Page 118 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
Dad says, “He asked how your training is going for regionals?”
I blink. “Oh. Um, fine.”
Coach Andrews frowns a bit but nods through it. “Okay.”
I see a flash of red hair in the crowd. Perfect timing. I excuse myselfand grab Clara’s hand. We walk as quickly as I dare over to where Nicole is laughing as if she hasn’t orchestrated the downfall of Clara’s life.
Or maybe that’s exactly why she’s laughing.
“Ready?” I ask Clara in a low voice.
She nods and straightens her shoulders. “I can’t believe you’re still mad about that,” she exclaims loudly, causing several people hovering around the photo booth to face us. Including Nicole.
“Whoever posted that video did me a favor,” I snap.
Even though it’s what we’d agreed to say, Clara flinches. I wonder if I laid it on too thick, but we’re in it now, so I storm off as best I can and hope that this has the effect I expect.
I walk to the refreshment table and grab a water cup for something to do with my hands. A moment later I hear the distinct clacks of high-heeled footsteps approaching me.
“Reid? Are you okay?” Nicole asks.
I twist my features trying to look upset, which isn’t too hard these days. “It was always a bad idea, me and Clara.”
Nicole sighs. “I could’ve told you that. But I hate being right about stuff like that.”
Her barely contained glee would suggest otherwise. I squeeze the cup tighter.
“Yeah, well, you’re a good friend,” I manage.
Nicole steps closer, her eyes flashing. God, I hope we’re not wrong about this.
“You’re not still mad about the video even though you beat the crap out of Josh this morning?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Nah. Any excuse to punch Josh.”
She laughs, too, and though I nowdespisethis person, I shoot her thesmile that always makes Clara blush. It has the same effect on Nicole. It feels wrong on every level, but I remind myself that this isforClara.
“I was mad at first,” I admit, “but I get why someone would do it. Josh was awful to Amaya.”
“Exactly,” Nicole rushes to say.
“And she deserved to know the truth.” I square my shoulders and swallow down my own disgust when I say, “I did, too. About Clara. I should’ve listened.”
I hold Nicole’s eyes as long as I can stand, and she steps closer to me, drawing her hand down my arm. “When I saw them together at that party, I knew I had to do something to protect my friends.”
I try to sound impressed and shocked. “It was you?”
She looks around before nodding, a coy, smug smile on her lips. “I mean, I wasn’t the one straddling a guy with a girlfriend. I just caught it on camera.”
The plastic cup collapses in my grip, spilling water onto my jacket cuff. I let out a long exhale, fully aware that there are dozens of people pressed around us trying to listen. I do my best to keep the fury out of my voice. “If you wanted her to break up with Josh, why didn’t you just show the video to Amaya? Why play it at the assembly?”
Nicole frowns, and I wonder if the question was too insistent. Too obvious. I force myself into my competitive mindset. The way I get before every race, no matter how unimportant. How much I want to win when I’m on that course. I step closer to her and nudge her with my elbow.
“I mean, I get it,” I say. “Anythingfor Legacy, right?”
She looks at me closely, a flash of camaraderie in her eyes before lowering her voice. “Josh saw the Legacy list before it went out, andAmaya told me that neither me nor Logan were on it. When Logan managed to snag the flash drive from Josh, I knew what I had to do.”
I almost laugh. Of course Josh was never as innocent as he was claiming. Satisfaction pours through me all over again knowing his entire face hurts right now. But the fact that theyallplayed a part is truly nauseating.
