Page 87 of Juliet's Echo

How dare she?

How dare these three walk in here and look down on me?

Faith, I tried. I really did.

But Juliet had crossed the line.

"Well," I said, forcing a smile through the tears threatening to spill, "at least my mama is alive and well. I can't imagine walking around as the product of a teacher-student scandal."

Juliet frowned.

Then she looked at Yahya.

"Is it coke?" she asked.

"I think so, friend," Yahya replied.

Mega didn't say a word.

But the look on his face told me everything.

He knew I'd just opened Pandora's box.

"My mother and father were both established in their careers when I was born," Juliet said, her voice tight. "My father, unlike your loser-ass father, is a basketball legend. Although being an educator is a respectable career, you got your facts twisted."

"No," I corrected. "Mr. Everette is a basketball legend."

Silence settled between us.

"Your real father is a pervert who killed your fast-ass birth mother."

Every ounce of color drained from Juliet's face.

"Ava, stop making shit up," Yahya snapped.

"Oh, y'all know I'm a lot of things."

"Yeah," Yahya cut in. "Shallow. Slutty. Annoying."

"Be that as it may, nobody has ever called me a liar. I'll tell a joke before I tell a lie, and we all know I rarely find shit funny."

"Stay in your place, Ava," Mega warned.

Juliet turned toward him.

For the first time since they'd walked into the bookstore, she looked uncertain of herself.

"Wait..." Her voice trembled. "Mega, is what she's saying true?"

"Ju-Money..." he pleaded.

"Mega!" Yahya shouted, staring at him in disbelief.

Juliet wrapped her arms around herself like she was trying to hold herself together. Her breathing turned uneven, shallow, and panicked.

"Oh, don't go all mute now, Princess," I taunted.

Her eyes snapped to mine, searching, praying I was lying. Before I could twist the knife any deeper, Juliet turned and bolted for the exit, the bell above the door screaming as she shoved it open.