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17

Since Greyson's intervention, Virginia had noticed a marked difference in her best friend. She'd spent a day or so in bed, still sick, but when she'd risen, she was her usual self, but with a cough. Catherine had started talking about clothes and school and her family again. Over the next few days, Virginia could almost forget what they had gone through. Almost.

She hadn't said a word to Greyson since he helped Catherine, and she hadn't dared talk to Quinn, either. Once, she texted Greyson and asked for answers. He never responded. From her room, she could see them practicing on the football field every day, and they seemed fine. Quinn seemed fine. He still talked in class, and Greyson still had strong, abrasive opinions. But they didn't speak to her.

"What's got you all in a tizzy?" asked Tracey that Wednesday evening as she riffled through her closet for something to wear.

She had recruited Virginia for fashion advice for her dinner date with Jay since, as Tracey had put it, Virginia's fashion sense was "on point".

"Nothing," said Virginia quickly.

Tracey pulled out a green dress and Virginia screwed up her face.

"Okay, I might just get rid of that one," Tracey tossed it on her bed. "But if I'm going to listen to your fashion advice, you've got to tell me what's the matter."

"I just feel really bad about something I did, and something else I did made it better, but I lied to make it better," she winced at her own vagueness and hoped that Tracey wouldn't press her about it.

Sighing, Tracey turned to her with her hand on a cocked hip. "Girl, you've got to get used to lying for the people you love. It's part of being a grown-up. The truth isn't always the answer."

Virginia felt a strange fluttering of nerves at that. "But what about lying to the people you love?"

"That's the worst one of all, because it means you're an adult now. Adults lie to protect the people they love because they know the truth would only hurt them more," she grabbed another dress. "We're taught that the truth is always best, but that's not the case. It's like when you cheat and then you confess it, it's not to make them feel better or out of some idea of cosmic justice and honesty, but to make yourself feel better."

"No," Virginia shook her head at the red dress she'd grabbed. "And I get it, but I'm just not sure if I agree."

"Okay," Tracey shrugged. "Then tell the truth."

She wished it were that easy. If she knew what the truth was, she might have even told it.

"Wear the black one," she instructed her friend.

"Really?" asked Tracey. "You don't think it's too...much?"

"No," Virginia laughed sharply. "Just put it with those black pumps and your red belt."

Virginia's phone buzzed and she was angry when her first hope was that it was Greyson. It wasn't, and that made her angrier. It was Catherine, asking her to come study with Alexa. When she looked up, Tracey was in her dress.

"Wow, you look super! I'm going to go study," she slid off the bed. "Are you good here?"

"Yeah, can you just grab my colored chap stick? It's in the top drawer," Tracey asked.

Leaning over, Virginia grabbed the handle of the nightstand drawer.

"Not that one!" snapped Tracey. "The drawer of the desk."