Page 85 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

Nodding, I take a bite of my food. “I can’t believe I thought she was a good person.”

They all exchange a glance.

“What?” I ask.

They tell me about the Myers and Abbertons and how Coach Abberton treated their moms horribly when they were in high school. She passed that on to her daughter who tormented their sisters, and now Tiffany, her niece, is devoted to the “cause.”

“Wow,” I say. “That’s insane. But why did Coach Abberton hate your moms?”

Rylee shrugs. “She was just a horrible person, but things got worse after my mom and dad got together. She wanted my dad.”

I nod in understanding. “I’m sorry you all have to deal with that. And I’m sorry I spent even a second with her. I didn’t know who she really was.”

“That’s okay,” Mia says with a smile. “No one blames you.”

“I told her to stay away from me. Hopefully I’m done with her.”

Mia glances around the room. “But what about your fans? Your image? Don’t you have to be the Declan Hart who loves all his fans?”

I shrug. “Only fans who deserve it. I know it’s important to make them happy, but I don’t want to be associated with people who treat others badly.”

“That’s nice of you,” Mason says. “We all try to ignore her, but it’s hard sometimes.”

“Especially when the cheer coach is her aunt,” Rylee grumbles. “But don’t worry. When I’m older, I’ll be the cheer coach and I’ll throw the evil queen off her throne. I’ll treat all the cheerleaders with respect and I’ll never make anyone feel inadequate.”

“That’s pretty awesome,” I tell her.

“Thanks.”

Lunch is over and everyone goes to their lockers or their next class. I’m held up by a crowd, chatting, laughing, and being Declan Hart. Then I grab my books and make my way to my physics class.

Mia’s head is lowered as she reads a book. I take the seat next to her. “Is that for the club or English?”

Her head snaps up. “Dude, you scared me!”

“Sorry.”

“It’s for book club. We’re doing a mystery next. Kade’s really looking forward to it. He loves mysteries.”

“Nice. Thanks again for letting me sit with you at lunch. It meant a lot to me.”

She studies me. “Are you hiding something?”

“What?”

“Did Tiffany say something to you? About me?”

I hesitate. While I don’t want to lie to her, I don’t want to tell her the truth, either. “She did, but I’d rather not get into it.”

“The curiosity is killing me, dude.”

“Don’t ‘dude’ me,” I joke.

“I’ll ‘dude’ you if I want to ‘dude’ you.”

I laugh and then she laughs. But her smile drops. “Really, what did she say?”

I shake my head. “I really don’t want to tell you. It’s not worth repeating.”

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