The Lie: Rebels of Ridgecrest High (Book 2)

Spirit week. The school is covered in red and black posters and streamers. Everyone is pumped for the homecoming game on Friday against the West Maitland Wildcats. It’s going to be a great game; they’re an amazing team, so the Rebels have their work cut out for them. But I know we can win this.

Well, we could if Jace wasn’t still fighting with the guys…hell, half the team. His own brother still isn’t talking to him, and I have no idea how this is going to go down. The team is more fractured than ever.

Jace has pissed off the guys who are loyal to Grady, while others now look at Grady like he’s going to watch them changing in the locker room or come on to them. Assholes. So, there’s a divide in the team, and it all comes back to Jace and Britney. They equally damaged the team’s morale.

The cheerleaders are extra bouncy today. Guess they’re trying to get dates for the homecoming dance on Saturday. I technically don’t have a date. I know Hunter will be mine, but he hasn’t asked, so until he does, I’m not going with him. I’m going solo.

“Mila, do you want to go dress shopping after school today? I wasn’t gonna go to the dance, but now…” Cadence glances around the table we’re seated at in the cafeteria and smiles.

“I’m going,” Sadie says. “We should do a girls’ night, get ready together, and all go together. It will be fun.”

I nod in agreement, loving that idea. It will be nice to have some girl time. I’ve never had many female friends before…like, ever. I love what I have with these girls. The friendship is growing stronger each day, and we can talk about so much shit, like boys and how dumb they can be.

Hunter wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me against him. I inhale his scent and sigh a little at how yummy he always smells. “Aww…I thought we were going together, babe?”

I lean into him and pat his leg. He chuckles and shakes his head. He knows what that means; he won’t win this round.

“Okay, but I get to dance with you.”

I kiss him, and Emerson groans at the public display. He’s told us to stop kissing in front of him, since it makes him sad that he has no one to kiss. I told him to kiss my ass, and he actually tried. He got down on his knees, and Hunter bonked him on the head for even thinking he could kiss my ass.

“Of course, you get to dance with me, and shut up, Emerson.”

“I want a kiss,” he mumbles, and I chuckle. Hunter jerks against me and there is an “oomph” from Emerson.

I look over and see Emerson rubbing the back of his head. I pat Hunter’s chest and shake my head.

Cadence told me Emerson laid down some pickup lines last Friday at the game. I laughed so hard when she told me she turned him down. I’d warned her and Sadie that the boys on the team are awesome, but they have big egos, and most are manwhores. If they’re looking for a one-night stand, then go crazy. But there are only a few that are boyfriend material, and those have girlfriends already.

She took my advice and decided to say no to Emerson. She said he’s cute, but she doesn’t want to give up her V-card to just some guy on the football team. She’s not that kind of girl. And if Emerson ever did her wrong, I would have his nuts in a vise. I think he knows it because he didn’t push her. He actually said, and I quote, “I respect that and hope to see you Monday at lunch.”

What the hell? I asked her if he was hit on the head during the game and wasn’t thinking straight. Sadie told me that’s exactly what he said, and they were both surprised. Maybe he isn’t a lost cause after all. Hunter said that Emerson had fucked most of the cheerleaders. I’m sure Hunter has too. But that’s the past.

Jace comes out of nowhere and takes a seat at the table. I don’t like the way he’s looking today. He looks rough, and I worry about him. He doesn’t speak to anyone; he just puts his head down to eat. This is different from the cocky and so-sure-of-himself Jace from weeks ago. Someone needs to talk to him. I pat Hunter’s leg and gesture for him to go over there, but he shakes his head. Guys can be so stubborn.

Jace looks up under his lashes at me and catches my eye. I’m the only one watching him right now, and I want to scream out, “Fix the mess you made.” All he has to do is fix things with Grady then Hunter. Whatever it is, they will forgive him if he apologizes. I know that. As much as Jace hurt me, he doesn’t deserve this.

Finally, he blinks and turns away, and I look back to Cadence, who’s talking about the color of the dress she wants. I tell her and Sadie about a red dress I saw in the window of the boutique at the mall. Sadie thinks it’s my color, and I have to agree. I think Rebels red suits me.

“Jace, there’s no room, move over.”

I turn with the rest of the table to see Britney and Summer standing behind Jace, holding their trays with sour expressions on their faces.

Jace looks behind at them, shakes his head, and drops it again. “Just leave, there’s no room,” he mutters just loud enough for me to hear.

“But you’re the quarterback, Jace. You can make them move,” she whines.

I look at Grady. His jaw is ticking, and I can see he’s upset.

Jace, whenever you don’t have balls…it’s always with Britney around. No one likes her. Can’t you see she’s bad for you?

When he doesn’t answer, I do. “You’re not wanted here. Just go, Britney.”

Her nose scrunches up, and she sneers toward me, Sadie, and Cadence. “You let two losers sit at your table. They’re no one. How pathetic.”

I internally say to myself, Just be nice, don’t say a thing, and ignore her like everyone else.

“Get up, losers, make room for us. You’re in our spots. Make them move. Emerson, make them move.”

Emerson starts to stand, and I’m just done. I stand up too and turn to Britney. “Britney, no one wants you here. You hang around unwanted…like herpes.”

The whole table laughs together at that, and I smirk at her. I hate being mean; I never want to be a bully, but I’m done with her.

Britney just stands there, her mouth gaping open like she didn’t think I had any fight in me. I’ve ignored her all week. Let her play her childish shit with Jace. But if she wants to start messing with my friends for no reason other than to be mean, that’s a hell no from me. Sadie and Cadence don’t deserve it. Britney is the loser. No one wants to sit with someone with such a bad attitude.

I take a seat and turn back to the girls, who are holding their hands over their mouths. But I can see the smile in their eyes.

“So, anyway, I was thinking we should paint my cast to match. Get rid of some of the dick drawings on there.” They merely blink at me. I guess I just went from zero to one hundred and back again.

“Do you need help?” Hunter asks me, and he holds my fingers and gently turns my hand over so he can see the underside. He rubs his thumb over one of the little dicks he drew on there yesterday.

“Not from you. You’ll just draw more dicks on there.”

He chuckles, and Emerson does too. They high-five. Boys are so childish.

“You should ask Roman. He’s good at tattoos. He’s gotta be good with a paintbrush too.”

I kiss Hunter and smile.

As soon as Roman drove me home Saturday, I called and told Hunter what had happened. He gave me the same lecture about walking to the trailer park in the rain.

Hunter came over, and we talked about everything. How Roman and I kissed, and how it made me feel. It was weird at first, telling my boyfriend I kissed his best friend. But he just smiled and even said, “Good for Roman,” which made it easier.

I know my wanting to not choose between them is hard for Hunter. It would be hard on anyone. But I’m glad that Hunter is so on board with it all. Even now, telling me to go ask Roman. To spend more time with him. I love that about Hunter. He cares for everyone. And I care for him.

Still, I didn’t tell him about Asher. That’s…a clusterfuck.

Are my butterflies off-kilter? When I saw Asher on Sunday at dinner, they had been there. They were small in my belly, but they were there. Maybe they’d been there all along, and I’d pushed them down so far because I didn’t feel them. Not until Saturday morning, and now that’s all I can see and feel. Butterflies. I’m so confused and conflicted.

Asher watched me when he didn’t think I was watching him, but I was. Our usual, impassioned conversations over the dinner table had been reduced to, “Can you pass the beans?” And everyone picked up on it. I told them I was tired, and Asher did the same. Which only made them even more suspicious.

I won’t have to see Asher tonight if I’m with the girls, since I can have dinner out with them. But I can’t avoid this topic forever. I have to tell Hunter. If only I knew what to tell him. Just that Asher wants to be more than friends? That I do? I don’t know if I do. I’m lost on this one.

Maybe some girl talk tonight will help me clear it up. I can’t go to Asher about my guy problems anymore. Maybe Grady can help me? My stomach aches; there’s too much going on, and I don’t know what to do. Every smile Hunter has given me today reminds me that not only am I lying to him about the accident, but I’m lying about Asher and me as well.

I need to be the one to tell Hunter. Before Asher apologizes to him and tells Hunter the truth about why he was a dick.

Why is this so fucking messed up?

I bought the dress, and it’s perfect. More than perfect, and Hunter is going to love it with the big slit up the side. I hope Roman comes to the dance. I tried to talk to him today after school about painting my cast, but he just nodded and walked away like I was finished talking. Does that mean he’s going to help me?

Since the heels I got to wear with the dress are black and silver, the girls and I decided that we should paint the cast to match them. Sadie suggested that I should use a silver marker to draw the moon and stars on it. The theme for the dance is star-crossed lovers and it would be so perfect.

Which means I need Roman to be there more than ever.

There’s a knock at the front door, and I run down the stairs. Hunter’s coming over. Dad said he can’t stay long and that he will be home soon. And not to go into my bedroom alone with him. Hello, Dad. Sex doesn’t just happen in bedrooms. We can do it almost anywhere. But I didn’t tell him that. I’m glad he’s cool with Hunter being here with me. Alone.

I open the door to find a single red rose on my front step. Reaching down, I pick it up and smell it. It’s beautiful, but who gave it to me? I look around and don’t see Hunter’s car.

“Hunter?” I call out. But there’s no one.

Oh my god. Roman? Could this have been from him? We used to pick daisies, and he would place one behind my ear. Is this his way of asking me to the dance? I told him I’m getting a dress in Rebels red and wanted the cast black. My heart speeds up a little as I turn with a huge grin on my face.

Hunter’s car pulls up just as I start to walk inside, so I rest my shoulder against the doorframe and watch as he strides over to me. He wraps his arms around me, and I squeal as he swings me around.

“A rose. For me, how sweet.” He chuckles then kisses me before setting me back on the porch.

“No, I think it’s from Roman. I think he put it there and just left.”

Hunter nods, but I can see he’s a bit unsure as he looks to Jace’s house.

Oh shit. How did I not think that it could have been Jace? After the way he was at lunch today, he might be trying to make up for all his wrongs, and a rose is a sweet gesture. But words and, more importantly, actions are the only things he can give me right now.

“Come on.” I tug on Hunter’s tee. “Let’s go to my room before my dad gets home.”

Screw the rule. I want Hunter between my thighs right now and to forget about all the bullshit in the world.

His deep chuckle has me smiling like crazy. He bends down and lifts me over his shoulder and smacks my ass.

Sorry, Dad…not sorry.