Skye entered the campus premises 30 minutes before the first bell rang. Her mother’s personal car rolled up in the parking lot and picked a spot near a good hiding place. She wrapped a scarf around the sides of her face. She also brought out a pair of sunglasses before she climbed out.
A few vehicles already occupied the place. Still, she bowed her head until she reached the side of the building. She clutched her purse close to her chest. Pressing her lips together, she rethought the plan.
She took a breath slowly.
She composed herself. For this to work, she needed to act like she already won. Not only did it tick off the other person but also they’d be on edge—even just a little. She could already imagine Alex’s face when she’d spot Skye.
The image made her smirk.
Her childhood friend wasn’t the only one who could show up unexpectedly.
Skye peeked from the edge of the building. Her black eyes landed on the other side of the front stairs. A face with blonde hair stood out against the crowd. He laughed with someone who had black hair and violet eyes. She immediately retreated back to her hiding spot.
The last thing she wanted was to get caught before she could even do anything.
The plan was simple. She needed to just pick out one of Alex’s friends to break their image of her. The feeling of betrayal would consume and shun her childhood friend out of their lives. After all, Alex wasn’t as great as others perceived her to be.
She could lie to the entire school just for her selfish reasons. If anything, Alex gained an ally in Jae and Lauren when Skye had her exposed to them. She just needed another target. Someone who knew Alex the longest and still didn’t know about her secret.
That person also happened to be the one they talked about yesterday.
Of course, she couldn’t have Logan hating her when she’s about to transfer to Woodlands.
He needed to realize it on his own and Skye only needed to give out some hints.
The plan would be perfect.
She merely had to get him alone.
Skye looked at the parking lot again. She glanced at the passing cars. The tint of her shades hindered her sight through the windshields. She pushed the sunglasses down her nose, letting her eyes see clearly under the sunlight.
It didn’t take long for her to find him. Logan talked while he drove. In the passenger seat, Alex stared out her window. She didn’t even seem to pay attention to him. Skye clutched her purse tighter and locked her jaw. Her childhood friend really acted complacent.
She felt so relaxed that Logan would always be by her side.
Well, it wouldn’t be long now, Skye mused to herself. She pressed herself on the wall and watched from the corner of her eye. She crossed fingers, hoping Logan would be left alone.
An usually blaring rattle came to her aid. He came out of the car to check the hood while Alex left the parking lot. She combed the tips of her hair down and headed for the entrance. She brisk walked, seeming to be in a hurry.
Skye couldn’t tell why she’d act that way over a handshake. Was her childhood friend really that head over heels for Logan? They seemed to close back at the diner. Was physical touch another thing?
How much of a virgin was she?
Shaking her head, Skye broke out of her daze. She shifted her focus back on her ex-boyfriend. She took a deep breath. If things went smoothly then, maybe she could have the chance to mend their broken relationship. She felt somewhat grateful that Alex became close with him.
She could now use this chance to get him back.
“Logan” Skye called out before she could change her mind. She pulled off the scarf and shades, stepping out of her hiding spot. His stoic face didn’t surprise her. She expected worse… but he had always been more passive.
She gathered her courage.
“Can we talk?”
“We already talked,” Logan glared, “I’d suggest you just leave.”
He pushed down the hood’s cover and went back to the driver’s seat. He made a mental note to check on the car again after school. If his ex-girlfriend would be loitering around, he refused to be anywhere near her. He grabbed his things from inside and locked the car. It was better to attend class.
Maybe she’d get the picture better.
“It’s not about that!” Skye called out to him. She walked closer but kept her distance. Her black eyes quivered in anguish. Her chest compressed, making it hard to breath. Her next words came out softly, “I know it’s selfish but… I really need you right now.”
She channeled the innermost emotions that she locked up.
She hadn’t shown it last night but the amount of times Alexandra’s name was mentioned hit her hard. Why was she being compared to someone born with a silver spoon in her mouth? Was her value not worth enough if she didn’t surpass Xandra? Even when her childhood friend wasn’t around, she still fell in her shadow.
After all these years, her name lingered in Skye’s life.
She wanted to change the praises they uttered. She wanted her childhood friend to feel what it was like to be hated the way she had been. Whenever she stumbled upon their old classmates, they’d mock and ridicule her about the incident. They placed Xandra as the victim… an angel too nice for her own good.
What would they think of her now? Xandra was a schemer of her own.
Logan stopped in his tracks, his back and his bag facing Skye. He licked his lips and looked over his shoulder, “Don’t have you other people to talk to?”
They hadn’t been in contact for years. Surely, she had made other close relations. How would she even need him?
Skye stared at the ground, “It’s not the same.”
It really wasn’t.
She hadn’t been able to open up to anyone since she did with Logan. He was the only person who knew most of her struggles—if not all. No matter how small, petty, deep or big they were, he always sat through them.
Skye hoped he’d do it again.
“You… you don’t have to do anything. Heck, you didn’t have to say anything” she told him, pausing to suppress a sob, “I just want you to do what you’ve always done. Listen to them. You can forget about it later but, right now… I really need someone who knows about them.”
A tear ran down Skye’s cheek. Her speech broke apart as her lungs skipped between breaths, “I-I ha-haven’t met someone e-else who… I am c-comfortable with as mu-uch as I have b-been with you.”
She let her mouth hang open, allowing more air in. Her eyes dropped to the ground. She held her arms and legs close as if she seemed hesitant of his rejection. It projected fragility at one wrong word. That she’d break as soon as she heard it.
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. His conscience weighed on a scale. On one side, he could just keep going and ignore her. He’d go about his day with a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. On the other side, there was a girl who went all the way to his school for help. She only asked a bit of his time, nothing dangerous.
Somehow around that scale, his mother’s voice echoed in the background.
How he shouldn’t brush off a crying girl. How it wouldn’t kill him to listen to what she had to say.
The balance tipped over to one side. Was he too soft? Would this appear as weak? Or would leaving a crying be seen as being an ass? He couldn’t win with either one.
Gritting his teeth, Logan turned around and stomped on his way back. It didn’t matter which part of the scale weighed heavier, neither of them would be more important than his mother. He kept her advice close to his heart. He’d never be okay if he ignored them. A few minutes should be okay.
Right?
“You have 10 minutes” Logan spat out irritably, “After that, I’ll leave on my own accord.”
Skye looked up as her heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t believe that he agreed. She smiled gratefully at him, “Thank you for this, Logan. I’ll cherish it.”
He walked in her direction, bumping her shoulder. He didn’t look back and kept going. His feet led him to the bleachers of the football field. Instead of the seats, he headed for the space under them. He figured it was a good place to have a talk—especially how it wasn’t entirely private.
Logan leaned on one of the posts that supported the benches. Crossing his arms over his chest, he raised his eyebrows at his ex-girlfriend, “What is this about?”
Skye pressed her lips together. She had followed him quietly, maintaining her pretense of being scared of rejection. A few students spotted them but they were hardly her priority now. She strolled until she reached the shade of the bleaches. She sat cross-legged on the grass, seeming to be mentally and emotionally exhausted.
She hugged her knees to her chest and let a few more tears flow out. Her line of sight was on the ground. Her voice had become hoarse from the sobs that were stuck in her throat.
“Do you remember the story of my childhood friend?”
