Page 141 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
Maisie snorted at that, and that seemed to break the tension between us. Her dark gaze finally found mine, and after a beat, she came further into my room. “Mind if I open a window?” Her voice was light. “No offense, but it smells like a decaying cheerleader in here.”
It was my turn to choke on a strangled laugh. “Gee, I’m feeling better already.”
“Good.” After setting the homework sheets on the desk, she shoved the window up. “You’ve been playing hooky long enough that Babble’s convinced you switched schools. Or died.”
The mere mention of Babble had my mood deflating. “Oh.”
Maisie came over and sat down on the foot of my bed, drawing her legs up and crossing them underneath her. The action was so smooth and casual, you’d never have guessed we’d only very recently begun talking again. It wasn’t until you looked closely at her expression, and could see her shifting eyes behind her glasses, that you’d see her discomfort. “People are just dumb,” she said.
“They’ve been saying a lot of mean things, haven’t they?”
“Ava’s been deleting most of them.”
“She doesn’t have to do that.” I couldn’t remember if she’d ever deleted comments before.
“It’s not just you they’re throwing passes at. Connor’s getting a lot of grief, too.” She sighed. “And so have I. I have now been dubbed The Math Mistress.”
I pressed my lips together. “That’s—not funny.”
Maisie rolled her eyes. “It kind of is.”
I only smiled a little, drawing my goose to my chest. “They all took the side of the Top Tier, huh?”
“Well, you haven’t defended yourself, and Connor hasn’t either, so it’s not their fault for only knowing what the Top Tier says.” Maisie gave me a pointed look.
“What, you’re saying I should write my own article in my defense?”
“I’m saying you hiding out in your bedroom isn’t helping the rumors.”
I looked away from her, toward my closed bedroom door. “It’s not like they’re not true.”
I mean, sure, some of the pictures had been embellished, but the truth was that Ihadlaughed at Riley’s pain once upon a time. Ihadgiven Lacey dirty looks before. I had been a bully. Denying it would’ve been a lie.
“So what’s your plan?” Maisie asked, propping her elbow on her knee and leaning her head into her hand. “Stay in bed for the rest of your life?”
“Why do you care?” My question had a bit more bite than I meant for it to, but I didn’t take it back. Instead, I doubled down. “Up until Friday night, you hated me.”
“Because I’m on your side.” Maisie looked up at the ceiling as if pouting. “Even when I hated you, I was always on your side.”
See, I didn’t quite think that was true, but it felt wrong to call her out on it. She’d come all the way over here—surely because of my mother—and saying anythingthat could’ve been ungrateful was the last thing I wanted. “In the bathroom, Jade said?—”
Maisie didn’t even miss a beat. “Why are you listening to what Jade said?”
“Because she?—”
“Is a lunatic.”
“Knows me better than anyone,” I finished, knotting my fingers in my duvet cover. “She knew me inside and out.”
Maisie tilted her head, and her voice was gentle. “So doesn’t that mean she knows how to hurt you the most?”
My lips parted. “She said I’m nothing unless someone tells me who to be. And she’s right. She told me to do… what I did… freshman year, and I did it. She told me I needed a boyfriend, and I suddenlyneededone. She said I don’t know who to be until I’m told.”
“Life is about letting people shape us, little by little,” Maisie told me, and reached out to nudge my foot underneath the blanket. “But you have to be careful who you let do the shaping.”
No kidding.
“Did you like the way you felt around Logan? Like… did he make you feel like a better person?”
