Cruel Truths – Eve Campbell

“It meant more to you than it did to him.” “I knew that going in,” I say. “I know who he is.” We slow down near the courtyard, sunlight spilling across the concrete, voices drifting from outside. Lola’s coming toward us, unmistakable even from a distance, full of her energy, opinions, and zero subtlety. “I hate him,” I mutter, the words bitter.

“You don’t.” “I want to.” “Wanting and doing are two very different things,” Aubrey says, squeezing my arm. I swallow, watching Lola get closer, knowing Aubrey’s right and hating her a little for it. Wanting him is easy. It’s the walking away that is the part I don’t know how to do anymore.

Lola barrels toward us, ponytail swinging, phone already in her hand as if she’s mid-broadcast. “You will not guess what happened to me this morning,” she announces, eyes bright, grin feral. “My coffee betrayed me, my bus driver hates joy, and my skirt blew up. I’m ninety percent sure I flashed Mr Carver as he got out of his car.” She stops. Her grin flickers as she surveys us. Me with my jaw clenched. Aubrey too silent. The atmosphere all off.

“Oh,” Lola says, lowering her phone. “Never mind. Read the room, Lola. What’s wrong?” I sense it then. The weight of it. The moment when, if I open my mouth, everything spills out and I fall apart in front of everyone. “Sam.” Her tone softens completely. “What’s going on?” I swallow and shake my head. “Nothing. I just need to go to the bathroom before first period.” I don’t wait around for an argument.

I turn and walk, quickening my pace, eyes fixed ahead. I push through the crowd, past the laughter and the usual hum of a morning that doesn’t pay attention to me. I don’t stop until I’m in the last stall, door locked behind me. My chest heaves. My palms sting from where my nails dug in too hard. I sit on the lid and fold over, forehead pressed into my knees like I can make myself smaller, quieter, invisible.

I am so fucking stupid. I let him in. Past every wall, past every lock. I handed him pieces of myself I swore I’d keep guarded.

E very time I walk the halls of Eastern High, I remind myself this place is just a stepping stone. I turned eighteen at the start of the school year. I keep my grades high, my dreams higher, and my mouth shut when the whispers follow me down the corridor. “Virgin tease.” I hear it every time. Nicole doesn’t bother whispering it anymore. I shift my books higher in my arms and keep walking, my boots clicking against the tiles.

They’re scuffed and beaten-up, nothing like her designer knock-offs. She’s got another sucker on her arm today. Some junior with hopeful eyes and a hard-on. She leans in with fake sweetness, her eyes fixed on him as if he’s the only one that matters. But she’s already scanning the hallway for someone better, someone bigger, someone who will give her the attention she truly desires.

That’s Nicole’s game. When she’s not turning it on for the boys, she turns it on me. The second their attention drifts or someone prettier walks past, she sharpens her voice Chapter 1 Sam and points it at my throat. Petty digs in the hallway. Backhanded compliments that sound sweet until you actually listen.

Snide laughs shared with whichever girl is standing closest, always just loud enough to be heard. She doesn’t need a spotlight to feel powerful—she only needs someone to burn. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve been her favorite. Red hair means fire crotch. Not having a boyfriend means something must be wrong with me. Talk to a guy and I’m a tease. Don’t sleep with him and I’m a prude. It doesn’t matter what I do. They’ve already made up their minds. And there’s no version of me that ever comes out clean.

I turn the corner, and my stomach twists—just like it always does when he’s around. Reece Wilson is pressed against some girl at his locker. Her back is arched, lips parted, and his hand sits low enough on her waist to make it clear he’ll get whatever he wants. His grin is lazy and dangerous, the kind that makes a girl forget her own name.

He doesn’t care who’s watching. He never does.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 0df82aad0ca059d4
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 2,004,032 bytes (1.911 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• ISBN: 9781923416161
• Pages: 395
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 485.56 minutes
• Total Words: 97,112
• Total Characters: 526,256
• Average Words per Page: 245.85
• Average Characters per Page: 1332.29

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