EMILY***“There you are,” Tiffany said as I sat across from her and I smiled at her as best as I could.The paranoid part of me had convinced me that she could smell fear so I was doing my best to make sure I was not showing just how nervous and scared I was for the conversation that lay ahead. A part of me thought of just using blackmail off the bat, to reduce the chances of being misunderstood but I knew very well that I was the type of person that needed to be desperate to do such a thing.I took my time ordering a drink and I was buying the time to calm myself down. I couldn’t show her that I was afraid of her, otherwise, she would just say no and I would have no choice but to keep interacting with Gabriel and that was the last thing I wanted.I needed to show her just how necessary a new strategy was-it was the only way she would even listen, let alone agree to a new way of doing things. My heart was racing in my chest but I convinced myself that I could do it. When it was appar

Bakersville High School***You and Gabriel are dating?" Julie asked in a voice that was just above a whisper."Keep your voice down," Emily said as she looked around the library. She hoped no one had heard her. She couldn't afford another rumor, not because it wasn't true but because it had to be kept a secret at all costs. It was part of the plan. Going public was out of the question."Yes," she said, "but we're keeping it a secret. We'll be acting the way we normally do at school so that no one catches on to what's happening between us.""But why?" Julie asked, "why doesn't he want to tell people that you're dating? Is he ashamed of you?""No, it was my idea actually, I didn't want all the attention. You already know that dating Gabriel means being a part of the popular crowd and you know I can't handle the attention, let alone the pressure of looking and acting the part. It was my suggestion because I wanted to do this on my terms," Emily said."If you say so," Julie said, "as lo

EMILY***"I'm still bent on exposing him," Tiffany said.We were in her room. It was two days after we had had our conversation, and we hadn't come up with any good ideas so we decided to meet again to talk things through when we had come up with a few ideas. I had gone to my room relieved that day. My plan had worked and best of all, I hadn't had to blackmail her to get her to do what I wanted. This was no longer about me. I didn't have to get involved with Gabriel. I could just give her ideas and let her go ahead with them."For what happened to him growing up, as you had originally planned?" I asked."Yeah, why?" She asked, looking over at me."How about exposing him for what he did to you? The problem with telling people what happened to him growing up is that he might get sympathy and you might end up being the bad person. What happened to him wasn't his fault."The fact that I had managed to convince her had made me bolder. I was no longer afraid of telling her what I thought.

GABRIEL***It was raining outside, but I didn't care. I was going to find her at all costs and we would talk things through. I would apologize. My pride didn’t matter anymore. I had already lost enough because of it- I wouldn’t let it make me lose anymore. I was going to apologize today because I didn’t know what would happen tomorrow.Life was unpredictable. What if I woke up and she was no longer there, just like what had happened in high school? Life had awarded me another chance to make things right and I wouldn’t pass it up this time. I didn’t know where to start looking for her but I would look through every room of the school if that was what it would take to find her.I was walking aimlessly and I decided to start with her dorm room. That was where she was most likely to be, given the weather. All along a voice whispered, saying that I should change my mind before I ruined things more than I already had. But I refused to listen to it. I had listened to it for long enough and

EMILY***“I asked what was going on,” Harper asked again.I dried my tears and got up. Gabriel had already gotten up and was standing in front of her.“I found her crying in the rain and I couldn’t leave her there,” he said. I walked over towards them. I would have to explain myself. I wouldn’t let him fight this misunderstanding alone.“I know it looks suspicious but it’s just like he said,” I said, “he found me crying in the rain and he brought me into his room and gave me a change of clothes. I understand your frustration.”She laughed.“Is that it? If it really is, then why is he crying, too? If it was about getting you out of the rain why didn’t he take you to your room? Why did he bring you into his?” she asked.Her voice was shaking. She was angry. She had every reason to be. I would be too if I was in her shoes. She started pacing around the room, and that seemed to make her even angrier. Gabriel and I stood where we were, looking at the floor, looking like kids who had been