"You ungrateful bitch. I keep a roof over your head, and this is the thanks I get?"
"You could have killed her," I retort, trying to muster up confidence that I don't possess. "What if she goes to the cops, Dad? That bruise on her face is enough to...
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The worst part about being an orphan isn't having to learn to survive without your parents. I lost my mom and dad when I was four, and I've done alright for myself.
No, the worst part is the pitiful looks people give you when they discover that your parents were killed in a hit-and-run. It's the awkward pats on the back and the insincere condolences. It's knowing that no matter how pretty, popular, or successful you are, you'll never be seen as more than a pathetic little orphan girl.
I think that's why I stopped trying to maintain my reputation. Hanging off of Evan's arm every day was tiresome. Hell, being his girlfriend was tiresome. That relationship never should have started. At least it was a learning experience.
I'm happier with Damian. Ever since my cringey sixteenth birthday party, he's made me feel like a princess. He cares about me. He respects me. He loves me.
But he's hiding something.
For a while, I suspected that he and Layla were hooking up behind my back. They're so comfortable around each other, and it's hard not to get a little green-eyed over the close relationship they share. I know better now, though. They've been best friends since kindergarten, and even if romantic feelings did develop, they would never betray me like that.
I get the impression that Damian is holding back, like there's something he's not telling me. I've never asked him about it. If I demand the truth without having solid proof that there's a lie, I'll push him away, and that's the last thing I want.
I love him too damn much.
Then there's Layla. After growing up around two-faced, two-dimensional girls like Janelle who only care about their hair and what color lipstick they're wearing, she's a breath of fresh air. She's genuine. We can talk about anything, all filters off.
Of course, she's hiding something, too.
No relationship is perfect, romantic or otherwise. I don't expect Damian and Layla to be one-hundred percent truthful all the time. I mean, they're only human, and humans lie.
It just hurts that they don't trust me enough to tell me their secrets. For the past couple years, the three of us have been inseparable, like points on a triangle.
Yet I somehow always feel like the odd one out.
Our days together are numbered, as morbid as that sounds. I want us to be friends forever, but I don't know their post-high school plans. Neither of them have talked about college or careers. Layla wants to get out of Starkton. Damian would probably follow her to the ends of the earth. Where does that leave me?
Aunt Heather has been keeping me busy with university applications. In a couple weeks, we're visiting Illinois to take a tour of Roosevelt University. She wants me to study medicine, but I'm interested in their performing arts program.
