Exception

*Chapter 4*

NEWS FLASH

My life was officially over!

The beeps on everyone's phone were invites to Gabriella's party which I guessed was the party that would reveal her relationship with Brent.

"I was invited," Chris said looking up from his phone and a series of the same sentence followed from our friends.

But I wasn't invited.

"Oh my gosh," Linda whispered staring at her phone and she gave me a pitiful look. "Oakgossip.com's twitter account just posted that you're the only one who wasn't invited."

I cursed as I kept staring at my phone hoping that my invitation was a bit late but it wasn't. It was true, I wasn't invited. As I ran through the comments I felt like crying, I didn't know my schoolmates could be so mean.

"It's really not that bad," Amelia told me giving me a small smile and I glared at her once again.

"It's that bad," Linda and I said in unison both staring at our phones no doubt looking at the comments under oakgossip.com's latest tweet.

"No shit," Chris remarked telling us to look around the cafeteria where everyone was either staring at me or gossiping about me.

"My life is over," I groaned before stomping off to the bathroom where there was no one to judge me.

After washing my face and retouching my makeup the enemy entered and I softly cursed the day I was born. Today was officially the worst day of my life because Gabriella was the one walking into the bathroom.

"Jenny. Hie," she greeted me with her voice slightly an octave higher than it usually was.

"It's Jenna," I corrected her pretending to be absorbed in applying my lip gloss.

"Did you receive the invite to my party on Saturday yet?" Gabby questioned joining me in front of the mirror as she applied mascara onto her already heavily coated eyelashes.

"No I haven't received it yet," I replied closing the gloss.

"Oh that's because you weren't invited," she told me shooting me a fake smile which I did not know how to react to.

"I figured," I responded packing my gloss into my bag.

"Leo was invited though and he accepted the invitation if you don't mind."

I did mind. Why the hell had Leo accepted the invitation? Wasn't he supposed to at least ask me first? Wasn't that what couples did? Anger coursed through my veins and I closed my eyes taking in deep breaths trying to calm myself.

"See you around Jenny." Gabby waved before strutting out in her killer 6 inch heels.

"It's Jenna," I muttered through gritted teeth before heading out of the bathroom already hating the rest of my day.

Hours later

Leo was sprawled on his couch eating chips with guacamole while watching a comedy on his TV. I, one the other hand was pacing about trying to control my temper.

"Why did you accept the invitation?" I calmly asked him and he shrugged stuffing more chips into his already full mouth.

"The reveal is going to happen at the party and I need to be there showing Gabby that I don't care about her and her new boyfriend."

"How in the world does that make sense?"

"It makes sense, trust me," Leo assured me while staring at me before he resumed watching his show.

"Actually it doesn't because I wasn't invited," I yelled before taking in a deep breath.

"You weren't?"

"Haven't you seen oakgossip.com's latest news?"

"Ohhh yeah. The guys were talking about it at practice today. They think I'm ten times cooler than I was dating Gabby,"

I glared at him and contemplated how attacking him would turn out. Messy was my answer so instead of violence I resorted to diplomacy.

"How about my reputation huh?" I questioned folding my arms over my chest and he chuckled.

"It's okay, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. The guys actually think you're like the hottest girl at school right now," Leo told me sitting upright and turning off the show.

It was unbelievable Jenna Harris was the hottest girl at Oakhill High!!!!!

My senior year was definitely looking up!!!!!!!!

"So that means when we break up I can get any guy I want, thank you Leonardo Harrington," I said beaming and he frowned.

"That's not where I wanted the conversation to go but okay," Leo mumbled and I grinned before letting out a loud squeal.

"You're actually happy about that?" Leo asked incredulously and I nodded with yet another wide grin.

"Yes because I might just get to date Aiden, Brent's twin," I whispered shooting Leo a wink which made him roll his eyes before choosing to sulk while occasionally glaring at me.

"I think it's time to set up those ground rules," Leo muttered and I smirked before taking a book from my bag.

"Let's do this."

***

Tuesday

After Leo and I had set up our ground rules, we had talked and he'd actually made me feel better about the whole thing with Oakgossip.com. So after our talk, Oakgossip.com had nothing on us which is why we (Leo and I) were currently walking hand in hand to our first class English.

Heads were turning, boys were cat whistling and I felt like I was walking on air. I mean I was the hottest girl at Oakhill High School currently wasn't I? As we entered the class everything seemed perfect. We sat side by side despite rule number going against what we were doing.

Rule 1: Keep public interactions to a minimum (we don't want to be one of those couples)

That was until the mother of all evil, her majesty the queen of darkness walked in, Miss Gabriella Sanders. It was as if my world came crashing down on me in that moment.

"Jenny hie," she began and I gave her my best tight lipped smiles trying not to correct her. "You know if you really wanted to come to my party you could have just asked instead of asking Leo to beg me to give you an invite. Anyway I just sent it to your phone. I'm looking forward to having you show up, Byeee."

My phone beeped indication that I had just received the invitation and I glared at Leo. To say I was livid was an understatement. I wanted to have Leo's head. Gabby strutted out of the room leaving it eerily silent. Everyone was waiting for me to react and yell but instead I smiled at everyone and acted like nothing had happened.

As soon as everyone in the room continued what they were doing before I fished my phone from my pocket and glared at Leo before beginning my tirade.

Why did you beg Gabby to invite me to her party? I didn't even want to go but noo you just thought you want to go so I have to go just because you want to

This is not about you only you know that right?

THIS IS A 50/50 PARTNERSHIP MEANING WE BOTH BENEFIT FROM THIS "RELATIONSHIP"!!!!!

DO YOU KNOW how much you've embarrassed me because of that stunt you pulled?

Are you really willing to walk over other people in an attempt to protect your 'reputation' because if you are then I'm not sure you got the right girl.

I glanced at Leo before switching off my phone. Tears stung my eyes both from humiliation and hurt but I blinked them away. The English teacher walked in cutting off any form of communication between Leo and I and I was grateful for that. I didn't think I could handle a conversation with him right now.