5. Ready? Let's Start.

"Ready? Let's start. What happens when your friends find out you're nothing but a manipulative bitch? Answer: They'll hate and leave you, of course, one after the other."

They're finally going to make their move. The pounding in my heart becomes louder and louder as I stand there, paralyzed. Since I got that first note, I swore to God I'd stop the person who has my diary. But I sat on it too long, too terrified that failed majorly, and now I have to suffer the consequences. 

"Ari, you okay?" Dina asks me. She wraps her arm around my shoulders, pinning me close to her. Ever since finding out about my mother's death, she hasn't left my side. I should be grateful for her presence, but it only served to worsen my guilt. I told her before she left for Botswana that I have no feelings for Dave anymore, but after seeing him again yesterday, I realize I am still far from getting over him. 

"Yeah, just...tired." I was inconsolable last night. Once it finally hits me that my mother is gone, all the emotions I'd been holding just blew up. Along with that mess with Seb, and the fact that a mysterious stranger has my diary and is gearing to tear my world apart, even I'm not surprised I couldn't get a grip. 

"What's that?" Dina reaches out from behind to my locker. 

Panicked, I scramble and rip the paper out of her hand a bit too forcefully. 

"Dude! Okay, I'm sorry. I was...." Dina says, holding her hands up, "I was just curious." 

She stares at me as if I've become a new person. I don't blame her. When we first met, I was bright and cheery, still with a solid grip on my other persona. Now I just don't have the energy anymore. 

I crumple the paper between my hands, embarrassed at my reaction. "It's okay. I'm just a bit overprotective of my things, you know." I try to laugh it out, but it sounds unconvincing even to my own ears. 

We both walk down to our classes in silence, Dina casting worried glances in my direction. 

"I'm really fine, Dina," I assure her, giving her a smile. I like Dina. I really do. She had a rough childhood, and she had a hard time freeing herself from it at the start, but you can now clearly see that she's slowly shedding that burden off of her and becoming her own person. I'm proud of her for it. But that also meant that her bullshit detector is off the charts. 

"Are you sure? Because...." Dina's walking slows down, and she narrows her eyes at our peers around us. "Am I just being paranoid or are these people whispering about us or something?" 

"Hey, Ari and Dina. What a morning, huh?" Kate Crawford approaches us with her cousins, Lia and Maine. They have their hands to their lips, giggling as if they just found out about something funny. "Is it true?" 

"What's true?" Dina scoffs. She never liked the girls, owing to their ugly confrontation last year. 

"That Ari is in love with David?" Lia asked, looking between Dina and me, " But that couldn't be, right? Since you and Ari are still friends."

Dina and I stare at each other, too stunned to speak.

Kate gasps, "I know. Dina looks totally okay with it, it's like she knows already. Don't tell me. Is it really possible that the three of them are in some kind of...polygamous relationship?" 

"Oh my gosh. Is that even legal?" Maine replies and the three of them laugh. 

"Dina, I don't know---" I start, but I can't get a word in.

Maine waves her hand in the air excitedly. "She said David went straight to you and spent the night the minute they got back from Africa." she supplies, "Nice. I didn't know that it could be a thing here in HPH. Tell me, do you think we'd have a shot with David? Can we join the harem, too?" 

The girls cackled. I want to grill them about where they heard such things. But I can see Dina's anger grow by the second, and for someone like Dina, this is bad news. She can blow up any minute.

"Dina. I was...it's true Dave spent the night. But we all did, my friends and I. Back at Seb's. The boys were worried about me because I couldn't bring myself to stop crying. " I murmur, hoping to God that she's at least hearing my explanation.

But Dina isn't looking at me, her eyes completely focused on the Crawford cousins. "Who? Who said that?" She asked with thinly veiled contempt, and I genuinely fear that she would murder them. 

Just then, a tall, muscular blonde rushes towards us, pushing me out to the door of the campus."Ari! Get out fast, right now! Dina, get her away from here!"  It was Britanny, previously a member of the Student Council, and arguably one of the most aggressive women you'll meet in your lifetime. "You three. Scram or I cut off your fake nails," she tells the Crawford cousins, who immediately heed her warning. 

"Ow! Brit. That hurts. Why? What happened?" I complain, grasping at my elbow.

"You need to get out. You don't need to see this." Brit tells me in a desperate voice. She looks behind her, "Shit. Where's Dina? That girl snuck out of my sight. Did you notice where she went?"

My heart pounded, "No. Shoot. We have to find her. She's really pissed. She's going to make a scene."

"As well as she should be. Listen, Ari. I'm going to tell you something and I want you to be calm, okay?" Brit says, taking my shoulders and bending her head down toward me so we're seeing eye to eye.  

"Why..." I mutter and my eyes caught at something behind her.

The school bulletin board, where the Student Council posts announcements. Only I don't recognize it anymore. It looks pink and garish and something is written there, making most of the students clamor in front of it in curiosity. A fear, strangely familiar, washes over me. I slip past Brit's arms, ignoring her protests as I walk back to campus to get a clearer look at what's there. 

I reach it and as if noticing my presence, my peers make way for me at the center. My knees shake and my hands tremble but I keep walking toward the board until I can see everything clearly. 

In my periphery, I see Seb's worried face among the crowd, but I can't look at him in shame. I don't know how I can even stand there in the first place, in the middle of it all. 

Oh no. No no no.

The blackmailer. This must be that person's doing. Is this what they meant about taking the first step?

"Ari." Seb's voice is the softest it has been, but I still hear it. I don't go to him, though, I can't face anyone right now.

There's only one thing for me to do. I turn on my heels and run.