Good Girls Have Secrets

Chapter 27

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. Caris continues to grow stronger day by day, which has been the only thing keeping me going. Knowing that Xavier is out of the picture, making me Caris' only legal guardian has been heavy, even scary. The caretaking and financial burden rests on me. Corrine says I'm taking advantage of Aunt Beth and Uncle David, maybe I am, but otherwise I'd be homeless and flunk out of school.

Sitting in the hospital cafeteria, eating a grilled chicken salad for the hundredth time, my phone rings and Katie's number appears on the screen. She usually texts. I'm not sure I can deal with what she has to say, but I finally answer.

"Hey, It's Katie."

"I know." Is all I can say.

"Well...um...I'm calling to let you know that I heard that Allie is spreading around this fake Instagram profile." There is a long pause. "She's telling everyone that you ruined her relationship with Xavier. That you practically raped him, which is why he signed off his rights to the baby you hid."

Feeling crushed under the weight of the fact that all of Morro Bay knows that Xavier is the father of my baby. "Is she telling everyone?

"Pretty much." Katie says sympathetically. "I guess she's been staying with Will."

It's been months since my friendship with Katie fell apart. She's the person I miss the most. Before that day, when things blew up, we never even had a small fight. Katie's my go-to friend that I talk to everyday. I know her secrets and she knows mine.

The amazing part is we didn't become friends until my sophomore year. I'll never forget her first day, seeing her sitting alone at a table in the corner. For some reason I felt sorry for her. It wasn't until the next day when a few of the guys were picking on her that I stepped in to help her out. We were inseparable from that day on.

Pulling up my Instagram, I ask, "What's the name of the account?" Expecting it's something that will throw me and Xavier under the bus.

"It's your account name with the number one after it."

Staring at the Instagram page, at first glance it looks like mine, until I read the bio. Under my name the description paints me as a criminal, sex addict, and worse. I'm so mad that I don't know whether I'm going to vomit or throw a chair. "She is going to pay for this." I almost chuck my phone when I see the page has a thousand followers. Even some of my so-called college friends followed.

"It looks like she's been busy sharing with everyone. Thank you for calling to let me know." Trying to keep control, I yell, "She's lucky she's thousands of miles away. Or I would go grab her by the hair and punch her in the face."

"I'd like to see that. I'd even video it." Her tone is sarcastic and amused.

"Shut up. You know I'm tough." I snort thinking about it. "It would be pretty funny watching me try to be tough."

Scrolling down the page, photo by photo Allie's revenge exposes almost every embarrassing picture she's snapped of me since the 6th grade. Photos and a few videos that we once laughed at hysterically, as a private reminder of our wild nights or rebellious adventures, now put out there for the world to see. The humiliation. I don't know how to deal with it.

Katie's words from a few months ago come back to me. "You're a good friend until it doesn't benefit you. Then you burn whoever gets in your way."

At the time, I lashed out bringing up her constant need for reassurance and her crying spells. With each insult, the walls came up between us. I can still picture the pain in her eyes.