. Some guys thought it was funny to harass me because someone else had to go and run their fucking mouth."

Ariana's POV

Flashback

"Lexi, they're looking at me like that again," I say with a worried tone in my voice.

"Looking at you like what?" she asks.

"Like I'm some sort of freak. Did someone say something else about me?"

"Ari, relax. Ever since the Cameron drama last month you've been paranoid about everybody looking at you. Nobody is looking at yo- oh wait, they are looking at you. Why?"

"I don't know, Alexa. I just asked you the same question."

"Just ignore them, Ari. C'mon."

She puts a hand on my back and we walk down the hall towards the gym. I look down at the floor so I don't have to see the people around me. Did Cameron say something else? Did Brandon add on again?

I still haven't talked to Brandon since we 'broke up' and I intend for it to stay that way. Not even this is worth talking to him again. I've tried reasoning with Cameron, but he won't listen to me. He just walks away like I never said anything. I gave up on that a while ago.

We walk into the locker room and I change in the back where nobody can see me. I've never really gotten used to the whole 'changing in front of other people' thing. All these girls have perfect hourglass figures but I'm basically a stick. If I gain weight, I gain it in all the wrong places. If I lose weight, I lose all of my curves, too. I really can't win.

I quickly throw on a t-shirt and shorts and then jog out into the gym. The boys are already playing basketball on one court, and we're on the other side. I sit down on the bleachers and watch them play while waiting for the rest of the girls to come out.

After a few minutes, Selena Hanson comes out of the locker room with a short blonde girl. The blonde girl sits on the bottom of the bleachers and Selena sits next to me. I try to act like I don't notice her but she taps my shoulder. I roll my eyes and turn to face her.

"Yes?" I ask in the sweetest tone possible.

"I have a question for you," she says. "Did Dylan mention me before what happened the other night?"

"Who's Dylan?"

"Wow, there's more than one with you? Dylan Bates."

"I've never even talked to Dylan, why are you asking me about him?"

"Just tell me if he fucking said anything about me, that's all I'm asking."

"No, he didn't because I've never-"

"Great, just fucking great."

Selena stands up and walks off the bleachers. She storms back into the locker room and the door slams shut behind her. Everybody in the gym looks over at the door but they quickly return to whatever they were doing before.