Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 924(@200wpm)___ 739(@250wpm)___ 616(@300wpm)
What have I done?
Panic washes over me.
The image is still there, sent not to only Lana Rivera herself … but the entire fucking school.
I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Can’t breathe.
I shut the laptop and run straight for the bathroom, where I lock myself inside a stall as my panic seizes control. Heat rushes over my entire body, my lungs constricted by my own breath stuck between my ribs. But no matter how hard I gulp, I still can’t freaking breathe.
I take a moment to calm my racing heart, then grab some toilet paper and dab my face, cleaning myself up before I exit the stall again and pretend nothing happened.
But the first thing I do is run straight back to my dorm and lock myself inside my room in order to scream into the void.
After a few hours, my phone rings. Brooke’s calling me, and I don’t know whether I should pick up because we rarely talk. But I can’t go AWOL for a week either. It would be too suspicious.
“Hey, Brooke,” I say with a fake chirpy voice when I finally gather the courage to answer.
“Crystal, you gotta help.”
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“A lewd picture of Lana has been shared all over the university. There was a fight between some Phantom Society boys and Lana out in public, and now she’s locked herself up in her room and refuses to talk to me.”
Oh God.
It’s happening.
My stomach almost turns over, but I manage to hold it all down as I sit up straight.
“I thought maybe you could try talking to her?”
I swallow. “Umm …”
“I’m worried about her. Maybe she’ll talk to you instead of me.”
I sigh out loud. “Okay. I can try.”
Oh man, how am I going to do this?
“Thank you,” she says. “And please let me know how it goes!”
“I’m on my way,” I say as I grab my stuff.
Briefly looking in the mirror, I pull the red rose from behind my ear and tuck it into my pocket. I don’t want Lana to ask any questions I’m not ready to answer.
I exit my room and head out, but my courage wanes with every step I take.
I know exactly why she doesn’t want to talk and why she had that fight.
It’s all my fault, but could I say those words out loud?
When I finally make it to the building she lives in, it feels like I practically floated there. I don’t remember walking. Or knocking on her door.
All I know is that I’m here.
“Lana? Brooke called and said you wouldn’t let anyone into your room so I thought I’d come over. Are you okay in there?”
It takes her a while to respond.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I open the door and slowly peek inside. She’s sitting on her bed with puffy eyes, pretending she didn’t just cry. It’s the same face I put up after bawling my eyes out.
“She told you about the picture?” She pushes her pillow into her chest like she’s looking for a hug.
I swallow and nod.
Brooke didn’t just tell me. I was the one who sent it. But I can’t get the words across my lips.
“I saw it. I’m sorry. Can I sit down next to you?”
When she nods, I walk over and gently sit down beside her, wrapping my arms around her so I can at least offer her some comfort. I owe her that and so much more.
“It’s okay,” I mutter.
How do I ever go about fixing this?
It’s too late. Everyone already saw the picture.
“I’m mortified,” Lana says, her voice fluctuating in tone.
“It’s not your fault,” I swiftly say.
The last thing I want is for her to blame herself.
She turns to gaze at me. “Please promise me you won’t tell my dad or my brother.”
That’s what she’s worried about? Her brother?
I place a hand on her knee. “I won’t. I promise, but I can’t guarantee other people won’t.” I can barely look at her. “Most of the students at school already saw it.”
She grimaces. “I hope the one who spread it dies a miserable death.”
Oh God.
I don’t want to die.
But after what happened … I probably deserve it. And knowing Lana and just how fiery she is, she’d probably kill me herself if she knew the truth.
I shiver in place at the thought. “You know what? I think you need some ice cream to cheer you up.”
Anything to take her mind off this.
“Ice cream?” she repeats.
I get up and drag her to the door. “Yeah, let’s go. Before you turn into a pile of mush.”
The ice cream we get is delicious, and I bought her the flavors she loves the most.
I want to make it up to her, but I don’t know how.
I don’t even know how to come clean. How to say the words.
So I just chat and eat the ice cream, searching for the right words to bring her the news. But after a while, Lana’s eyes drift to a van near the park we’re having our little treat in. Something about the way her hawk eyes settle on it makes me pause.