Page 86 of Fighting the Odds

“Sierra, if you don’t tell me, I can’t help you.” Seriously, does he not realize he just said this?

“Mr. Stevenson, there’s nothing to help with. I’m fine. The only thing I need is to be back with my sister. To be able to see her. Can you do that? Can you make that happen? If not, can I please be excused to go back to class?”

We sit in silence for a moment, almost like he thinks the longer he stares at me, I’ll break and confide in him. I’m not. Right now I only trust Rico, Cyrus, and the guys, which oddly includes Colton. He’s worming his way into my heart.

“See Mrs. Bullock for a note to class. But Sierra, please think about talking to me. I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.” I pick my bag up and stand, quickly walking to the door.

Before I open it, I look back over my shoulder. “Mr. Stevenson?”

“Yes, Sierra?”

“There’s one thing you can do for me. Tell Sam I love and miss her. Let her know I’m doing everything I can so we can be together again.”

“I will,” he says solemnly.

I step into the hallway and make my way to Mrs. Bullock's desk to get the note from her. Except I don’t want to go to gym, and there’s not much left of class, so I head to the bathroom and find an empty stall.

Sitting down on the toilet, I hold my bag in my lap as I wait patiently for the bell to ring.

It feels like an eternity as I tap my foot on the floor before the shrill ring vibrates through the small room. Laughter fills the hallway and I know students are pouring out of the classrooms, stopping to socialize with their friends, retrieve books from their lockers and even make out. I just want to stay hidden.

My solitude doesn’t last long before I hear the bathroom door open and female voices fill the room.

“Why wasn’t she in gym?” one of the girls asks. I sit up straight and try to peek through the crack in the stall of the door.

“I heard she got called to the guidance counselor’s office. Bet the whore is trying to suck his dick, too.” Savannah laughs like what she said was funny.

“Gross. Like how could she be with those old ass men? I mean, whoever that was in the video had a dick that would have me orgasming for days but, eww.” That’s Jasmine. I'd know her voice anywhere.

“How did you get that video, Savannah?” another girl questions.

Savannah’s back is to me, so all I can see is a fragment of her reflection in the mirror as she puts on her lipstick. I hold my breath and stay frozen in place, praying they don’t see me.

She smiles into the mirror as she rubs her lips together before turning around and leaning against the sink.

“Wes gave it to me. He wanted to stick it to the skank but didn’t want it to fall back on him, so I did it,” she says smugly. “He found it posted on the internet when he was looking for porn one night.”

“Why does he need porn when he has you?” Jasmine steps up to the mirror, taking the lipstick from Savannah’s hands.

“We were going to take one of the videos and Photoshop the little cunt’s face on one of the girls, but he lucked out and had an actual one of hers drop in his lap.”

The longer they hang out in the bathroom, my fear of them catching me grows. Why didn’t I just go to the library?

“So why is he acting like her knight in shining armor, then?” a low voice asks.

Savannah lets out a wickedly evil laugh. “He’s fucking with her. Making her think he’s so upset about what happened and then he’s going to laugh in her face when she falls for it and embarrass her in front of everyone at school. It’s going to be epic.”

They all laugh and move out of view. A couple moments later, I hear the door open and suddenly I’m basked in silence again.

I sigh a breath of relief, but my heart drops at her words. I knew believing anything out of his mouth was a mistake.

Now I know his endgame in all of this. He’s nothing but a lying snake.

All his words of being sorry that the video escaped when he was responsible for it. But why would he give the original flash drive that incriminates his father to Rico?

This makes no sense.

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