The Ways She Loved Them

Chapter 7

"Everyone thinks you cheated off of Lizza."

I look back at this girl stunned, like she has the audacity to act like she's on my side, when I know she is the one who made this lie up. 

"Why would everyone think that?" I ask.

"You went from failing to getting at 93%, that just doesn't happen. You also sat next to Lizza, studied with her, it's all just a big coincedence that you get a good grade after that?" 

I want to slap her across the face. I was overjoyed to get the grade I got, I worked my ass off for it and she's trying to take that away from me. The day before we left for vacation I got my test back and it set the whole mood for the trip. My parents even suprised me with a phone right before we left, I didn't text anyone the whole trip except for Andy, a few texts here and there to my friends but everyone failed to mentioned that I had been accused of cheating! I was in Florida while it was getting spread around I cheated off of Lizza, did she think that? 

"Lizza's parents even got involved with the teacher, someone over heard you talking about cheating after the test." Heather pretends to feel sorry for me. 

"Heather you're the only person I talked to after the test besides Lizza, and you know I never said that." I'm beginning to think she's just making this up to screw with me but the look behind her eyes is evil and brewding. 

I've been down in Florida while people have been talking crap about me..unable to defend myself. Everyone just assumes I did it? Why hasn't the teacher called my parents? Why haven't I been questioned? Nothing is adding up. I choose to ignore everything and leave her room to go downstairs. My family came to her house to talk about the trip not to hear I cheated. I pull my mom aside and tell her we need to leave and she actually agrees with me on this. 

"What happened?" mom asks cautiously, knowing I'm about to loose my calm.

"Apparently while we've been gone people have been spreading rumors that I cheated on my history test." 

"WHAT?! WHY?" my parents say in union.

I explain exactly what Heather had told me and my parents continue to shake their heads throughout the explaination. 

This is what she does, she twists everything around, makes people forget what they did or didn't say, believes her own lies. She's messed with me and brought parents and teachers into it? Why does she hate me so much? What did I ever do to her? 

The next few weeks are hard, thankfully it had been resolved I didn't cheat, I had other students stand up for me and explain how it wasn't possible due to the fact that Lizza had left the room 20 minutes before me, our essay questions were not even close to written the same, and even if they were, she was who help me study for them so we both would've said similar things. The few things we both missed where completely different and she had a 99% while I only had a 93%. What was still in debate was whether I 'bragged' about cheating to a classmate who remained unamed because there was no classmate, Heather was the 'so called' classmate I told my cheating endeavors too, and that never happened. So she had made all of this up for absolutley no reason. Lizza and I were fine but we never studied together again, it was just all to awkward now. 

By Thanksgiving everything had blown over, we won state and people were more interested in that then an accusation few months prior. This is the year we gradute seven seniors, so next year will be interesting. I kept my grades up, and had only gotten grounded from my phone once and it was for something dumb I can't remember.  Finals were coming, I got exempt from 3 of them but Spanish was kicking my ass. I had a low B in the class and if I didn't do well on the final I'd get a C. 

Still no boys, the past few months have been plenty dramatic without them. I had a few thoughts towards some here or there, but I didn't act upon anything. I've grown in a lot of my friendships and become close to some people I didn't expect to. I had my braces put on just last week and had already lost weight because it hurt so badly to eat. I was excited Christmas break was so soon, the girls and I had already started planning holiday parties and get togethers. We all had to go out and find dresses for homecoming soon too. I secretly wanted someone to ask me to the dance but I knew it wouldn't happen. I was only a freshman so it was normal for that not to happen. 

After Christmas is over, we had a big new years party where all my friends came to our house for the night. I would definatly say our house is considered to be the "party" house minus the drinking, smoking, sex and all the stuff you'd expect. Reguardless, everyone always wanted to come over, my mom is great with company. She likes to cook and play games with us too. We have a massive backyard with a pool, volleyball & basketball court, trampoline and treehouse, so it's a great scene for our group. We live on a dead end street, so we often like to play Ghost in the graveyard or other games to keep us busy on nights like tonight when all the adults are crowding the house. It was a good end to the new year, Erin, Mariah, Lyla, and a few other close friends all spent with me that night after we watched the ball drop and drank sparkling grape juice. It gave me a feeling that all was right in the world and the this year would be better then the last, little did I know that feeling would soon vanish and I'd be experiencing a new set of feelings that I never expected to have at 14 years old.