Be My Addiction

41 • Tricked

Eugene

I walked into school and, immediately, I was surrounded by people I didn't recognize. Of course I knew where they were. They were students of the high school but I wasn't friends with any of them. My friends, who were in the football team, were probably at practice or messing around in the locker room.

We always gathered on the football field so I shouldn't have seen them anyway. The students in the hallway gazed at me with an expression that I couldn't quite understand. It was a look of pity as if they were all apologizing for something they had no right to be sorry for.

A guy with wide shoulders and shaggy hair walked up to me, or rather, sauntered up to me. He could very well be a jock on the football team, but he wasn't. I would have recognized him.

He looked me over and slid what I assumed was supposed to be a smile of sympathy onto his lips. With all the sideways glances and sympathy smiles, a knot was already forming in my stomach.

Soon the guy clapped me on the shoulder "Eugene, my man, how's it going?" The fact that he acted like we were good friends bothered me even more.

Chuckling awkwardly, I did my best to respond "um, fine?" I didn't want to be rude, but I wasn't going to play buddy with a stranger.

He nodded "that's good. I just wanted to check on you, ya know, because of everything that's been going on?"

"Well thanks? So uh... what exactly is going on?" I was starting to feel like the school was in on some big secret. The whispers, looks, and now this stranger? It started to drive me mad.

If this was a joke I needed in on it.

His eyebrows furrowed "you know.. everything with Ethan. It's a shame. You two seemed like great friends" he shook his head "he did you dirty, man"

What?

"What exactly are you talking about?" Ethan didn't do anything. It was me.

The guy looked just as confused as I did "it's ok, man. No need to play oblivious. Most of the school knows how Ethan threw himself at you." He shook his head but a confident, cocky smile formed on his lips "but don't worry. Ethan's going to get what's coming to him"

I felt the color drain from my face. There was a lot of information that I needed to digest. Does everyone think Ethan threw himself at me? And what exactly was coming to him?

No. This was bad.

Like, really bad.

Who could have spread this?

Dread set in as the name rang in my head.

Veronica

I needed to fix this. Looking up to the guy, I frown "I don't know who told you guys that, but Ethan didn't do anything." The anxiety tightened in my chest like a nuse. Stepping around that guy, I moved to track down Veronica. It wasn't hard, considering I could hear her chattering like a monkey with her girlfriends.

"Veronica," I called with a glare, I learned from Ethan, on my face. I was in front of her in a few strides and the girls around her took the hint and left. When we were dating, they assumed we were going to make out or something. Now, I'm sure they realized we had more malicious intentions.

Veronica wore a dress that hugged her body in ways she knew would draw that attention she always so desperately craved. She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms with a smirk. The same smirk she held when she showed up at my house. Without a doubt, she was the one who started that rumor.

With venom in my tone, I glared "you said you'd leave Ethan alone!" I growled and curled my fist.

She smirked, not fazed by my anger, "I have no idea what you're talking about." She said slowly and looked to her fingernails. She wasn't even trying to lie.

"Oh don't play dumb. You spread that rumor, didn't you? The one about Ethan."

Her smirk turned into a malicious grin, "so what if I did? Hmmm? What are you going to do about it?"

"Why. Did. You. Do. It." I hissed each word through my clenched teeth. I was trying my best to not shake her by her shoulders. Maybe that would knock some morality into her.

Veronica laughed lightly, which sounded like a hyena the more I heard it. "Why else would I do it? I saw a problem and dealt with it. See, I know you stopped talking to Ethan, but Ethan didn't stop talking to you. I had to be sure he would."

"So you did it to make Ethan leave me alone? He already hates me! There was no point!" If I was a cartoon, my face would be the color of a tomato and steam would be coming out of my ears.

She laughed again and I resisted the urge to grab her by her hair and throw her like a rag doll. Just the image of that sent a pleasant smirk to my expression, though it was gone after Veronica's next sentence. "Oh, he definitely hates you now, that's for sure, but he didn't earlier. You should have seen his face the last time he saw you in the hallway. He looked like a kicked mutt."

Oh, and she wasn't finished.

"And, even though you know I was the one who spread the rumor, there's still nothing you can do to fix it. Good luck talking to Ethan because he probably wants nothing to do with you now."

I growled once again and stepped towards her, though she didn't budge, "intimidation doesn't work on me, big guy. You can't scare me."

My intention hadn't been to intimidate her. I just managed to regain control over myself enough to not readjust her face, "why are you like this?" I was probably seething. I could tell I was breathing heavily and my hands hurt from clenching my fists too hard.

Veronica shrugged nonchalantly and turned away "It's too easy and it's boring being nice. So I guess you could say it's fun" she shrugged and began walking away, "but again, good luck fixing this mess." She sounded so evil as she said that, making me doubt my capabilities. But I had to try. I hoped Ethan didn't think I spread the rumor.

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This chapter feels a bit messy. I may update it later.