Page 7 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
“We kissed. That’s all.” That wasn’t all, but I didn’t want to admit it.
“But… whyJosh?” Delaney scrunched up her face. “Wow, sorry—that came out judgy.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Please judge me. I deserve it.”
In the light of day, the whole thing was utterly humiliating. They knew I didn’t date—that I hadzerointerest in a boyfriend. And Josh West wasn’t someone I’d usuallyevergo for, anyway. But the previous night wasn’t usual and he was… there. Cute enough in a generic, bro-y way. Distracting me from the real reason I went to that party in the first place. The crunch of pine needles under Dad’s truck tires in the driveway. The slam of Mom’s bedroom door in response. The revolving door of leaving and coming back.
It was a sloppy mistake.
Kenji’s and Delaney’s expressions made it clear they were desperate for more details, but I just wanted to forget about it and start senior year—Legacy year—right.
Woodhurst’s Legacy Program offered a massive scholarship, and only five students were awarded one out of every graduating class. It was ultracompetitive, which meant I couldn’t afford to make sloppy mistakes or to break any of the rules. I needed that scholarship if I had any chance of going to California Film Academy.
Every move I made would matter going forward.
I wrangled my hair into a ponytail, and when I secured my hair tie, I stopped walking to hold out my pinkie to them. “Pleasedon’t tell anyone.”
Delaney scoffed. “I’m offended you think I would.”
I arched an eyebrow at her. Woodhurst was small and Woodhurst High was even smaller. News traveled fast, but gossip? Gossip had its own speed. And that speed was Delaney Whitlock.
“Swear.”
With a dramatic exhale she hooked my pinkie with her own and promised seriously, “I swear.”
“Me too,” Kenji agreed. “I’ve already forgotten what we were talking about because the hottest brothers on the planet are looking at me. Gotta go!”
Kenji took off to go talk to Mitchell, and the two of them fell into easy conversation.
At the trailhead, a few of the varsity try-hards like Nicole Kelly were gathered in a huddle, talking in hushed tones. They were all friendly with Delaney, who was also captain of the pom squad, thus more popular than any of us, but they more or less acted like I didn’t exist.
“Amaya just needs to dump him for good already,” Nicole said as we approached.
Amaya? As in Josh’s ex-girlfriend?Oh no.
“What are we talking about?” Delaney asked. Her brown doe eyes went wide with concerned interest. I didn’t “girl” very well, but the way she did was masterful.
“Josh. Heather saw him go into a room with someone last night.”
My bag hit the dirt so hard a plume of dust kicked up around it.
Josh and Amaya had been off-and-on since freshman year. Josh told me that they were definitelyoff. If that wasn’t true, the whole situation had rapidly morphed from dumb mistake to royal fuckup.
But I kept my expression as neutral as possible. Growing up in a family that createdtalk, I’d learned to keep my emotions off my face. My mom called it the swimming-duck effect; I’m cool on the outside, even as I’m absolutely losing it under the surface.
Delaney lowered her voice, betraying nothing when she asked, “Do you know who it was?”
“No,” Heather admitted. “It was too dark, and they didn’t come out before I left.”
“So, then we have no idea what happened,” Delaney said.
“It was probably some clueless freshman,” Heather continued, barely listening. “Since I don’t know how anyone else could do that to Amaya.”
Shame spiraled through me faster. Thankfully, Delaney thought so quickly on her feet it was dizzying.
“If anything happened, which we don’t know if it did”—Delaney threw Heather a side-eye—“why are you immediately blaming the girl? What if Josh lied about them breaking up or something?”
Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes. “True. We all know how he is. Besides, how could anyone keep track when Amaya and Josh break up and get back together every other day, anyway?”
