Chapter 4

After digging around the prop room for what felt like forever, I finally found a rusty metal rod. I couldn't pry the lock open, but I did manage to put a hole in the floorboards instead.

I crouched beside it, gasping for air, and seriously considered the financial consequences. If the school made me pay for the damage, I'd send the bill to Amber. And if she refused to pay, I'd mail it to her brain. Between those two things, at least one of them was completely hollow.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside. I immediately pounded on the door.

"Is anyone there? I can barely breathe!"

Matt's voice came from the other side. "Agree to go on stage and apologize, and I'll let you out."

"Fine," I said without missing a beat. "Open the door first."

He clearly wasn't that easy to fool, though. A phone slid through the gap underneath the door, displaying a pre-written apology draft on the screen.

I picked up the phone and hit record.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Rachel Sparks. I'm currently locked inside the prop room behind the auditorium, thanks to Amber Belknap and Matt Truitt. If anything happens to me today, I ask the police to focus their investigation on the intellectually challenged male student standing right outside this door."

The phone was promptly yanked away. In the process, my arm was dragged under the door, leaving me with scratches and splinters.

Furious and embarrassed, Matt kicked the door hard.

"Just stay in there then!"

I covered my nose and mouth and slumped against the wall. About 15 minutes later, a cleaning lady happened to walk by with her cleaning cart. Hearing me pounding on the door, she quickly found the key and unlocked it.

The moment she saw my swollen eyes, she gasped. "Sweetie, get yourself to the nurse's office right away!"

The school nurse gave me some medication and had me sit for half an hour so she could keep an eye on me. I had intended to listen, but the opening music was already blasting from the auditorium.

My debit card and Cody's jersey were still with Amber. And even though my house keys had sunk to the bottom of the lake, I needed everyone to know one thing tonight—those keys weren't going to unlock the door to some love affair. They merely opened the front door of my house.

By the time I reached the auditorium, Amber was already standing in the middle of the stage. White dress, red roses, pink spotlights—she had it all. Anyone who didn't know any better might have assumed that she was about to get married right on the spot.

The giant screen behind her was cycling through pictures of her and Cody. But if anyone paid attention, they'd realize that eight out of the ten photos had simply been cropped from group pictures. In one of them, you could even see half of Ms. Wayland's head between the two of them.

The emcee announced excitedly, "Next, Amber Belknap will publicly confess her feelings to the person she's loved for three years!" Comment by Belinda Chiew: i'm rolling my eyes so hard. so. so. hard.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

Matt spotted me immediately. He charged over with several student council members in tow and shoved me straight onto the stage.

"Since you're out, you might as well read your apology in full."

A flash of irritation crossed Amber's eyes. The next second, she turned to the audience with tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Rachel, I know you can't let go of Cody. But love isn't about possession. Today, in front of the entire school, it's time you face reality and accept your place."

The giant screen cycled through a new series of pictures, including me bringing Cody breakfast, wearing his jersey, entering the Ferrer house, and holding his underwear.

The last photo that appeared was a heavily cropped family photo, where only Cody and I remained. Our parents, along with the words on the cake reading "Happy Family", had all been carefully cut out.

Gasps and booing filled the auditorium.

Amber handed me the microphone.

"Admit that you've been harassing Cody all this time, and promise that you'll never set foot in the Ferrers' house again. If you do that, I won't pursue the matter of you stealing his debit card and house keys."

I took the microphone.

"The debit card is mine. So are the keys," I retorted.

Disappointment spread across her face as she let out a long sigh. "You're still lying, even now. In that case, we'll just have to let Cody reject you himself."

The moment the words left her mouth, a wave of cheers suddenly erupted from the back of the auditorium.

The competition team had returned ten minutes early.

Cody walked into the auditorium in his team uniform, dragging a suitcase behind him.

Amber's eyes lit up. She lifted her dress and sprinted over to him.

"Cody, you're finally back! You don't have to worry about Rachel harassing you anymore. I've taken back the debit card and house keys she stole from you. She also promised she won't set foot inside your house, touch your clothes, or tell people that she knows you anymore."

Cody looked past her, his gaze landing on the photos on the big screen. Then he looked at me, noticing my swollen eyes and the scratches on my arm.

Bit by bit, his expression darkened completely.

Amber was still fishing for praise. "She even claimed she was your sister. Only she can come up with a lie as ridiculous as that!"

Cody went quiet for three seconds before he finally spoke up.

"That's not a lie."

The smile froze on Amber's face.

Cody took the microphone from my hand and looked coldly at Amber.

"Rachel is my sister. We share the same father and mother. You're forcing her to cut ties with me? Did you get my parents' permission first?"