Page 76 of Finding Fate

Izzy closed the locker door and leaned her head against the red painted metal, a look of emotional exhaustion across her face. “Horrible. I had to sit up in the bleachers and watch the whole time. Ms. Teiger didn’t call attention to me or anything, but everyone was still watching. I couldn’t even pass it off as being sick or hurt since people seemed to already know this morning.”

Annie hated seeing Izzy down like this, but really, she felt a bit better knowing her sister wouldn’t be pushing herself so much at school anymore. “It just doesn’t make sense how it got out,” she commented, shutting the door to her locker as well.

“Does it really matter? It’s out now. There’s no going back,” Izzy said as they started walking back down the hall.

“I guess not…” she replied, still skeptical. “Are you going to hang out at Tucker’s today, or are you gonna come home after school?” Annie asked then for a change of subject.

“I think I’m going over to Tucker’s for a little bit. I’ve still got some stuff to tell him about.”

“It’s killing me that you won’t tell me,” Annie complained. Izzy had been so excited earlier, it had to be good.

“Later. I promise. It deserves a setting where we can let out our full enthusiasm.”

“Okay…”

They walked slowly, neither of them excited about going to another class after the long day, and they paused at the main split in the hall where they would have to separate when a group of girls walking towards them came into earshot. In the center of the group was a mess of quivering, strawberry blonde curls chattering excitedly.

“Oh, I know,” she drug out the word. “I couldn’t believe it either at first, but trust me. It’s true!” Lisa said animatedly, clearly thrilled to be spreading a round of gossip and have people hanging on her every word.

“What’s she going on about?”Annie wondered, growing suspicious.

“How do you know? It could just be a rumor,” one of Lisa’s listeners asked.

“Because I saw it. This morning in the parking lot. She has a little baby bump and everything!”

Annie stiffened, and she felt Izzy pause beside her. “How could Lisa have seen? The pink dress Izzy is wearing does a damn good job of hiding things.”

“Maybe she’s just getting fat. Remember how tight her clothes were getting last month?” the same listener argued.

“No,” Lisa insisted. “She had her hand pressed against her stomach, and I heard her tell Jet that she felt the baby move. She’s definitely pregnant. The office even called her in.”

Annie looked over at her sister. Izzy was staring at Lisa in shock. “She and Jet must not have realized anyone was listening,” she thought, realizing this had to be the news Izzy was so excited to share with her and Tucker later. “And I just bet Lisa couldn’t wait to run her mouth off about it.”

“It all makes so much more sense now. I could never understand why Tucker decided to stay with her. At least Iwasn’t desperate enough to try to trap him into a relationship by getting myself knocked up. I would never do that to him. He’s got too much potential to be stuck with an unwanted baby. A guy like Tucker could never be happy like that. If she really loved him, she would have known that.”

Annie watched her sister’s shocked stare turn into an expression of pure pain. Every protective sister instinct she had came flaring out with her claws. Lisa had gone too far. It was one thing to tell people about what she saw, but to make everyone think Izzy would trap Tucker into a relationship? This girl was so screwed up, and she was done.

“Izzy, why don’t you go on to class?”

“What? No, Annie. It’s fine. Lisa’s just jealous. I know that.”

She might have known that, but Annie could tell those words still left a mark. “No, you go ahead,” she said with a determined forcefulness that had her sister knowing not to argue. She waited for Izzy to leave before she turned to the bouncy head of curls that didn’t know when to shut her mouth, even for her own good, but Lisa smirked and quickly glanced away when she started to approach.

Her vision flashed red for a second. “She knew Izzy and I were standing here?! She’s so going to wish it was Tucker yelling at her again by the time I’m through with her!” Annie fumed with each dynamic step she took, the group of people spreading back not to be caught in the impending crossfire.

“What the hell is your problem?!” she yelled.

Lisa stepped back, a little surprised at Annie’s abrupt attack, but managed to recompose herself, planting a self-assured smirk on her face and a hand on her hip.

“I don’t have a problem. I’m not the one who got myself knocked up.”

“Oh, shut up!” she spat at her. “The only reason you even give a damn about it is because you’re jealous that Tucker wants Izzy and not you!”

“Why would I be jealous? I had him first, and like I said, he’s just with her because she trapped him.”

Annie had to grip her hands onto the straps of her backpack to keep from smacking the bitch across her smug face.

She leaned forward, her face close to Lisa’s as she continued in her most demeaning tone. “You may have had sex with him first, but you never had him. Tucker never made love to you, but he does with Izzy. In fact, he regrets that he ever let anything happen with you. He refers to you as his biggest mistake, and he’d never say that about his baby.”

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